Dela Paz digs from own pocket to complete payment
MARK MERUEÑAS, GMANews.TV
03/02/2009 | 06:12 PM
MANILA, Philippines - After being warned of being civilly charged, retired police comptroller Eliseo dela Paz on Monday decided to shell out his own money just to pay off the remaining balance of the €105,000 seized from him in Russia.
In a radio dzBB interview, Director General Jesus Verzosa, Philippine National Police chief, confirmed that dela Paz made the payment of €65,000 to the PNP, finally completing the total amount taken away from him while he was at the Russian International Airport in October last year.
In separate instances in the past, dela Paz’s camp – through his Russian lawyer Alex Binetsky – returned a total of €40,000 to the National Police.
"Okay na kami roon. Iyong matatanggap niya later from Russia, sa kanya na mapupunta iyon [We’re okay with what we have received. Any amount that would be coming from Russia could already go to dela Paz himself]," Verzosa said.
The report said dela Paz’s legal counsel, Noel Malaya, has already proceeded to the PNP’s finace services division to make the payment.
Dela Paz was part of the eight-member PNP delegation to the 77th International Police Organization (Interpol) General Assembly held in Russia last year.
Dela Paz and his wife, Maria Fe, were held at the Moscow airport on Oct. 11, 2008, for carrying an undeclared amount of €105,000 supposedly in "cash advances."
The PNP had earlier set Saturday as dela Paz’s deadline in paying the remaining balance of the seized amount, but later moved it to Monday since banks are closed on weekends.
Dela Paz would have faced civil charges from the PNP had he failed to complete the sum of money.
Verzosa said the payment of the entire amount happened at a slow pace because the terms of transfer had been set at rather small installments.
"Medyo naabala ang proseso. Ang prosesong na-set up €10,000 a day lang puwedeng ilipat [The process of transferring the mother had been delayed because the Russian government could only transfer €10,000 a day]," Verzosa said in the radio interview.
Verzosa and dela Paz both belong to the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1976. - GMANews.TV
In a radio dzBB interview, Director General Jesus Verzosa, Philippine National Police chief, confirmed that dela Paz made the payment of €65,000 to the PNP, finally completing the total amount taken away from him while he was at the Russian International Airport in October last year.
In separate instances in the past, dela Paz’s camp – through his Russian lawyer Alex Binetsky – returned a total of €40,000 to the National Police.
"Okay na kami roon. Iyong matatanggap niya later from Russia, sa kanya na mapupunta iyon [We’re okay with what we have received. Any amount that would be coming from Russia could already go to dela Paz himself]," Verzosa said.
The report said dela Paz’s legal counsel, Noel Malaya, has already proceeded to the PNP’s finace services division to make the payment.
Dela Paz was part of the eight-member PNP delegation to the 77th International Police Organization (Interpol) General Assembly held in Russia last year.
Dela Paz and his wife, Maria Fe, were held at the Moscow airport on Oct. 11, 2008, for carrying an undeclared amount of €105,000 supposedly in "cash advances."
The PNP had earlier set Saturday as dela Paz’s deadline in paying the remaining balance of the seized amount, but later moved it to Monday since banks are closed on weekends.
Dela Paz would have faced civil charges from the PNP had he failed to complete the sum of money.
Verzosa said the payment of the entire amount happened at a slow pace because the terms of transfer had been set at rather small installments.
"Medyo naabala ang proseso. Ang prosesong na-set up €10,000 a day lang puwedeng ilipat [The process of transferring the mother had been delayed because the Russian government could only transfer €10,000 a day]," Verzosa said in the radio interview.
Verzosa and dela Paz both belong to the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1976. - GMANews.TV
