Gov’t prosecutors bungled Garcia plunder case, says ex-ombudsman

MANILA, Philippines – Former Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo has accused the state prosecutors of deliberately bungling the plunder case against former military comptroller Jacinto Ligot.

“[I’ll tell you this] bluntly, hinuhulog nyo ang kaso [you are sabotaging the case],” an emotional Marcelo told the prosecutors present during the hearing of the Senate blue ribbon committee on Thursday.

Marcelo said it was only now that he realized that the cases had been filed against him because he was against the plea bargain agreement, which the prosecutors had entered into with another former military comptroller, General Carlos Garcia, whose arrangement has reduced his charge from plunder to direct bribery.

The prosecutors argued that the case filed against Garcia during the time of Marcelo was weak that was why they entered into this plea bargaining agreement with the general who has been accused of amassing over P300 million illegally.

Marcelo became emotional when he mentioned the plunder case of former president Joseph Estrada while being questioned by Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, the former leader’s son.

While it was Senator Estrada who mentioned a similar plea bargaining agreement with his father’s erstwhile pal, Charlie “Atong” Ang, it was Marcelo who related it to the plunder case of the former leader.

Marcelo clarified that former President Estrada was convicted of plunder.

The senator reacted to Marcelo’s remark, saying he did not have to say it since everyone knows that his father was convicted.

The committee had to suspend the hearing to pacify the two.

But even while the hearing was suspended, Estrada was still heard saying, “Kasi yung Ombudsman mainit ang ulo [The Ombudsman is hot headed].”

“Sinasabi nyo kasi ang mga senador ang emotional e kayo ang nagtataas ng boses [You are saying that the senators are emotional when you are the ones raising your voice],” the senator added.

He was referring to criticisms at how senators treated invited resource persons in the hearings, like the late Defense Secretary and Armed Forces chief of Staff Angelo Reyes, who was accused during Senate hearings of allegedly receiving P50 million in send-off money when he retired in 2001.

Reyes killed himself this month.