Former PNP-FEO chief Gen. Raul Petrasanta.
Seriously, President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. should not confine investigations on corruption in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) as other agencies are also steeped in irregular transactions which enrich many officials through overpricing, rigged bidding and other corrupt practices.
Just recently, the Sandiganbayan found former Philippine National Police (PNP) Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) chief Senior Superintendent Raul Petrasanta guilty of 23 counts of graft over the illegal approval of a firearms license deal involving at least 19 high-powered AK-47s.
This reminisces an attempt for the national police to purchase some 80,000 pieces of assault rifles that would allegedly be funded through an insertion in the PNP’s 2026 budget. The document requesting the deal was refused by then PNP chief Lieutenant General Nicolas Torre III, who was reportedly sacked because of his refusal.
The botched deal was reportedly being pushed by a high ranking official of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) which on approval would be funded by an additional budget to be facilitated by Congress in the National Expenditure Program (NEP).
Still, in going back to Petrasanta’s case, the anti-graft court ruled that former PNP-FEO chief and other police officials knowingly approved the AK-47 deal with JTC Mineral Mining Corporation even if the firm did not meet the qualifications for the contract sealed between 2011 to 2012.
“Accused Petrasanta and (Police Chief Superintendent Napoleon Romero) Estilles, in their respective capacities as Chiefs of the Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) and as the final approving authorities for the issuance of licenses to high-powered firearms, knowingly approved the subject applications notwithstanding their patent irregularities,” the Sandiganbayan pointed out.
“As established by the evidence on record, they affixed their signatures to the questioned applications, thereby giving their imprimatur and consummating the unlawful approval in blatant disregard of the spurious and/or incomplete supporting documents, as well as the clear non-compliance with SOP No. 13 and the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act 5487 (The Private Security Agency Law),” it added.
Likewise, the anti-graft court noted that Petrasanta, Estilles and police officials Allan Acong Parreño, Regino Sy Catiis, Eduardo Acierto, Tomas Rentoy III, Gil Meneses, Sol Zapatero Bargan, Nelson Bautista, Ricardo Zapata, Jr. and Randy De Sesto unlawfully extended unwarranted benefits to JTC’s Isidro Lozada by facilitating the approval of the firearms license applications “despite the evident defects in the applications.”
“Crucially, the investigation confirmed that JTC lacked a company security force, which was a mandatory requirement for a mining company to acquire high powered firearms. Furthermore, the General Information Sheet (GIS) of JTC for 2012 demonstrates that the individuals listed as “Chairman and President” and as members of the “Board of Directors” in Board Resolution No. 04-2012529 were not affiliated with the corporation,” it enthused.
Furthermore, the accused is said to have unlawfully caused the deal’s approval which ultimately led to the release of the high-powered firearms to Lozada. Through these acts, they conferred upon him undue benefit and advantage.
