We took time to observe the 2nd hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on the plea bargain agreement of the Office of the Special Prosecutor with Maj. General Carlos F. Garcia (ret.) and the corruption in the AFP. It lasted seven hours from 9:39 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. without a lunch break.
It was heart-rending to witness mature adults Lt. Col. Antonio Sonny Lim, Lt. Col. George Rabusa and Auditor Heidi Mendoza shed tears, showing the great emotional burden and anxiety they felt. Definitely, their testimonies confirming the corruption in the AFP involving hundreds of millions are credible.
On the other hand, Generals Carlos F. Garcia and Jacinto Ligot continued to be evasive and refused to answer even simple, preparatory questions, giving the impression they were guilty.
Chairman, Senator T.G. Guingona and Sen. Franklin Drilon brought out the fact that aside from the P303 million amassed by Gen. Garcia in the plunder case, P128 million was withdrawn by Gen. Garcia before a freeze order was issued. I was surprised to hear that former Comptroller, Maj. Gen. Jacinto Ligot has been charged with amassing P207 million in unexplained wealth. Rabusa and Lim testified that Gen. Diomedio Villanueva and Gen. Roy Cimatu got P160 million and P80 million in pabaon.
Col. Rabusa detailed their system of converting the different AFP appropriations into cash, especially intelligence funds, “James Bond 007 style” and return to sender (RTS).
He confirmed that to get the resident auditor to allow the conversion, he received 2 percent. If P200 million was converted, the auditor got P4 million. He even said the amount was raised from one percent because the Auditor, a Divina Cabrera, insisted on two percent.
Rabusa also exposed the irregular lease of an Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for a huge $2 million without public bidding and again without any authorized budget or appropriation. Gen. Roy Cimatu asked him to produce $2 million in one week’s time which he did by conversion. It turned out later that the drones were useless and did not help in the anti Abu Sayyaf campaign.
Upon grilling, Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez again insisted the plea bargain agreement has not been finally approved by the Sandiganbayan and was finally persuaded by Senators Guingona, Drilon and Santiago to file a Manifestation with the Sandiganbayan that she was reviewing the agreement in the light of the testimonies of Colonels Rabusa, Lim and Heidi Mendoza.
A tearful Heidi Mendoza begged the Senators to spare her from further testifying, saying she no longer wanted to hurt people she had worked with. Sen. Guingona acceded to her plea. But I am sure this is not the last we will hear from her.
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MORE COMING OUT. . . The appearance of Lt. Col. Ramon Antonio Lim (PAF) PMA ’96 at the Senate to corroborate Lt. Col. George Rabusa’s expose of corruption in the top ranks of the AFP raises hopes that more military officers who participated in the illicit conversion and pocketing of AFP funds will surface.
For every document signed to facilitate the conversion and release of funds, at least five people would have signed or recorded the transaction. How about the J-1 to J-11 finance officers who complained about the huge cuts?
Senator Jinggoy Estrada and Col. Rabusa should persuade other officers to come out and testify, especially those involved in buying and receiving 105 MM shells, C-130 spare parts, M-16 bullets, uniforms, combat boots and communications equipment.
How about the Inspector General and the Internal Auditors of the AFP? Were they also part of the scam? If not, they should come out and testify. General Ricardo David can help by assuring them of his support.
Again, we insist that the BIR conduct a lifestyle check of all Generals and charge them with tax evasion cases, as the United States did in the Al Capone mafia case.
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GOOD MOVE. . . It is welcome news that PCSO Chairperson Margarita P. Juico has finally decided to terminate the license of 34 STL operators, most of whom are fronts for jueteng lords like Bong Pineda in Pampanga and Bataan. The present crop of STL operators were reporting to the PCSO only 10-20 percent of their collections with the 80-90 percent entered into their jueteng books.
PCSO will now operate a “Loteryang Bayan” which will compete with jueteng offering a prize of P900 per peso bet higher than the P800 per peso bet paid by jueteng operators. The Loteryang Bayan will now also draw from 37 numbers, not 39 under STL. Jueteng also draws from 37 numbers.
Good job, Mrs. Juico and Atty. Ferdinand Rojas.
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KIDNAPPER COPS. . . Police Regional Office 4-A Director, General Samuel Pagdilao ordered dismissal proceedings against PO2 Archie Alvarado and PO2 Noel Montemayor of the Rizal Provincial Police Command for robbery and kidnapping of two motorcycle dealers Henrick Sarmiento of Morong and Perry Teodoro of Tanay, Rizal on Feb. 1.
While we commend Gen. Pagdilao and the Rizal police for arresting the two cops, it once again proves that the PNP has a big problem of corrupt policemen in its ranks. Recall two Cainta policemen stabbed a woman 18 times and left her for dead in a Pagsanjan ravine.
The public is still waiting for DILG Secretary Jessie Robredo’s report on police officers protecting carnapping syndicates.
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TIDBITS. . . Billionaire Congressman Ted Haresco who made his fortune handling GMA’s bridge program hosted two days of parties for more than 150 Congressmen at his 7 high supper club at Global City. . .According to the National Nutrition Survey, the incidence of malnutrition among children has increased. . . One reason, the high cost of baby food and milk. The number of HIV-AIDS cases have doubled to more than 2,000 from 2009.
Tune in to our radio program “Mr. Expose” over DZRJ-AM, 810 KHZ tomorrow Sunday, 8-9:30 a.m. and on Thursdays 5-6 p.m.