Ex-SAF chief faces P59 million plunder rap

MANILA, Philippines — At least 12 members of the Philippine National Police’s elite unit, the Special Action Force (SAF), have filed a complaint against their former director for allegedly failing to release their daily Additional Subsistence Allowance (ASA) for 2016 and 2017 amounting to P58.849 million.

In an eight-page joint complaint filed on April 12, former and incumbent SAF members urged the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate former SAF chief Director Benjamin Lusad for the criminal offenses of plunder and malversation of public funds and for the administrative offense of grave misconduct.

Lusad now serves as head of the PNP Directorate for Integrated Police Operations in Southern Luzon (DIPO-SL).

The complainants alleged that Lusad misappropriated the money in conspiracy with former SAF budget and fiscal officer Andre Dizon, who now serves as DIPO-SL Administrative and Resource Management Division chief; and incumbent SAF finance sergeants Senior Police Officer 2 Maila Bustamante and Senior Police Officer 1 Jack James Irica.

The complainants said that during Lusad’s entire stint as SAF director from July 2016 to January 2018, the elite unit’s uniformed personnel were only given their ASA for the months of January 2016 and January to July 2017.

Under the law, SAF members are each entitled to an additional daily subsistence allowance of P30 per day or P900 per month in consideration of the dangerous nature of their operations.

The complainants said the Notices of Cash Allocation and Notices of Fund Allocation they obtained from the SAF show that there was a total of P58,849,590 intended for the ASA of around 4,000 SAF personnel from February to December 2016 and August to December 2017.

The complainants said they had meetings with Lusad and Dizon on March 27 and on April 6 to discuss the issue, but in both instances, the two former SAF officials merely apologized to them and said the money was already used for “operational expenses, fellowships and trainings” but did not show proof.

The complaint was signed by retired Director Virgilio Lazo; Superintendents Larry Corales, Victor Lacwasan, Oliver Ebora, Garry Alegre, Victor Sobrepeña; Chief Inspector Richard Agrade; Senior Inspector Gerardo Paler; Senior Police Officer 3 Gamar Jajalis; Police Officer 3 Joseph Emmanuel Cruz; and Police Officers 2 Nichol Jamosmos and Bryan Cercado.