If the general public was appalled by the plea bargain agreement struck by Maj. Gen. (ret.) Carlos Garcia and the Office of the Ombudsman , one can just imagine how it was with Heidi Mendoza, the government auditor who was the lone prosecution witness who gave documentary evidence in the plunder case against the former military comptroller.
Mendoza, who withstood all kinds of pressure while she was investigating the Garcia plunder case, said it was so painful to hear and read government prosecutors say that the reason they had to accept Garcia’s offer for plea bargain was because the evidence was weak.
Related articles:
Prosecutors ‘dumped own witness’ by Jarius Bondoc: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=650902&publicationSubCategoryId=64
Auditor in plunder case launches truth campaign: http://verafiles.org/main/focus/auditor-in-plunder-case-to-launch-truth-campaign/
Go slow on Garcia, auditor told: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20110125-316387/Go-slow-on-Garcia-auditor-told
Transcript of Mendoza Dec 3, 2008 testimony: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20110125-316389/No-one-from-COA-gave-me-the-support-that-I-needed
She said that’s what everybody was telling her and her team when they were investigating. Garcia was a smart guy, there was no paper trail in the more than P300 million that he was accused of filching from government funds.
But God works in mysterious ways. Over the weekend, in an interview with some members of media, Mendoza relates that moment when she found the P200 million check signed by Garcia amidst a pile of documents in the storage room of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
How that P200 million, part of the fund from the United Nations for the Filipino peacekeepers, was funneled into Garcia’s personal accounts is a tale of connivance not only among government officials but also with the bank officials. There are even talks of romantic liaisons.
The fake accounts, the irregular transactions could not have been done without the cooperation of high officials of the bank. In the case of the P200 million it was the United Coconut Planters Bank, where government is represented by the Presidential Commission on Good Government.
In the intervention filed by the Office of the Solicitor General to the plea bargain, it mentioned the name of Edith Bondoc, assistant vice president and branch head of UCPB, Alfaro branch where the mysterious transactions were conducted.
Bondoc, who we understand is now in Las Vegas and married to a former member of the Presidential Security Group during the time of President Cory Aquino, is not included in the plunder suit nor was she ever called to testify in the case.
Mendoza has a long list of frustrating incidents on the Garcia case. One of those was the withdrawal of authorization by her former boss, then COA Chairman Guillermo Carague. She was earlier warned that five of her bosses were under the pay of Garcia.
Media and the public also had been remiss. Mendoza recalled that the many times that she was at the witness stand at the Sandiganbayan hearings, “Not one of the media was there, not one of the so-called concerned citizens can be found, not one anti-corruption civil society was there to monitor the case.”
Shocked by the prospect of Garcia (he is now out on bail) getting away with plunder of money intended for soldiers, who lay down their lives for the country, civil society groups have pledged to support Mendoza.
Last week Mendoza resigned from her job. Asked why is she doing this, she recites the letter of the late Se, Jose Diokno , from his prison cell, to his son Jose Manuel (Cel) Diokno :
Why be honest, when it pays to be dishonest?
Why fight for others when they won’t fight for you?
The answer, I think lies in what life means to you.
If life means having a good time, money, fame, power, security, then you don’t need principles;
All you need are techniques.
On the other hand, if happiness counts more than a good time,
Respect more than fame,
Right more than power and peace of soul more than security;
If death doesn’t end life but transforms it, then you must be true to yourself and to God and love the truth and justice and freedom- THAT ARE GOD’s OTHER NAMES.
I wonder where the the amount of 200M went? Piggy’s bank account? 😛
This is an example of why Marcos was ousted. The so-called yellow brigade USED Ninoy and his family for DEMOCRACY….bu*$#@t. They were tired of the Marcos’ regime because they will never get a chance to rule and steal from the country. I hate to say this but Philippines was a better and a much safer country when Marcos’ was at helm.
