Ombudsman orders filing of criminal raps vs 9 ‘Euro generals’

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales on Monday ordered the filing of criminal charges against the so-called “Euro Generals” before the Sandiganbayan in connection with questionable  disbursement of Philippine National Police (PNP) intelligence/confidential funds for their travel expenses to Russia in 2008.

In an 86-page Resolution dated  March 26, 2013, ordered charged before the Sandiganbayan were retired Director General Eliseo dela Paz, Deputy Director Generals Emmanuel Carta and Ismael Rafanan, Director Romeo Ricardo, Director German Doria, Director Jaime Caringal, Chief Superintendent Orlando Pestaño, Senior Superintendent Tomas Rentoy III and Senior Superintendent Samuel Rodriguez.

Rentoy, Pestaño, and Rodriguez were ordered charged with three counts of violation of Art. 220 of the Revised Penal Code or Technical Malversation and four counts of violation of Republic Act (RA) No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Dela Paz was ordered charged for three counts of violation of Technical Malversation, five counts of violation of the Anti-Graft Law; while Carta, Rafanan, Doria, Caringal were ordered charged with violation of the Anti-Graft Law.

Ricardo, on the other hand, was ordered charged with violation of two counts of the Anti-Graft Law. He was also ordered to be included as additional accused in the case filed in 2011 against Dela Paz before the Sandiganbayan, for violation of Art. 237 of the RPC (Prolonging the Performance of Duties and Powers).

Morales said “there is probable cause arising from the release, disbursement and use of a total of P10M of intelligence/confidential fund of the PNP as travel expenses of the PNP delegates to the 77th Interpol General Assembly in St. Petersburg, Russia.”

The resolution further stated that “the manifest partiality and evident bad faith of respondent Ricardo can be easily gleaned from his act of recommending himself and his co-respondents Carta, Rafanan, Doria, Caringal, and Dela Paz, as participants to the Interpol General Assembly, despite the fact that he and his co-respondents were not qualified to attend said assembly because they were due to retire within one (1) year from the date thereof.”

It also explained that Ricardo should be included as additional accused in the Information filed against Dela Paz  for Violation of Article 237 of the RPC because it was “Ricardo who recommended that respondent Dela Paz be included in the trip to Russia” which enabled Dela Paz to prolong the performance of his duties as an officer of the PNP.

The Ombudsman, meanwhile, dismissed the complaint against former Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno, retired P/Dir. Gen. Avelino Razon Jr., P/Chief Supt. Joel Ma. Alvarez, retired P/Dep. Dir. Gen. Edgardo Acuña, P/Supt. Elmer Pelobello, retired P/Dir. Silverio Alarcio Jr.  and private respondents Evita Caringal and Cynthia Versoza for lack of probable cause.