2 retired Army officers 7 others cleared of graft

Retired officials of the Philippine Army have been cleared of graft charges after the Sandiganbayan ruled that the prosecution failed to prove that they induced and influenced seven Army members not to return the cash advances they received for a canceled mission to the United States in 2002.

The anti-graft court 4th Division ruled that prosecutors failed to prove that retired Brig. Gen. Arnolfo Palmea and Col. Rommel Cordova convinced seven non-commissioned officers not to liquidate cash advances they got for the canceled mission to Anniston, Alabama in America.

Filed by the Office of the Ombudsman before the Sandiganbayan, the officials were each charged with seven counts of violating Section 3(a) of Republic Act 3019, often known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Other Army personnel — Master Sergeant Godofredo Juguilon Jr., Staff Sergeants Marcelino Cuevas, Lorenzo Bassig, and Joseph Balazo, Technical Sergeant Simplicio Tagara Jr., Sergeant Ely Amar, and Seaman First Class Alain Polancos — were also acquitted of graft.

Prosecutors said instead of liquidating the P563,406 cash advances they each received from the Armed Forces of the Philippines Finance Center for the official mission, the officials deposited the money in their private bank accounts with the Armed Forces of the Philippines Savings and Loans Association Inc in November 2002.

However, in a recent decision penned by Associate Justice Michael Frederick Musngi, the Sandiganbayan ruled that "the prosecution was not able to prove that the accused public officers had a common design in not liquidating their respective cash advances."