Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 6) — The Sandiganbayan has granted the withdrawal of forfeiture cases filed against former military comptroller Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia following the completion of his plea bargaining agreement with the Office of the Ombudsman.
“Wherefore, in view of the foregoing, the Motion to Withdraw the Petition filed by the Republic of the Philippines, as represented by the Office of the Special Prosecutor, is hereby granted, and Civil Cases Nos. 0193 and 0196 are hereby dismissed without prejudice,” the Sandiganbayan’s Fourth Division said in a resolution dated December 7, 2022.
The dismissal of the cases comes after the Ombudsman filed a petition claiming that “substantially all” of Garcia’s properties that the government was going after had already been recovered under the plea deal.
It added that it does not have enough evidence to support the forfeiture of the remaining properties listed in previous petitions.
“Hence, it is withdrawing these cases to prevent further waste of the Court’s time, effort, and resources,” the anti-graft court said.
As with the plea deal, the Sandiganbayan recognizes that the withdrawal of cases rests with the Ombudsman.
Last year, the Ombudsman turned over to the national treasury over ₱53 million and 11 properties from a direct bribery and money laundering case against Garcia.
He was among former generals who were accused of accepting “pabaon” or farewell gifts before retiring.
Currently detained at the New Bilibid Prison, Garcia allegedly amassed over ₱300 million in ill-gotten wealth while he was comptroller of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
