Prayers sought for safety of witnesses on AFP corruption

A religious group sought prayers for the safety of at least two persons who testified on the “pabaon" (send-off money) and other alleged corruption practices in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Sister Mary John Mananzan asked the public to pray for the safety of retired Lt. Col. George Rabusa and former state auditor Heidi Mendoza, who reportedly received death threats. Mananzan, who co-chairs the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines, made the call during a lecture on “Spirituality of Power from Control to Compassion" at the St. Scholastica’s Academy in Bacolod City on Wednesday. “I support people like Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr., whistle-blower of the controversial NBN-ZTE deal, Rabusa, and Mendoza for publicly coming out and bravely revealing the truth," she said, according to a report of the news site Visayan Daily Star on Thursday. Rabusa claimed that the late former AFP chief of staff and Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes allegedly received P50 million in “pabaon" (send-off money) when he retired from the military. Rabusa admitted he used to be a part of the corrupt system and did not deny that he received money during his stint as budget officer of the AFP. Mananzan said she lauds Rabusa for admitting his mistake. On the other hand, Mananzan commended Mendoza for her dedication as a government auditor and for revealing the AFP's misuse of funds. – VVP, GMA News