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Saturday, October 23, 2004
RP awaits US list of 'corrupt' Pinoy officials
MANILA -- Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. Friday said Manila is waiting for the US government to send a list of Philippine officials it is investigating for unexplained wealth.
"That is what we are expecting. If the US authorities informed us about the case of (Major General Carlos) Garcia, I suppose they will inform us about the rest. That's what we are waiting for, I mean the President herself is waiting for that," Gonzalez said.
However, Gonzalez said it is not within his turf to ask the US Government for the list but it is within the purview of the Ombudsman, the military authorities, or the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC).
Garcia was suspended by the Ombudsman using results of investigations conducted by the US customs, which detained two of Garcia's three sons for trying to bring in 100,000 dollars to the US without declaring the amount.
Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza has said he would ask the US embassy about reports that one of his undersecretaries, Cecilio Penilla, is being investigated for graft by the Ombudsman based on information from Washington.
Penilla, a former PNP comptroller, was allegedly found by US authorities to be maintaining bank accounts in the US and holding a green card.
Gonzalez said Congress should stop its investigation into corruption in the military once it has enough data to enact remedial legislation to rectify the anomalies. He added that Congress should just let the Ombudsman and military court martial handle Garcia.
"A Congress investigation is only done in aid of legislation. This issue of Garcia will really be eventually decided only by the courts - no other," he said.
Gonzalez, a former congressman, said if it were up to him, it should just be the court martial and the Ombudsman handling the case so that the soldiers would not feel demoralized. (JMR)
(October 23, 2004 issue)
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