Graft charges lodged vs ‘Euro Generals’

Almost two years after their controversial trip to Moscow, graft charges were filed against the so-called "Euro Generals" of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and former PNP Chief, Director General Avelino Razon Jr. The "Euro Generals" are: former police Director Eliseo dela Paz, Superintendent Samuel Rodriguez, Chief Superintendent Orlando Pestaño, Senior Superintendent Tomas Rentoy III, Superintendent Elmer Pelobello, Deputy Director General Emmanuel Carta, Deputy Director General Ismael Rafanan, and Directors Romeo Ricardo, German Doria, Silverio Alarcio Jr., Jaime Caringal. The "Euro Generals Scandal" involves De la Paz and the PNP officials who went to Russia in October 2008 to attend the Interpol conference. De la Paz and his wife were briefly detained and interrogated at the Moscow International Airport in Russia for carrying a large sum of undeclared money — 105,000 euros (P6.9 million). On Thursday, the Office of the Ombudsman's Field Investigation Office (FIO) filed graft charges against Razon and the Euro Generals for allegedly violating Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Assistant Ombudsman Joselito Fangon said their investigation showed that the 105,000 euros seized from Dela Paz at the Moscow Airport in Russia was not a "cash advance" from the PNP, as he had earlier claimed, but was actually his own money. "Documents executed by PNP officials as to the nature of the funds were shown to be misleading, as the funds were not part of PNP funds," Fangon said. Razon was the PNP chief when the funds for the trip were approved, but the Moscow airport mess happened in October 2008, a month after Razon was already replaced by Director General Jesus Verzosa. Numerous charges The Ombudsman's FIO charged the police officials for allegedly violating RA 8293 or the Passport Law and Article 171 (2) and (4) of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) or Falsification of Public Documents. De la Paz was also charged for allegedly violating Article 237 (Prolonging of performance of duty) and Article 183 (Perjury) of the RPC. De la Paz was a retiree when he made the trip with his wife Maria Fe. Dela Paz and his wife were also charged for allegedly violating Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Circular No. 507, Section 36 of RA 7653, otherwise known as the New Central Bank Act. The charges were filed by the FOI before the Ombudsman's Preliminary Investigation Administrative Adjudication and Monitoring Office (PAMO), which would be conducting a preliminary probe on the matter. 2008 Moscow trip The police officials flew to Moscow in late 2008 for the 77th International Police Organization (Interpol) General Assembly in St. Petersburg. On their way out of Russia, De la Paz, the group’s disbursement officer, was stopped at the airport and later detained for carrying an undeclared amount in excess of the allowable limit. It was later found out that De la Paz was allegedly carrying P9.2 million— P2.9 million for travel expenses and P6.9 million for contingencies. De la Paz claimed that the money was a "cash advance" but Verzosa said the amount was meant for the purchase of spy gears but had been illegally released. Razon admitted in 2009 he did not know why De la Paz's group brought with them such a huge amount, adding he only approved the amount of P2.314 million for the travel expenses of the eight PNP officers as indicated in his letter to then Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno. Razon noted that police spouses were not included in the list of people going to the conference. The police officials were later asked to return the travel funds. Then PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Nicanor Bartolome said in early 2009 that the embroiled officials were considered "cleared by the PNP" after the entire amount was returned. However, the Ombudsman's FIO just the same pushed through with its investigation and subsequent filing of charges against the "Euro Generals." - VVP/KBK, GMANews.TV