Ex-ISAFP comptroller admits getting car, allowance

MANILA, Philippines – A former comptroller of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) admitted receiving a car from his former boss but denied getting at least P100,000 monthly allowance from the armed forces.

Former budget officer George Rabusa claimed that Cirilo Thomas Donato Jr. was then his deputy assistant when he was given a Honda Civic and a P100,000 monthly allowance for his “personal use.”

In Thursday’s hearing by the Senate blue ribbon committee, Rabusa said that the gifts that were given to Donato were in exchange for his loyalty to him.

Rabusa said he also recommended Donato to the comptrollership of the ISAFP so that he could have control over the cash conversions.

“Hindi ako puwedeng kumuha ng pera sa ISAFP, sya ang inuutusan ko. Siya ang nagko-convert [I could not have taken the money from ISAFP. I asked him to. He was the one who converted the money],” Rabusa said.

Donato, currently the country’s defense attache in East Timor, admitted receiving the car but denied getting as much as P100,000 in monthly allowances.

“Siguro hindi bababa sa P100,000 isang bigayan lang [Maybe the amount won’t go lower than P100,000, one-time payment],” said Rabusa, responding to queries by Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada.

Rabusa said he could not remember exactly how many times he gave the amount to Donato but said this could be on a monthly basis.

And based on his estimate, Rabusa said he gave Donato a total of P1.4 million for more than a year.

But Donato countered that he only received P10,000 monthly from Rabusa and the biggest amount that he could remember receiving from his former boss was only P20,000. The smallest amount he received, he said, was P2, 000.

But Rabusa said it was impossible that he would give P2,000 to Donato, saying that the amount was too small for the latter’s position.

“Nalimutan ko pong sabihin, nagbigay ako ng car [kay Donato] noong araw,” Rabusa added.

Asked by Estrada to confirm if this was true, Donato answered, “Yes,” adding that the car was a Honda civic.

When asked if he did not wonder why he was given a car, Donato said, “At that time I was very grateful.”