Ex-AFP chiefs received P160-M pabaon, says witness

UPDATED 6:30 p.m. -At least three Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chiefs of staff allegedly received as much as P160 million in pabaon (send-off money) when they retired, former military fund manager Lt. Col. George Rabusa revealed on Thursday. At a Senate hearing, Rabusa alleged that former AFP comptroller Gen. Carlos Garcia asked him to give a P160-million pabaon for former AFP chief of staff Diomedio Villanueva. Rabusa said he delivered the money to Garcia in installments of P10 million every month. "Sabi niya sakin iniipon niya para ibigay kay Gen. Villanueva (He told me he was saving the money for Villanueva)," he said. The former fund manager admitted, however, that he never confirmed with Villanueva whether he received the amount. "I was about to call him. Kaso hindi po tama sa protocol na iba-bypass ko ang boss ko. Kaya sabi ko bahala na (But that it be in violation of protocol to bypass our boss. So I just let it slide)," he said. Not just Villanueva Based on Rabusa's Powerpoint presentation at the hearing, which looked into the plea bargain deal reached by Garcia with the Ombudsman, former AFP chief of staff Roy Cimatu also allegedly received P80 million as sendoff money through Garcia. "I was instructed to give the money (for Cimatu) to Garcia," said deputy budget officer Col. Antonio Ramon Lim, Rabusa's former subordinate. Lim also testified at the same Senate hearing earlier to corroborate Rabusa's allegation about giving former AFP chief of staff Angelo Reyes P50 million when he retired in 2001. Lim said he was the one who "packed" the money that was delivered to Garcia. Lim, an Air Force officer, is a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1986. A Newsbreak article said Lim joined the office of the AFP deputy chief of staff for comptrollership (J6) in 1999 and served under two comptrollers: retired Lt. Gen. Jacinto Ligot and Garcia. Lim replaced Rabusa as chief of the J6′s modernization division and was also Rabusa’s successor as J6′s budget officer in 2002. Last week, Rabusa appeared before the Senate blue ribbon committee and accused former AFP chiefs of staff of receiving around P5 million monthly during their term and millions in "pabaon" (send-off money) when they retire. Lim was supposedly present when Rabusa handed to former defense chief and AFP chief of staff Angelo Reyes more than P50 million when he retired in March 2001. Lim also testified that Villanueva and Cimatu likewise received P5 million monthly, just like Reyes. Rabusa had earlier revealted that the money for this is sourced from the Provision for Command-Directed Activities (PCDA), which is sourced from the different joint military units in the military budget. But he said that the AFP units were also instructed to contribute to a psychological warfare fund and the Additional Operational Enhancement Fund (AOEF), which were supposedly used for the troops in Basilan. Garcia, however, repeatedly invoked his right against self-incrimination when asked about matters concerning the alleged corrupt practices in the military. Earlier in the day, Senator Franklin Drilon asked the Senate to cite in contempt Garcia for refusing to answer their questions. Senate blue ribbon committee chairman Senator Teofisto Guingona III said that they will discuss the contempt issue in caucus next week because there was no quorum on Thursday.
Bidding scam? But aside from the pabaon system, Rabusa also revealed that the AFP officials - at least during his time - were involved in the illegal bidding of military equipment. He speficially cited the P200-million purchase of ammunition and $2-million procurement of unmanned aerial vehicles from Thailand. The former fund manager explained that the allocation for personnel services were converted for the purchase of the ammunition, which were intended for the then "all-out war" against rebel groups in Mindanao. "Marami pong naviolate diyan e. Wala pong bidding. Conversion po. Wala pong government to government agreement (So many things were violated there. There was no bidding. There was no government to government agreement)," he said. Rabusa said that Reyes was involved in the ammunition transaction and Reyes, Cimatu, and Villanueva in the purchase of the vehicles. Lim said he has applied for the Witness Protection Program under the Department of Justice but that he hasn't received a reply yet. He appealed to the senators on Thursday to make him a state witness and give him protection. Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile assured Lim that he should not worry as long as he tells the truth. "Kung kailangan mo ng abogado, ako mismo ang magpiprisinta (If you need a lawyer, I'll even volunteer)," Enrile aid. AFP chief Gen. Ricardo David Jr. also said he will offer security detail to Lim if he needs it. - RSJ/HS/VVP, GMANews.TV