Budget division Chief of PNP not allowed to undertake disbursement

Miami
October 24, 2008
Story: Budget division Chief of PNP not allowed to undertake disbursement

The police officer who signed and gave the cash advance to ex-Comptroller Police Director Eliseo dela Paz has not been allowed to do his duty as disbursing officer while under investigation.

Philippine National Police Chief Police Director General Jesus Verzosa said Sr. Supt. Tomas Rentoy as the budget division chief of directorate for comptrollership of the PNP “is assigned from time to time as disbursing officer.”

“We advised him not to undertake first this disbursement,” Verzosa said. During the senate investigation on the Moscow incident Verzosa said that he did not authorized any cash advance wherein it is the office of the Chief PNP who will sign it. Verzosa said that it was Rentoy who gave the cash advance to dela Paz and the transaction was “made between them.”

The money that he as referring is the controversial Php6.903 million that was converted to 105,000 euro that dela Paz brought to Russia when he attended the 77th Interpol General Assembly in St. Petersburg in Russia.

Dela Paz was held in Moscow International airport after seeing on their luggage through the x-ray machine that he is carrying 105,000 euros exceeding the required limit.

Verzosa said he still do not know on whose authority the cash advance was released and said the power of the comptroller to release funds will be look into, “That is another thing that we have to see pertaining to the functions that are now being undertaken by the directorate for comptrollership.”

Though he admittedly said that it should be the Chief of the PNP who will sign any vouchers or advances that should be made but insist he did not see any of these.

Rentoy is being investigated by the PNP and not yet been subjected for suspension. The investigation is being conducted by Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) headed by Chief Supt. Raul Bacalso. “The penal actions against him or administrative actions against him will be put up and will be recommended upon the termination of the investigation,” Verzosa said.

The head of the PNP vowed that by Monday, October 27, they are hoping that they will be able to submit the complete investigation of the ongoing fact-finding investigation that the PNP are conducting pertaining to the Moscow incident. By that time, they are supposed to submit that report to Senator Manuel Roxas the vice-chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

Up to now, Verzosa said that the money was not been transferred from them by the Russian authorities. “There was no transfer yet but Director dela Paz, I was told by him, he requested the Russian govt to just transfer it from the Russian govt to the accounts of the PNP.”

The Chief PNP said they are expecting the Russian authorities to do so and they are already coordinating with the Russian authorities through the help of the Philippine Embassy there. The total amount of money that they are expecting is still 105,000 euros.

Verzosa said that the last time he talked to dela Paz was after the senate hearing by phone though he said that he do not know where is dela Paz right now, “I told him he should be open to the current investigation that we are conducting.”

If the Senate will file charges against Verzosa and those who will find liable for the release of Php6.9 million, he said that he will be open for any investigation.