Speedy probe on gas coupon scam assured

Ombudsman Aniano Desierto assured yesterday a speedy probe on the reported multimillion-peso gas coupon scam in the Philippine National Police which allegedly involve a police general and other ranking PNP officials.

Desierto said he already organized two teams for the probe which he expects to be completed in a month's time.

"We have already organized two teams, one for the investigation of the criminal case and the other for the administrative aspect of the case," he said.

Desierto noted that the PNP's Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) has already provided him with all the necessary documents needed in the case.

"I think we'll be able to finish this in 30 days," he said. "This will be a speedy investigation because all the needed evidence have already been submitted."

CIDG director Chief Superintendent Lucas Managuelod earlier linked Chief Superintendent Alfredo Daluyaya to the scam. The police general used to be the director of the PNP Logistics and Support Service (LSS) which issues gas coupons to all police units.

Gas coupons allow policemen to obtain fuel for their cars from gas stations. These coupons are later paid for by the PNP.

Managuelod uncovered the gas coupon scam when he discovered that coupons used by many PNP officers in loading of fuel from the PNP gas station in Camp crame were fake.

He said some 900 booklets containing 90,000 fake gas coupons were used from July to November last year. And the coupons were found to contain fake signatures of LSS clerks.

"The serial numbers of the coupons were not available in the records, hence, the coupons were considered fake," Managuelod said.

The CIDG chief added that they have in their custody some 16,700 fake gas coupons which will be sent to the PNP Crime Laboratory for examination.

Meanwhile, Desierto said he will have to suspend Daluyaya while the probe is being conducted as the evidence against him were strong. He added that the same may apply to other officers linked to the scam

"If the evidence against them were strong, then all of them will be suspended preventively," he assured.

Aside from Daluyaya, 21 police officers were accused in the scam. Among them are Senior Superintendent Jonathan Garcia, former chief of the LSS's Supply Storage and Distribution Division (SSDD); Chief Inspector Armando Esita, chief of the LSS-SSDD Petroleum, Oil and Lubrication Section, Inspector Crisanta Reyes, officer-in-charge of the PNP Central Gas Station (CGS) in Camp Crame, Feliciano Acosta and Imelda Bucato, auditing clerks.