GMA confident of AFP loyalty

Malacañang brushed aside threats of renewed unrest in the military after an Air Force colonel decried what he said were anomalous allowances given to his superior officers.

"We have undiminished faith in the professional loyalty of the (Armed Forces) and the full capacity of the command to deal with these controversies," Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said yesterday.

"Rumors of a coup can be set aside, as the discipline and morale of our troops is high and the chain of command, solid," he added.

For its part, the Air Force presented yesterday documents from the Department of Budget and Management to disprove the allegations of Air Force Col. Efren Daquil that P30 million in savings of his unit in 2004 had been illegally used by his superiors.

Lt. Col. Restituto Padilla, outgoing PAF Public information chief, said there was nothing irregular in using the P30-million fund to procure athletic apparel such as bags, t-shirts and rubber shoes.

" We would like to prove him wrong," he told reporters in an informal press conference at the 505th wing Command headquarters at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City yesterday morning.

"Noong nakaraang 2004 po, nagkaroon po ng savings ang ating opisina ng personnel na siyang namumuno, at ito’y ginamit ng ating pamunuan o ng ating hukbo upang makabagbigay ng kagamitan sa bawat sundalo o bawat myembro ng PAF na nangangailangan ng karagdagang kagamitan lalo na sa athletics (In 2004, our office accumulated personnel savings, which the command used for the equipment of soldiers or each Air Force member who needed additional equipment, especially in athletics)," Padilla said.

He said the DBM handled the procurement of the items, and that the PAF handed the DBM a check for P30 million for this purpose.

The P30 million was raised from their Air Force’s personnel savings, he added.

Padilla and his designated successor, Maj. Augusto dela Peña, showed reporters documents from the DBM showing the breakdown of the procured items.

"We show here proof that we gave them check for P30 million to the DBM Procurement Service," he said.

"That they received it (the money) intact. The fund was used to buy items listed in this DBM document. We can show it to anybody who wants to check. The DBM was the one who handled the procurement.

"The PAF did not touch a single cent from the P30 million after it turned over the check to DBM. Wala po kaming tinatago dun kayat pinapakita ko sa inyo ang katibayan (We are not hiding anything, so we are showing you the evidence)," Padilla said.

Facing the consequences

In response, Daquil said yesterday he was ready to face the consequences of his actions, but that he has to go home first to his hometown in San Pablo City in Laguna.

"Sa ngayon napakaganda nga ng pakiramdan ko (I feel better now)," he said. "Nailabas ko na sa mga tao yung dapat kong sabihin (I have already told the people what I need to say)," he said.

Daquil, accompanied by his lawyer Homobono Adaza, turned himself in yesterday to his senior officers at Villamor Air Base a day after denouncing at a clandestine press conference what he claimed were "fat allowances" being enjoyed by Air Force generals and wing commanders.

However, Daquil has not been detained or placed under restriction in the absence of any charges against him.

"Wala pa namang akong demanda, kaya uuwi muna ako sa San Pablo at kukuha lang ng mga gamit (Since there are no charges against me, I will go home to San Pablo in the meantime to get some things)," he told The STAR by telephone.

On Tuesday, Daquil told a press conference that Air Force generals and wing commanders have been receiving P45,000 in allowances on top of their regular salaries and allowances.

Daquil said when he was Air Force personnel chief in 2004, all of his office’s savings of P30 million "went to the office" of Air Force commander Lt. Gen. Jose Reyes.

"After my coming out, I hope that these malpractices would be addressed and corrected," he said, urging other fellow officers, who wanted reforms in the Air Force, to come out.

"Yung P30 million na iyan ay kinuha sa akin yan noong ako pa ang A-1 chief ng personnel ng Air Force (That P30 million was taken from me when I was Air Force A-1 or personnel chief)," he said.

On the other hand, Daquil could face court-martial after his voluntary submission yesterday to the custody of his service, the Air Force.

Padilla said that the next step was for the PAF provost marshall to conduct a preliminary investigation on Daquil.

"First. we are very grateful that he voluntarily submitted himself," he told reporters.

Padilla said Daquil’s appearance at the PAF headquarters was somewhat expected since he was on the verge of being declared AWOL (Absent without Leave).

"His leave expired in (Dec.) 29," he said. "If he did not show up today, he could have been considered AWOL."

Meanwhile, Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, chairman of the Senate committee on defense and national security, warned yesterday that the budget of the Armed Forces would be at stake if the military fails to thoroughly investigate the allegations of Daquil.

"Ito ay nagpapahayag na mayroon ng division sa namumuno at sa mga pinamumunuan (This signals that there is now a division between the commanders and those under their command)... if that happens then the stability within the ranks of the Armed Forces of the Philippines could be put to doubt," he said.

"No less than our national security could be jeopardized," Biazon, a retired Armed Forces chief, said.

He said the issue will likely be raised when the Senate committee of the whole resumes deliberations on the 2006 budget.

Suppression of the truth would likely build up pressure within the the Armed Forces if the brass continues to disregard Daquil’s allegations and downplay the issues of graft and corruption within the military, he added.

Biazon said Daquil’s statements on his apparent loss of confidence in the brass could be considered as a barometer of a weakening military.

An investigation should be transparent so that the public would be convinced of the government’s credibility and sincerity in not tolerating graft and corrupt practices in the military, he added.

Meanwhile, Representatives Antonio Cuenco of Cebu City and Federico Sandoval of Malabon-Navotas called yesterday on Daquil and the Air Force generals whom he had accused of graft to clear their names through the institutionalized system within the Armed Forces.

Cuenco said the burden of proof lies with Daquil, who he himself received a monthly allowance of P8,500 from the Air Force.

"If Daquil says such allowance is anomalous, then he is as guilty as the others who benefited from such perks," he said.

Sandoval said the amount of allowance is immaterial because it is the act of disbursement and acceptance that is important.

"Failure on Daquil’s part to prove his accusations will only make us believe that he is really sour-graping because of his relief last December 10," he said.

Coup rumors intensified this week with the revelation that former President Fidel Ramos had met secretly last month with Senate President Franklin Drilon, who has previously called on Mrs. Arroyo to step down.

Ramos is seen as one of Mrs. Arroyo’s main political allies.

Rumors of new coup attempts against Mrs. Arroyo have been swirling since the opposition released audiotapes last June which allegedly show that she cheated to win the May 2004 presidential election.

Mrs. Arroyo has denied any wrongdoing and subsequently survived an impeachment bid in Congress.

However, many former allies have abandoned her. — Jaime Laude, Rainier Allan Ronda, Ding Cervantes, Christina Mendez, AFP