Enrile: No Senate probe on Balikatan fund mess

MANILA, Philippines - Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile on Monday nixed a Senate investigation on the alleged misuse of Balikatan funds in 2007 as disclosed by Lieutenant Senior Grade Nancy Gadian. Instead, Enrile called on the military leadership to do its job and investigate the supposed anomaly. "Alam mo kung merong misuse, suriin lang sa [If there is indeed a misuse, that should be checked by the] Judge Advocate General and [subject] to court martial whoever is responsible. There is a military justice system within the military organization. They have to perform their job," Enrile told reporters. He added: "Masyado nang kargado ang Senado sa mga imbestigasyon, huwag na muna. Pabayaan muna natin yung mga ahensya ng gobyerno na may direct responsibility dyan to do their job [The Senate is already loaded with investigations. We should just let the government agency which has direct responsibility over the matter to do its job]." He said the Senate or other institutions of the government will only come in if there is an indication that the JAGO of the Armed Forces of the Philippines is biased or is not capable of handling the case. "The primary role ought to be given to the Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces. Because I’m sure that those people have enough sense of delicadeza and rectitude to perform their job," said Enrile, a former minister of national defense. "We are not a country of cover-ups. We are not like that. I don’t like to consider my country as a country with irresponsible officials who don’t know how to enforce the law," he added. Asked if he would allow the Senate to take custody of Gadian, the supposed whistleblower on the issue, Enrile said he still has to evaluate if she is a credible witness. "Not only because she is a witness or a whistle blower ay tatanggapin na namin. We have to find out kung totoo ba ito. O, wala bang kasalanan ito? Kung may kasalanan at nagtatago lang sa amin ay hindi naman pwede yun, hindi ko papayagan [We have to find out if what she is saying is true or if she is also guilty of the crime. If she is one of those that has to be charged and will just use the Senate to protect her, I will not allow that]," Enrile said. Senator Rodolfo Biazon earlier expressed readiness to conduct investigation on the alleged fund misuse but he is yet to file a resolution for it. Gadian claimed that part of P46 million in funds for the joint RP-US military undertaking, dubbed as the Balikatan exercises, went to the pockets of some officials. Retired Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo, who headed the military’s Western Mindanao Command (WesMinCom) at the time and Gadian's former superior, denied the allegations, saying it is Gadian who is currently under investigation over the missing funds. - GMANews.TV