By Joel C. Atencio
MANILA, Philippines (PNA) – Intelligence operatives of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) arrested on Friday morning former military comptroller Maj. Gen. Carlos F. Garcia for violations of the Articles of War as affirmed by a military court.
Defense Secretary Voltaire T. Gazmin announced this during the Friday edition of the Communication and News Exchange (CNEX) Forum at the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) headquarters in Quezon City.
Presidential Communication Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr., who was also at the forum together with AFP Chief Gen. Eduardo S. Oban Jr. and PIA Director-General Atty. Jose A. Fabia, lauded the AFP for Garcia’s arrest.
Gazmin said Garcia was arrested by a team from the Intelligence Service of the AFP (ISAFP) for violations of Articles of War 96 and 97 as affirmed by the court martial and confirmed last September 9 by President Benigno S. Aquino III as Commander-in-Chief.
An ISAFP team ringed the house of Garcia in Project 6, Quezon City at 8:30 a.m. He was whisked to the ISAFP headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City for processing and will be transferred to the National Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.
AFP-Judge Advocate General’s Office head Brig. Gen. Gilbero Roa said Garcia will be subjected to hard labor while confined at NBP.
Garcia and another military comptroller, Col. Jacinto Ligot, were accused of taking hundreds of millions of pesos from the military funds during their respective stints.
During the Senate hearings on the alleged corruption in the military service, it was revealed that Garcia was able to withdraw P128 million from his bank accounts while Ligot took out P748 million, both before the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) was able to look into their accounts.