Government moves to seize more Garcia assets

Government prosecutors filed a second forfeiture case yesterday against retired military comptroller Carlos Garcia, whose family was also included in the plunder case the government filed before the Sandiganbayan.

The new petition covers some P202 million of alleged ill-gotten wealth acquired by Garcia. Chief Special Prosecutor Dennis Villa Ignacio said this petition is entirely different from the P143-million forfeiture case they filed against Garcia and his family in October 2004.

Investigators listed 10 more real estate properties that were uncovered by the Office of the Ombudsman. Most of them were listed under the name of Garcia, his wife Clarita and children Ian Carl, Juan Paolo and Timothy Mark.

"Other funds and properties of Garcia have... been found which obviously form part of his ill-gotten wealth," an excerpt from the 18-page petition read.

The petition noted that Garcia’s "optimum income" should not have exceeded P3.2 million in 2004. "Beyond this amount, therefore, Garcia’s funds, properties and assets can only be ill-gotten," Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo said earlier.

Apart from the plunder case, Garcia is also facing four counts of perjury for not listing all his assets in his annual statement of assets, liabilities and net worth, which is a requirement for all government employees.

Among the new properties reportedly found to be under Garcia’s name were an agricultural lot in Leganes, Iloilo; a house and lot in Baguio City; a house and lot in upper Quirino, Magsaysay; and a residential lot in Baguio City.

The investigators also found a house and lot in Sto. Tomas, Batangas; 2.5 hectares of commercial and agricultural land in Dumangas, Iloilo; agricultural land in Jordan, Guimaras; residential property in Dumangas and a house and lot in Tandang Sora, Quezon City.

Garcia was also found to possess seven accounts in the Land Bank of the Philippines, 23 in Allied Banking Corp., four in Banco de Oro, six in the Bank of the Philippine Islands, 16 in the United Coconut Planters Bank and five in Planters Development Bank.

Probers also traced Garcia’s five investment accounts at the Philippine Army Finance Center Producers Integrated Cooperative and 10 more with the Armed Forces-Police Savings & Loan Association Inc.

Garcia’s scheduled arraignment last July 5 was reset by the Sandiganbayan’s second division to July 27 since the motion he filed seeking to quash the indictment remained unresolved.