|
Some senators have been trying to equate the fertilizer fund scam
centered on former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante to the
so-called “euro generals” fiasco. The problem is that they
ignore key details that set the two cases apart.
The amount involved in the fertilizer fund scam
was P728 million. In the other case, former Philippine National
Police (PNP) comptroller Eliseo de la Paz was found in possession of
105,000 euros, about P7 million, at Moscow airport as he and his
fellow PNP delegates were about to take a flight back to Manila.
As of this writing, Russian authorities were
reported to have promised to return the money seized from de la Paz.
In the case of the fertilizer fund, most—if not all of the
money—is already gone, squandered on overpriced, inappropriate
liquid fertilizer handed out four years ago to farmer-beneficiaries
that in several cases turned out to be fictitious persons.
Unlike Bolante, de la Paz did not fly the coop
when first summoned to a Senate investigation. True, the retired PNP
director was unable to attend the first Senate hearing because his
lawyers argued that the Moscow incident did not have any impact on
Philippine-Russian ties to justify an inquiry by the Senate foreign
relations committee. Eventually, he volunteered to testify at the
second hearing after the Supreme Court declined to rule on his plea
against the Senate subpoena.
Bolante has insisted he is innocent and even
tried to pass the buck to other agriculture executives for the
P728-million scam. In contrast, de la Paz quickly owned up to the
Moscow fiasco. His admission of guilt was corroborated during the
Senate hearing by three other PNP finance officers involved in
withdrawing the intelligence funds on his orders.
Some senators, however, are not satisfied with
de la Paz’s acknowledgement of guilt. They keep seeing a “bigger
conspiracy,” insisting that his admission is a cover-up conceived
by no less than PNP Director General Jesus Verzosa and Secretary
Ronaldo Puno of the Department of the Interior and Local Government
(DILG).
Even before the investigation got underway, some
senators seemed already convinced of a top-level conspiracy. Thus,
when de la Paz testified that he alone was to blame for the scandal,
the senators hastily dismissed him as a fall guy.
In the end, however, the senators can only
recommend the filing of charges against the PNP officials involved.
The ultimate resolution of the case belongs to the judiciary.
Assistant Ombudsman Mark Jalandoni has been
reported saying that de la Paz could face charges of graft and
malversation of public funds based on his admissions before the
Senate on Saturday.
“His admission would be used in our
investigation as part of records, especially since it was under
oath,” Jaladoni was quoted saying. “We will still be comparing
his admission with the documents that we already have.”
The National Police Commission (Napolcom), too,
has announced that de la Paz and other top PNP officials are liable
for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act if they
fail the Napolcom’s lifestyle check.
With nothing more to go on than the suspicions
of its members, the Senate foreign relations committee has
recommended to have Puno and Verzosa investigated further in
connection with the de la Paz affair. The senators did so despite
the testimonies of the witnesses summoned to the Senate probe that
cleared the DILG boss and the PNP chief of any involvement in the
P7-million fund release.
In a recent radio interview, newly elected
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile reportedly said that he will
continue fighting government corruption, but added that the Senate
investigators “must be well prepared.”
Enrile added, “We have to ferret out
corruption but you cannot ferret out corruption by suspecting or
rendering an opinion without any valid, concrete evidence.”
If only the other senators would heed their new
leader’s advice.
NPC statement
On the decision of Winston Garcia, president and
general manager of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS),
to file libel complaints against seven journalists—including this
columnist, Benny Antiporda, president of the National Press Club of
the Philippines has issued the following statement:
“The National Press Club is firmly standing
behind our colleagues who have been the subject of the latest
efforts by GSIS President Winston Garcia to cow the working media by
filing separate libel cases against the.
“Inasmuch as there is a pending court case
between the NPC and Mr. Garcia, the NPC had initially tried to stay
neutral and refrain from issuing any statement relative to the
issue. But after careful deliberations we at the NPC have decided
that we could not take this matter sitting down.
“The NPC strongly condemns this action of Mr.
Garcia who has consistently refused to face and answer the
allegations against him squarely. Instead, he has developed the
habit of hauling his critics before the court.
“Unfortunately for him, we will continue to be
vigilant and do our duty as responsible members of the media.
“As such, we are calling on all our colleagues
to keep the flames of our fight for press freedom burning. Let no
one, not even Mr. Garcia, stop us from doing what we believe is
right and just, especially if the interest of the people is at
stake."
dansoy26@yahoo.com
|
