Roxas disgusted over Euro Generals' violations

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas yesterday expressed disgust over blatant violations of existing laws and executive directives of high-ranking police officials linked to the “Euro Generals” fund mess.

“Nakakahiya ang ating kapulisan. Tahasan ang pagsuway nila sa mga batas na ginawa ng Kongreso. Hindi na sila naawa sa ating mga kababayan, pati ang perang dapat sana ay gagamitin para sa pagbili lamang ng mga intelligence equipment ay pinagplanuhan pa nilang lustayin sa Russia (Shame on our police force. They blatantly disobeyed the laws Congress crafted. They disregarded the people’s welfare, they planned to squander in Russia the funds that are to be used for the purchase of intelligence equipment),” he said during Saturday’s joint committee hearing into the scandal.

Dela Paz and other ranking police officials, including PNP chief Dir. Gen. Jesus Versoza, appeared before senators on Saturday to testify on the source of the 105,000 euros confiscated by Russian authorities from Dela Paz and his wife prior their departure after attending an Interpol meeting in Moscow.

The Ilonggo senator said the release of the 105,000 euros from the PNP’s intelligence and confidential funds was tainted with irregularity and disregard of the law, especially after Supt. Samuel Rodriguez testified that he had warned his superior, Finance Service director Chief Supt. Orlando Pestaño, that such a release violated the presidential directive governing the disbursement and expenditure of intelligence and confidential funds.

“Mahirap tanggapin ang sinasabi mo.. Sinasabi mong hindi mangyayari itong iskandalong ito dahil sumusunod kayo sa reglamento. Pero mula kaninang umaga pa, lahat ng direktiba magmula sa BSP, administrative order, executive order, PNP, Napolcom, lahat ay nilabag po ninyo eh (It’s hard to accept your statement. You said this scandal shouldn’t have happened because you followed the regulations. But since this morning, we’ve found out that you’ve violated all directives from the BSP, administrative orders, executive orders, PNP and Napolcom regulations),” he rebuked Dela Paz when the latter insisted there was nothing irregular with the release of the P6.9 million (105,000 euros) from the intelligence fund to him.

“Pati junior officers na nagpaalala sa inyo na mali ito, hindi ninyo pinansin. Ang sabi pa ninyo, ‘Ako na ang bahala’. Mahirap tanggapin ang sinasabi mo. Hindi talaga katanggap-tanggap ang sinasabi ninyo ngayon na biglaan ay susunod na kayo sa reglamento sa kabila ng sunod-sunod ninyong paglabag sa batas (You even ignored the warning of your junior officers that this is wrong. You even said ‘I’ll take care of it.’ It’s hard to accept what you’re saying that you’re now going to follow the regulations after repeatedly violating the law),” he stressed.