PLUNDER CHARGES were filed yesterday with the Department of Justice against several military and civilian officials, including three chiefs-of-staff, in relation to alleged questionable fund conversions on the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
Retired Lt. Col. George A. Rabusa, former military budget officer and whistle-blower in the fund scandal charged former AFP chiefs-of-staff Diomedio P. Villanueva, Roy A. Cimatu and Efren E. Abu and former comptrollers Jacinto C. Ligot and Carlos F. Garcia.
"The complaint focuses on a series of the conversion of funds of the AFP," Noel M. Malaya, the counsel of Mr. Rabusa, told reporters after filing the complaint.
Irregularities cited in the complaint occurred in 2000 to 2004 and involves over P2 billion in misused military funds, he added.
The complaint also cited monthly support, pabaon and pasalubong (cash gifts) provided to the former chiefs and cash of others in the charge list.
Late former Defense secretary and AFP chief Angelo T. Reyes was also cited in the case, but his criminal liabilities were extinguished after he committed suicide in February.
Mr. Rabusa has claimed that Mr. Reyes had received about P150 million; Mr. Villanueva P227.4 million; and Mr. Cimatu P110 million.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ligot received a total of P360 million in questionable allowances while in office, and Mr. Garcia received P368 million.
Mr. Rabusa also discussed other issues he raised in Senate inquiries, such as the misuse of United Nations peace-keeping funds in East Timor, the anomalous purchase of ammunition from Thailand during the presidency of Joseph E. Estrada, and the purchase of unmanned aerial vehicles in 2001.
The comprehensive complaint, Messrs. Rabusa and Malaya said, was a product of three months of compiling receipts and other documents of the alleged fund misuse in the military.
"We are confident that we have a strong case here. We have documents and the testimonies of persons involved especially in the military fund conversion," Mr. Malaya said.
Mr. Rabusa had earlier revealed the alleged corruption in the military before the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, including the alleged tradition of giving military chiefs a send-off gift before they retire.
All former high-level officials have denied receiving cash gifts during the congressional hearings.
Also charged were Col. Cirilo Donato, who was a former budget officer; Col. Roy Devesa, a former executive assistant to Mr. Reyes; Maj. Emerson Angulo, another assistant in the office of Mr. Reyes; Maj. Gen. Hilario Atendido, a former executive assistant of Mr. Villanueva; Brig. Gen. Benito de Leon, former executive assistant of Mr. Cimatu; Maj. Ernesto Parnais, former official at the finance service unit of the Intelligence Service of the AFP (ISAFP); Capt. Kenneth Paglinawan, who worked for the ISAFP; Col. Gilbert Gapay, a former budget officer; Maj. Gen. Epineto Logico, former commanding general of the AFP Logistic Command; and Col. Robert Arevalo, incumbent chief-of-staff for logistics.
Rounding up the list are civilian officials Generoso del Castillo, a former head of the military’s civilian accounting division during the time of Messrs. Reyes, Villanueva and Cimatu; and Divina Cabrera, a former civilian auditor at ISAFP.
Fund anomalies in the military were uncovered during the Senate hearings over the plea bargain deal between the Ombudsman and Mr. Garcia over the latter’s plunder case, a non-bailable crime.
The deal has allowed the former military official to post bail over lesser charges of facilitating money laundering.
The issue has prompted congressmen to hasten the impeachment of Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas N. Gutierrez for betrayal of public trust over lapses committed during the Arroyo administration.
Ms. Gutierrez will stand trial at the Senate once Congress resumes session on May 9. Congress has been on Holy Week break since March 26. -- N. R. Melican
