'Reforms underway to rid AFP of ghost CAFGUs'

MANILA, Philippines - Reforms are now underway to address the nagging problem of “ghost” militiamen in the payrolls of the Citizens Armed Forces of Geographical Unit (CAFGU), the military declared yesterday.

Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the AFP will continue efforts to deal with the CAFGU fund mess that has already cost the government hundreds of millions that went into the pockets of corrupt military officials.

Fears of a whitewash were raised by some quarters within the military yesterday following reports that the charges filed against 10 officers implicated in the multi-million CAFGU fund mess have been dropped.

“We are continuously addressing this problem as we welcome any official investigation concerning this particular issue,” Brawner said, adding that AFP chief Gen. Victor Ibrado has already ordered Army chief Lt. Gen. Delfin Bangit to implement stringent measures to address the problem of ghost militiamen.

A report by Newsbreak revealed three party-list representatives urged a congressional investigation into the CAFGU fund mess. 

Records showed the AFP have employed more than 120,000 militiamen in the CAFGU with a monthly allowance of P2,500.

The militiamen are distributed in all of the 10 Army divisions nationwide, but majority of them are now deployed in Mindanao.

Brawner said one of the safety nets now being implemented by the Army to prevent ghost CAFGUs is the creation of the national database containing pertinent records of all active militiamen in the field.

The master list is being validated through a monthly field headcount conducted by higher headquarters, according to Brawner.

As for the reported dropping of the charges against the 10 officers implicated in the fund mess, Brawner said there are still others who are under trial.

He said the 10 officers were among the more than 50 who were ordered investigated for the CAFGU fund anomalies following reports that a number of Army field units have their own ghost CAFGUs.

An Army officer revealed his case was dropped and closed after he submitted proof that he was merely used as a conduit by his superiors for the CAFGU funds.

The officer, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said he would likely be charged again if he should come out in the open.

He revealed the practice of senior commanders to wait for the “RTS” of CAFGU funds released to lower units.

RTS, the officer explained, means “Return To Sender.”

Newsbreak reported that one among those investigated was a colonel who held a key post in the AFP during the term of retired AFP chief Gen. Alexander Yano.

The report added the officer, along with 49 others, were cleared in the initial stages of the probe and were eventually reassigned to other commands or staff positions.

The biggest number of those probed –15 officers – came from the Army’s 6th Infantry Division based in Central Mindanao.

Of the 15 from the division, 10 – all junior officers – were recommended for court martial trial in June last year,according to Newsbreak, citing military documents.

The report added that two seniors, both colonels, were merely reprimanded and the investigation against them was eventually “dropped and closed.”