Trillanes denies linking Arroyo to AFP corruption

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Monday clarified that he never directly linked former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to alleged corruption in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). "I never named anybody, it was fed into me," Trillanes told reporters in an interview on Monday. He made the clarification after he was quoted as saying that the Senate investigation on the alleged AFP corruption may be expanded to look into the possible involvement of those in Malacañang during the time of Arroyo. "I said it's not far fetched... it's not the same as I named her," he said. Trillanes, however, noted that he stands by what he said that the liability for the scandal may still reach up to the Palace. He said they are already in the process of determining who else might be involved in the alleged corrupt practices in the AFP. "We're not ruling out anybody," he said. Angelo Reyes The senator, however, maintained that the late Defense secretary Angelo Reyes was one of the principals behind Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia, who allegedly amassed more than P300 million during his stint as Armed Forces comptroller. "I stand by every statement that I have made whether in the committee hearings and the interviews," he said during the same interview. Reyes, a former military chief, headed the Department of National Defense (DND) from 2001 to middle of 2003, while Garcia was military comptroller from March 2001 to September 2003. Reyes committed suicide last week, days after he was accused of benefiting from alleged AFP corruption. Based on the statement of former AFP fund manager Lt. Col. George Rabusa, Reyes received around P100 million when he was AFP chief of staff and not less than P50 million more as "pabaon" (send-off money) when he retired in March 2001. Senate probe Meanwhile, Sen. Teofisto Guingona III on Monday said they have yet to confirm the guests for Friday's resumption of Senate inquiry on the corruption issue. He, however, siad they have already invited former AFP chiefs Diomedio Villanueva and Roy Cimatu. He also said they haven’t decided yet whether to invite Erlinda Yambao-Ligot, wife of former AFP comptroller Jacinto Ligot. Mrs. Ligot allegedly purchased expensive real estate properties in the United States during her husband's stint in the AFP. Guingona is head of the blue ribbon committee, which is spearheading the probe. — GMA News