DND removes privileges extended to spouses of senior officers

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of National Defense (DND) yesterday revealed that the privileges given to the wife of discharged military comptroller Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia are no longer extended to the spouses of senior officers.

“It’s not happening now. I’m almost sure of that. We are following a straight and narrow path as far as the department and the military is concerned,” DND spokesman Eduardo Batac said in an interview.

Batac said the Aquino administration would not allow abusive practices as it has vowed to promote transparency in government.

“(The government came out) with a specific policy statement that this particular administration is going to uphold transparency and accountability,” the spokesman said. “If you are going to commit wrongdoing, you are going to be punished.”

“Those are abuses of the past... During that regime, it wasn’t confined to the military. It was happening everywhere,” he said, referring to the previous administration.

Batac was asked to react to the column of Jarius Bondoc, published in The STAR last Dec. 27, where excerpts of a statement by Garcia’s wife Clarita detailing the perks she received while her husband was in the service were included.

The statement was intended to convince US Immigration that she and her husband owned the $100,000 seized from her sons in 2003 at the San Francisco airport.

Clarita said her husband receives travel money and expenses in excess of several thousand dollars.

“I often travel with my husband on business and my travel expenses and shopping money in excess of $10,000 to $20,000 is provided to me. He also receives cash for travel and expenses from the businesses that are awarded contracts for military hardware,” the statement read.

“He (Garcia) also receives gifts and gratitude money from several Philippine companies that are awarded military contracts to build roads, bridges and military housing,” it added.

Clarita said she was also afforded privileges like a monthly 4,000-gallon gasoline allowance, security detail and five drivers.

“I have a military cook that also provides piano music upon request,” she said.

Garcia, his wife and three sons are facing criminal charges, including plunder, for allegedly illegally amassing about P300 million while the military officer was in the service.

Two of Garcia’s sons, Juan Paulo and Ian Carl, were also charged with bulk cash smuggling for allegedly smuggling $100,000 into the US. The two reportedly hid the money in their luggage and made false statements to American customs officers.

In 2005, Garcia was convicted by the military court-martial and was ordered dishonorably dismissed from the service.

The Ombudsman has accepted a plea bargain agreement offered by Garcia where he would plead guilty to the lesser offenses of direct bribery and money laundering and return only P135 million of the P303 million he allegedly amassed illegally.

Garcia was released from detention last Dec. 18 after posting P60,000 bail. The Justice department has issued a hold departure order against him.

President Aquino has ordered Solicitor General Joel Cadiz to stop the plea bargain and the government is bent on pursuing charges against the dismissed general.