MANILA, Philippines – The chief of the Philippine Navy has guaranteed "absolute" protection for the whistleblower in the alleged misuse of a P46-million fund for joint exercises between Filipino and American troops in 2007.

At the same time, Navy Flag Officer-in-Command Vice Admiral Ferdinand Golez clarified that there was no manhunt for Lieutenant Senior Grade Nancy Gadian, who tagged her former superior, retired Lieutenant General Eugenio Cedo, as having benefited from the Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) war games budget.

"We give her total guarantee, a 100-percent absolute protection as a member of the Philippine Navy. She can voluntarily come to us," Golez told reporters on the sidelines of the Maritime Stakeholders' Summit in Camp Aguinaldo, on Monday.

"We won't force her to come to us... We will just have to wait [for her to show up]," he said.

Gadian has been on AWOL or absent without official leave since she revealed the alleged misuse of Balikatan funds last week.

Meanwhile, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. urged President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to use her powers as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to withdraw an order to “apprehend” Gadian.

“Mrs. Arroyo, as commander-in-chief, has the authority to stop the AFP’s persecution
of Gadian. She can already put a stop to the threats and intimidation being hurled against the whistleblower. There is great public interest in what she has to say regarding corruption in the AFP," Reyes said in a statement.

Reyes said the President’s “inaction” on the Gadian case showed the “possible intent to cover up the issue of corruption.”

With Katherine Evangelista, INQUIRER.net