A former Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) auditor was allegedly paid off so that military funds can be converted, former military budget officer Lt. Col. George Rabusa said Monday.
Rabusa said former ISAFP auditor Divina Cabrera received 2 percent of the funds, usually sourced from the personnel services, which were converted to be used for the alleged payoff scheme in the military.
Rabusa said Cabrera had even requested during one occasion to burn documents that might leave a trail on the questionable conversions.
"Some of the clearing documents are really delegated at her level," Rabusa said during Monday's Senate blue ribbon committee investigation into the plea bargain deal between former Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia and the Office of the Ombudsman.
Cabrera, however, denied Rabusa's allegation.
"I did my job as auditor of COA, I based all my audit work based on the rules prescribed by the Commission on Audit (COA)," she said during the inquiry.
Cabrera said that she was auditor of the AFP for 13 years and is now assigned at the Philippine Navy, despite a COA rule saying auditors should only serve for three years in one assignment.
"Bakit mo nagustuhan kaya? (I wonder why you liked your assignment)" Senator Franklin Drilon said during the hearing.
To which, Cabrera replied that she was just "complying" with her assignment and that it was not her decision. Drilon, for his part, asked COA to reassign Cabrera.
As of posting time, the hearing was ongoing. — Kimberly Jane Tan/RSJ
