Ret. Army Lt. Col. George Rabusa: Military Budget

Retired Army Lt. Col. George Rabusa, a longtime budget officer at the deputy chief of staff for comptrollership (J6), faced indictment when six years ago he got named in the military scam where former comptroller Gen. Carlos Garcia amassed ill-gotten wealth amounting to P300 million. 

In a Senate hearing in January 2011, Rabusa named three former chief of staffs--Angelo Reyes, Diomedio Villanueva, and Roy Cimatu--to have benefitted illegally from a slush fund illegally setup in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) under control of the Chief of Staff. Reyes himself got a least P50 million in going-away gift when he retired in 2001. These information came up during the Senate probe on the controversial plea bargain deal that Garcia and teh Ombudsman signed recently.  

When he testified in court in 2004, Rabusa was an impenitent witness and accused. This year, a new Rabusa faced the Senate inquiry--a willing witness that was ready to face his boss, knowing fully well that he merely received orders from his bosses then. His courage in facing up to his past and standing for justice and truth is exemplary.

The Department of Justice placed Rabusa under the Witness Protection Program (WPP).

Related Readings

Glenda M. Gloria: "Ex-AFP 'bagman' names bosses in fund scam," Newsbreak 27 January 2011

Heidi Mendoza: Audit

Assigned to the Office of the Ombudsman under Simeon Marcelo to help in investigating the unexplained wealthof then AFP comptroller General Carlos Garcia, Heide Mendoza headed a team of 11 auditors from the Commission on Audit (COA) that traced the paper trail of graft and corruption in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

But when ombudsman Simeon Marcelo resigned in 2005 because of ill-health, COA chief Guillermo Carague told Heide to abandon the case, and that no need of a report on their findings to be made as COA was not interested of it.

During the justice committee  hearing at the House of Representatives in February 2011, Heidi disclosed that she had a strong case against Garcia, accused of amassing P300 million in military funds while in service but later got out after signing a deal with the current Ombudsman, during the time of then Ombudsman Marcelo.

Out of work and pursuing a lone battle against a powerful and rich former general in the AFP, Heidi stood courageously on the ground in the name of truth and justice for the Filipino people.

The Department of Justice put her under the Witness Protection Program.

Related Readings
Gil Cabacungan, Jocelyn Uy &  Marlon Ramos: "Support for ex-auditor Heidi Mendoza snowballs," Philippine Daily Inquirer 02 February 2011

Amando Amisola: Immigration

In the middle of a real financial need, it takes courage to be honest when the easier part needs only a rich silence.

But Bureau of Immigration officer Amando Amisola did not fear facing his family's financial need as a result of his decision to return P1-million worth of dollar bills that a family who were bound to Canada to start a new life there. On 27 November 2010 (Saturday) he found an envelop left on the counter he manned earlier at VIP lane in the immigration clearance area at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

After waiting for a few minutes for someone to claim the envelope, and none came, Amisola checked the contents of the envelop only to discover the immense sum of dollar bills. So he immediately to the boarding gates of the airport, and found the family waiting to board a Cathay Pacific flight to Canada. (Read more.)

Gerna Garcia: Law Enforcement

Police Officer 1 Gerna Garcia was a rookie in her mother unit at the Pikit Police Station in Pikit, North Cotabato. But that did stop her from performing her police duty during the 10 May 2010 general elections in the Philippines despite a clear and present danger to her life.

Garcia belonged to the security team that protects the polling precinct in Talital village, including the precinct count optical scanner machine, other election paraphernalia and the voters present in that precint to cast their votes. At around 2:45 p.m., armed supporters of "four mayoral candidates" traded shots just few meters from where they were. Firefight broke at various directions. And at the height of the confusion, voters fled the area to save their lives. But Garcia, together with two Army soldiers in the security team, stayed to secure the area. She also made sure that the board of election inspector were safe as the fighting went. 

The Central Mindanao police recognized her bravery and dedication to service with a Medal of Heroism. 

SOURCE

Magbanua WA, Umel RV: "Woman cop gets medal for poll heroism" Philippine Daily Inquirer (01 June 2010) Link