Lawyer hints Reyes widow not likely to testify at Senate

The widow of the late former Armed Forces chief of staff Angelo Reyes will likely not testify at the Senate for its investigation on the irregularities and corruption in the military. Lawyer Bonifacio Alentajan said on Wednesday the Senate is not the proper forum for an investigation on the alleged foreign trips that Reyes' widow Teresita took and the residential properties she reportedly bought abroad. Alentajan said such an investigation should be handled by the Philippine National Police or the National Bureau of Investigation. “Sa NBI o pulis, di pwede sa Senado yan. Sa Senado, in aid of legislation yan sa plea bargaining agreement ni Carlos Garcia at government prosecutor," Alentajan said in an interview on dzBB radio. (At the NBI or the police [such an investigation is possible] but not at the Senate. At the Senate, it's supposed to be in aid of legislation on the plea bargaining agreement between Carlos Garcia and government prosecutors.) Alentajan said Mrs. Reyes was “more sad than angry"over the accusations that may have prompted her husband to take his own life on Tuesday. “Nalulunod ang galit sa kalungkutan (For now, her anger has been drowned out by sorrow over her husband’s loss)," he said. On Tuesday, Reyes shot himself in front of his parents’ graves at a memorial park in Marikina City. Accusations against Reyes Two weeks ago, former military financial officer George Rabusa accused Reyes of receiving a "pabaon" (send-off money) of P50 million from military funds when he retired as military chief. On Tuesday, the day he died, Reyes was supposed to testify before the House committee on justice on its inquiry on the plea bargain deal between the government and former military comptroller Carlos Garcia, who was accused of plunder. The probe was also supposed to discuss supposed pay-offs received by members of the military upon retirement. Reyes' widow Teresita was dragged into the Senate investigation when Senate President Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy" Estrada presented photos of two houses supposedly owned by Erlinda Ligot, wife of retired Lt. Gen. Jacinto Ligot. Ligot was the AFP comptroller at the time that Reyes was AFP chief of staff. Estrada cited records showing some of the properties in the US were the subject of forfeiture cases against Ligot. However, Estrada said he had information that Mrs. Ligot may have been used as a dummy by Mrs. Reyes, Mrs. Ligot’s usual travel companion, in the case of the Anaheim property. Citing travel documents, Estrada said Mrs. Reyes and Mrs. Ligot traveled together at least 13 times from 1999 to 2004. Reyes was the chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) from 1999 to 2001 during the terms of former Presidents Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Reyes was also Defense Secretary from 2001 to 2003 and Energy Secretary from 2007 to 2010. – VVP, GMA News