THE Office of the Ombudsman on Monday indicted four ex-Marine officers for alleged involvement in a combat clothing allowance scam 15 years ago.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales ordered the filing of malversation of public funds and violation of the Anti-Graft and
Corrupt Practices Act before the Sandiganbayan against retired Col. Renato Miranda, Lt. Col. Jeson Cabatbat, Major Adelo Jandayan and Captains Felicisimo Millado and Edmundo Yurong.
Miranda and company were accused of anomalous utilization of the combat clothing allowance and individual equipment allowance of P36,768,028.95 intended for the benefit of the Philippine Marine Corps enlisted personnel.
In December 1999, the CCIE allowance of P43.5 million was released by the Philippine Navy and was liquidated through the payroll system, and not as cash advances of the enlisted personnel.
Miranda, Cabatbat, Jandayan, Millado and Yurong said that of the P43.5million, P32.9 million was paid to suppliers and P4.2 million was used to defray other expenses.
The remaining P6.2 million was transferred to the custody of the finance officer of CCIE payment, they claimed.
Based on the disbursement vouchers signed by Miranda, 19 checks all dated in April 2000 were issued in favor of Millado as the commanding officer.
The checks were encashed and the proceeds were turned over to Jandayan.
Cabatbat and Yurong, for their part, certified and submitted falsified payrolls of the enlisted personnel.
Upon verification and random sampling, 145 enlisted personnel stationed in various provinces denied receiving any allowance and signing in the payroll.
The five officers filed a motion for reconsideration, but the Ombudsman denied their plea.
Considering the amount involved, the military officials should have “exercised due diligence and prudence in entering into transactions involving funds” and that failure to do so “signifies [their] active participation in the anomalous transaction which resulted to the defraudation of the government,” Morales said.
But the criminal suits against former brigadier general Percival Subala and Capt. Carolyn Bontolo have been dropped for lack of probable cause.