Remember Garcia sons' $2-M bail?

GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc (The Philippine Star) Updated December 29, 2010 

News from San Francisco stunned Filipinos on March 5, 2009. Ian Carl and Juan Paolo Garcia had been granted bail of $2 million as their trial began for dollar smuggling into the US five years prior.

The sons of Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia, Armed Forces of the Philippines ex-comptroller, supposedly were to post the amount that Thursday noon. They had been ready with it since Monday, March 2nd. But then, federal prosecutors appealed the bond ruling before a higher court, which revoked it.

Both US citizens, the Garcia brothers eventually would plead guilty to the charge and be sentenced to time served. Still, then-Rep. Roilo Golez pounded on their enormous bail money, worth almost P100 million. Either it was their way of showing economic clout, he said, or their father was fronting for the true plunderer of AFP funds. More likely it’s the latter, retired naval officer Golez added. A secret profiteer from Garcia’s P303-million plunder could have raised the bond. Ever since Garcia’s wealth, stashed through the sons, was bared in 2004, talk has been that a higher-up in the AFP or defense department made him do it.

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV brought up the $2 million anew Monday in relation to the 2003 military strike he had led against crooked generals. The soldier-turned-legislator viewed Garcia’s sneaky plea bargain in light of who else might benefit from it. Trillanes and Garcia had become acquainted inside the Camp Crame stockade, where they were held for coup d’etat and plunder, respectively. Presumably they had traded notes about their cases, so Trillanes knows whereof he speaks.

Sen. Gregorio Honasan, Trillanes’ mentor, said something similar last week about Garcia being but a cog in the system. Being officer-school classmates, Honasan too must have gotten from Garcia info on how one can filch P303 million from the AFP by his lonesome.

It’s unclear if the $2 million form part of Garcia’s guilty plea to the lesser offenses of bribery and money laundering. He is to surrender P135 million in exchange for dismissal of the P303-million plunder rap. The Ombudsman had kept the deal secret since approving it, military sources say, in October 2009. A Sandiganbayan gag order last week conveniently excuses the Ombudsman from explaining it now.

The $2 million, the P135-million-for-P303-million, and the desire to expose a possible real plunderer serve as backdrop to a growing military anger with the plea bargain. The discontent that Rep. Rodolfo Biazon warns about, as former AFP chief, adds to the issue’s urgency.

The AFP Judge Advocate General last Thursday asked the Solicitor General to object to the deal in its behalf. JAG Brig. Gen. Gilberto Roa acted on orders of AFP chief Gen. Ricardo David. The latter hinted at surveying the sentiment of the rank and file. “The position of the soldiers, the position of the Armed Forces is: no plea bargain as far as corruption cases of officers are concerned... Discussions (have been held) and it’s not yet over.”

Roa was to meet yesterday with Solicitor General Jose Anselmo Cadiz. The Ombudsman had failed to secure the AFP’s consent to the plead bargain as the offended party in the plunder.

Garcia was the highest military officer to be court-martialed for “conduct unbecoming and prejudicial.” US authorities arrested his two sons in December 2003 at the San Francisco airport for sneaking $100,000 cash into America. Requesting return of the money months later, his wife Clarita justified their ownership of the huge amount by detailing their graft. She said Garcia received “commissions” and “gratuity” for signing military contracts and releasing payments as AFP comptroller. They also allegedly received $10,000-$20,000 “shopping money” from contractors and suppliers every time they traveled abroad. US authorities turned over to Philippine counterparts her two sworn statements (see Gotcha, 22 and 27 Dec. 2010). Disclosure of the incident prompted congressional inquiries on military corruption. Garcia’s consequent arrest and trial by a civilian court was hailed as a victory in the fight against graft.

Washington at the time was implementing O-Plan PEP (Politically Exposed Persons). President George W. Bush wanted exposed all foreign officials who were stealing US military aid from their governments. Garcia reportedly was the third officer caught in the dragnet.

Garcia was comptroller under five AFP chiefs of staff and one defense secretary from 2001 to 2004. Then-President Gloria Arroyo had a “revolving-door policy” in naming AFP chiefs. She appointed all senior officers in line, even if they would sit for less than three months and thus be unable to do much.

During the congressional hearings of 2004, Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago revealed one of the comptroller’s dirtiest jobs. This was to raise P50 million “pabaon” (sendoff money) for the retirement of the chief.

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“Men are sometimes so loud in proclaiming a facet of truth to ward off the threat of the total and real truth.” Shafts of Light, Fr. Guido Arguelles, SJ

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E-mail: jariusbondoc@workmail.com