Napakaganda ng sinabi ni magdalo_fan. Agree ako sa sinabi niya. Noong panahon ni Marcos ang mga bilihin ay mura. Lahat ay mura. At ang mga tao halos lahat nakakakain ng tatlong beses sa isang araw. Oo nga diktador siya pero ang mga tao ay maayos naman ang pamumuhay. Sa mga matatanda na nakakausap ko ay nagsasabi sila na mas mabuti pa raw noong panahon ni Marcos dahil lahat na mga bilihin ay mura. Hindi mataas ang presyo ng mga paninda. Hindi raw masyadong nagugutom ang mga tao noong panahon ni Marcos. Hindi katulad ngayon na mahirap makahanap ng makakain. Konti lang ang sinusuwelduhan ng gobyerno na politiko. Pero ngayon ay napakarami na ang nakaupo na politiko sa gobyerno. Ang masakit ay kahit marami ng politiko ang nakaupo sa gobyerno ay hindi pa rin umuunlad ang ating bansa. Hindi pa rin umaasenso masyado ang bayan na pinagsisilbihan ng ibang politiko. Marami pa ring krimen na nangyayari. Marami pa ring insidente ng pagnanakaw at pagpatay. Marami pa ring mga alagad ng batas na umaabaso sa kapangyarihan. Ginagamit nila ang kanilang baril at posisyon para abusuhin ang isang tao. Higit sa lahat ay may mga krimen na pangyayari ng dahil sa politika. Kagaya na lang ng nangyari kay Erap. Ang mga taong nagpatalsik sa kanya pagka huli ay nagsisisi. Nagsisisi dahil malala ang pumalit sa kanya. Hindi uunlad ang bansa kapag ang mga taong nakaupo sa ngayon ay hindi malilipol. Kasi pati mga anak nila ay gagaya din sa kanila. Kaya nga naiirita ako kapag nakakarinig ako na hindi mabuting pinuno si Marcos. Dahil para sa akin si Marcos ang the best na naging pangulo ng bansa. Kung hindi siya pinatalsik tiyak maunlad sana ang bansa. Ang mga negosyante sa ngayon ay kung gusto nilang magpataas ng presyo ay nagagawa nila. Pero sa panahon ni Marcos hindi nila iyon magagawa kasi ang nasa isip lagi ni Marcos ang kapakanan ng mamamayan. Kung may pinapatay man iyon ay masama talaga. Eh ngayon may mga pinapatay naman, mas malala pa nga pero ano ang bansa natin, bagsak. Ang mga masasama ngayon kahit alam malakas na ang ebidensya na sila ang gumawa ay hindi pa rin nakukulong. Sa panahon ni Marcos hindi yata iyon puwede.
Hindi natin nakamit ang kalayaan dahil sa people power. Dahil hanggang sa ngayon napakarami pa rin sa atin ang nakakulong. Nakakulong dahil hindi magawa ang gusto kasi madami ang hadlang. Ang hadlang kagaya ng kahirapan. Noon ang piso ay malaking halaga na. Pero ngayon hindi na.
This is becoming all the more more than just a sordid legal case. Seems the office of the Ombudsman is in cahoots with these criminals.
Ellen,
Have prosecutors questioned the other signatory? The Army colonel whose beautiful signature is affixed side by side that of the wealthy Garcia?
In 20 years, let’s hope nobody will say, “Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s was the best presidency Pinas ever had” … 😀 😀 😀
Bakit hindi kasama sa plunder si Edith Bondoc, ni hindi sya tinawag para mag-testify samantalang sya ang asst vp and branch head ng UCPB kung saan nangyari ang misterio? Kasama ba sya sa deal ni Garcia sa Sandiganbayan na ‘bayaan’ na lang at baka biglang kumanta si Mrs. Garcia? 🙂 🙂 🙂
Tapang na babae si Heidi Mendoza, I pray that PNoy supports her person and her initiatives to solve Garcia’s plunder case. Konti lang ang katulad nya, dapat ibigay ng gobyerno ni Pnoy ang lahat ng protection kay Mendoza kung totoo na gusto niya ang tuwid na landas!
Chi,
Chi, question is does Pnoy even know that there’s a Garcia plunder case? 🙁
I wonder who the special govt prosecutors were who told Heidi to say that evidence was weak…
Ganyan talaga sa gobyerno sa Pilipinas. May hierarchy of corruption. Siempre kung si auditor ay may mga adverse findings, may review pa ng mga superiors bago ipasa sa mga abogado, then ang mga abogado ang magsasabi dung dapat o hindi sampahan ng kaso. Ano pa magagawa ni auditor kung ang supervisor, o di kaya ay director ang kausap na ng mga involve, eh di walang nangyari sa trabaho ni auditor. Ganyan ang nangyari kay auditor Heidi, at sigurado ako hindi lamang sa kaso ni Garcia nangyari yan, common na.
