Sandiganbayan to rule on Garcia perjury case next week

MANILA, Philippines – The Sandiganbayan is expected to decide next week on another perjury case filed against former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) comptroller Gen. Carlos Garcia.

Garcia was also accused of lying about the number and total worth of vehicles he owns in his 1997 Statement of Assets and Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).

Prosecution evidence presented during the trial sought to prove how Garcia “willfully” declared that the value of vehicles he owns is only worth P870,000.

But based on the complaint filed by the Office of the Ombudsman against him, government lawyers said the former AFP comptroller actually had two vans and a car collectively worth P1.6 million.

The charge sheet said the vehicles include a Toyota Previa worth P521,797; a Mitsubishi L-300 van De Luxe worth P424,583; and a Honda Civic worth P546,000.

Prosecution Bureau VI chief Diosdado Calonge of the Office of the Special Prosecutor headed the team of lawyers who handled the case along with Assistant Special Prosecutors Maria Janina Hidalgo and Paz Judith Boco-Mate.

The Sandiganbayan’s Fourth Division found Garcia guilty last February of lying in relation to his declared SALN for the year 2000.

Garcia was previously found guilty of perjury and was sentenced to one year to two years in prison.

The anti-graft court said the prosecution was able to prove how he made a “willful and deliberate assertion of a factual falsehood” when he failed to declare that he has a multi-million peso investment account and did not declare the true value of the three vehicles that he owns.

Prosecutors presented evidence of how the former AFP comptroller had deposits or investments with the Armed Forces and Police Savings & Loan Association Inc. (AFPSLAI), which still had P7 million when he filed his SALN in December 2000.

Meanwhile, the OSP has completed the presentation of evidence in the plunder case against Garcia, which is being heard by the Sandiganbayan’s Second Division where the retired general is accused of amassing P303 million in unexplained wealth.

Assistant Special Prosecutor III Jun Balmeo said his team filed a formal offer of evidence last Friday, which means that they are resting their case.

He said the defense would present their counter-evidence and witnesses in favor of the accused.