MANILA, Philippines—A deeper look into the revelations about the P50-million “send-off money” to former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Angelo Reyes could point to the culpability of the commander-in-chief, who was then former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, a lawmaker said Friday.
This developed as two other lawmakers called on the Aquino administration to investigate and prosecute erring military officials to show its mettle in stamping out corruption.
“The executive should look into this deeply because this testimony can go all the way up to the commander-in-chief,” Muntinlupa Representative Rodolfo Biazon told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview.
“Hindi pwedeng hindi nalalaman ito ng commander-in-chief. Sino pa ba ang pwedeng magpabaon? Hindi pwedeng sila-sila lang ito [It’s not possible that the commander-in-chief had no knowledge about it. And who could send the send-off? It’s not possible that they just decided that among themselves], not even the Secretary of National Defense can give that amount, P50 million,” added Biazon, who served as AFP chief of staff in 1991 during the administration of the late President Corazon Aquino.
Biazon said it was important to look into the “relationship” between the commander-in-chief and the chief of staff to determine who are involved in the alleged corruption within the military establishment.
“Depende sa relasyon ‘yan nung commander-in-chief at nung binibigyan ng pabaon [It’s depends on the affiliation of the commander-in-chief and the one who gave the send-off money]. Are they partners? This we will have to see,” he said.
Arroyo’s spokesperson, Elena Bautista-Horn, did not give a comment when asked.
Arroyo, now a Pampanga lawmaker, was President and commander-in-chief, from 2001 to 2010, which included the years Reyes served the AFP.
Arroyo ascended to power in January 2001 after a military-backed people’s uprising that overthrew then president Joseph Estrada.
Reyes, who was then Estrada’s AFP chief of staff, defected to the Arroyo camp and joined the people in Edsa in calling for Estrada’s removal from office.
On Thursday, retired military colonel George Rabusa bared that he personally delivered the P50-million cash to Reyes.
Testifying before a hearing of the Senate blue ribbon committee, Rabusa also said that Reyes, who later became defense secretary, allegedly received a monthly take of at least P5 million—or around P100 million in his 20 months as AFP chief of staff. Rabusa said he and former comptroller Jacinto Ligot made the monthly deliveries.
Biazon, chairman of the defense committee in the House of Representatives, said he found Rabusa’s testimony “credible.”
“Rabusa’s credibility was enhanced by the fact that he admitted that he was part of the group of officials who benefitted from it. He was an insider,” he said.
Biazon, however, refuted Rabusa’s statement that the send-off money was a “tradition” within the AFP.
“It’s not a tradition, it depends on who is the sitting commander-in-chief,” he said, adding that the P1.3-million he received when he retired as AFP chief came from his benefits from the AFP.
Biazon said the Aquino administration should pursue the investigation to bring to light the officials involved in the alleged corruption.
Parañaque Representative Roilo Golez and Zambales Representative Ma. Milagros Magsaysay echoed Biazon’s call.
Golez said Rabusa’s bombshell should be a basis for filing a plunder case against Reyes and Ligot.
Former military comptroller Carlos Garcia, who replaced Ligot, has been charged with plunder for allegedly amassing more than P300 million from government coffers.
Government prosecutors, however, entered into a plea bargain deal with Garcia, a move that could reduce his offense to direct bribery.
Golez said the Bureau of Internal Revenue should also initiate a tax evasion case against Reyes, considering his property, various investments and the numerous trips of his wife abroad as evidence.
“Reyes should publicly apologize to all AFP personnel for this raid on the AFP treasury as testified by Rabusa. With Rabusa's credible revelations, Reyes has emerged as a candidate for the title of ‘The Most Corrupt Chief of Staff’ in the history of the AFP,” he said.
Magsaysay said the revelations made by Rabusa should be a challenge to the Aquino administration in showing its seriousness to rid the bureaucracy of corruption.
“By doing so, it will prove that the President is firm in his resolve to weed out corruption no matter who is involved,” Magsaysay said in a text message.
Deputy Speaker and Quezon Representative Lorenzo Tañada III said Rabusa’s testimony showed “how corruption is consummated in the military.”
“The question that must be answered is: How long has this been going on? How many chiefs of staff were given pabaon (send-off money)?” he said.
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