6 'Euro generals' placed under preventive suspension

MANILA, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman issued six-month preventive suspension orders yesterday against six officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) who are being investigated for their alleged involvement in the so-called Euro generals scandal that was exposed after a top police official and his wife were accosted at a Russian airport for carrying 105,000 euros in 2008.

Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez identified the suspended officers as Director German Doria, head of the Directorate for Human Resources and Doctrine Development, Director Silverio Alarcio Jr. of the Directorate for Operations, Superintendent Elmer Pelobello, Finance Service director Orlando Pestano, Budget Division director Tomas Rentoy III, and special disbursing officer Samuel Rodriguez.

The case of former PNP comptroller retired Director Eliseo de la Paz and the Euro generals is among the big cases being handled by anti-graft investigators for the past years.

De la Paz and his wife Marife were held at a Moscow airport on Oct. 11, 2008 for carrying undeclared 105,000 euros or P6.9 million in cash, after they attended the 77th Interpol General Assembly in St. Petersburg, Russia. Cynthia Jarin-Verzosa, wife of PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa, was also with the group.

The other police officials or the so-called Euro generals in the PNP delegation to the Interpol meeting were Alarcio, German, Doria and Pelobello, the aide of the delegation; Director Jaime Caringal, Deputy Directors General Emmanuel Carta, Ismael Rafanan, Director Romeo Ricardo.

Gutierrez issued preventive suspension orders against only six of the 12 respondents in the case considering that De la Paz, former PNP chief Director General Avelino Razon Jr., Ricardo, Carta, Rafanan, and Caringal have retired from the service.

They are facing graft, falsification and other criminal charges along with administrative allegations of grave misconduct, dishonesty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

Though De la Paz has already returned the money seized from him at the Moscow airport, a probe to determine criminal and administrative liability was carried out against him and the rest of the Euro generals.

Friends of De la Paz donated the money to enable the controversial former police officer to pay the PNP the 105,000 euros that were seized from him by Russian authorities.