Press Release
October 22, 2008

ROXAS REJECTS DELA PAZ APOLOGY
TOUGH GRILLING OF 'EURO-GENERALS' EXPECTED TOMORROW

Liberal President Sen. Mar Roxas on Wednesday rejected the "apology" of former PNP comptroller Eliseo dela Paz and vowed to put through tough grilling all officials involved in the P6.9 million "Euro-generals" mess during a Senate committee hearing into the controversy.

"Bubusisiin natin ang lahat ng detalye na may kinalaman dito sa kahihiyang ito. Aalamin natin kung para saan ba talaga ang perang ito, kung ito ba ay contingency fund o cash advance o kung ito ba ay personal na pera ni Gen. Dela Paz (We will scrutinize all the details of this international embarrassment. We will find out what the money was for, if it was indeed a contingency fund or a cash advance or the personal money of Gen. Dela Paz)," he said.

The Senate committee on foreign relations will begin on Thursday its investigation into the "Euro generals" controversy. Invited to attend the hearing are Dela Paz, Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno, Commission on Audit chair Reynaldo Villar, Civil Service Commission chair Ricardo Saludo, Secretary Joaquin Lagonera of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales and Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya, among others.

Roxas rejected the former police official's apology for his supposed "lapse" in failing to declare the 105,000 euros he was carrying prior to his trip back to the Philippines from Russia last October 11.

"I reject his apology. I am determined to get to the bottom of it. While people are suffering and belt-tightening, we see this shameful spectacle of high PNP officials traipsing about with 150,000 dollars, unaccounted for and no explanation. Nanggigigil ako sa galit sa mga ganitong kalokohan (I fume at these shenanigans)," he added.

The Ilonggo senator said he would interrogate Dela Paz and Puno about their conflicting claims on the real nature of the money, particularly on reports that the money was intended as initial payment for a group of Russian- based suppliers or contractors, which he said was known as the "Moscow Mafia."

Dela Paz has claimed that the money was a "cash advance" supposedly for "emergency" cases while the police delegation was in Russia while Puno claimed it was a "contingency" fund for the group.

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