Sulit's suspension to boost fight vs corruption

MANILA, Philippines - The suspension of Special Prosecutor Wendell Sulit, who approved the plea bargain offered by former military comptroller Carlos Garcia, would boost the anti-corruption drive of the Department of National Defense (DND), a senior official said yesterday. 

DND spokesman Eduardo Batac said the 90-day suspension slapped on Sulit sent a message that the government is bent on curbing irregularities. 

“The perception that is strengthened is the seriousness of our government to take very hard measures against those who committed acts of graft and corruption,” Batac said. 

“It helps (our drive against corruption)... It really sends a message that the government is serious in going after those who committed graft and corruption and other anomalies.” Batac stressed that the government is following due process. 

“We are going through the legal system because all of these suspected offenders are still entitled to their day in court and due process,” he said. 

Batac, however, was mum on whether other prosecutors who concurred with Sulit’s approval of the plea bargain deal should also be suspended. 

“We have enough people in the justice system to determine who should be answerable for these offenses,” he said. 

Last Tuesday, Malacañang suspended Sulit pending investigation for administrative liability in accepting Garcia’s plea bargain. 

The suspension was meant to prevent her from tampering with records and harassing potential witnesses in the probe. 

Malacañang said Sulit “impaired deliberately the case for the prosecution by ignoring and abandoning evidence favorable to the interest of the government and presenting evidence adverse to its cause.”

It also accused Sulit of failing to discharge her mandated duty of prosecuting erring public officials with utmost responsibility, integrity and professional competence.

Garcia, his wife Clarita, and three sons were charged with plunder for allegedly amassing about P303 million while he was in the service. 

In 2005, Garcia was convicted and sentenced to hard labor by a court-martial and dishonorably dismissed from the service.

Sulit and her deputy approved the plea bargain deal that allowed Garcia to return only P135 million of the P303 million he allegedly stole from state coffers. 

The deal allowed Garcia to plead to lesser crimes of direct bribery and facilitating money laundering last December. 

The Sandiganbayan’s Second Division approved last May 9 the controversial deal amid protests by various sectors that claimed the compromise would allow Garcia to get away with his misdeeds. 

The court said the prosecution had failed to present sufficient evidence to convict the former general. The anti-graft court stressed that it had no other option but to accept the deal rather than acquit Garcia of the charge of plunder.

The Solicitor General has urged the Sandiganbayan to reverse its decision, saying the deal between Garcia and state prosecutors is disadvantageous to the government.