DOJ forms panel to probe Rabusa plunder complaint

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has formed a three-man prosecution panel to conduct preliminary investigation on the P2-billion plunder charge filed by former military budget officer Lt. Col. George Rabusa against several military officials and civilians. The panel, which has a support team composed of five prosecutors, will determine whether there is probable cause to charge the respondents, which included three former Armed Forces chiefs of staff, in court. In her Department Order No. 305, De Lima designated Prosecutor General Claro Arellano as chairman of the investigating panel, assisted by City Prosecutor Archimedes Manabat and Senior State Prosecutor Susan Dacanay as members. The support team, meanwhile, will be composed of State Prosecutors Merba Waga, Ma. Cristina Rilloraza, City Prosecutors Corazon Romano, Nancy Gironella-Peig, and Prosecution lawyer Mark Roland Estepa. The support team was formed to help the panel in terms of research, documentary inventory, status reports and other tasks that may be assigned by the panel chair, De Lima said. Named principal respondents in Rabusa’s plunder complaint were former AFP chiefs Gen. Diomedio Villanueva, Gen. Roy Cimatu and Gen. Efren Abu. Also named respondents were former comptrollers Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia and Jacinto Ligot; Maj. Gen. Hilario Atendido (retired); Maj. Gen. Epineto Logico (ret.); BGen. Benito de Leon; Col. Cirilo Donato; Col. Roy Devesa; Maj. Emerson Angulo; Maj. Ernesto Paranis (ret); Col. Gilbert Gapay; Col. Robert Arevalo and Capt. Kenneth Paglinawan. Two auditors from the Commission on Audit – Generoso del Castillo and Divina Cabrera – were likewise included in the complaint. In his complaint, Rabusa alleged the respondents are liable for misuse and conversion of some P2.3-billion in military funds for the period of 2000 to 2005 for their personal benefit. — KBK, GMA News