Press Release
October 23, 2008

'EURO GENERAL' TIP OF GOV'T CORRUPTION ICEBERG -- ROXAS COMPLAINT TO BE FILED IN DOJ ON ILLEGAL FOREIGN TRAVELS

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas on Thursday chided President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for her inability to stamp her foot down on erring officials, a further indication of the worsening level of corruption in her government, as the Senate grilled top police officials on the so-called "Euro-general" controversy.

During today's hearing of the Senate foreign relations committee on the controversy, Roxas said the "Euro-general" controversy showed a cavalier attitude among top police officials regarding limits on spending and restrictions on foreign travels, adding this incident questions the ability of law enforcers to enforce the law.

The involvement in the controversy of former PNP comptroller Eliseo De La Paz, who was held by Russian authorities for carrying an undeclared amount of 105,000 euros on his way back to the Philippines after attending an Interpol meeting in Moscow, is only the tip of the corruption iceberg in the Philippines and only proved the Arroyo Administration was incapable or refuses to root out corrupt practices within its ranks, Roxas said.

"This mess in Moscow is not only an international embarrassment, but it goes to the root of the rule of law in our country because it involves those mandated to enforce the law. If this is what our police generals are doing, how can we stop 'tong' in the streets?" he said.

Roxas, vice-chair of the Senate foreign relations committee, noted that the 2008 General Appropriations Act, prohibits personnel of the DND and DILG with less than a year left before retirement from being sent to foreign training or conferences.

He said he would file a complaint with the Department of Justice on the misuse of taxpayers' money for foreign trips, and told DoJ Secretary Raul Gonzalez that he expected quick action on it.

The Liberal Party president also criticized PNP Chief Jesus Versoza's denial that he approved the release of the money caught from De La Paz, contrary to PNP procedure, and the PNP chief's inability to provide a straight story on where the money came from.

"Bakit hanggang sa ngayon hindi makasabi ang PNP nang diretso, 'Amin ang perang ito,' at kung saang bangko ito at yung voucher nito. 'Disappointing' is too weak a word to describe Versoza's testimony. Mahirap paniwalaan na walang malay ang PNP chief sa mga pangyayari ng kanyang ahensya. Nakakadismaya talaga ang kanyang mga sagot sa committee," he said.

He said the Moscow incident showed a lax attitude towards use of the people's money and the government's inefficiency in disciplining its officials, while noting that Malacañang, Versoza and DILG Sec. Ronaldo Puno have already washed their hands of the issue, leaving De La Paz, who did not even attend the hearing, on his own.

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