PNP mulls abolition of comptrollership position

11/21/2008

The Philippine National Police leadership has raised the possibility of dissolving the comptrollership amid the so-called “euro generals” controversy involving retired PNP comptroller Eliseo de la Paz.

PNP chief Director Gen. Jesus Versoza yesterday told members of the House of Representatives investigating the Moscow cash scandal that they are seriously considering the abolition of the comptrollership, as it sometimes causes headache to the department.

At the resumption of the hearing, he said the idea of abolishing the comptrollership was already included in the proposed reorganization of the PNP submitted to Congress.

“We have considered that. We want to improve the financial management of the PNP to the point of preventing graft and corruption taking place in the department,” Versoza stressed, responding to the question of Parañaque City Rep. Roilo Golez.

De la Paz is now in hot water after he was temporarily held in Moscow, Russia last Oct. 11 for possessing 105,000 euros, or around P6.9 million, which he failed to declare.

De la Paz, the head of the Philippine delegation to the 77th Interpol, admitted that the money came from the intelligence fund of the PNP which was supposed to be a standby fund of the eight PNP officials attending the meeting.

According to Versoza, in the proposed reorganization of the PNP, they suggested the creation of at least eight directorate positions in which one will just absorb the function of the comptrollership.

“We proposed a directorate for financial management which will be responsible for the budget administration.

This time the division will be more careful in the disbursement of funds,” he said.

Golez urged the committee to expedite the consideration of the PNP proposal in order to prevent such incident from happening again.

On Thursday afternoon, the House committee on public order and safety went into an executive session with the PNP officials to reveal what intelligence equipment De la Paz claimed he was planning to purchase in Europe.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines had abolished the comptrollership, or the J-6, to fine tune the military organization.

The abolition stemmed from the case involving its former comptroller Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia.

Earlier in the morning at the weekly Usaping Balita sa Serye, House committee on defense vice chairman Rep. Ruffy Biazon expressed surprise over the way the PNP disburses its funds, particularly those intended for intelligence, as if it is not subject to any rules and regulations.

“We would like to look into the policies regarding the disbursement of these funds so we could be sure that the fund is spent for what it is intended for.”

He added he still sees no reason to summon the generals’ wives as the discussion is still centered on intelligence fund.

“But if information would become available that the generals’ wives might have something to do with the money confiscated from De la Paz, then definitely we would be inviting them.” Charlie V. Manalo

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