Senate to probe PNP's Russia cash; Puno changes tune
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 10/20/2008 10:19 PM
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Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago has set a Thursday hearing for the Senate to probe the big amount of cash found by Russian customs officials with retired Philippine National Police (PNP) Director Eliseo dela Paz.
Santiago, Senate foreign relations committee chair, said she wants to know the nature of the cash that was carried by dela Paz. A reported 105,000 euros (P6.9 million) was found by Russian officials with the former PNP comptroller as he was about to board a flight to return to Philippines after attending, along with other top Philippine police officials, the general assembly of the Interpol.
The Russian officials at Moscow international airport said the former police official exceeded the limit for cash for departing passengers.
De la Paz was the disbursement officer for the PNP delegation even though he would have retired by the time the delegation returned to the Philippines.
“Kung nanggaling ‘yan sa ating budget, krimen ‘yun. Malversation of public fund., kung galing ‘yan sa pribado, di ibig sabihin krimen din ‘yun, dahil that is a crime of extortion (If it came from the budget, that is a crime. Malversation of public fund. If its private [money], it’s also a crime because that is crime of extortion),” said Santiago.
Lifestyle check
Santiago also slammed the police officials for bringing their wives along to the international assembly, which was held in St Petersburg.
“Sarili man nilang pera, saan nila kinuha? Magkano ba’ng suweldo nila talaga? Dahil nga sa personal kong karansan, di makakayanan na magbiyahe din ang asawa sa official travel dahil napakagastos (Even it is their own money, where did they get this? How much really are their salaries? Because in my personal experience, it’s difficult to take your spouse on official travel because it’s very costly),” said Santiago.
Santiago said that she wants a lifestyle check conducted on all the police officials who were part of the delegation to the Interpol general assembly.
In her proposed resolution, Santiago said “the PNP delegates’ wives’ travel expenses should also be revealed, including the source of their money, and if such is within the limit of their income."
Santiago also was irritated as she said that Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno and top national police officials, including PNP chief Director-General Jesus Verzosa, had virtually absolved dela Paz.
“Kagaguhan na lang talaga ang pinagsasabi nila. Hindi na sila nahiya sa mga sarili nila na sabihin nila sa TV at nakikinig ang mga edukadong Pilipino (What they are saying is really rubbish. Aren’t they personally embarrassed at what they are saying on TV an heard by the educated Filipinos)?” said Santiago.
Santiago said that Puno himself may be an accomplice with Verzosa after the Cabinet official immediately absolved dela Paz and the police officials.
“Malamang, sa halip na imbestigahin niya, ipinagtanggol niya. Eh ka bago-bagong naupo niyang Police Chief na ‘yan. Mukhang napakalapit ni Secretary Puno dito kay PNP chief na ito, General Verzosa. Anong pinagsamahan nitong dalawa?” said Santiago.
The Senate is set to issue a subpoena to dela Paz and other members of the police delegation to Russia as well as Puno and Verzosa.
Santiago warned them not to disregard the subpoena or she would have the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms arrest them.
Changing tunes?
Puno and Verzosa, meanwhile, may have changed their tunes on Monday from previous statements defending dela Paz whom they said only brought “contingency funds”. They are now mentioning “lapses” and “violations”.
“It, of course, did some damage to the organization, and I think it is incumbent upon him to explain whatever decisions he made and the lapses he committed during this entire thing. We will have to see if this was merely a case of carelessness, or whatever, or there is some criminal liabilities here,” said Puno
Puno said dela Paz would have to explain to the PNP auditor to “clear his liabilities” and also to the National Police Commission (Napolocom).
“We will be looking at the different policies, different regulations which could have been violated,” said Verzosa.
Puno said that the cash brought by dela Paz is now with Russian authorities and will be sent to the Philippines through the banks.
Liquidate expenses
The PNP said it expects dela Paz to liquidate the expenses incurred in travelling to St. Petersburg, Russia recently.
"Immediately upon his return, the chief PNP, Director General Jesus Verzosa, expects to receive the liquidation report of expenses of the PNP delegation that attended the recent Interpol conference in Russia," said PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Nicanor Bartolome.
Bartolome said that since dela Paz was designated disbursing officer of the eight-man PNP delegation, he is required to liquidate the cash advances made for the official travel.
"As standard accounting and auditing procedure, all unused cash advances will be properly returned to the PNP's general fund," Bartolome said.
The former PNP comptroller and his wife are expected to be in Manila by Tuesday.
Dela Paz and the PNP drew flak over the scandal created by the former PNP comptroller's apprehension at the Moscow International Airport.
Aside from dela Paz, his wife and several high-ranking PNP officials were stopped by Russian customs officials from boarding their flight to Manila.
Cleared to return
On Friday, Russian officials cleared dela Paz to return home as he hurdled the investigation on why he was carrying 105,000 euros (P6.9 million) on his return flight to the Philippines.
Philippine Consul General Joselito Jimeno said dela Paz was able to convince Russian officials that the money he was carrying was a “travel contingency fund” issued by the PNP.
“Okay na, satisfied and investigators... makaka-uwi na sila,” Jimeno told ABS-CBN News via a telephone interview.
Jimeno said among the papers dela Paz presented to Russian authorities were the PNP’s travel order, cash advance certificate, and foreign exchange receipts for the Interpol conference in St. Petersburg.
But while he has been cleared by Russian authorities, dela Paz will still undergo investigation when he arrives in Manila.
Aside from investigations being conducted by the Office of the Ombudsman and the Napolcom, the Aviation Security Group (ASG) will also pursue its own probe. --With reports from Maricar Bautista and Gus Abelgas, ABS-CBN News
