US turns over $1.3M proceeds from AFP ex-comptroller Garcia’s forfeited assets to PHL

The US Embassy on Wednesday turned over to the Philippine government a check amounting to some $1.3 million as the second tranche of proceeds from the forfeited assets of former military comptroller Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia.

In a ceremony, US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg handed over the US Treasury check amounting to $1,384,940.28 or around P61 million to Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, who represented the Philippine government.

Goldberg said the check represents the net proceeds from the sale of Garcia’s condominium unit at The Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York, and the balance from the former general’s two bank accounts in Citibank New York.

Goldberg said money from Garcia’s bank accounts in Citibank New York had earlier been traced by the US Department of Homeland Security to be part of the laundered assets of Garcia.

“Battling public corruption is a challenge that all countries face, including the United States.  Meeting that challenge is vitally important to ensure public confidence in the honesty and integrity of public servants,” Goldberg said during the turnover ceremony.

He added that the turnover of the check “represents cooperation across borders.”

“Let this serve as a warning to anyone who thinks they can launder money everywhere,” Goldberg said.

In January 2012, the United States government, through then US Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas, Jr., initially turned over to the Office of the Ombudsman around $100,000 (roughly P430,000) representing cash seized by U.S. Customs authorities from the two sons of  Garcia upon their entry to California in December 2003. The seizure triggered the investigations into the transactions entered into by Garcia.

In April 2005, the Office of the Ombudsman filed against Garcia before the Sandiganbayan criminal charges of plunder, perjury and money laundering for allegedly amassing P303.27 million in ill-gotten wealth while he was in active service in the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Garcia was eventually convicted of perjury, but for the cases of plunder and money laundering, he entered into a plea bargaining agreement with the government.

Under the controversial agreement, Garcia will be allowed to plead guilty and post bail to lesser offenses of indirect bribery and facilitating money laundering on the condition that he will return to the government half of the P303.27 million that he had allegedly stolen.

The plea bargaining deal between Garcia and the government is a subject of a pending review by the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, Garcia also has a pending forfeiture case with the Sandiganbayan.

“On behalf of the beneficiaries, the Filipino people, I thank the US Embassy, the US Department of Homeland Security and the US Department of Justice for their cooperation with the Philippine government to curb corruption,” Morales said.
 
“Indeed, there is no safe haven for plunderers and money launderers. This milestone in asset recovery sends the message across that raiders of public coffers can no longer hide their unexplained wealth; they cannot hide their dummy bank accounts, wherever located; and they cannot hide from the long arm of the law,” she added. —KBK, GMA News