SAF officer in alleged fund misuse has returned P37M to PNP

The fiscal officer of sacked former Special Action Force (SAF) chief Benjamin Lusad, who was among those facing raps for alleged misuse of SAF troopers’ allowances, has returned about P37 million to the Philippine National Police (PNP).

This was bared by the outgoing PNP chief, Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, in an ambush interview with reporters following Lusad’s relief as head of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations in Southern Luzon.

Lusad and fiscal officer Senior Supt. Andre Dizon, among others, were facing charges for alleged misuse of P59.8 million worth of allowances of SAF commandos.

“Sa comptroller, si [fiscal officer Senior Superintendent) Andre Dizon. Nasa comptroller ’yung pera, pinabinalik nila,” Dela Rosa told reporters in an ambush interview on Tuesday.

“Una nagbigay ng 10 million. Tapos, afterwards nadagdag ng P27 million. So naging P37 million yung naibalik kay General [Noli] Talino [the current SAF chief] at dinistribute sa tropa,” the outgoing PNP chief added.

However, dela Rosa said that “the complaint stays, the investigation should go on, whether or not naibalik ‘yung pera.”

“Whatever, binalik man nila o hindi, tapos merong complaint, dapat imbestigahan,” he said.

Asked about the rest of the money, Dela Rosa said he did not know the exact amount of the purportedly missing allowances and that an investigation was ongoing.

READ: PNP chief sacks former SAF head over alleged misuse of funds

Aside from Lusad, Dela Rosa had ordered the relief of Dizon as well as SPO2 Maila Bustamante and SPO1 Jack James Irica, who were all assigned to PNP-SAF’s Finance Department.

They were all tagged in the alleged misuse of allowances of police commandos. /atm