Submission of Gen. Garcia’s plunder case delayed

MANILA, Philippines - Government prosecutors have failed to meet the May 22 deadline for the submission of documents in the plunder case against retired Major General Carlos F. Garcia allegedly due to a technical glitch. They, however, vowed to submit a Formal Offer of Exhibits to Sandiganbayan Second Division on May 31. In a three-page motion filed last May 21, Deputy Special Prosecutor Robert E. Kallos and Assistant Special Prosecutor II Jose M. Balmeo Jr. told the graft court that the prosecution panel is rushing its work. But the sheer volume of its documentary evidence has slowed down the process due to malfunctioning equipment, which means that it was not able to meet the May 22 deadline earlier set by the graft court. “The exhibits of the prosecution consists of voluminous documents. Unfortunately, the four copying machines of the Office of the Special Prosecutor all bogged down and only one is left to service the needs of the entire Office. About half of the prosecution’s exhibits have already been reproduced however the remaining are still awaiting to be photocopied," the prosecutors said. Garcia, former comptroller of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, was accused of taking advantage of his position to amass P303.27 million ill-gotten wealth. Charged with him were his wife, Clarita Depakakibo-Garcia, and their sons, Ian Carl, Juan Paulo and Timothy Mark who were accused of helping him conceal his assets. Government lawyers have also secured freeze orders on numerous bank accounts of the family including seven bank accounts in Land Bank of the Philippines, 23 in Allied Banking Corp., four in Banco De Oro Universal Bank, six in Bank of the Philippine Islands, 16 in United Coconut Planters Bank, and five in Planters Development Bank. Last February 18, the graft court’s Fourth Division convicted Garcia of perjury for failing to declare ownership of three vehicles and a P7 million investment in his 2000 statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN). He was sentenced to suffer 20 to 28 months imprisonment and ordered to pay the cost of litigation. - GMANews.TV