MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte fired high-ranking military officials allegedly involved in corrupt activities at the Armed Forces of the Philippines Medical Center.
The dismissal of V. Luna Medical Center officials came just a week after Duterte sacked Nayong Pilipino Foundation officials over what he claimed to be a highly disadvantageous lease deal.
Brigadier General Edwin Leo Torrelavega, commander of the AFP Health Service Command; Colonel Antonio Punzalan, commander at the V. Luna Medical Center; and several others were accused of participating in “anomalous” transactions.
“It was brought to the President’s attention that alleged corruption activities have been taking place at the V. Luna Medical Center,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said on Monday.
“The President has since read the reports of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission and the Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Carlito Galvez,” said Roque.
The dismissed officials “undertook anomalous purchases of equipment and engaged in fraudulent transactions, including ghost-purchasing, splitting of contracts to circumvent mandatory bidding processes, and conceiving fictitious suppliers,” Roque said.
They will undergo court martial proceedings, the spokesman added./PN
