Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 11) — Former military comptroller Carlos Garcia is now a free man after serving his maximum sentence including good conduct credits in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) announced Friday.
Garcia was detained in the NBP for 11 years. The BuCor said he was granted a total of 3,288 good conduct time allowance under Republic Act 10592.
According to the bureau, Garcia was meted an 18 years and four months prison term but the time served with time allowances have already exceeded his maximum sentence that was computed based on RA 10592.
The Sandiganbayan found Garcia guilty of direct bribery, facilitating money laundering, perjury, and violating articles of war last 2022. Other than the prison charges, he was also ordered to pay ₱406.3 million for bribery and ₱1.5 million for facilitating money laundering with \”subsidiary imprisonment in case of insolvency.\”
READ: Sandiganbayan convicts ex-military comptroller Carlos Garcia of bribery, money laundering
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.
In 2010, Garcia entered a plea bargain deal wherein he pleaded guilty to the lesser offense of direct bribery and facilitating money laundering.
