House bill seeks to disallow plea deals in plunder cases

A bill was filed at the House of Representatives seeking to disallow persons charged with plunder to enter into plea bargain agreements. Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez filed House Bill 4180 last week amid the supposed irregularities in the agreement entered into by the Office of the Ombudsman and former military comptroller Carlos Garcia. HB 4180 seeks to add a provision in the current Plunder Law (Republic Act 7659) disallowing any person charged with plunder to avail of plea bargain agreements. “Insofar as to high crimes or grave offenses such as plunder, a further requirement of an absolute removal to enter into such agreement is necessary," Golez said in the measure. Golez also proposed to give the Department of Justice (DOJ) the power to promulgate necessary rules and regulations to implement the ban on plea bargain deals in plunder cases. The plea bargaining agreement between Garcia and the Ombudsman allowed the former military official to plead guilty to a lesser charge of direct bribery and money laundering and then post bail. Under Philippine law, plunder is a non-bailable offense. Garcia, who walked out of detention last December as a result of the bail, was also allowed to return only P135 million of the P303 million he allegedly amassed while still in active service. Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez had told a congressional inquiry that they entered into the agreement because the evidence against Garcia was weak. — Andreo Calonzo/KBK, GMA News