MANILA -- Convicted Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia, former comptroller of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), has been expelled from the roster of the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association Inc. (PMAAAI), the group’s chairman Brig. Gen. Remy Tigulo said.
“In a resolution passed by the PMAAAI Board of Directors during its recent meeting, the Board approved the termination of the membership of Garcia for acts inimical to the interest of the PMA and the PMAAAI. He was member of the PMAAAI being a graduate of the PMA belonging to Class 1971,” Tigulo said in a one-page announcement released by the group.
The announcement came just a few days before the annual Alumni Homecoming at Fort del Pilar, home of the PMA, in Baguio City.
Tigulo said Garcia was expelled as a member from the group is in accordance with the “Rules of Procedure on the Suspension, Termination and Reinstatement of Membership” against members convicted of crime involving moral turpitude.
Two other alumni members -- Commodore Plaridel Garcia (Class ’59) and Chief Supt. Herold Ubalde (Class ’80) -- resigned from the group.
Garcia, together with 20 other persons, has a pending case of graft and corruption before the anti-graft court.
“He decided to resign without waiting for the final court decision on his case,” Tigulo said.
Ubalde, then director of the PNP Legal Service, on the other hand, was implicated in the chopper mess issue of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
The issue involved two units of second-hand choppers sold as brand new by former First Gentleman Miguel Jose Arroyo to the PNP in 2009.
“Ubalde did not specify the reason why he was resigning from the PMAAAI,” Tigulo said.
Garcia is currently detained at the National Bilibid Prisons (NBP) following his arrest in September last year at his residence in Quezon City after President Benigno Aquino III approved his conviction by a general court martial for violating Articles of War 96 (Conduct Unbecoming of an Officer and a Gentleman) and Article 97 (Conduct Prejudicial to Good Order and Military Discipline).
Garcia was found guilty by a military court in 2005 and sentenced to two-year imprisonment with hard labor for pocketing government money from the controversial practice of conversion of military fund. He was detained then at the Custodial Center of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) in Camp Aguinaldo.
His detention at ISAFP did not take long because he had to be transferred to the Custodial Center of the PNP in Camp Crame after he was ordered arrested by the Sandiganbayan on the charge of plunder.
Garcia was charged for plunder for pocketing P303 million of government money.
Prior to his conviction by a military court, his two sons were arrested in the United States (US) for trying to smuggle $100,000.
Just recently, the US embassy has turned over the confiscated amount to the government through Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales.
While in detention at Camp Crame, Garcia was able to strike a plea bargain deal with the then Ombudsman, Merceditas Gutirrez. He was allowed to enter a guilty plea before the anti-graft court to two lesser offenses, resulting in his release from detention early in 2011 after he posted bail.
The approved deal simply required Garcia to return more than half of his ill-gotten wealth to the government.
The fiasco has resulted in the resignation of Gutierrez to avoid impeachment trial in the Senate.
But on Sept. 29, 2011, Garcia was rearrested as per Aquino’s approval of his conviction by a military court.
source: interaksyon.com
