Roxas seeks info from Russia on 'euro generals'
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 11/02/2008 5:27 PM
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Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II is asking Russian officials to provide information on the controversy surrounding retired Philippine National Police (PNP) director Eliseo dela Paz who was caught in a Moscow airport with 105,000 euros or P6.9 million worth of undeclared cash last October.
“We asked the help of the Russians in getting information on this controversy. They started this case when they arrested one of our police generals, and they may have additional information that will complete the Senate investigation," Roxas said in a statement.
Roxas said that he has sent a letter to Russia’s Ambassador to the Philippines Vitaliy Vorobiev asking for copies of official reports and other relevant documents related to the “euro generals” controversy.
"I am particularly interested if any charge has been filed in Russia against PNP Director De La Paz," Roxas said in his letter to the Russian Ambassador.
Dela Paz was allowed to return to the Philippines after Philippine police officials sent Russian authorities with papers and documents on the cash he was carrying. There is still no information whether Russian authorities has already sent by wire to the Philippines the 105,000 euros that was taken from the retired police official.
Dela Paz attended the Interpol General Assembly along with other top police officials.
Dela Paz arrest still pushed
Roxas, meanwhile, said the Senate foreign relations committee would continue to push for the arrest of dela Paz.
Roxas is acting chair of the foreign relations committee chair while Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago is in the US to campaign for a seat in the International Court of Justice.
Santiago had earlier ordered the arrest of dela Paz after he failed to appear in a hearing that she had called on the controversy. The Senate leadership has yet to act on Santiago’s order for the arrest of the retired PNP official.
Roxas also repeated his call for a Senate caucus to be launched even during the legislative break to discuss its action on the 'euro generals' controversy. The Senate is on a recess and will resume its session on November 10.
Dela Paz, for his part, had asked the Supreme Court on Tuesday to issue a temporary restraining order against the Senate arrest order.
In a 19-page petition for certiorari and prohibition with prayer for preliminary injunction and TRO, dela Paz questioned the jurisdiction of the Senate foreign relations committee to investigate him for carrying the P6.9 million worth of undeclared euros in an official trip to Moscow.
Dela Paz said the Senate panel should only investigate state to state relations and matters involving overseas Filipino workers and not small incidents of violations of customs laws in other countries.
He added that his non-declaration of the euros is not considered a state issue.
The retired police official said Santiago abused her position when she ordered his arrest after he failed to appear in the Senate hearing on October 23.
The petition urged the Supreme Court to stop the Senate investigation and nullify the Senate arrest warrant. The high court is on recess from October 22 to November 7.
Testimony needed
Roxas said however that the testimony of dela Paz is needed to answer questions on the controversy as well as to provide the Senate information on how the issue would not be repeated again.
“De La Paz' testimony is needed so we can complete legislation like on the use of intelligence funds that would prevent a repeat of this embarrassing incident," Roxas said in his latest statement.
As the only person who can answer questions to issues involving the “euro generals,” retired PNP comptroller dela Paz should be forced to testify before the next Senate hearing, Roxas had earlier said.
"As long as De la Paz will not present himself to the Senate Committee, then there will always be questions that remain unanswered. His testimony will be crucial to determine the solutions to the problems posed by this case. Likewise, his testimony will have a direct bearing on the credibility that the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations will give to the report," he said in an earlier statement.
Roxas said that the result of the PNP investigation on the matter appears to have prematurely absolved many police officials as well as other agencies which need to be accounted for.
"Worth noting is that the Commission on Audit (COA) was not at all involved in the fact-finding process considering that this is the Constitutionally-mandated body with the power and authority to examine, audit and settle all accounts pertaining to all the revenues and expenditures of government funds and properties," he said.
Roxas expressed fears that the charges ordered by PNP chief Director General Jesus Versoza to be filed against De la Paz and the other officers would only be rejected by the courts for lack of supporting evidence and documents proving their violations of the law.
"In other words, this is nothing but hogwash," he said.
As a result of the controversy, Roxas had said that he will push for the creation of a law that would create a Congressional Oversight Committee which will monitor the release, use and liquidation of intelligence funds.
The US government has a US Congress Joint Select Oversight Committee on Intelligence that oversees intelligence operations and expenditures whose members come from select members of the US House of Representatives and the US Senate.
