MANILA, Philippines — The bicameral Commission on Appointments (CA) confirmed Wednesday the appointment of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Eduardo SL Oban Jr. as a four-star general after he assured senators and congressmen who are CA members that he would reject any financial gifts such ‘’pasalubong’’ (welcome gift) or ‘’pabaon’’ (traditional financial retirement send off) from military finance officers. The military establishment had been rocked by allegations of widespread corruption where three former AFP chiefs of staff — Generals Angelo Reyes, Diomedio Villanueva and Roy Cimatu — were allegedly given pabaon of P50 million, P160 million and P80 million, respectively, when they retired in the early 2000s.
Sen. Gregorio B. Honasan, a former Army colonel who took part in the 1986 rightists’ attempt to unseat then President Ferdinand E. Marcos, pointed out that morale at the military establishment had been shaken by allegations of corruption in the top AFP leadership.
‘’I will resist any ‘pabaon’ or ‘pasalubong,’’ Oban, a Philippine Military Academy (PMA) ’79 graduate, said. He will retire on Dec. 28, 2011 at the mandatory retirement age of 56.
This developed as the National Police Commission (Napolcom) will now be more hands-on with the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) investigation of high-profile cases involving so-called police-culprits.
Napolcom Vice Chairman and Executive Officer Eduardo Escueta said he has instructed the concerned agency personnel to monitor the investigation being conducted by the PNP against its own members and to guard for possible instances of whitewash.
“If a sensational case is being investigated by the police organization itself, then we will not just sit down and let them do it,” Escueta told the Manila Bulletin/Tempo.
The official cited the recent ransom theft case of five Manila-based policemen as an example of a “sensational case” wherein Napolcom could act as sentry.
Mario Casayuran & Ellson Quismorio, Manila Bulletin
