JANUARY 8, 2026 — When the Sandiganbayan sentenced five former ranking officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to up to 40 years in prison for “ghost” procurement of armored vehicle parts, it wasn’t just another corruption story — it was a chilling reminder of how deeply haunted our institutions remain. Ghosts, it seems, don’t just appear in horror movies or on Halloween. They thrive in government offices, lurking in paperwork, budgets, and projects that never existed.

Think about it: armored vehicles. Even these were not spared from the phantom touch of corruption. 

Five former ranking officials — Col. Emmanuel Ojeda, Col. Reuel Leverne Labrado, Lt. Col. Josefina Dumanew, Maj. Analee Forro, and MSgt. Victor Puddao — were each sentenced to a total of 24 to 40 years of imprisonment after being found guilty of four counts of graft in connection with the ghost procurement of spare parts for armored vehicles. 

From 2007 to 2008, officials of the PNP Logistics Support Service-Bids and Awards Committee made it appear that spare parts, engines, and transmission assemblies were purchased for the repair of 28 V-150 light armored vehicles. In reality, no such parts were delivered. Instead, falsified documents — bidding minutes, purchase orders, delivery receipts — were conjured up to justify transactions amounting to nearly ₱400 million.

The result? A conviction, perpetual disqualification from public office, and a civil liability of ₱83.897 million. Kudos!

“The Conjuring,” Pinoy edition

But why do “ghosts” proliferate in our government? Ghost projects, ghost students, ghost employees — now ghost armored vehicles. Is it incompetence, greed, or simply a system that allows shadows to thrive? 

Should the government be on permanent Halloween mode, armed with garlic and crucifixes, because it seems forever haunted by these “apparitions"? 

The acquittal of former PNP chief Avelino Razon Jr. and several others due to “failure of the prosecution to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt” also raises eyebrows. 

If ghosts are “so hard” to catch, are we doomed to see them slip through the cracks again and again and again? 

And while the Napolcom now investigates retired Brig. Gen. Jezebel Imelda Medina for possible corruption, one wonders: How many more skeletons are rattling inside the closets of our institutions?

This case is not just about armored vehicles but about the public’s trust, the billions lost to corruption, and the haunting reality that every peso stolen is a peso denied to classrooms, hospitals, and roads. Filipinos deserve more than ghost stories. We deserve transparency, accountability, and leaders who fear the people more than they fear the law.

In the Philippines, corruption isn’t just a crime — it’s the ghost that refuses to die. How many more “ghosts” will we allow to haunt our government before we finally demand an exorcism once and for all?

(Image: Philippine News Agency | Facebook)