Garcia escapes detention, text messages say

Text messages circulated yesterday that retired Army Maj. Gen. Carlos Carcia, who has pending plunder charges before the Sandiganbayan and was convicted by a military court for violating Articles of War, escaped from detention.

Some of the text messages said that Garcia was spotted in Hong Kong while other messages said he was seen in a mall in Metro Manila.

"Gen. Carlos Garcia convicted of plunder was freed and now in Hong Kong for a vacation, puro katarantaduhan ang gobyerno ni GMA. Gising Pinoy, please pass (The Arroyo administration is not doing its job. Wake up, Filipinos. Please pass)," a text message stated.

Chief Superintendent Raul Bacalzo, chief of the Headquarters Support Service (HSS) of the Philippine National Police (PNP), denied the reports, saying that Garcia is in his detention cell and has never been allowed to leave without court orders.

"He is inside his cell and the only time he will be allowed to leave is if he secures a court order," he said, noting that the people may be referring to another Garcia in the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Reporters were allowed to see Garcia during lunch time yesterday. The former major general of the Philippine Army was seen in white T-shirt and shorts and was eating lunch with other inmates detained at the PNP Custodial Center.

Bacalzo maintained that Garcia, who was said to have amassed about P143 million while assigned as comptroller of the Philippine Army, has never received special treatment in jail.