MANILA — The military described as isolated incidents the relief of key officials at the AFP Health Service Command and court martial, conviction and dismissal of an officer after being found guilty of malversation of funds belonging to the Corps of Cadets.
“These two incidents are isolated incidents, These do not reflect the vast majority of our commanders and officers in the AFP,” military spokesperson Col. Edgard Arevalo said Wednesday.
He was referring to Monday’s relief of AFP HSC head Brig. Gen. Edwin Leo Torrelavega along with 21 others, to give way for the investigations on the alleged anomalies in procurement practices in the AFP Medical Center (AFPMC), also known as the V. Luna Hospital, and the case of Lt. Col. Hector Maraña whose dismissal order was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte Tuesday.
Maraña was designated as the treasurer of the Cadet Corps of the AFP from 2006 to 2012 where he was later found to have malversed PHP15,067,142.69 after an internal audit. Investigations revealed that the dismissed officer loaned the money to different persons.
Eventually, Maraña was subjected to court martial proceedings for three violations of the Articles of War, specifically Article of War 95 (Fraud versus the Government), Article of War 96 (Conduct unbecoming an Officer and a Gentleman) and Article of War 97 (Conduct Prejudicial to Good Order and Military Discipline).
He was found guilty and sentenced to “six years and one day to 10 years imprisonment.
“These events should translate to the people the message that your AFP is keen about ensuring that we are, we will and we shall continue to be worthy of the trust of the Filipino people and the Filipino nation, that we’re not going to tolerate any acts of misdemeanor or any means, methods of corruption (and) that we will not put to waste the sacrifices the heroism of our people and our men who fought and died in the field and that we are worthy of the trust that you have imposed on the AFP,” Arevalo added. (Priam Nepomuceno/PNA)
