Bishop Warns of Coup Over General's Deal

The release of former Philippine Armed Forces comptroller Carlos Garcia after a plea bargain agreement may lead to a coup d’état by disgruntled soldiers, a Filipino Catholic bishop warned today.

“I don’t want it to happen but that’s a possibility. You know, it can create dissatisfaction, and at the same time, others might take the law into their own hands,” said Cotabato Auxiliary Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo.

“What I see in this decision by the Ombudsman is its impact to society. It sends out a wrong message to our people,” he said.

Garcia pleaded guilty last week to a lesser offense in a deal with the Office of the Ombudsman. The former general could not post bail earlier because he was facing a plunder case. The anti-graft court Sandiganbayan, however, allowed him bail after he pleaded guilty of bribery.

“One of the reasons why I believe the president’s approval rating has been going down is that six months into his administration his campaign slogan against corruption is not realized,” Bishop Bagaforo said.

Meanwhile, the presidential palace said it is not happy with the deal with Garcia even as the Department of Justice issued a hold-departure order against the former general.

“We can’t just let him walk away. It’s unacceptable to the administration. It will again be a serious blow to its anti-corruption efforts,” said Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. (UCAN)