Garcia requests NBI to probe bribe allegations anew

George Erwin Garcia FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Poll chief George Erwin Garcia has once again asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to probe allegations that he supposedly received bribes from a South Korean firm.

This, after Garcia on July 9 appealed to the NBI to look into allegations that he received bribes through offshore bank accounts.

READ: Garcia to NBI: Probe bribery raps, ‘it’s a demolition job vs Comelec’

In another letter on Thursday, Garcia once again implored the NBI to conduct an investigation “to clear his name.”

“This investigation is essential to clear my name and support any related prosecution. These fabrications, apart from being criminal, appear to be aimed at sowing mistrust in our electoral system, manipulating our procurement system, and influencing ongoing cases before our courts,” Garcia said.

He then urged the NBI to also take into account the sworn waiver he earlier issued involving the bank accounts included in a certain document or “white paper” he received from former Caloocan congressman Edgar Erice.

“I am requesting the AMLC (Anti-Money Laundering Council) and the NBI to fully exercise their authority, including invoking Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) and other international cooperation mechanisms, to seek assistance from foreign jurisdictions in verifying the existence of these alleged bank accounts,”

“This should include engaging with global counterparts and relevant financial intelligence units to ensure a comprehensive and transparent investigation,” he added.

He also requested the AMLC to “confirm the possibility of cooperation with foreign jurisdictions to complete the investigation and to work with the NBI.”

Garcia, himself, already verified across several domestic banks the existence of alleged local bank accounts linked to the bribes, but all banks have so far responded that the accounts associated with him were “non-existent.”

It was Sagip Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta who first revealed that at least P1 billion worth of funds were transferred from South Korean-based banks to 49 offshore accounts that are supposedly linked to an unnamed Comelec official.

READ: P1-B moved from foreign banks to poll exec’s offshore accounts – Marcoleta

Garcia then immediately admitted that he was the one Marcoleta was referring to, quickly denying the existence of such accounts.

He also called out the lawmaker for not verifying the accusation first before publicizing it.