Convicted AFP comptroller ordered released from Bilibid

MANILA, Philippines — Retired Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia, who was convicted for illegally amassing P303 million during his stint as military comptroller, has been ordered released from the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) after serving his maximum sentence, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) said yesterday.

According to the BuCor, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla approved the release of Garcia, whose sentence of 18 years and four months of imprisonment has been fully served upon computation, including the good conduct time allowance under Republic Act 10592.

It added that while Garcia was admitted to the NBP in 2011, his actual detention started in June 2005, meaning the former military comptroller has already served 17 years, five months and eight days in prison.

“There are no more legal grounds for Garcia to be further detained at the NBP after serving his maximum sentence,” BuCor director-general Gregorio Catapang Jr. said.

Garcia was sentenced by the Sandiganbayan Second Division for four up to eight years in prison for direct bribery under Article 210 of the Revised Penal Code, and another four to six years for facilitating money laundering.

He was also sentenced to a minimum of one year and eight months to a maximum of two years and four months for perjury and a maximum of two years for violation of the 96th and 97th Articles of War by the General Court-Martial of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Garcia, together with his wife and children, was originally charged with plunder in 2005 and money laundering in 2009 for illegally amassing wealth by abusing his authority in the AFP.

The cases against Garcia stemmed from his alleged acceptance of kickbacks, commissions and “shopping money or gratitude money” in several government projects and transactions from 1993 until his retirement in 2004 as AFP deputy chief of staff for comptrollership.

A Senate Blue Ribbon probe also revealed that Garcia was allowed to pocket some P165 million in “pabaon” or send-off money from the government upon his retirement.

In February 2010, Garcia entered into a plea bargain with the office of then ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, agreeing to enter a guilty plea to lesser and bailable offenses and pay the government some P135.4 million in exchange for the dropping of the original and more damning cases.

The Sandiganbayan approved the deal the same year, which allowed Garcia to plead guilty to lesser offenses of direct bribery and facilitating money laundering in December 2010.