Sandiganbayan Approves Garcia Plea Bargain Deal

MANILA, Philippines - The Sandiganbayan has approved today the plea bargain agreement struck between former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez and former military comptroller Major General Carlos Garcia.

In a resolution penned by Presiding Justice Edilberto Sandoval , the 2nd Division of the graft court disclosed that Garcia complied with the requirements to enter the plea bargain deal with the government.

The case stemmed from the plunder case filed by the government against Garcia, accusing him of amassing questionable wealth especially during his stint as the military’s budget officer.

The original complaint required Garcia to return more than P300 million that he allegedly accumulated. The plea bargain deal only asked the former military budget officer to return P135 million.

The Sandiganbayan also denied the motion for intervention filed by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG).

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima promptly gave her reaction to the development, calling it "disappointing," noting that Solicitor General Joel Cadiz raised "many substantive arguments and points." in his effort to intervene in the controversial plea bargain deal.

But all is not lost. "The Solicitor General can elevate it to either the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court," De Lima added.