MANILA -- A former Justice secretary wants government prosecutors handling the Carlos Garcia plunder case fired for gross negligence in letting the dismissed general plead guilty to lesser crimes.
Senator Franklin Drilon said in a radio interview that Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez should also be impeached for agreeing to the plea bargain agreement without consent from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Department of Defense, or the Solicitor General.
During Senate hearings on the plea bargain, former ombudsman Simeon
Marcelo said consent to the plea bargain should have come from the AFP or from President Benigno Aquino III as commander-in-chief.
He said plea bargains require consent from the aggrieved party.
But Gutierrez said she approved the agreement on the recommendation of her prosecutors.
"Administrative cases should be filed against those special prosecutors because they have been grossly negligent. For me, what they did is enough basis to fire them. They should be fired," Drilon said.
He said special prosecutors are presidential appointees. But even so, they can be removed for a cause. (Jonathan de Santos/Sunnex)