PNP: 'Cash advance' revolved around dela Paz, 3 others
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 10/28/2008 10:56 AM
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Only four men knew of the decision to release P6.9 million from the Philippine National Police's intelligence fund to be used as a "cash advance" by high-ranking PNP officials who traveled to Russia earlier this month.
"Sila ang nag-usap dito, umikot lang sa kanila 'yung pag-approve ng pera (The decision to approve the release of the funds revolved around them)," PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Nicanor Bartolome said in a radio dzMM interview Tuesday morning.
Bartolome identified the four as retired PNP comptroller Director Eliseo 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.
The PNP spokesman said dela Paz, as PNP comptroller, was liable for the issuance of the release order for the funds. He in turn ordered Rentoy, the disbursing officer to get the cash advance.
Pestaño, meanwhile, was also involved in his capacity as PNP Finance Service director. Rodriguez is the disbursing officer for the Directorate for Intelligence.
Bartolome said that based on the initial report of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, dela Paz decided upon himself to authorize the release of the cash advance.
"Iyon ang ipapaliwanag ni dela Paz, kung bakit ginawa niya iyon kasi supposedly may proseso (Dela Paz is supposed to explain why he issued the sole authorization for the release of the funds because supposedly, there is a process on how to do it)," the PNP spokesman said.
With regard to the other PNP officials in the eight-man contingent to the 77th International Police Assembly in St. Petersburg, Bartolome said that it appears that apart from the four, the rest were in the dark on how much money dela Paz and the others were carrying.
"Yes, actually meron silang idea na meron talagang maaaring magamit na mga pondo kung may mga biglang pangangailangan (They had an idea that they had a contigency fund but not the amount). Apparently hindi nila alam kung gaano kalaki ang dala na cash advance that will be liquidated upon their return," Bartolome said.
Russians' help sought
On Monday, 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 Interpol assembly.
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 on 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.
Versoza 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.
