This is another world!
Fashion’s night on probation
by Peter Davis
Timothy Mark Depakakibo Garcia, a 25-year-old publicist for Marc by Marc Jacobs, has a court-ordered Fashion Week curfew.
Perched on a sleek white Armani Casa chair in his apartment in the modern, gilded Trump Plaza at 502 Park Avenue, Garcia is decked in head-to-toe designer: a supple caramel leather Alessandro dell’Acqua jacket, Alexander McQueen jeans, a thin white LnA tee shirt and YSL boots. His wrists are adorned with a big Cartier gold and silver Tank watch, a Cartier Love bracelet, a white enamel Hermes bangle and a $1000 dollar large gold plated spiked Hermes cuff called the Collier de Chien.
Then Garcia daintily rolls up his jeans to reveal one accessory he’d rather not be wearing: an electronic monitoring house arrest ankle bracelet, code number “HGM94472.” The thick plastic black box, the size of a pack of cigarettes, is snug up against his tiny ankle. Garcia’s movements are recorded by Homeguard 200, a big black machine connected to his angular, futuristic Bang and Olufsen phone.
“I’m sorry it’s so messy,” he frets. His good friend, the outrageously outré Manila based fashion blogger Bryan Boy is staying with him. Near the kitchen in the cozy, all-white one-bedroom apartment, Bryan Boy’s massive Louis Vuitton steamer trunk explodes open with designer duds. A white mohair Gucci dog bed, for Garcia’s five-year-old Yorkshire Terrier “Cartier,” rests under a an enormous flat-screen TV. On the kitchen table, two laptops are open and towers of fashion magazines, costume jewelry and beauty products are everywhere.
On March 6, 2009, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) barged into Garcia’s apartment—purchased with his mother Clarita D. Garcia, in 2004 for $765,000—and handcuffed him “right in this chair I’m sitting in,” he says. Garcia couldn’t stop crying. He was taken to the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center, and then moved from a special housing unit to the general population. The only thing he could see from his cell window was a cemetery.
Garcia was arrested as part of a criminal investigation into the business dealings of his father, Major General Carlos F. Garcia, a former comptroller of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The elder Garcia stands accused of racking up more than 303 million pesos ($6.2 million) of ill-gotten gains, in the form of cash, real estate and other property. General Garcia is not an American citizen and is in jail in the Philippines where the scandal has taken on Imelda Marcos-like proportions in the local press. General Garcia’s wife and their three children (all American citizens), Timothy Mark, Ian Karl, 30, and Juan Paulo, 27 are all facing plunder charges in the Philippines, which carries a penalty of 30 years to life. They are all also subjects to extradition.
Tim Garcia remained in lock-up for 95 days. “It was the doorway to hell,” he remembers, in his soft voice. “I was in with trannies who needed hormone treatments,” he goes on, spinning the Hermes cuff like a toy. “Pete Gotti, the brother of John Gotti, was there…organized crime families. It was a long time, a chunk of my life.” His friends tell him he is resilient. And for someone being threatened with extradition and losing everything, he seems somewhat calm. “It’s life altering. Imagine yourself being secluded and out of sight and out of mind and being trapped. Imagine living a comfortable lifestyle and than all of a sudden you’re forced to coexist with armed robbers, organized crime people and people who sell drugs. The cream of the criminal crop. They put me with pedophiles. I was trying not to get raped every day. It was scary.” At the same time, Clarita, Garcia’s mother, was also in prison. “That hurt me the most. She’s 60 and to put her in prison in conditions like that is difficult for a son. She was in prison longer than me.”
In April, Garcia says he was asked to hand over his “apartment and bank accounts.” He protested. “I knew that it was all bullshit. I was like, ‘No! I will never waver in the conviction of my father’s innocence and doing that would just hurt my father’s case.” The government still contends that some of that $6.2 million dollars went into purchasing the Trump Plaza apartment. The government also says the Garcias transferred $2 million from the Philippines to the United States.
On June 8, Garcia was released from prison on a million-dollar bail. He was despondent and in shock. Then, in a strange twist of fate, he was offered the coveted job as a publicist for Marc Jacobs. He didn’t dare tell the fashion house about his court ordeal, but then Page Six broke the news for him. His bosses at Marc Jacobs didn’t blink. “I didn’t tell them about my situation. I don’t have a criminal record. They arrested me to put pressure on my family. I’m just fortunate that no one [at Marc Jacobs] cares and if anything, they are very, very compassionate to my situation.”