Ngayon, nawawala na si Garcia, may mangyari pa kaya sa kaso? Hindi kaya sa dami ng posibleng mga bigating sangkot dito ay ilikida na lamang si Garcia? Problem solved, case closed, dah!
What happened to Neri? To Joc Joc Bolante? To the “burger” Abalos? etc. etc. They are all off the hook! What happened to the whistleblowers? Sira ang mga career and their lives. Kung talagang serious ang gobierno na magbago ang landas ng bansa, Pnoy for once, has to stay on top of the corruption wheel and weed out all those who participated in any form of corruption during the midget’s time and NOW!
Mukhang iba naman ang priority ni Pnoy accdg to the Inquirer today. Panay daw ang puyat sa kainuman niyang cabinet member at panay daw ang drive niya ng kanyang bagong Porche. I hope he does not follow the same path of Erap. Yan lang ang sinisilip silip ni midget.
Ingatan na lang ang tseke na iyan.
Maraming salamangkero o manggagaway ang pwedeng makakuha niyan at itago o mawala na lang na parang bula.
Si Garcia, mukhang manggagaway. Ang maestro niyan si Gloria at si Pidal.
PSB:
Take Tulfo’s exposes with a grain of salt. He’s been targetting Ochoa eversince. Gusto kasi uling pumicture sa Customs pero di umubra. Nang di pa sila magkagalit ni FG, hayop kung kumita yang mga Tulfo brothers sa Aduana. Nagalit si Tabatsoy sa kanya ng pati shipments ni Vicki Toh at kapatid niya ay gusto pang pakialaman. Calculated yang mga exposes niya against Ochoa para lumambot ito at makapangikil na naman si Ramon. Matagal ng bistado yang si Tulfo. Garapal masyado.
Ellen,
Just read this in the Star:
(Highlight mine.) There you are. Military is keen to be transparent so what is the Office of Ombudsman doing? Are they on top of the situation or will they say again that evidence is weak.
While it’s good news to hear that there are officers privy to Garcia’s acts of plunder who are prepared to testify, problem is that there are also other military officers who may just neutralise that effort because they will do everything to shield or protect Garcia and themselves too in so doing…
Thing is for special prosecutor who told Heidi Mendoza to say that evidence is weak to inhibit himself from the proceedings. He is useless as he has been most likely bribed to go easy on Garcia.
Military is prepared to come forward and show all the Garcia shits, let’s take them at their word. Ombudsman must do no more dilly-dallying, no more do lallying, no more crying “evidence is weak” rubbish. If they continue to do everything to weaken the case, they must be nailed alternately to the mastheads of the JPCV 1, 2 & 3!
Agree with Henry on Tulfo… that shithead is a walking scam.
4 killed, 14 others injured in Makati bus explosion
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/211427/4-killed-14-others-injured-in-makati-bus-explosion
itinapat pa sa dalawang importanteng events ngayon:
Una. Kaarawan ni Tita Cory. Pangalawa, congressional hearing sa garcia plunder case… hmm…
magdalo_fan and arvin95,
I agree with you guys completely! Very good analysis! I am sure the yellow army soon to be apologists here wouldn’t agree with you.
Those people who are around Cory where the ones who abused their influence and power. The Kamag-anak Inc. even brought home the treasures in Malacanang museum. If Gloria has her Pidal family, Cory had her Kamag-anak Inc. Nobody is clean, its all about grabbing power and replacing cronies with their own.
Those observations are very objective.
I have the same question as Anna#5.What has Col Zagat got to say? Surely he has knowledge of what happened to the check he co-signed?
Good to know Henry.
Alam ko may istorya ka Ellen diyan kina Rabusa at Ligot, di ko matandaan kung saan.
Di makasagot si Gen. Ligot nung tanungin ni Enrile at Jinggoy kung naaalala niya nung personal nilang dalhin ni Col. Rabusa sa White House (Official residence of then CSAFP Angie Reyes) FIFTEEN TIMES in 2000 to 2001 to hand over Reyes’ monthly “patong” of P10M.
Si Gen. Ligot, naging Gen. Limot.
Tongue:
Si Gen Ligot, lagot! lol
Dapat diyan, pugot!