PNP 'euro generals' given lesson on truth invention
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 11/15/2008 11:39 AM
Printer-friendly version | 
Send to friend | 
Share your views
Former police comptroller Eliseo dela Paz and other high-ranking Philippine National Police officials took a direct hit from Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago as she said that the PNP officials were obviously lying in their statements before the Senate foreign relations committee.
"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.
'Most unfortunate'
Earlier, dela Paz said the Moscow incident was "most unfortunate" for the PNP.
"No amount of wealth can be more than what I want to bequeath to my family. The Moscow incident was an unfortunate incident for me, and to the institution, the PNP, which I chose to serve on its creation," dela Paz told members of the Senate panel.
Dela Paz, whose career lapsed into retirement while he was in Russia, said he will not "throw away" the decades of military and police service just because of the incident.
"They are my only legacy, together with my unsullied name and reputation, that I can bequeath to my family, my loving wife, three daughters, and a visually-impaired son," said dela Paz, who faced the Senate panel along with PNP chief Director General Jesus Versoza.
At the same time, dela Paz explained the reason for the delay of his surrender, saying that it should not be taken as an affront to the committee's processes.
"I got to know about the order of arrest a day after its issuance, to media reports to the province where I was, since I was visiting a sister who has been ill, I did not proceed to this House soon enough in order to spend a little more time with her," he said.
On Friday, the former PNP comptroller voluntarily surrendered to the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms, three days after the order of arrest was issued by the Senate.
