PNP chief OKs graft raps vs dela Paz, 3 others
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 10/27/2008 3:32 PM
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The chief of the Philippine National Police on Monday recommended the filing of criminal and administrative charges against ex-PNP comptroller Eliseo dela Paz and three other police officials for alleged illegal disbursement of intelligence funds.
In a statement, Director General Jesus Verzosa said he has directed the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group to file appropriate charges against dela Paz, Chief Superintendent Orlando Pestano, Senior Superintendent Tomas Rentoy and Superintendent Samuel Rodriguez for the unauthorized release of P6.9 million in intelligence funds.
Pestano is the chief of the PNP Finance Service, Rentoy chief of the budget division, directorate for comptrollership; and Rodriguez disbursing officer for directorate for intelligence.
Versoza ordered the CIDG to file pertinent charges before the Office of the Ombudsman against Dela Paz for violating Section 36 of Republic Act 7653 for failing to declare the P6.9 million worth of euros he brought to the 77th Interpol General Assembly in St. Petersburg, Russia earlier this month.
He also ordered seven other police officials who attended the assemby to submit individual liquidation reports of the P200,000 cash advance that each of them received. He said all eight police officials should return the entire cash advance since the procedure involved in the release of the funds is questionable.
He also ordered the PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management to coordinate with Russian authorities on the status of the 105,000 euros found on dela Paz last October 11.
Verzosa earlier told the Senate that a P6.9 million cash advance given to dela Paz came from the PNP's intelligence fund allocated for the purchase of intelligence equipment.
In a letter to the Senate finance committee, Verzosa said dela Paz processed the P6.930 million cash advance from PNP's intelligence fund before he [Verzosa] took over the top PNP post on September 27.
The PNP chief said he will submit the final report of the PNP fact-finding investigation to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and to the National Police Commission.
