Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 6) — The Sandiganbayan has issued a resolution convicting former military comptroller Carlos Garcia of bribery and facilitating money laundering over a decade after he entered a plea bargain deal with the Ombudsman.
In the resolution released Tuesday, the detained retired major general was sentenced by the Sandiganbayan Second Division to a maximum of eight years imprisonment for direct bribery and a maximum of six years imprisonment for facilitating money laundering.
The anti-graft court said he also has to pay a fine of over ₱406.3 million for bribery and ₱1.5 million for facilitating money laundering with “subsidiary imprisonment in case of insolvency.”
The case has been languishing in the Sandiganbayan since 2013 after the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order based on the petition of the Office of the Solicitor General, which claimed the plea bargain agreement was “lopsided.”
In 2010, Garcia entered the plea bargain deal wherein he pleaded guilty to the lesser offense of direct bribery and facilitating money laundering — instead of facing charges for plunder which carries a penalty of maximum of 40 years imprisonment.
As part of the deal, Garcia offered to cede ₱135.43 million worth of cash and properties owned by him and his family to the Philippine government.
It was only in 2020 when the high court lifted the seven-year-old temporary restraining order, giving way for the plea bargain deal to proceed.
Garcia was among the former generals who were accused of accepting “pabaon” or farewell gifts before retiring. He allegedly amassed ill-gotten wealth worth ₱300 million while he was comptroller of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
He has been detained at the New Bilibid Prison since 2011.
CNN Philippines’ Lara Tan and AC Nicholls contributed to this report.
