Trillanes: Reyes is the ‘powerful man’ behind Garcia

(Updated 4:38 p.m.) Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on Tuesday named former Defense secretary Angelo Reyes as the “powerful person" behind alleged plunderer Carlos Garcia, a former Armed Forces comptroller accused of amassing P303.27 million in ill-gotten wealth while still in active service. “He asked me to name names and I’m naming him as what was told by [Lt.] Col. [George] Rabusa as one of the principals behind Gen. Garcia," Trillanes told reporters in an interview on Tuesday. The former Navy officer was reacting to Reyes’ challenge for him, made at a press briefing earlier in the day, to identify the alleged influential person behind Garcia. “If I am the one then he should mention my name. If I am not the one he should say so," said Reyes, whom Rabusa accused of receiving millions worth of cash gifts while serving as AFP chief of staff from 2000 to 2001. Upon his retirement from the Armed Forces, Reyes then the Defense Department from 2001 to middle of 2003. Garcia was military comptroller from March 2001 to September 2003. Reyes: “I have nothing to hide" Reyes, however, said during the briefing that Trillanes should “substantiate" his allegations. Reyes denied accusations that he benefited from corruption in the military. “I have nothing to hide. Throughout my long years in the government service, I have always adhered to the highest professional and ethical standards," said Reyes, who held various Cabinet positions under the Arroyo administration. Reyes likewise denied accusations that his wife also benefited from alleged corruption in the AFP. "We deny having received any unauthorized money. This is a wild and preposterous allegation," he said, adding that he is willing to undergo lifestyle check any time as long as those who are linking him to corruption would do the same. Rabusa, a former military budget officer, made the revelations last week in a hearing by the Senate blue ribbon committee on the controversial plea bargain agreement entered into by Garcia and the Office of the Ombudsman. The deal allowed Garcia to post bail after pleading guilty to lesser offenses of direct bribery and money laundering. Trillanes said Rabusa’s statements were enough to implicate Reyes in the alleged corruption. “He (Rabusa) is a very credible witness. He’s an insider. He’s doing his admission against his interest," he said. Rabusa served as budget officer during the time of Garcia as J6 (deputy chief of staff for comptrollership, now defunct) and Lt. Gen. Jacinto Ligot, Garcia’s predecessor. More irregularities Trillanes said more irregularities in the AFP will be bared in the coming weeks involving Reyes and other ranking military officials who served during the Arroyo administration. “I believe in the coming weeks we will [be] uncovering more instances of corruption committed by these people, particularly those officers, senior officers during the time of [then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo]," he said. Trillanes refused to elaborate on his claim, saying he’ll just let Senate blue ribbon committee chairman Teofisto Guingona III and Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada expound on it. “This is their show, I’m going to stay in the background," said Trillanes, who as a Navy officer in 2003 joined more than 300 soldiers in seizing a posh hotel in Makati City to demand the resignation of Mrs. Arroyo and other key security officials over alleged corruption. Trillanes was detained from July 2003 to December 2010. Just recently, his application for amnesty was approved by the Department of National Defense (DND). Reyes’ lawyer, Bonifacio Alentajan, meanwhile, questioned during the press briefing why Reyes suddenly became the subject of last week’s Senate investigation when it was supposed to center on the plea bargain agreement between Garcia and the Ombudsman. “Bakit lumabas sila doon... naging out of order tuloy ang usapan na yun (Why did they appear there? Because of that, the discussion was out of order)," he said, referring to Rabusa and Estrada, who brought the former AFP budget officer to the hearing. — KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV