Hold-departure order issued vs Garcia and family

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has issued a hold-departure order (HDO) against former Armed Forces comptroller general Carlos Garcia, his wife and three sons in connection with the P303.27-million plunder charges filed against their family last year.

BI Associate Commissioner Arthel Caronongan said the hold order was issued Monday following the directive of the Sandiganbayan which issued an arrest warrant for Garcia’s wife Clarita and their sons Timothy Mark, Ian Carl, and Juan Paulo.

"This is the directive of the Sandiganbayan not to allow them to leave the country," Caronongan said.

Caronongan added the BI would be adding the Garcias to the order list in the 10 international airports and seaports scattered across the country.

The retired general himself is being charged before the Sandiganbayan as the principal accused while his wife and children are being held liable for allegedly helping him conceal his ill-gotten wealth.

Garcia had been sentenced to two years hard labor by a military tribunal. He is currently detained at the PNP headquarters at Camp Crame in Quezon City awaiting sentence over the plunder trial with his family.

The Sandiganbayan has sought the assistance of the PNP, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the immigration bureau to serve the warrants for Clarita and her three children.

The Garcias had a last listed address at Jaro, Iloilo. Clarita is in hiding but believed to be still in the country while her three children are in the US.

Caronongan said the immigration officers are tasked to prevent anyone from the hold order list from leaving the country and turn them over to the authorities.

Even though Garcia is already detained, the retired general is still included in the hold-order list. "This is to put things in (their) proper perspective. It is a feel-safe measure, in (preventing) a ‘what if he escaped‚’ situation," Caronongan explained.

The NBI said they have yet to receive a copy of the directive from the Sandiganbayan.

Once the request is received, the NBI would start the search, beginning with the BI to check its records and determine if the three Garcia brothers are indeed out of the country.

NBI officials said they would still need to determine the nationality of the three Garcia siblings, on reports that they had already adopted US citizenship.

The family created a controversy as the government highlighted its efforts against corruption.

Prosecutors have discovered a total of 41 bank accounts registered to the Garcias’ name.

The general himself maintained several bank accounts aside from those held by his wife and children.