‘Dirty pattern’ seen in fund mess over RP-US exercises

MANILA, Philippines - Alleged irregularities in the handling of funds for the Balikatan exercises did not just happen in 2007. It is a “dirty pattern" that has been going on in the Philippine military’s annual joint exercises with US troops under the Visiting Forces Agreement. This was the claim of Lt. Senior Grade Nancy Gadian as she bewailed the alleged financial mess in the Balikatan exercises, which had been conducted for 25 times with the last exercise held in the Bicol region last April 1 to 30. “Hindi malinis, parang palaging may bawas. Sa experience ko, may pattern ito [It’s not clean, the amount requested always falls short of what is received. In my experience, this has a pattern]" Gadian told GMANews.TV on Wednesday in a telephone interview. Gadian said she was the officer in charge of the Civil Military Operations (CMO) Fusion Cell for the 2007 Balikatan held in Jolo, Sulu. She also said that she was the public affairs officer of the Balikatan exercises in 2002 held in Angeles, Pampanga. Recurring problem According to the junior Navy officer, she stayed long in Mindanao wherein she was told by soldiers about the "recurring problem" on Balikatan funds, a portion of which often did not trickle down to Filipino troops for their mobility expenses during the exercises. Most Balikatan exercises were held in Mindanao. “Tumagal ako sa area ng Mindanao. May mga sundalong nag-reveal sa akin na di nila maramdaman ang support. You can go directly to the ground, para ma-validate ninyo ang sinasabi ko," said Gadian. [I stayed long in Mindanao. There were soldiers who revealed to me that they could not feel the support. You can go directly to the ground to validate what I am saying.] According to Gadian, soldiers participating in the exercises were supposed to get daily allowance of P340. But the money was not received by the soldiers despite the availability of funds as agreed by the Philippine and the US governments, Gadian claimed. Hungry soldiers Gadian said that at one instance, when she got involved in the exercises, battalion commanders engaged in the Balikatan, pestered her about the lack of funds. “Ako ang pinupukpok ng battalion commanders on the ground. Wala silang support, food, transportation…Gutom ang sundalo. So tatawag namin sa GHQ [general headquarters]. Pero sasabihan pa kami na bahala kaming manghiram ng pera, na bahala kaming mangutang," she said. [I was the one being pestered by battalion commanders on the ground. They didn’t have support, food, transportation…The soldiers were hungry. So we would call up the GHQ. But they would tell us that we should be the ones addressing the problem, that it would be up to us to borrow money.] Incomplete release This was not the only problem about the alleged “irregular release" of Balikatan funds, according to Gadian. She said that when Balikatan funds are released for various humanitarian projects, the disbursements always fell short of what was agreed by the two countries. She cited the case of the P2.3 million fund released for Balikatan 2007’s CMO event, which she said was an “incomplete release" because the supposed disbursement should have amounted to P4 million. “Yung P4 million na ‘yon napag-usapan na ng RP at US. Pag nag-agree na ang two countries, considered approved na ‘yon. Pero bakit ganito lang ang ibinigay sa amin?," she said. [That P4 million was agreed upon by RP and US. When the two countries agree, it’s considered approved. But why is it that this was the only amount that was given to us?] Earlier in the day, Gadian told GMANews.TV that she would spill more beans on the controversy and implicate bigger names but only at the proper forum and time. She claimed that Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo, former chief of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), was not the only official who allegedly benefited from the P46-million fund for the 23rd joint exercises between the Philippines and the US in 2007. “Mayroon din matataas na tao. Pero sa tamang panahon ko po sasabihin. Isa lang ito sa mga pangyayari sa loob. Kapag dumating ang panahon malalaman ninyo," said Gadian over the phone. [People with higher ranks than Cedo are also involved in this. But I will identify them at the right time. This is just one of the many anomalies happening inside the military. In due time, you will find out] Gadian said she decided to squeal Cedo’s name in the controversy only because the latter was the reason why she is facing an investigation by the Navy’s Efficiency and Separation Board (ESB). The ESB earlier launched its proceedings after receiving an “adverse report" from Gadian’s superiors claiming that she had mishandled a portion of the Balikatan fund that was handed to her for her unit. Gadian said she “properly disbursed" the allotted fund for her team, adding that she had already submitted to the headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo a liquidation report for their expenses – which mostly comprised communication expenses among others. No stolen funds But Cedo on Wednesday denied the allegations of a junior Navy officer that he pocketed money meant for the RP-US military exercises in Mindanao two years ago. He said Gadian was just trying to get back at him for having her investigated for alleged illegal disbursement of funds. “She is merely trying to destroy my reputation, she is destroying my name and my reputation as a general because Lieutenant Gadian is the subject of my formal report to chief of staff for malversation of funds that she received," said Cedo, a former chief of the military’s Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom). Cedo said he could not have stolen any Balikatan fund since no money was released to the Wesmincom for the Balikatan exercises in 2007. “During my tenure as commander of the Western Mindanao Command, the commander did not receive anything (money) for the Balikatan exercise. Higher headquarters know that," he said. He claimed he ordered Gadian investigated later when she attempted to disburse without authorization the amount of P2 million. He said the money came from Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), but did not say if this was for joint exercises. Shed light on issue Armed Forces chief Lt. Gen. Victor Ibrado said it would be up to the SEB to investigate Gadian’s case, including her claims against Cedo. "Ang alam ko, subject din siya sa imbestigasyon, kasi mayroon din siyang funds na hindi ma-account [What I know is that she is also subject of an investigation because there are funds that she could not account for]," Bombo Radyo quoted Ibrado as saying on Wednesday. Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Malacañang would ask AFP officials to shed light on the issue. “I suppose that must have been picked up also by appropriate authorities in the AFP and DND...This thing did not pass unseen or unnoticed by authorities of the AFP and I am going to find out if they heard about it, what they are doing about it and take a look at it," Ermita said during a press conference on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) backed Senate's plan to have the issue investigated. For ten years, we have been made to believe that the Balikatan under the VFA is beneficial for Filipinos. From Gadian’s statements, it would appear that the Balikatan is beneficial only to a few high-ranking military officials. It is really outrageous that even the Balikatan exercises are now a source of corruption," said Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes in a statement issued on Wednesday. "We urge the Senate to provide Gadian with the necessary protection so that she may disclose to the public the abuses being done in the Balikatan exercises," said Reyes. - ARCS, GMANews.TV