Espinosa, 17 others charged for buying ‘subst

The Ombudsman filed yesterday before the Sandiganbayan charges of graft and corruption and malversation through falsification of public documents against Lt. Gen. Edgardo Espinosa and 17 others for the alleged illegal procurement of P3.8-million substandard Kevlar helmets in 1998.

Ombudsman Aniano Desierto told a news briefing the officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) conspired with civilians to defraud the government.

"They had the custody and control of public funds by reason of the duties of their office. They were able to get hold of the funds and appropriate them, and permit other persons to partake of the same," he told reporters in his weekly briefing.

Indicted, aside from Espinosa, were Marine Colonels, Inocencio Artajos, Arnold Blanco, Natalio Torreno, Sergio Eria, Majors Luciardo Obena, Godofredo Tabila, Jaime Napoles and Edmund Yurong, and Navy Commander Eduardo Loyola.

Civilians named in the suit were Iluminada Flores of the Inspection and Awards Committee, helmets supplier Jenny Napoles, Evelyn de Leon, Anna Marie Dulguime, Reynaldo Francisco, Magdalena Francisco, Mia Legacion and Priscilla Somotsot.

It was found out that the purchase orders and requisition and issue orders (for helmets) worth P3.6 million were split into lesser amounts so as to avoid approval by higher (Military Defense) authorities," Desierto noted.

Graft investigator Sylvia Hazel Bismonte-Beltran said that the accused falsely made it appear that four separate biddings for the purchase of the 500 pieces of US-made Kevlar helmets were made to the lowest bidders.

She said that the purchase of the 500 helmets were deliberately and maliciously divided into purchase orders of not more than P300,000 each from each winning supplier.

The investigation also revealed that the seven winning bidders were mere dummies of accused Jenny Napoles, who made the delivery of the Taiwan-made Kevlar helmets, even if the agreement called for US-made helmets.

The charges against three others — Colonel Eduardo Sobrejuanite, Danilo Moro and Edgardo Guiriba — were dismissed due to "lack of evidence."

Deputy Ombudsman for the Military Orlando Casimiro, who supervised the probe, said Espinosa — who was an instrumental figure in EDSA II — "shouldhave exerted diligence in order not to jeopardize the institution he is heading."