Former PNP chief Razon, 38 others probed for plunder, graft

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales during the impeachment hearing of Supreme Court Chief Justice Ranato Corona at the Senate. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales has ordered a preliminary investigation of former Philippine National Police chief Avelino Razon, other police officials and private individuals to determine if they should be hailed to court for “ghost repairs” on 28 light armored vehicles in 2007 that cost the government P400 million.

Morales issued the order on Wednesday after she approved the report on a fact-finding investigation by one of her deputies that found Razon, 26 PNP personnel and 12 private individuals liable for plunder, graft, malversation through falsification of public documents, and violation of the procurement law.

The probe was conducted by the Deputy Ombudsman for Military and Other Law Enforcement Offices and the panel subsequently filed a criminal complaint against the 39 individuals as well as an administrative complaint against the police officials for grave misconduct and serious dishonesty.

These complaints are to undergo preliminary investigation and administrative adjudication by another panel which Morales formed on Wednesday.

Razon earlier denied the ghost repairs and said the light armored vehicles were really refurbished. He also denied that he had colluded with suppliers to rig the bidding.

The fact finding panel found that there were “ghost deliveries” of engines and transmission blocks, but there were no records of waste materials to show that engines and parts of the armored vehicles had really been replaced.

It also found the procurement process irregular because there were no bidding documents, list of possible bidders, pre-procurement conferences, a pre-bid conference, as well as a post-qualification process.

Aside from Razon, those facing charges are former Deputy Director General Reynaldo Varilla; Director Charlemagne Alejandrino; Director Eliseo Dela Paz; Director Geary Barias; former Chief Supt. Ray Roderos; Chief Supt. Mario San Diego; former Chief Supt. Teodorico Lapuz; Sr. Supt. Emmanuel Ojeda; Sr. Supt. Reuel Leverne Labrado; Chief Insp. Analee Forro; Supt. Edgar Paatan;

Supt. Henry Duque; SPO4 Victor Puddao; Supt. Josefina Dumanew; Sr. Supt. Victor Agarcio; Supt Warlito Tubon; SPO4 Alfredo Laviña; Senior  Supt. Rainier Espina, PNP Accounting Division Chief Antonio Retrato, PNP Resident Supervising Auditor Jaime Serrano; Technical Audit Specialist Amor Quiambao; non uniformed personnel Eulito Fuentes, Alex Barrameda, Patricia Enaje, Maria Teresa Narcise, and Nancy Basallo; and 12 private individuals who acted as suppliers/bidders.

Morales gave the special panel she formed 45 days to complete the preliminary investigation.

Its members are Acting Director Manuel Soriano, Jr., Julita Calderon, Maria Theresa Lee-Rafols, Emerita Francia, and Myla Teona Teologio.