Senate issues arrest warrant against Dela Paz

BY DENNIS GADIL

THE Senate yesterday finally ordered the arrest of former PNP comptroller Eliseo dela Paz for snubbing the summons issued by the Senate foreign relations committee which is conducting a probe into the so-called euro generals.

Senate President Manuel Villar, after signing the arrest order, said the number of required 10 signatories had been met. There were eight signatories on Monday and 12 yesterday.

The Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms went to Camp Crame to serve the arrest order.

The arrest order was received by Director Leopoldo Bataoil, chief of the Directorate for Police-Community Relations.

Dela Paz’ lawyer, Noel Malaya, said he last talked with his client Monday, and the latter promised to surface this week. He said Dela Paz is either in Bataan or La Union.

The Senate is investigating Dela Paz’ brief detention at the Moscow airport after he was found carrying 105,000 euros which he did not declare.

He said the money was meant as contingency fund for the PNP delegation that attended the October 7-11 Interpol conference in St. Petersburg.

Dela Paz, one of the eight members of the PNP delegation, reached the retirement age during the trip. He has taken out almost all of the things in his quarters.

He did not show up at the opening of the Senate inquiry on October 23, prompting Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, committee chair, to order his arrest.

He is questioning before the Supreme Court the committee’s jurisdiction to investigate the Moscow incident.

The senators who signed the arrest order were Villar, Santiago, Francis Pangilinan, Aquilino Pimentel, Manuel Roxas, Edgardo Angara, Richard Gordon, Gregorio Honasan, Ramon Revilla Jr., Rodolfo Biazon, Ana Consuelo Madrigal and Loren Legarda.

Villar said he hoped Dela Paz would not try to evade arrest and appear in the next hearing.

Santiago said Monday she will schedule the hearing next week, possibly with the Senate blue ribbon committee of Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano as secondary panel.

"To avoid all these technicalities, it would be better if the two committees hold a joint hearing, so that Dela Paz can no longer make a pretense of challenging jurisdiction on the arrest warrant," she said.

The Santiago committee has already come out with a report, recommending Dela Paz’ prosecution.

An ad hoc committee formed by the National Police Commission (Napolcom) to investigate the Moscow incident said Dela Paz should be criminally prosecuted if he fails to explain the "irregular withdrawal" of P6.9 million (converted to 105,000 euros) from PNP intelligence funds.

The Napolcom panel also recommended a freeze on Dela Paz’ retirement benefits and a lifestyle check on the members of the delegation. – With Raymond Africa and Ashzel Hachero