ADMITTED ANOMALY
MANILA, FEBRUARY 11, 2011 (STAR)
By Christina Mendez - Former military budget officer and whistle-blower George
Rabusa said yesterday he is determined to continue his exposés on anomalies in
the Armed Forces of the Philippines even if these had already driven former AFP
chief Angelo Reyes to commit suicide.
"I have started this, and I have to finish it," Rabusa said in an interview.
"I cannot believe that he committed suicide because he was a very strong man."
Rabusa expressed sadness at the turn of events but said life must go on.
He said he would reveal in greater detail the roles of former aides of Reyes,
and of former AFP chiefs Diomedio Villanueva and Roy Cimatu, in the anomalies in
the next congressional hearing.
Rabusa also said he would no longer pursue the angle of Reyes' possible
involvement in plunder.
Rabusa said he respects the family's appeal for him and other detractors not
to visit the wake of the former military chief.
" have no plans of attending. They might drive me away. Something might
happen," he said in Filipino.
"I am praying that he rest in peace. I wish his loved ones will find closure
on this," Rabusa said.
Earlier, Rabusa said he was not convinced that he was the reason Reyes ended
his life.
"I did not kill him. He killed himself," Rabusa said.
Rabusa said Reyes might have thought that committing suicide was the
honorable way to save his family from further public humiliation.
On learning of Reyes' death, Rabusa wept. He said he was very close to his
former boss and his family, including Reyes' mother Purificacion.
Rabusa said the thought of committing suicide also crossed his mind because
of his own guilt.
"But I did not turn my back on this. That is the most honorable way to face
these challenges," Rabusa said.
Rabusa earlier claimed that Reyes received P50 million pabaon or sendoff gift
upon his retirement from the military in 2001. He said he and former military
comptroller Jacinto Ligot personally delivered the money to Reyes.
He also accused Villanueva and Cimatu as well as former military comptroller
Carlos Garcia of dipping their hands into military funds.
His former assistant, Col. Antonio Ramon Lim, corroborated his exposé.
To Jinggoy's defense
Meanwhile, former President Joseph Estrada defended yesterday his son, Senate
President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, from insinuations that he was trying to
get back at Reyes.
"Jinggoy's conscience is clean. It (the investigation) was started by Rep. (Roilo)
Golez in the House (of Representatives). Jinggoy did his own investigation as a
responsible senator," Estrada said.
"According to some, it (the pabaon system) has been there even before my
time. It was just being kept secret by the comptroller," Estrada said.
"I was shocked. He is a very strong-willed personality," Estrada said on
learning of Reyes' suicide.
Estrada said that he and Reyes had already patched up their differences while
he was still detained in Tanay, Rizal.
"We are already okay. He said sorry to me in a dinner with me while I was
still detained in Tanay. He came with his wife. I told him should the president
commit a mistake, will you return me to the presidency? We all laughed at my
joke. He came to me apologetic," Estrada said.
Estrada said he told Reyes to forget what happened in EDSA 2.
"Forget it. It's in the past already. I told him he was my kumpadre. I was
the wedding godfather of his son. That is why his wife Teresita came to the
dinner," Estrada said.
Estrada said that unlike Reyes, he remained strong during incarceration.
"I remained strong. I know I will vindicate my name later. (President) Cory (Aquino)
publicly apologized later. Many repented. My name has been gradually vindicated.
Angie (Reyes) said many in the military also repented after seeing the former
president (Gloria Arroyo) run the government," Estrada said.
With Jose Rodel Clapano
FROM THE TRIBUNE
Trillanes claims Reyes admitted fund diversion
By Angie M. Rosales 02/11/2011
Former Armed Forces Chief of Staff Angelo Reyes, who recently took his own
life, admitted acting as a conduit in high-level "transactions" involving the
diversion of military funds where Reyes claimed not to have benefited from, Sen.
Antonio Trillanes IV said yesterday quoting emissaries of Reyes who supposedly
approached him.