“My father is a government official in the Philippines,” Garcia explains carefully, his small voice growing deeper. “Basically they are accusing my father of stealing millions and misuse of public funds and me being his son, they locked up his entire family. The picture the Philippines press paints of my family is that we were dirt poor and with my father in this position for two years, we rose to astronomical riches. We are third generation despots in the Philippines.” Garcia pauses and checks his Blackberry, which makes a ping noise every few minutes. He silences his phone. “I can’t actually talk about the legalities of it all because it’s still pending.”
Garcia shows me his bedroom, equipped with two flat-screen TVs and a wall of DVDs. By his computer are two vintage Cher dolls. Piled on the floor are a half-dozen orange Hermes boxes. At the bottom of the closet, three gigantic Louis Vuitton suitcases are filled with clothes. By the bathroom door, a rolling rack sags under the weight of a giant pile of couture. Garcia has been a fashion fiend since he was a kid. He counts YSL by Stefano Pilati, Dior Homme by Kris Van Assche and Marc Jacobs as his favorite labels. When a student, first at the University of the Asian Pacific (run by the Opus Dei) in Manila and later at Parsons in New York, he was always dressed to impress. “I’m lacking in closet space,” he says with a groan, waving his small hand at six stuffed YSL garment bags hung from doors. Garcia cherry-picks a new, fitted black Gucci leather jacket, which he mentions Madonna wore. It’s his statement piece for fall.
“Imagine living a comfortable lifestyle and than all of a sudden you’re forced to coexist with armed robbers, organized crime people and people who sell drugs. The cream of the criminal crop.”
House arrest definitely dampers Garcia’s glamorous life. He’s accustomed to being a regular at store parties and nightclubs like The Rose Bar in the Gramercy Park Hotel. But now, Garcia has a curfew of 9am to 9pm and is not allowed to leave his apartment on the weekends, except to go to church for two hours on Sunday (a Catholic, he attends the service at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral nearby). “For Fashion Week, since I am a publicist, they extended my hours. I am allowed to come back at 1 a.m. this week,” he smiles widely. “There is a 30-minute grace period for lateness.” But after that, the Homeguard 200 alerts the authorities and Garcia could end up back in the slammer.
Despite all the drama, Garcia claims he’s adjusted to the curfew. He orders in food from Serafina and Freds, the restaurant at Barneys. Friends visit constantly.
The worst part is the actual ankle bracelet. “It’s uncomfortable,” he moans, tugging at the plastic strap. “It hurts when I run at the gym. We have to pay for it too, the whole thing. My lawyer is taking care of it though.” The ankle bracelet limits Garcia’s fashion choices. “I can’t even wear my knee high croc boots by Sergio Rossi for the fall,” he laments. “I had to make adjustments with my wardrobe. When it was hot in the summer, I didn’t want to go to Marc Jacobs wearing shorts. I just felt it was in bad taste.”
The forfeiture case against Garcia and his mother was stayed on March 10 to allow the Philippine prosecution and investigation to proceed – and possibly seize the Park Avenue pied-a-terre. While Garcia waits to see whether he will lose his apartment, his bank accounts and be extradited back to the Philippines, he continues to work hard at Marc by Marc Jacobs. On his bedside table, under a fashion book by the street style photographer “The Sartorialist” sits “You Don’t Have to Be Famous: How to Write Your Own Life Story.” Garcia plans to pen a book about his family’s whole ordeal. But for the time being, he goes on with his normal life. He saunters into the bathroom and sprays on his favorite scent, Armani Mania. It’s hard to imagine Garcia, now decked out in couture, in the prison garb he wore last spring. “I was in an orange jumpsuit and then after a month, they change it to khaki,” he tells me, hanging up the “Madonna” Gucci jacket. “I will never wear a jumpsuit in my life.” His slight shoulders shiver. “The thought of that jumpsuit just makes me cringe.”
Photo credits:
1. Peter Davies’ The Daily Beast
That is the beauty of Governance in another world, somehow the playing field is paved in the same level, not exactly equal, but just as close as could be…
Just recently as two weeks ago, our own former Attorney General of Ontario, Michael Bryant had an encounter with an intoxicated Biker and one thing led to another and perhaps fearing for his life and of his Wife, and trying to ward off the “aggressive” man off his Convertible, killed him in the process..He was at that time the CEO of Invest Toronto, the City own corporation whose purpose is to seek Investors for the City…His being a Prominent Individual, (he is a Harvard Law Graduate and the youngest ever Attorney General) did not stopped the Toronto Police of charging him for two counts…Criminal Negligence causing Death and Criminal Negligence in Operation of a Motor Vehicle…
And the members of the General Garcia’s Family, evidence as far as the U.S. authorities is concerned were also part of the conspiracy and it is symptomatic in the Service…And what ever happen to that of the Russian’s Euros???
Akala ko si Gen.Garcia na naman.
