Dela Paz 'watch collector friend' takes verbal hit in Senate probe
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 11/15/2008 12:21 PM
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Businessman Tyrone Ng Arejola found himself on the hot seat Saturday as Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago interrogated him regarding the 45,000 euros he reportedly gave Eliseo dela Paz to buy designer watches on his behalf while the former police comptroller was attending an official function in Russia in October.
The senator focused her questions on the issues concerning the dates when Arejola bought 45,000 worth of euros for two high-end timepieces.
"Your money changer taught you to exchange your money in a series of dates so you wouldn't have to report to the central bank," she told Arejola.
According to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) deputy governor Diwa Gunigundo, amounts exceeding $10,000 or its equivalent in foreign exchange should be reported by the covered institution to BSP within 10 working days.
In Arejola's case, the 45,000 euros exchanged should have been reported by the money changer to BSP. But since he intentionally exchanged the amount in installments, Santiago suspected that he intended to evade reporting to the central bank.
Arejola defended himself by saying that he was working under the assumption that the country has a limited supply of euros so he did not take it one day. Santiago, however, refuted his statement, saying that the Senate committee on foreign relations cannot accept such a statement.
"That's not acceptable since the central bank just told us that it has to be reported to the central bank," she said.
Meanwhile, Santiago was suspicious of Arejola's request for a certification of the transaction on October 3 when he bought the euros on September 29.
"How come you asked for the certification after the transaction was already made? This just means that you are just trying to produce documents in order to justify what you just did," she said.
PNP officials take a direct hit from Santiago
Dela Paz and other high-ranking Philippine National Police (PNP) officials took a direct hit from Santiago as she said that the PNP officials were obviously lying in their statements before the Senate panel.
"Dapat kung mag-iimbento ka, may two-thirds of the truth (You should have two-thirds of the truth when inventing a lie)," Santiago told Senior Superintendent Tomas Rentoy III, chief of the PNP budget division, who reportedly authorized the release of nearly P10 million in funds to dela Paz for the trip to Russia in October.
Santiago zeroed in on why Rentoy signed a certification for the funds only on October 10, exactly a week after it was released to dela Paz.
According to the finance officer, he immediately signed the certification upon dela Paz's request. At the time of his request, dela Paz, his wife and several other PNP officials were already being held by Russian customs authorities at the Moscow international airport.
Rentoy's reply prompted Santiago, who is known for her witty one-liners, to quip: "You're playing fast and loose with dates."
The senator said that she suspects that the documents shown by the PNP officials regarding the scandal were all fabricated.
"[You're manufacturing something] out of sheer hot air," Santiago added.
Santiago also cited the fact, based on the PNP's report, that the funds were already released and taken to the moneychanger identified as Felicia Sacaluran before Rentoy issued a certification.
"Hindi ka pwedeng mag-issue ng certification na nakapaglabas na ng pera (A certification can't be issued if the money has already been released, it should be before)," Santiago said.
Rentoy, however, said that dela Paz was issued a receipt to certify that he had taken the money out of the PNP.
