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Senator wants special prosecutors in Garcia case to resign


The special prosecutors in the controversial plea bargain deal with former military comptroller Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia should follow in Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez's footsteps and also resign, Senator Francis Pangilinan said Tuesday. "They should resign and if they refuse, then moves must be initiated to have them removed," Pangilinan told reporters in a text message. Garcia is facing a P303-million plunder complaint before the Sandiganbayan. But he walked free after entering into a plea bargain deal with the special prosecutors from the Office of the Ombudsman. Because of this, Pangilinan said the prosecutors seemed like the defense counsel of Garcia and not state prosecutors. "Hindi na kailangan ni Garcia ng abogado dahil yung mga prosecutor ang nagmukhang abogado niya (Garcia doesn't need lawyers because the prosecutors seem to be lawyering for him)," he said in the same text message. Last March, the Senate blue ribbon committee released a partial report recommending the impeachment of Gutierrez and the dismissal and filing of charges against the state prosecutors who entered into a deal with Garcia. The prosecutors involved in the agreement are:

  • special prosecutor Wendell Barreras-Sulit;
  • deputy special prosecutor Roberto Kallos;
  • deputy special prosecutor Jesus Micael;
  • assistant special prosecutor Jose Balmeo Jr., and
  • assistant special prosecutor Joseph Capistrano. Senator Francis Escudero, however, said that the decision to resign lies solely on the prosecutors. "Decision nila yun kasi pending na rin sa korte at husgado yung mga kaso nila (That's their decision because their cases are already pending with the courts)," Escudero said in an interview with reporters on Monday. Pangilinan was also the only senator to call for the resignation of Gutierrez, saying that impeachment proceedings will only bring the legislative process to a “standstill." Gutierrez personally submitted her resignation to the President last Friday, 10 days before her impeachment trial at the Senate would have started. Her resignation takes effect on May 6. Senators, however, warned that her resignation will not keep her safe from any charges that may be filed against her in court. — RSJ, GMA News
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