MANILA, Philippines—With the brewing controversy over the huge travel allowance of a Philippine National Police delegation that attended a conference in Russia, PNP Director General Jesus Verzosa has ordered the suspension of all foreign trips by police officials.

Per Verzosa’s order, the suspension—which will allow for a review of all “policies, guidelines, procedures, rules and regulations governing travel abroad”—will be in effect until an investigation of the matter has been completed.

But already, there is an exemption: A group of 45 senior police officers is leaving Friday night for a scheduled seminar on law enforcement in Los Angeles with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“They could not cancel the trip because they already paid for their tickets. They will be spending their own money for the trip,” Roy Navales of the PNP public information office told the Philippine Daily Inquirer Thursday on the phone.

Navales said the 45 officers would attend a briefing on customs, immigration and travel procedures Friday morning at Camp Crame, the PNP’s general headquarters.

On Saturday at the Moscow international airport, customs inspectors stopped retired PNP Director Eliseo de la Paz from boarding a plane for the Philippines after he was found carrying what was left of a “contingency fund” of P6.93 million (105,000 euros).
The amount—which exceeded the customs limit for departing passengers—was purportedly intended to cover the official expenses of the PNP delegation to the 77th Interpol General Assembly in Saint Petersburg on Oct. 6-11.

De La Paz, the PNP comptroller, had been appointed disbursement officer of the delegation.

Suspension coverage

The group included Verzosa’s wife, Cynthia, who represented her husband at the assembly’s traditional socials.

According to Chief Supt. Nicanor Bartolome, the PNP spokesperson, the freeze on foreign trips covered sponsored schooling, study tours, speaking engagements by invitation and international conferences such as the Interpol General Assembly.

“Travel applications that have been previously approved will also be suspended pending the review of the different policies,” Bartolome told reporters in a press briefing Thursday at Camp Crame.

He said a special review committee would be formed to look into the procedures governing PNP personnel sent abroad to attend police-related functions.

Bartolome said the PNP was “also considering a mandatory pre-departure briefing” for all police personnel sent on official missions overseas.

He said this would “familiarize them with international immigration, customs and travel procedures, as well as policies and procedures peculiar to the country of destination.”

Proper liquidation required

Customs authorities in Moscow were to have received Thursday the documents sent by the PNP through official diplomatic channels proving that the money De la Paz was carrying had come from legitimate sources, according to Bartolome.

“The forwarded documents, translated into the Russian language, include a certification of official issuance of the travel funds by the PNP,” he said.

Bartolome said De la Paz would have to return all “unused funds” and “properly liquidate” the delegation’s expenses in accordance with government accounting and auditing procedures.

He defended De la Paz for bringing a huge amount of money, saying it was for “unplanned” expenses and activities and in cases of emergencies.

He recounted an instance when a police officer got sick and had to be sent to hospital while on an official trip abroad: “Since he did not have any contingency fund, he used his personal money to pay for his bill, which turned out to be expensive.”

‘Big’ conference

Bartolome also said cash disbursed to police officials depended on the activity or conference they were attending.

“In this case, the conference [in Moscow] was big… It was attended by over 1,000 delegates from 156 Interpol-member countries,” he told the Inquirer on the phone.

He added that the PNP was open to any official investigation, to show that “we are transparent in all our dealings here.”

A breakdown of expenses prepared by Supt. Elmer Pelobello—a copy of which was provided reporters Thursday—showed that each police official was allotted P139,620 for economy-class round-trip tickets, P1,500 for pre-departure allowance, P128,892 for six-day allowance, and P13,500 for visa and insurance applications.

Pelobello attended the six-day conference along with Deputy Director General Emmanuel Carta, Deputy Director General Ismael Rafanan, Director Jaime Caringal, Director for Plans Romeo Ricardo, Director for Operations Silverio Alarcio Jr. and Director for Human Resource and Doctrine Development German Doria.

Retirement guideline

De la Paz actually retired on Oct. 9.

As it happens, the Commission on Audit (COA) prohibits government employees from traveling one year before their retirement but has provided an exception, according to Director Ariel Ronquillo, head of the legal affairs office of the Civil Service Commission.

“Retiring government employees are no longer allowed to travel except if the travel is connected to an official commitment of the agency,” Ronquillo said in a phone interview. He declined to elaborate on the COA rule because he was attending a convention in Davao City and he did not have the pertinent documents with him.

Ronquillo said the COA had a “rule-making power” and imposed guidelines as part of its mandate to audit government revenues and expenditures of government resources.

The COA, a constitutional office, says in its website that it is granted powers “to prescribe accounting and auditing rules.”

It has yet to issue a statement on the P6.93-million cash advance for contingency funds brought by De la Paz to Moscow.

According to a COA circular, government employees are required to liquidate cash advances for their travels abroad within 60 days after their return to the Philippines.

The COA said in its 2007 audit report that the PNP headquarters had a total of P12 million unliquidated cash advances accumulated since 2002.

Of that figure, P8.1 million constituted travel expenses.

Still on duty

To explain why De la Paz was part of the delegation to the Interpol General Assembly, the National Police Commission (Napolcom) Thursday presented a 2008 resolution revoking an earlier one wherein retiring personnel were placed on “off-duty” status three months before their retirement date.

Commissioner Eduardo Escueta, vice chair of Napolcom, said Resolution No. 2008-027 showed that De la Paz was still on official duty when he joined the delegation.

Escueta said De la Paz was “not off-duty” based on the resolution approved on Jan. 21 and signed by Napolcom chair and Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno.

“[The earlier resolution] was revoked because it was seen to disrupt continuity... At this point, there is no more three-month off-duty status for all retiring personnel. So up to the last day of his term, he (De la Paz) was officially part of the PNP, and he was called upon to perform his duties,” Escueta told the Inquirer. With reports from Michael Lim Ubac and Gil C. Cabacungan Jr.