Prosecutor who handled Garcia case is new judge advocate general

MANILA, Philippines - The military prosecutor who handled the court martial case against former Armed Forces comptroller Carlos Garcia has been named the judge advocate general.

Col. Al Perreras, a lawyer with almost three decades of experience, assumed as the chief legal adviser to the military and the Defense Department on Wednesday.

He succeeded Brig. Gen. Marian Aleido, the first female officer to be appointed to the post. Aleido retired after 30 years of service and was honored in a testimonial parade and review held on Tuesday.

Before his appointment as Armed Forces judge advocate general, Perreras served as the judge advocate general of the Philippine Navy.

He was the prosecutor when Garcia faced court martial proceedings for violating Articles of War 96 (conduct unbecoming of an officer and gentleman) and 97 (conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline).

A military court found Garcia guilty of violating the two articles in 2005 and was sentenced with two-year imprisonment and hard labor.

The court said Garcia did not declare all of his assets in 2002 and 2003 and withheld information on his status as a permanent United States resident while in the service.

The military tribunal also ordered him dismissed dishonorably from the service and the forfeiture of his retirement benefits. Garcia was later on charged with plunder for allegedly amassing ill-gotten wealth while he was military comptroller.

Perreras was also the head of the panel that probed the involvement of then Marine Commandant Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda, then Scout Ranger chief Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, then Marine Col. Ariel Querubin and other officers in the ouster plots against the Arroyo administration.

The panel recommended the dropping of charges against the officers but this was reversed by then Armed Forces chief Hermogenes Esperon Jr.

Perreras entered the military service in 1985 after receiving his law degree from the San Beda College of Law in 1984.

Perreras has held various positions in the Office of the Judge Advocate General. He was its deputy judge advocate general from May to August 2006 and executive officer from August 2004 to May 2006.

He was also the command judge advocate of the Northern Luzon Command from 2003 to 2004.