A former internal accountant of the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters has sought a probe on National Bureau of Investigation Bacolod chief Mamerto Cortez allegedly for wrongly filing a complaint against the seven employees of the Philippine National Bank involving the NFSP missing fund mess.

Penuel Tanio, who submitted the request for investigation dated Dec. 23, 2008 to NBI Director Nestor Mantaring in Manila, said he was the one who discovered the missing P8,037,493.77 from the Sugar Market Development Fund that was allegedly illegally withdrawn and released.

Copies of his letter-request to Mantaring were furnished to Capitol reporters yesterday. 

The NBI Bacolod filed last month a complaint for qualified theft through falsification of commercial documents against former NFSP employee Anthony Reginald Bitanga and the seven PNB Lacson Branch employees.

The complaint was based on the affidavit of NFSP corporate secretary, Augusto Araneta, and bookkeeper Marilyn Concha.

Araneta named in the charge sheet bank approving officers Jose Chad Cervantes, Ma. Allen Dayot, Marilou Castro, and Joel Juguan, and branch managers from 2001 to 2007 Edwin Arroyo, Anecito Partosa, and Jose Raul Cataquis.

Tanio, however, said in his letter to NBI Director Mantaring that the seven PNB employees are innocent as he was the one who conducted an intensive audit of the fund.

“I knew who was the mastermind even before I was able to get the records from PNB,” he said.

Tanio also said in his letter that Cortez should be held liable for conduct unbecoming of an NBI officer, for using the false affidavits and testimonies in filing the complaint, and for corruption involving money matters.*NLG

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