Wednesday, April 27, 2011
THE Department of Justice (DOJ) formed a three-man prosecution panel to conduct preliminary investigation on the over P2-billion plunder charge filed against three former military chiefs and several others.
In her Department Order 305, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima designated Prosecutor General Claro Arellano as chairman of the investigating panel, assisted by City Prosecutor Archimedes Manabat and Senior State Prosecutor Susan Dacanay as members.
De Lima also constituted a support team composed of State Prosecutors Merba Waga, Ma. Cristina Rilloraza, City Prosecutors Corazon Romano, Nancy Gironella-Peig and Prosecution Attorney Mark Roland Estepa to help the panel in terms of research, documentary inventory and status reports and other tasks that may be assigned by the panel chair.
The panel was directed to determine whether there is probable cause to charge the respondents in court.
Former military budget officer Lieutenant Colonel George Rabusa, who blew the whistle on alleged practice of giving "pasalubong" and "pabaon" to incoming and outgoing military chiefs, charged retired Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chiefs Generals Diomedio Villanueva, Roy Cimatu and Efren Abu as principal respondents.
Also charged were former comptrollers Major Generals Carlos Garcia and Jacinto Ligot; Major General Hilario Atendido (retired); Major General Epineto Logico (retired); Brigadier General Benito de Leon; Colonel Cirilo Donato; Colonel Roy Devesa; Major Emerson Angulo; Major Ernesto Paranis (retired); Colonel Gilbert Gapay; Colonel Robert Arevalo and Captain Kenneth Paglinawan.
Two auditors from the Commission on Audit -- Generoso del Castillo and Divina Cabrera -- were likewise charged.
In his complaint, Rabusa alleged the respondents are liable for misuse and conversion of some P2.3 billion in military funds for the period of 2000 to 2005 for their personal benefit.
Rabusa said Reyes pocketed a total of P150 million from AFP funds; Villanueva, P227.4 million; Cimatu, P110 million; Ligot, P360 million; Garcia, P368 million; Paranis, P127.8 million; Del Castillo, P66.26 million; Cabrera, P55.61 million; Devesa and Angulo, P75 million each; Atendido, P135 million; De Leon, P80 million; Abu, P26 million; Gapay, P12 million; and Arevalo, P503.37 million.
To prove his allegations of corruption in the military, Rabusa brought about 20 folders of documents, including receipts of conversion of AFP funds and the amount of budget approved by the former chief of staff during the period 2000 to 2001, which would serve as documentary evidence for the case.
Rabusa also submitted the affidavits of former civilian budget officer Perla Valerio and former military disbursement officer Romeo Mateo as his witnesses.