Palace seeks explanation on non-confirmation of Garcia conviction

Malacañang wants to know why the conviction of former Armed Forces comptroller Carlos Garcia before a military court in 2005 was not confirmed by then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. At a press briefing Tuesday, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said they would ask the Defense secretaries that served from Dec. 2, 2005 — the date of Garcia’s conviction — up to the end of the Arroyo administration to explain the matter. “Yung lapse of time po, we do not know what happened in that period and these are the proper people that can answer kung ano po ‘yung nangyari," Valte said. On Dec. 2, 2005, the court martial found Garcia guilty of violating Articles of War 96, or conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman; and Articles of War 97, or conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline. The charges stemmed from Garcia's alleged misrepresentation of the value of his assets in 2002 and 2003, and for possession of US permanent resident status while still in the active service. Garcia, who retired in November 2004, was sentenced with two years imprisonment with hard labor and discharged from service. The Defense secretaries from 2005 until Mrs. Arroyo stepped down from office in 2010 were Avelino Cruz Jr., Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., Norberto Gonzales, and Gilberto Teodoro Jr. “Sila na po ‘yung mas makakasagot n’on," Valte said. “At this point, what we know for a fact is that it was President Aquino who confirmed the implementation of the sentence." Garcia was arrested last Friday after President Benigno Aquino III confirmed the court martial’s decision. At the same press briefing, Valte also defended Aquino’s decision to have Garcia detained at the National Bilibid Prison, a civilian jail facility. “Mayroon daw po kasing certain exceptions kung kailan po pwedeng ilagay sa military quarters or sa civilian detention ‘yung nabigyan na po ng sentence that was passed by the court martial," she said. In a radio interview earlier in the day, Sen. Panfilo Lacson questioned the propriety of detaining Garcia at the NBP. Lacson, a classmate of Garcia in the Philippine Military Academy (Class 1971), said Garcia should be kept in a military detention facility because he committed a military violation. He said the AFP has its own traditions and rules and regulations on such matters. Valte said Garcia’s case fell under one of the exceptions that would warrant his detention at the NBP. She did not give further explanation, saying the Department of National Defense could explain the matter better. She said all the details on Garcia’s detention were stated in the confirmation of conviction signed by Aquino. — KBK, GMA News