Navy whistleblower to surface soon, says sis

MANILA, Philippines - After the Supreme Court granted her protection, the officer who blew the whistle on an alleged P46-million fund mess involving the RP-US Balikatan joint exercises is due to surface anytime now, her sister said Friday. But Nedina Gadian-Diamante gave no specific timetable on when her younger sister Lt. S.G. Nancy Gadian would surface, saying she is still concerned about her security. "Siguro lulutang siya ngayon na-grant ng amparo ang aking na file sa Korte Suprema. I'm sure lalabas na talaga siya. Ang ano niya, security niya at pamilya . Yan lang talaga hinihiling niya," Diamante, who asked the high court for a writ of amparo earlier this week, said in an interview on dzXL radio. [I am sure she will surface anytime now, now that she has been granted amparo. Her concern now is for her and her family's safety.] Lt. Gadian went into hiding for fear of her life, after exposing what she claimed was a P46-million fund mess in the Balikatan exercises in 2007. She accused then Western Mindanao Command head retired Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo of pocketing the amount. Cedo denied the charges. But Diamante said that as of Friday morning, she had yet to receive a call from her sister on when she would surface. On the other hand, Diamante said suspicious men continued to go to her house in Mandurriao in Iloilo City to inquire about her and her family. She said her children called her up to inform her that the men would go to her house and ask about her whereabouts. "Kinaumagahan may tao na pupunta sa bahay at magtatanong sa akin, saan ako, ilan kami sa pamilya, ano trabaho ng daddy. Pag gabi may isang tao na naman pumunta [In the morning a man would go to our house and ask about me, where I am, how many we are in the family. At night, another man would go there and ask similar questions]," she said. - GMANews.TV