SC upholds PNP official’s dismissal over P400-M ‘ghost’ tank repairs

MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court (SC) has upheld the dismissal from service of Director Rainier Espina over the anomalous P400-million combat vehicle repair project of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

In a decision promulgated last March 15 but obtained by reporters only yesterday, the high court affirmed the Office of the Ombudsman’s dismissal order against the police general in 2012.

It reversed the 2014 decision of the Court of Appeals that downgraded his liability from grave misconduct and serious dishonesty, as found by the ombudsman, to simple misconduct, which effectively reinstated him to the police service.

But for the SC, Espina is guilty of gross neglect of duty and should be rightfully dismissed from the PNP.

The charges stemmed from the anomalous repair of several light armored vehicles (LAV) and fictitious payments for repairs and purchases of police vehicles.

Aside from Espina, then the acting chief of the PNP management division, the other officials implicated in the anomaly were former PNP chief Avelino Razon and former comptrollers Geary Barias and Eliseo dela Paz.

The ombudsman found that the PNP officials had allocated P400 million supposedly for the repair of 28 V-150 LAVs.

The police officials made up the public bidding and that the Invitation to Bid was published in Alppa Times News, a “non-existent publication outfit,” the ombudsman said.