Senate scrutiny on alleged AFP corruption not yet over

Despite the reforms being undertaken by the military, Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Sen. Teofisto Guingona III said they will not yet stop with their investigation on the alleged corruption within the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). "Mukhang it's non-ending... talagang napakalawak ng Armed Forces (It seems non-ending, the AFP just has too many issues)," Guingona told reporters after his committee's 10th hearing on the issue on Thursday. He said they still have to conduct more hearings after Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and AFP chief Gen. Eduardo Oban Jr. failed to answer their questions regarding conversion, the liquidation of AFP funds, and the possibility of "ghost pensioners." Guingona said that problem with liquidation stems from the capability of some military officials to liquidate funds by means of certification. "It's very discretionary in character on the part of the commander," he said. On the other hand, he said they are also concerned about the amount of pension money being given to World War II veterans, which will soon match the salaries being received by active soldiers. Sen. Franklin Drilon, who was present during the hearing, had earlier said that 80 percent of the Department of National Defense's P104.6-billion budget for 2011 would go to personnel service — P45.7 billion for active members of the Armed Forces and P36.8 billion for retirees, including WWII veterans. He likewise said that there is "suspicion" that the troop ceiling, the number of soldiers supposedly in service, is being bloated so that excess funds can be realigned. Gazmin, however, said that they have yet to formulate a specific strategy to solve the problems. He, however, noted that they are working on an action plan with the Senate defense committee. Reforms During the hearing, Gazmin specifically said that they are willing to open their intelligence funds for audit. On the other hand, Oban said they plan to automate their procurement process, use "purchase cards" for military purchases, and reconcile their accounting books. He likewise said that they have been conducting regular audits within their units since he assumed office last March. Guingona, however, said that they still have to evaluate the reforms being proposed or instituted by Oban and Gazmin. "We believe in their good intentions, we believe in their integrity, and we believe that they will do their best to deliver. But as whether it will be effective, only time will tell," he said. Guingona said they are planning to release a partial interim report on the AFP corruption probe in a few weeks. "At some point we will issue an interim report again... just like what we did on the plea bargain (issue)," he said. But he said the Blue Ribbon Committee does not have any plans of reopening its investigation on the plea bargaining agreement of the Office of the Ombudsman with former military comptroller Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia. "No more [investigation]. We still stand by our decision," he said. Last March, Guingona released a partial report recommending the impeachment of then Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez and the dismissal and filing of charges against the state prosecutors who entered into a plea bargaining agreement with Garcia. The Sandiganbayan has already approved the deal. - KBK, GMA News