Garcia plea bargain tackled today

MANILA, Philippines - Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales will appear before magistrates of the Sandiganbayan today to discuss the plea bargaining agreement entered into by her predecessor and former military comptroller Carlos Garcia.

Carpio-Morales herself has filed a motion asking the anti-graft court to hold the issuance of any ruling on the case while she is reviewing its records.          To hear her arguments at 1:30 p.m. today are Second Division chairperson Associate Justice Teresita Diaz-Baldos, and Associate Justices Samuel Martires and Oscar Herrera Jr.

Carpio-Morales has asked the Sandiganbayan to give her 15 days to review the records of the plunder case against Garcia after which she would submit a position paper.

The plunder charge was downgraded to lesser crimes of direct bribery and facilitating money laundering through a plea bargaining agreement between Garcia and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) that was approved by former ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez.                                           

“One of the challenging issues in the present case which commands her attention is the propriety or legality of the issue of the forging of the Plea Bargaining Agreement between the prosecution and the accused,” Carpio-Morales’ motion read.

Sources said Carpio-Morales did not inform officials of the Office of the Ombudsman, OSP lawyers, and the prosecutors of the plunder case that she filed the motion.

In today’s hearing, Carpio-Morales will present oral arguments to convince the Sandiganbayan to grant her pleading.