Senate mulls citing ex-AFP officials in contempt

UPDATED 4:40 p.m. - The Senate is still studying whether it will cite in contempt accused plunderer former military comptroller Gen. Carlos Garcia and former Armed Forces chief of staff Angelo Reyes. "We need to conduct more study because of the various issues involved," senate blue ribbon committee chairman Senator Teofisto Guingona III told reporters after their caucus on Monday. He explained that they have formed a panel to consider the possible citing of Garcia in contempt because he still has pending cases with the court. "We presume that he (Garcia) can go up to court on this so we have to be very very careful," he said. During last week's Senate hearing, Senator Franklin Drilon asked the chamber to cite in contempt Garcia for always invoking his right against self-incrimination every time he was asked regarding the alleged corrupt practices in the military. Garcia, however, said he cannot answer the questions thrown at him because he has a pending case before the courts. "The issues being asked are intimately related to the issues that are pending in court…kung ano magiging decision ng komite (but whatever is the decision of the committee) I will respect it," he said in an interview with reporters on Monday. Garcia is accused of amassing more than P300 million while he was still in service. On the other hand, Guingona said that they will only subpoeana Reyes to next week's continuation of the Senate hearing. If he still doesn't show up, that's when he will be cited in contempt. Senate President Pro Tempore, and Senators Francis Escudero, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, and Antonio Trillanes IV last Saturday moved to punish Reyes for contempt. "(We) should punish for contempt the witness, Gen. Angelo Reyes, because he testified falsely and evasively by answering: “I cannot remember" to significant questions," the senators said in their manifestation. They likewise asked denied the motion of Reyes, through his lawyer Bonifacio Alentajan, that they inihibit from the Senate inquiries concerning the alleged corruption in the AFP. "The motion is a foolish attempt to restrict the power to conduct inquiries in aid of legislation, specifically granted by the Constitution," said the lawmakers. Reyes was accused of receiving P50 million in pabaon (send-off money) during his stint as AFP chief of staff and around P5 million monthly when he was still in service. Meanwhile, Guingona clarified that there is actually no formal motion to cite former AFP comptroller Lt. Gen.Jacinto Ligot Ligot in contempt. "We were under the impression that there was a contempt in motion pero wala pala (but there was none). We will just proceed and see how it goes in the next hearing," he said. During Monday's Senate hearing, Ligot repeatedly denied knowing any of his wife Erlinda's pricey realty purchases in the United States, which include a house in Anaheim (reportedly worth $504,000) and Buena Park ($183,868) in California. Ligot likewise refused to confirm whether his wife travelled 42 times to Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United States from 1993 to 2004, 13 of which were with Reyes' wife - who travelled 48 times from 1993 to 2004. "(He was) very evasive, very disappointing... he's really risking contempt," he said after the hearing. The Senate blue ribbon committee will continue its inquiry on the alleged corruption in the AFP next week. - VVP, GMA News