Philrem president posts bail in graft case with ex-PNP chief
Philrem president Salud Bautista says the firm’s accountant can explain its financial statements. MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
Salud Bautista, the president of Philrem Services Corp. embroiled in an $81-million money laundering controversy, on Tuesday posted her bail from graft before the Sandiganbayan.
Bautista arrived past 3 p.m. to post her bail and undergo booking procedures before the antigraft court’s sixth division.
She is a coaccused of dismissed Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima in a graft case over an anomalous courier deal in 2011.
Purisima, a friend of President Benigno Aquino III, and 16 others had been charged with one count of graft for acting allegedly with manifest partiality, evident bad faith and gross inexcusable negligence when they awarded the courier contract to the firm Werfast Documentary Agency Inc.
READ: Purisima faces graft over anomalous courier deal
Bautista was implicated as an incorporator of Werfast, which was in a joint venture with Philrem and CMIT Consultancy Group Inc.
In a resolution dated May 18, the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division said it found probable cause to try Purisima and his coaccused for graft and thus issued the arrest warrant.
“After judicious scrutiny and evaluation of the information and resolution of the prosecutor, the evidence in support thereof and the records of the preliminary investigation attached thereto, the court finds that sufficient grounds exist for the finding of a probable cause and for the issuance of a warrant of arrest against all the accused,” the court said.
READ: Purisima asks court to dismiss graft raps in courier deal
Bautista is the last in their group to post bail after Purisima and the others paid their P30,000 for their provisional liberty.
His lawyer said Purisima on Friday voluntarily surrendered to the court even though the dismissed police chief was served his warrant of arrest upon arriving at the airport from Butuan City.
READ: Purisima surrenders wearing shorts
In filing the graft charge, the Office of the Special Prosecutor said Purisima violated Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act when he gave unwarranted benefit to Werfast.
Purisima entered into a memorandum of agreement with Werfast and accredited the firm as the PNP’s courier service provider for all firearms license applications despite its failure to comply with government regulations.
He and the respondents also approved the delivery by courier of firearms license as a mandatory policy in the PNP.
The prosecution said Werfast failed to seek prior registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and failed to get authority from the Department of Transportation and Communications to operate a delivery service as well as an accreditation from the Department of Science and Technology.
Also ordered arrested were the following accused: retired Police Director Gil Meneses; dismissed Police Chief Supt. Raul Petrasanta, a former official of Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) and Central Luzon police director; and dismissed FEO officials Chief Supt. Napoleon Estilles; Senior Superintendents Allan Parreño, Melchor Reyes and Eduardo Acierto; Senior Insp. Ford Tuazon; Supt. Lenbell Fabia; and Chief Inspectors Sonia Calixto, Nelson Bautista, and Ricardo Zapata Jr.
Besides Bautista, Werfast incorporators Mario Juan, Enrique Valerio, Lorna Perena and Juliana Pasia were also ordered arrested.
Bautista is the president of Philrem, the money remittance firm at the center of an alleged money laundering scheme in February, when $81 million was allegedly stolen by hackers in the Bangladesh Bank and stashed in the Philippines. Bautista faces a money laundering complaint before the Department of Justice.
Graft is a criminal offense bailable upon posting P30,000 bond for each count.
Earlier, the Ombudsman dismissed Purisima, Petrasanta and others for the administrative offense of grave misconduct, serious dishonesty and grave abuse of authority. The officials were forfeited of their retirement benefits and barred from being reemployed in government.
READ: Purisima, Petrasanta, 9 other PNP officers dismissed from service
In ordering the graft charges, the Ombudsman said Purisima entered into a courier service contract with Werfast although the latter had no corporate existence and juridical personality when they entered into a MOA in May 2011.
The Ombudsman found that no public bidding was conducted, and the MOA was entered into although Werfast lacked track record as a courier service company.
Purisima and the other officials also admitted that the accreditation documents from Werfast were incomplete and met only the minimum requirements. The respondents also gave absolute credence to the company’s representative that it had a joint venture with CMIT Consultancy Group and Philrem.
The Ombudsman’s investigation also showed that Werfast engaged the services of LBC, which cost P190 for deliveries within Metro Manila and P290 outside, while other courier service providers charged only P90 within Manila.
In her order, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales said “the document trail—from the execution of the MOA to the issuance of an accreditation policy, subsequent mandatory imposition of courier service fee deliveries, until accreditation of Werfast—reveals measures undertaken to mask a long line of violations.”
Purisima and the others stand accused of violating Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits public officials from causing any undue injury to any party, or giving any private party any unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference in the discharge of his official administrative or judicial functions through manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence.
Petrasanta already faces a separate graft trial before the Sandiganbayan for the missing AK-47 assault rifles allegedly sold to communist rebels.
The Ombudsman also found probable cause to charge Purisima and sacked Special Action Force (SAF) Commander Getulio Napeñas with graft and usurpation of powers for violating the police chain of command in the botched antiterror raid “Oplan Exodus” that resulted in the deaths of 44 elite cops in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. RC
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