Ex-general linked to illegal drugs declared P44-M net worth in last SALN

Of the five police generals that President Rodrigo Duterte linked to illegal drugs, retired Deputy Director General Marcelo  Garbo Jr. has the second largest net worth based on their latest available Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.

Garbo declared P44.67 million net worth in his 2015 SALN, his last avideclaration before retiring in March this year.

The largest chunk of his P53.68 million in total assets came from various residential real property, including a residence in an exclusive village, various lots, and condominium units inside and outside Metro Manila.

He  declared more than P15 million-worth of 'savings.'

Garbo declared liabilities worth P9.01 million. These include house mortgages and car loans.

Retired Chief Superintendent Vicente Loot, now mayor of Daanbantayan, Cebu, is apparently the wealthiest with a declared net worth of P70.29 million in his 2014 SALN.

In an exclusive interview with GMA News' Saleema Refran early this month, Loot's wife  Maria Luisa said their wealth had been acquired through her businesses even before she met her husband.

The active officers that Duterte linked to illegal drugs include police generals Joel Pagdilao, Edgardo Tinio, and Bernardo Diaz.

All five denied Duterte's allegations.

Pieces of property

Data from the PNP Directorate for Personnel and Records Management showed that a police official with the rank of deputy director general received a monthly base pay of P59,210.

This amount excludes allowances, longevity pay, and other additional compensation.

Garbo was PNP's deputy director general for almost two years before his retirement in March this year.

Among Garbo's pieces of property, the one with the highest value is a house and lot worth P15 million inside an exclusive village south of Metro Manila.

In his SALN, Garbo said he was still paying for the property, which he said was acquired in 2013. He declared a P8.3-million bank mortgage as part of his liabilities.

Garbo declared as well two residential condominium units in Metro Manila with acquisition costs of P1.34 million and P1.99 million.

Outside Metro Manila, he has three residential lots  with acquisition values of P165,000 and P8 million.

Garbo in his SALN for 2015 declared P15.25 million in savings. It represented a 500-percent increase from the P2.29 million in savings he declared just a year before in his SALN for 2014.

He also declared Php 7.79 million in time deposits in 2015, a 24.69-percent increase  from his 2013 declaration of Php 6.25 million.

In his 2015 SALN, Garbo declared two cars, said to have been acquired in 2014: a Previa worth P2.58 million and a Camry worth P1.56 million.

Garbo indicated a bank loan worth P605,264.68 for the Previa.

Business Interests

Garbo listed three business interests in the 2015 SALN : a local placement agency, a security agency, and a law firm.

According to the 2016 general information sheets (GIS) from Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of the companies, Garbo's wife Rosalinda S. Garbo is the president and chief operating officer of RG Placement Services Inc. and GSL Security and Investigation Co, Inc.

Rosalinda, a lawyer, also has the DTI-registered Garbo Law Office, located in Makati City.

The financial statements of RG Placement and GSL Security showed that these businesses had millions of pesos in assets.

SEC papers showed that the manpower agency RG Placement in 2015 had assets worth P56.99 million, and a net income of P7.65 million. Rosalinda holds 87-percent ownership of the company.

GSL Security has a relatively smaller asset of P18.65 million, and a net income of less than a million for the year 2015. Rosalinda holds 88 percent ownership of the security agency.

Garbo declared shares of stocks in his list of assets in his SALN in 2013. He didn't declare any in his 2015 disclosure.

GMA News went to the declared address shared by GSL Security and RG Placement in Quezon City as declared in the 2015 SALN. Employees said the placement agency had transferred to another office.

The 2016 general information sheet of the RG Placement declared a business address the same as Garbo Law Office in the SALN.

GMA News contacted Garbo, but he refused to give an interview.

The retired general earlier denied Duterte's allegations that he was involved in illegal drugs.

"I believe the president was fed with wrong and poisoned information regarding the matter," Garbo told GMA News.

"One hundred percent, hindi po totoo yan. Alam po ng ating mahal na panginoon na sya lang ang aking huwes sa puntong ito," he added.

"What is certain is No. 1, I have my integrity intact. No. 2, I have God watching over and protecting me and my loved ones," Garbo said.

Garbo said it was more difficult for him because it was the President that made the allegations public.

"It's difficult if you are being accused of something you didn't do, Especially if your accuser is the president of this country. I cannot have a war of words with the president. I don't have 16 million votes behind me," Garbo said.

"I'm willing to face the president one on one," he added.

No longer in last SALN

At least P63.42 million worth of various pieces of property declared from 2005 until 2013 are no longer in Garbo's 2015 SALN.

These include P11.29 million worth of vehicles and P46.89 million worth of real property, among others.

Before acquiring his P15-million house and lot, Garbo declared two houses in Alabang with acquisition costs of P20 million and P16.4 million.

The two pieces of property were in his SALN in 2005 and 2006.

Also in 2005 and 2006, Garbo declared a townhouse in Paranaque City, which was later declared as disposed of in 2008.

He also declared a house and lot in Las Pinas City worth P 2.3 million in 2012 with the same acquisition year.

This no longer appeared in his next SALN.

In 2013, Garbo declared a P2.1 million residential lot in Cavite. This property no longer appeared in his 2015 SALN.

Two years ago, Garbo listed down a value of P1 million for jewelries, P2.5 million for paintings, and P1.73 million for stocks under his personal assets.

These no longer appeared in his 2015 SALN.

Various models of cars totalling to an amount of at least P11.29 million appeared in Garbo's SALN from 2005 to 2013, and no longer appeared 2015 SALN:
 

—with reports from Mary Anne Senir, GMA News Research; Sandra Aguinaldo and Mariz Umali, GMA News