(All maps downloaded from Google Maps under the terms of service of said site, used here for educational and non-commercial purposes)
(Re. the map, have fun by clicking on the arrows at the left-hand corner to pan up or pan down or pan left to right; or clicking on the plus or minus signs to zoom in or zoom out. )
As a form of public service and because i’m curious, and because i like to research when i’m curious, here’s a map of the aborted itinerary of retired police comptroller De la Paz when he was carrying a stash of 103,000 euros plus 45,000 euros or 9.9 million pesos except that his side trip was aborted by the Moscow police when they did their job of manually inspecting hand-carried luggage. From Moscow, he was going to Warsaw, then to Prague to Budapest to Vienna. The above map is the road trip direct from Warsaw to Vienna, nine hours, follow the blue crooked line on the map. And the following maps are those of what he said: Warsaw to Prague to Budapest to Vienna because that was what he said their itinerary was. I don't know where he was headed after Vienna after supposedly buying the watch. Did he book a flight straight to Manila (i doubt it), i added another satellite map in the last part, from Google Maps again, it's just a train ride, Vienna to Geneva, Switzerland, follow the blue crooked line. A cross-examiner might pull out a map and ask him to point, like a TV weathergirl/ weatherboy: where and in what direction he had supposedly planned to go, carrying our money. That didn't happen at today's Senate hearing though.
And from Czech Republic to Budapest, here's the route:
And Budapest to Vienna as follows:
He was caught in Moscow as he was about to board a plane to Warsaw, Poland. Based on his admissions, he was also on his way to Vienna supposedly to buy a watch supposedly for 45,000 euros supposedly for a friend, a certain Mr. Arejola, who also happened to be a contractor for the Philippine National Police having won the bid to supply civil disturbance management equipment in 2006. What a long story. But none of the senators at today’s Senate investigation of the so-called “euro generals” (i’ll just call them the Mamang Pulis fat cats), followed through the aborted itinerary: when de la Paz invoked his right against self-incrimination when asked why he did not declare the stash, the senators re-traced his steps backwards, in order to further emphasize the evidence against him and establish his culpability. But i’m curious about his aborted steps forward. The pieces ofevidence about his culpability from the moment he was caught by Russian police, and backwards before that, or from the moment he took out the intelligence funds, are all already well established. Aren’t you curious where the money was headed? And from Vienna, where was he going? Did he book a flight straight to Manila? Here are your questions: Are you telling me you crossed three continents to buy a watch? For a friend? Carrying with you 9.9 million pesos? Then you booked a flight straight to Manila? after buying the watch across the continents? De la Paz is not expected to admit to any bank accounts and a retirement fund and will invoke his right against self-incrimination but it is enough to ask a series of questions to establish the ridiculousness of his excuse. Here’s the railway from Vienna to Geneva, a scenic railway trip, first class, by Rail Europe (you think he booked a flight straight to Manila?). I’m guessing if you’re the Senate you can subpoena his travel agency records and tickets and ask those series of questions.
Why did i post a satellite map from Vienna to Geneva? Why Geneva? Where else will you go from Vienna? Well, there’s Slovenia. And Genova. And Liechtenstein. You think. I can write an entire Jon Stewart episode from his excuses. (except that i’m having a sneezing fit again, i’m not feeling well as you know)
marichulambino.com 