Former AFP top brass, other officers, snub DOJ plunder hearings

MANILA, Philippines—Former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chiefs of staff did not show up at the start of the Department of Justice’s (DoJ) inquiry on the plunder complaint filed by retired Army Lieutenant Colonel George Rabusa regarding the fund anomaly in the Armed Forces.

Former AFP Chiefs of Staff Diomedio Villanueva, Efren Abu and Roy Cimatu; former AFP Comptrollers Jacinto Ligot and Carlos Garcia; former Intelligence Service Officer Divina Cabrera, Lt. Gen. Gaudencio Pangilinan, Ret. Maj. Ernesto Boac, and the State Auditors Manuel Warren, Arturo Besana and Crisanto Gabriel failed to appear in today’s hearing.

Lawyers of the respondents questioned the jurisdiction of the DoJ, saying the Office of the Ombudsman is the proper venue for Rabusa’s complaint.

Respondents also asked that they be given 30 days to submit their counter-affidavit, or their response to the complaint filed by Rabusa.

However, Prosecutor General Claro Arellano, the head of the investigating panel maintained that all the 22 respondents have until July 18 to submit the counter-affidavit.

Rabusa, in his complaint, accused the former heads of the military of misusing some P2.3-billion military funds from 2000 to 2005.