Trillanes' revelation came after retired Navy Commodore Rex Robles said
former President Arroyo had called up Reyes before the day of his suicide to ask
the content of his letter delivered to Trillanes. The senator insinuated the
possible involvement of the Executive department, under the previous
administration, into the alleged illegal transactions of retired Armed Forces of
the Philippines (AFP) comptroller Gen. Carlos Garcia.
Trillanes, however, appeared to be withholding more information on the letter
as he did not categorically point to any particular person at this point, only
implying what had been relayed to him, in detail, by a supposed emissary of the
late AFP Chief of Staff Angelo "Angie" Reyes.
"Even by the admission of the late general (Reyes) through his emissaries, to
me, he admitted that there were transactions supposedly coming from higher ups
or authorities that coursed through him but he didn't have any share. So that's
separate (transactions). There were those ordinary forms of conversion using the
military funds as revealed by (former military budget officer) Col. (ret.)
(George) Rabusa, so it's a different level. There were those (supposedly
committed by those) in the higher level," he said in an interview with
reporters.
Trillanes was reported to have been approached by an emissary of Reyes long
before the former AFP chief and defense secretary was called in to testify on
the Garcia plea bargain agreement.
Through the said emissary, Reyes supposedly sought Trillanes' assistance in
clearing his name from any involvement in Garcia's transactions and hinted that
a powerful person or persons are allegedly behind the AFP comptroller. This was
part of the content of the letter of Reyes to Trillanes.
At the time of the said incident, there were yet to be any sign that a
witness, in the person of Rabusa, would come out in the Senate proceedings as
the matter at hand then was the plea bargain deal inked by the Ombudsman's
prosecutors with Garcia who is charged with plunder.
"I told him, if that's the case, why don't you spill the beans on these
people," Trillanes was quoted as saying in the report.
Trillanes added that the reason he named Reyes as the powerful person
supposedly behind Garcia was because the latter challenged him.
"So I did. I mentioned that he was one of the principals behind Garcia and
(former AFP comptroller Lt.) Gen. (Jacinto) Ligot because even if Reyes told me
that he didn't get anything from the transactions of Garcia, the mere fact that
he admitted that it was coursed through him, as the secretary of national
defense, he was in a position to stop that. So I told him then, 'well if you
won't spill the beans, you will have to fall with these powerful people'," he
said.
"That time, I told him (through his emissary) to admit what he knows (of the
issue) but eventually Rabusa came out so I can't absolve him (Reyes) anymore.
That time, I cannot. Rabusa's testimony was very graphic," he said.
"Actually Garcia holds the key to complete the picture. As far as that
particular episode on corruption during that time, there were many corruption
incidences during the time of the previous administration and there will likely
be other witnesses that will come out to testify. At some point, some will
probably be moved by their conscience and they will spill the beans," he said.
Asked if his information will lead the those in Malacañang at that time,
Trillanes said he does not want to preempt the ongoing hearing at the Senate.
"We'll have to produce the necessary evidence before we go to that," he said.
"If Garcia got this much, then definitely those higher than him got more.
Those kinds of amounts, only Malacañang can release that," he pointed out.
Sen. Francis "Chiz" Escudero, appearing in the weekly Kapihan sa Senado news
forum, called on his colleague, if the latter would allow it, to present before
the public the letter that Reyes supposedly sent to him surrounding the Garcia
controversy to help shed light on the issue, especially on the participation of
the late AFP chief in the misuse of AFP funds.
Escudero said, based on the information that had come out, there seems to be
a "syndicate" operating within the comptrollership in the AFP.
"It doesn't matter who is appointed chief of staff or who becomes the
secretary of national defense. They are the ones dictating what will be the
privileges and benefits of those holding the position.
In this regard, Escudero said former AFP Chief of Staff and now Ambassador
Roy Cimatu should face the Senate and attest to his claims under oath.
Cimatu, who had returned to the country the other day, vehemently denied
receiving P80 million "sendoff" cash gift from the AFP's so-called slush funds.
"It's a different matter if the statement you made was before the Senate or
outside. As I've said, it's not only the obligation of the Senate but Cimatu
also have the right just like (former AFP Chief Diomedio) Villanueva to deny the
allegations and face their accusers at the Senate," he said.
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2011 by
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE
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