Arroyo may be charged in Garcia case —De Lima

LONG ARM OF THE LAW. Retired Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia (center) reads the contents of the arrest order and sentence served by Lt. Col. Edwin Machica of the Judge Advocate General’s Office and AFP Provost Marshal Col. Herbert Yambing. The order was signed by President Aquino. AFP-PIO

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said on Sunday former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was liable for charges over her “perplexing” inaction on a military court’s conviction of former military comptroller Carlos Garcia.

De Lima said Arroyo failed to act on the military court’s 2005 ruling although under military rules, this was “subject to confirmation by the President.”

“It was perplexing why she did not act on it. It’s not easy to believe that this was forgotten… The military is serious about these things,” she told reporters after seeing off President Aquino, who departed on a three-day official working visit to Japan.

“I’m sure there’s a liability there. As to the exact liability, that is still being studied,” De Lima said.

President Aquino recently signed Garcia’s arrest order based on that military court conviction. Garcia was arrested on September 16 and brought to the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, where he will serve a two-year sentence for violating Articles of War 96 and 97.

In December 2005, a military court found Garcia guilty of conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman, and conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline for not declaring his true assets and for holding permanent resident-status in the United States. Military officials said Garcia was serving the court martial sentence only now because then President Arroyo did not act on it.

Malacañang has been cautious about the issue of Arroyo’s liability and deferred to the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to make the determination.