Payola scandal affecting local military men

CEBU, Philippines - Officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)-Central Command admitted that the issue on the “payola system” is affecting them, being part of the same organization.

      But they assure that they will remain effective in rendering services to the people.

Major Christopher Tampus, Centcom Public Information Officer, revealed that they now have four departments that take charge of their finances and this would help avoid shenanigans.

Unlike in the previous years when only one department took care of their fiscal administration, now the AFP has the Resource Management Office, the Management and Fiscal Office, the Office of the Internal Audit and the Accounting Services.

“There was no check and balance before kay usa ra ang head of office so pwede ra naay conivance but now, each department is headed by different personnel,” he said.

Lieutenant Colonel Wilson Feria, U7 Civil Military Operation Officer, said that the senior officers concerned should be given time and venue for proper trial and whoever is responsible must be made to face proper charges.

      The AFP officials are hoping that what happened in Manila will have an immediate closure.

      Former military budget officer George Rabusa had disclosed that a high ranking official of the Armed Forces of the Philippines under former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo confirmed the existence of a multi-million peso payola at the Camp Aguinaldo.

      Rabusa, a retired lieutenant colonel, testified last week before the Senate blue ribbon committee that he and other top military officials shared an annual payola pot of about P480 million raised from different AFP units.

      The Senate blue ribbon committee’s inquiry is primarily meant to investigate the state prosecutors and ex-military comptroller Carlos Garcia, accused of plundering military funds.

      Major Ronald Jess Alcudia, Commander of the Army Training Group, said that the issue is affecting their new students because of how it is shown on television and written in the papers.

      “We train them to become professionals and we will make sure that our units do the mission despite what happened,” Alcudia said.

       Officials said that controversies regarding payola started seven years ago and that the AFP is already instituting reforms and new systems. —(FREEMAN)