Jinggoy, Miriam see Angelo Reyes' hand in Garcia plunder

(Updated 7:30 p.m.) At least two senators on Wednesday accused former Defense chief Angelo Reyes of possible collusion with former military comptroller Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia, an alleged plunderer who amassed over P300 million in ill-gotten wealth while in active service. Reyes, a former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief, headed the Defense Department from 2001 to middle of 2003. Garcia was military comptroller from March 2001 to September 2003. Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago said Reyes would be "one of the greatest morons in Philippine history" if he hadn’t known what Garcia was doing under his watch. "Kung di siya gago, magnanakaw siya. Nakikisabwat siya, nakikinakaw siya. Logic yan (If he wasn’t stupid, he’s definitely a thief. He colluded with Garcia. That’s logic)," she said. Santiago is the sister of retired AFP chief Benjamin Defensor, also a former superior of Garcia. Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, for his part, said Garcia couldn’t have succeeded in his alleged illegal work without help from others, especially from his superiors. "This was a crime that could not have been perpetrated by just one man. He had to report to others, his actions could not have escaped the attention of others around him, his success at concealing his illegal actions needed support from inside," he said in a privilege speech. "Considering the amount involved in the crime, only someone higher could have acted as his enabler, his keeper, his protector. Does this not underscore the failure of Reyes to rein his own people in? Or was he complicit in all this?" he asked.
Show proof Reyes, in an interview by GMA News, denied the accusation against him and said he is ready to subject himself to a lifestyle check to prove his claim. "I categorically deny any involvement," he said. In a statement, Reyes challenged his "detractors" to show evidence to prove their allegations. "I challenge those who have been insinuating that I had a hand in the plunder of AFP funds to come up with solid evidence. Otherwise, they should shut up," Reyes said. Reyes said he had nothing to do with Garcia's appointment as military comptroller since it did not happen under his watch as AFP chief. "If only they would bother to look at the organizational structures of the [Department of National Defense] and the AFP, they would readily see that the DND and the military are two distinct and separate entities, each with its own chain of command," he said. He said he as Defense secretary "cannot possibly exert any power of influence over the AFP comptroller who reports directly to the AFP chief of staff." "I ask my detractors to please stop dragging my name in the Garcia plunder case. They should stop grandstanding at my expense," Reyes said. Plea bargain Garcia, who was in charge of disbursement of military funds when he held the post of Armed Forces comptroller, is by far the highest-ranking military official undergoing trial by the anti-graft court for the crime of plunder, or graft and corruption on a massive scale. He walked free after entering a guilty plea to direct bribery and Section 4-B of the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) before the Sandiganbayan's Second Division, but pleaded not guilty to the charges of plunder and violation of Sec. 4-A of AMLA. Plunder is a non-bailable capital offense punishable by reclusion perpetua. Direct bribery, on the other hand, is punishable by six years to 12 years imprisonment under the Revised Penal Code. Under Section 4 of the AMLA, money laundering is described as “a crime whereby the proceeds of an unlawful activity are transacted, thereby making them appear to have originated from legitimate sources." Mockery Estrada said that the plea bargain "makes a mockery" of the more than five-year crusade of prosecutors who wanted to bring Garcia to justice. Estrada is the son of former President Joseph Estrada, whose downfall in 2001 was partly blamed on the withdrawal of support by the military, which was then headed by Reyes. "Accused of massing more than P300 million in illegal wealth, Gen. Garcia was the poster boy for all that was wrong with the military, and represented the sneakiest and dirtiest side of the AFP," he said. Santiago, a former regional trial court judge, said the plea bargain violates a 2009 Supreme Court decision on the Amante-Descallar vs. Ramas case, which states that a plea bargain must be mutually satisfactory disposition of the case subject to court approval. She likewise said that it violates a 2008 high court decision in Daan vs. Sandiganbayan, which states that a plea bargain should not be made in the convenience of the accused. "The Garcia plea bargain will promote only the convenience of the accused," Santiago said. She added that it violates a 2003 Supreme Court ruling in People vs. Domingo which indicates that it is dangerous to allow only the prosecutor to determine if there is sufficient evidence to establish guilt in the accused. Senate Minority Floor Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said he has a filed a resolution seeking an inquiry into the controversial plea bargain agreement between Garcia and government prosecutors. — KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV