Moneychanger in 'euro generals' mess ordered arrested
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 11/15/2008 12:45 PM
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Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago on Saturday ordered the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms to immediately draft an arrest warrant in the name of the moneychanger allegedly involved in the "euro generals" mess that is being investigated by the chamber's foreign relations and blue-ribbon committees.
Santiago issued the directive upon learning that Felisa Sakaluran of Felisa Sakaluran Enterprises failed to show up during the hearing.
Sakaluran was identified as the owner of the moneychanger shop in Manila that converted P6.9 million to 105,000 euros caught in the possession of former police comptroller Eliseo dela Paz in October at the Moscow international airport.
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.
Gunigundo was also referring to the issue involving Tyrone Ng Arejola, the businessman who reportedly entrusted dela Paz with 45,000 euros for the purchase of two designer time pieces on his behalf in Europe.
Arejola, who was present during the hearing, drew flak from Santiago as she asked him question on why the currency bought from the moneychanger was not reported to the BSP.
"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.
Arejola countered by saying that he assumed that Philippine moneychangers have a limited supply of euros so he did not buy them in one day. He said he bought the euros in tranches.
Santiago said that the panel 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.
