SENATOR Miriam Defensor-Santiago blows her top after a “no-show” by the principal character—Eliseo de la Paz— and the appearance of old nemesis Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno in Thursday’s Senate hearing. JESS YUSON
INTERIOR Secretary Ronaldo Puno keeps his cool as his old enemy, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, taunts him for being in the center of another controversy. JESS YUSON
PHILIPPINE National Police Director General Jesus Verzosa comes under heavy fire after failing to give senators a satisfactory answer on the source of funds. JESS YUSON
MANILA, Philippines—The “money man” was a no-show, and his superiors were put in the hot seat by the Senate committee on foreign relations that has opened an inquiry into the “contingency fund” of the Philippine National Police delegation to the 77th Interpol General Assembly in Russia.
But despite intense grilling Thursday by committee chair Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago and other senators, neither Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno nor PNP Director General Jesus Verzosa could explain the origin of the P9.2 million that then PNP comptroller Eliseo de la Paz brought to St. Petersburg.
What was established was that the money (P2.3 million approved, P6.9 million undeclared) was not withdrawn from any local bank where the PNP has an account. The P6.9 million was converted to 105,000 euros and was actually left with Moscow authorities, contrary to De la Paz’s claim the other day that the money had been wired to a special PNP bank account in Manila.
Verzosa, who assumed the top PNP post only last month, was particularly criticized by the senators for his inability to explain where the money had come from and his failure to immediately investigate the matter.
With De la Paz’s absence at the inquiry, an angry Santiago ordered Senate Sergeant at Arms Jose Balajadia Jr. to arrest him and bring him to the chamber.
Santiago signed the arrest warrant before the three-hour hearing ended.
Sen. Pia Cayetano, the officer in charge of the chamber, later told reporters that she could not yet sign the warrant because its issuance might require the backing of the majority of the senators.
The warrant is expected to be signed by Senate President Manuel Villar when he arrives from Europe on Friday.
Escaping scrutiny
At the hearing, Santiago said the total cash carried by De la Paz appeared to have been P9.2 million—P2.3 million for travel expenses and P6.9 million for contingencies.
“Too bad he is not here. He could have contradicted this. That is the problem when you want to escape scrutiny by absenting yourself. Then you are deemed to have waived your right to have your day in court. Since he chose to be absent of his own free will, he is therefore deemed by this committee to have waived his right,” Santiago said.
De la Paz’s lawyer, Noel Malaya, said he and his client had agreed to question the Senate committee’s jurisdiction to look into the matter.
Santiago told Malaya that if someone had a pending motion, “you wait for the judge to [decide on it], you do not stay away.”
She told Balajadia that De la Paz and his wife had been served subpoenas, “and in view of their deliberate absence here, I command you, arrest him. Now. And bring him here if possible.”
Santiago also told Malaya that he could appeal her “ruling” at the Supreme Court, and that under Senate rules he could not participate in the hearing.
She then dismissed him, saying: “That will be all. Would you kindly return to your seat. You have no more personality here.”
Santiago’s committee also established that the authority and release of the P2.3 million for the eight-man PNP delegation to the Interpol assembly had violated laws covering government travel and budget disbursements.
It is poised to file administrative and criminal charges against the PNP and the Department of Interior and Local Government for approving the P2.3-million fund for the six-day trip of Dela Paz, Deputy Director Generals Emmanuel Carta and Ismael Rafanan, Directors German Doria, Ismael Rafanan, Romeo Ricardo, Silverio Alarcio and Jaime Caringal, and Supt. Elmer Pelobello.
“Under the 2008 budget (the General Appropriations Law), no travel of this nature is allowed except at no cost to the government,” Santiago said.
She said a long-standing presidential order prohibited all foreign travel at government expense as part of the administration’s “austerity measures.”
Committee vice chair Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II cited an administrative order fixing per diem rates per destination to cover all official travels of those in government.
The regulation, which uses as standard the foreign travel allowance rates of the United Nations Development Program, placed the per diem for the trip to St. Petersburg at $220. The PNP rate was double this at $467.
Nearing retirement
Roxas also cited a regulation prioritizing the overseas training and conference attendance of officials up to 45 years old.
He said the same rule prohibited the travel of officials within a year of their retirement. “What does the country stand to gain out of sending officials near retirement?” he said.
