Ombudsman invited to House probe on Garcia plea bargain deal

A House panel has invited Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez to its inquiry into the controversial plea bargaining agreement entered into by her office and former military comptroller, Major General Carlos Garcia, who gained temporary liberty despite the plunder case filed against him. Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas, chairperson of the House panel on justice, said past and present officials of the Office of the Ombudsman, including Gutierrez, have been invited to the investigation, scheduled on Tuesday. “Our objective for tomorrow is to find out the policy on plea bargaining agreements when it involves plunder, and if there are any irregularities and anomalies, to determine who are the persons liable for these," Tupas said at a press conference Monday. However, Tupas said Gutierrez may choose not to personally appear in the inquiry, since she is currently facing impeachment raps pending before the same House committee. "She’s invited but she may send her authorized representative. The reason for that is, she’s now subject of impeachment proceedings. All the others, if they will not come, they will be issued subpoenas," he said. Two impeachment complaints were filed at the House of Representatives last year against Gutierrez for her alleged inaction on graft and corruption cases against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo. The House committee on justice, which earlier found the complaints “sufficient in substance," was forced to put the impeachment proceedings on hold after the Supreme Court granted Gutierrez’ petition for certiorari. Garcia deal may support impeach raps Tupas likewise said the irregularities in the Garcia plea bargaining agreement “may or may not" be included in the impeachment proceedings. "That is not the intent of the investigation tomorrow, but if things will come up in that investigation, it may or may not be included," he said in the same press conference on Monday. The other officials invited to the probe are Special Prosecutor Wendell Sulit, former Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo, and former Special Prosecutor Dennis Villa-ignacio. Prosecutors earlier entered a plea bargain agreement with Garcia, who pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of direct bribery and money laundering instead of the crime of plunder as part of the deal. After admitting to these offenses, the ex-military comptroller was allowed to post bail and to temporarily walk out of jail in December last year. The Office of the Solicitor-General (OSG) has asked the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court last week to allow it to intervene in the controversial deal and to nullify Garcia’s arraignment for direct bribery. – VVP, GMANews.TV