BRIGADIER General Edwin Leo Torrelavega seemed “happy and relieved” when he was informed last week that he has been relieved as director of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Health Service Command (AFPHSC), AFP chief of staff General Carlito Galvez Jr. said.
“Actually masaya siya kasi alam mo sa kanya sabi niya bok (classmate) ang hirap sa V. Luna talaga, parang he was relieved. Ang hirap talaga sa V. Luna because of the system. Sabi niya bok I am more than willing to have the process,” said Galvez.
“We need to do the right thing regardless na classmate mo or what ang ano natin dito we want to clean the institution,” he said.
However, Galvez defended Torrelavega, who was his classmate in the Philippine Military Academy class of 1985, saying that he tried to fix the system when he assumed office in 2017.
“He’s trying (to impose reform) actually marami siyang ginawa na report na even ‘yung mga building ng other hospital. Inimplement niya mga pinapagawa ni President at pumupunta siya sa ibat -ibang lugar (to check on other facilities under him),” said Galvez.
He also noted that the V. Luna is not directly under Torrelavega as it has its own commanding officer.
Torrelavega was charged for allegedly failing to diligently exercise command responsibility.
On Monday, August 12, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. announced that President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the relief of Torrelavega and V. Luna Medical Center commander Colonel Antonio Punzalan over the alleged fraudulent purchases of medical supplies amounting to nearly P1.5 million.
Both officials will undergo court martial proceedings.
Galvez also said 20 others, including enlisted personnel and officials of the V. Luna Medical Center with the ranks of Lieutenant Colonel and Major assigned to the procurement, delivery, logistics and finance departments will also undergo investigation.
He said the investigation stemmed from at least 17 fictitious transactions in the said facility which involved up to P200 million.
Galvez said in an investigation conducted by the Intelligence Service of the AFP, they found that the corruption at the V. Luna Medical Center was “systemic.”
Galvez said they noticed “that the problem was really in the logistics and management and finance officers of the facility.
Torrelavega will be replaced by Brigadier General Augustos de Villa while the AFP leadership is still deliberating on who would be Punzalan’s successor. (SunStar Philippines)