MANILA, Philippines - Justice Secretary Leila de Lima ordered a fact-finding investigation into the alleged corruption in the Armed Forces of the Philippines that was exposed during the congressional inquiry into the plunder case against former military comptroller retired Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia.
De Lima said she is creating a special team that would dig deeper into the controversy and gather more evidence to pinpoint which former generals or officials could be held liable for amassing public funds while still in the service.
She said the panel, which would be formally created on Monday, would start collating all pieces of evidence, information and reports from both houses of Congress and also from the AFP ahead of a preliminary investigation on a delayed complaint affidavit of whistleblower retired military budget officer Lt. Col. George Rabusa.
“I decided to go ahead with the fact-finding evaluation first since the complaint affidavit of Colonel Rabusa is still being finalized but it’s forthcoming,” De Lima explained.
De Lima revealed that she had also decided to order preliminary investigation (PI) and creation of a panel of state prosecutors upon the filing of Rabusa’s affidavit.
She stressed that the fact-finding probe is meant to back up the preliminary investigation.
“If there are other names that would crop up, we will have no choice but to create another panel for PI,” he said.
De Lima said the team would start with reports of the Senate and House inquiries and might also request for documents from the Armed Forces and the Department of National Defense.
Meanwhile, De Lima likewise supported the move of the Senate to order the arrest of former military comptroller Lt. Gen. Jacinto Ligot and his wife Erlinda for faking their health conditions to evade hearings.
“They should really be cited for contempt because their repeated way of invoking right against self incrimination is insulting to the intelligence,” she said.