The National Bureau of Investigation has filed graft complaints with the Office of the Ombudsman against Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Richard P. Palpal-latoc and three other agency officials over allegedly unexplained foreign travel charges. Documents shared with PGMN allege that Palpal-latoc charged CHR US$10,980 in allowances—approximately ₱689,000—for a month-long France trip despite outside sponsorship covering travel and subsistence.
The complaints name Palpal-latoc, Maria Teresa C. Dolor, Onesimo L. Cuyco and Russel L. Mani. The NBI’s Public Corruption Division seeks a preliminary investigation by the Office of Ombudsman Boying Remulla into an alleged violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
A travel authority dated June 10, 2025 authorized Palpal-latoc to attend the 54th International Institute of Human Rights Summer School in Strasbourg, France, from June 18 to July 22, including travel dates. CHR Commissioner Beda A. Epres signed the document, which allowed airfare, daily subsistence allowance, representation allowance and other allowable expenses to be charged to CHR’s regular fund.
The accompanying case narrative alleges, however, that the Friedrich Naumann Stiftung already sponsored course fees, international travel, accommodation, meals and subsistence.
Despite that support, Palpal-latoc allegedly charged CHR US$366 a day—approximately ₱23,000—in subsistence allowance. The narrative calculates the charge at US$10,980 over 30 days for an expense allegedly covered by the sponsor.
The narrative also alleges that Palpal-latoc failed to secure the required clearance from the Office of the President before traveling, citing Executive Order No. 77, issued in 2019.
A source further accused Epres of signing an unlawful travel authority to justify charging the expenses to CHR’s budget. The source described his role as part of an alleged conspiracy to misuse public funds.
Separate schedules list overseas trips by CHR officials and personnel across Europe, Asia and the United States between April and September 2025, with references to cash advances and reimbursements.
The source described those records as only part of CHR’s foreign travel and alleged that the agency’s budget had funded unnecessary overseas trips since 2022. In the source’s account, the France trip may be only the tip of the iceberg, pointing to a broader pattern of alleged misuse of travel funds.