Replying to Santiago’s query, Rafanan and Ricardo said they were 55 years old, Alarcio 54 and Pelobello 47.
Carta, Doria and Caringal were spared from stating their age because they were not seated on the firing line, but the Philippine Daily Inquirer learned that the three are all 55.
PNP officials are retired on their 56th birthday.
When asked why he still issued the travel authority despite such laws, Puno said: “That was what then Chief PNP (Avelino) Razon requested; any authority I gave relative to travel is conditioned upon existing laws, accounting and auditing practices.”
To which Santiago said: “That is not acceptable to the committee.”
When Puno said he stood by his authority, an annoyed Santiago said: “You have to. [If you don’t, then you’re] guilty.”
Where was it from?
The committee tried to elicit information on the source of De la Paz’s P6.9-million cash advance. He had explained that he took the cash out of a P10-million fund he was authorized to advance as a “bonded officer,” and that the amount was subject to liquidation.
Santiago asked Commission on Audit Chair Reynaldo Villar if such a reason was just. He answered: “I don’t think so, your honor.”
Under questioning by Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, Puno said he learned of the cash advance for the “first time” when De la Paz was already being questioned by Russian authorities in Moscow.
He said the amount authorized was only P2,314,096.
Verzosa admitted that he was kept in the dark about the additional P6.9 million.
“I was told that it came from the PNP,” he told Roxas.
Roxas tried in vain to inquire from Verzosa who had released the P6.9 million.
All the PNP chief could say was what he had been told by Senior Supt. Tomas Rentoy, budget division chief of the PNP directorate for comptrollership: “I was told that it was a cash advance.”
Verzosa also said De la Paz and Rentoy were involved in the fund release.
Roxas got Verzosa to admit that he was supposed to sign a cash advance of such amount. But the latter said he did not sign any authority for the cash advance’s release and that the money was not released through any bank.
Verzosa had yet to assume his post when the travel authority was approved.
“So where did that come from? A drawer? Or maybe a safe?” Roxas pressed on. He also asked whether Verzosa was aware of PNP rules on the withdrawal of large amounts.
Sitting directly across from the committee table, Verzosa made no response. Minutes later, he said the matter was now under an internal investigation due for completion on Monday.
‘Dismal’ performance
The reply launched Roxas into a tirade:
“So there’s theft within the PNP? You are saying this is a transaction between General De la Paz and Superintendent Rentoy?
“I think disappointment is a really weak word. [Director General] Verzosa, you are the highest police official of our country. Up until now you have not been able to tell us a straight story: Where did the money come from? [What] bank accounts? Where are the vouchers? Who authorized, if not you?
“You said you have started an investigation. We will see. But as for me, looking at you, at your performance, it is dismal.”
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel appeared to be as frustrated, saying to Verzosa: “You don’t seem to be the person on the saddle.”
Verzosa had no chance to read a prepared statement explaining the absence of the PNP spouses—his wife Cynthia, Maria Fe de la Paz, Evita Caringal and Anita Carta—summoned to explain why they were part of the trip to Russia.
“Our spouses may not be able to attend to maternal duties in the home and our families... We beg that they be excused from the ensuing proceedings,” Verzosa’s statement read in part.
The PNP chief also reiterated that the women had paid their own way.
‘Accomplice’
Asked later about Verzosa’s limited knowledge of the cash advance, Santiago told reporters:
“It’s clear that Verzosa is an accomplice ... Even if you are new in your position, with the release of P7 million, wouldn’t you ask, Where are the papers? He took no action; all he said was just what he was told.”
Verzosa was silent as reporters pelted him with questions: Where is De la Paz right now? How did you find the hearing? Do you have anything to say? Is it possible you knew nothing about the money? Were you offended? Any statement at all?”
When finally he spoke, all he said was: “These are subjects of investigation. We have assured the senators we will conduct [an inquiry]. We will look deeper into the case.”
He also said he had no knowledge of De la Paz’s absence.
Roxas told reporters that Versoza had “swallowed his pride to cover up for his fellow generals.”
He added: “The PNP is covering up the truth. Where can you see [a PNP chief] not knowing until now the real story...?”
Roxas said the next hearing would be set once De la Paz is arrested.
Copyright 2009 Philippine Daily Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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