Kung gusto ninyong malaman kung sino si Gen.Jockey Ginete ng Philippine Army, pasensya na kayo sa litrato dahil nakagat siya ng asong ulol.
ito ang site:
http://eclarino.ning.com
click niyo lang ang –FORUM sa header.
un-freaking-believable.
marc jacobs pala ha. eh kung i-flash mob kaya yang store niya sa g5 and let the press take pics.
what is going on with his case? newsbreak, pcij, vera files, does anybody know what’s going on? clearly, we cant rely on pdi or philstar.
perhaps noynoy can make this an issue.
Walang kasalanang hindi pinagbabayaran. Tim is paying for his dad’s stealing ways. How can a young kid like him afford the lifestyle he has?
Manginig sana yung mga magnanakaw na katulad ng mga Garcia. Bilang na ang mga araw ninyo sa pagnanakaw. Mabuti kung bracelet lang sa paa ang accessories ninyo, baka may kasama pang posas at bilog na bakal sa paa. Aruy, ang bigat!
Cocoy, that photo of Air Force General Marciano Ilagan was taken in 2002 pa. It was during his his stint as Commander of the Tactical Operations Command based in Cebu.
That was embarrasing. That’s one reason why he never made it as Air Force chief.
Like the Pidal children, this son of a crook apparently cannot distinguish between good and evil, virtue and vice, pleasure and pain, right and left, crime and no crime, etc.
Kawawang anak! Kawawang Pilipinas pag dumami ang ganyang mga pilipino!
Kaya naman pala dumukot ang tatay niya ng pera taumbayan, maluho pala itong anak.
What kind of values did his parents teach him? Di bale magnakaw basta lang makasuot ng designer’s items at mamuhay ng maluho?
This faggot earns his own money that can support his lavish lifestyle. What is wrong is that the parents use their kids to commit crime by transporting dirty money for them.
Remember, bawat kasalanan ay dapat bayaran. How could this son of a gun still flaunt his lavish lifestyle and caprices while the poor soldiers who are victims of his father’s pangungurakot lay side by side dying in a poorly-run, medical equipment-deprived government hospitals? It is sickening to see that a crook like the Garcias are allowing the world to know how deeply-rooted corruption is like in the Philippines under the Arroyo government. Ito ang mga salot sa ating lipunan. Matindi ang kasalanan nila sa taumbayan. Dapat lang sila mag disappear sa mundong ito.
Eddfajardo,
Apparently kulang sa standard of morality itong baklang anak ni Garcia kasi bakla. Babaero kasi ang tatay. Observation ko kasi sa mga babaero, may nagiging anak na bakla for some reason. Cursed is more like it, pero di natitinag ang mga malilikot ang ari! 😛
Tama ka, Tongue. This son earns his own keep. Malaki ang sahod niyan lalo na kung may Mafia connection pa. I bet you, he could have been tracked down by the Mafia, and lured to work for them as their courier they way he did for his father. Tutal manhid na ang isang iyan. As they say in pilipino, “Halang na ang kaluluwa!”
right, a 25 year old can afford an million dollar apartment on Park avenue, as well as co-op dues. sure, a UAP graduate can afford a gold cartier watch. he grew up wearing ysl and dior homme, he must have bought that from a summer job income. not. most of those, if not all, came from the coffers of the afp. that is sick. he is an adult and he knows where the money came from. he is as guilty as his parents. i hope he gets extradited soon and enjoy the company of his future boyfriends in munti. he can have a different boyfriend everyday.
Tim Garcia, you are a frigging low-class idiot who was raised by crooked parents with the money they stole in tandem from honest soldiers. Y
ou give the impression that your father was a high level govt official which is farthest from the truth — he was merely a soldier who should have been fighting it out with troops in the field against the enemies of the state; you lousy son of a bitch should stop deluding yourself — the two stars your father sported all along were thoroughly undeserved, he is a thief, a liar, a coward of the lowest category. Your father should be shot!
You are the son of one of the most despicable men the Armed Forces of the Philippines had the misfortune of producing from among its rank.
You and your father along with your mother should be thrown in jail, locked forever and never to be heard from ever again!
“Clarita, Garcia’s mother, was also in prison. “That hurt me the most. She’s 60 and to put her in prison in conditions like that is difficult for a son. She was in prison longer than me.””
Clarita typifies some military wives I knew! Abusive, no sense of what is right or wrong, believing that their husband’s stars were theirs and acting in the most arrogant manner that’s truly laughable.
If at 60, she hasn’t learned that stealing is wrong, then she deserves to rot and die in prison!
Apparently kulang sa standard of morality itong baklang anak ni Garcia kasi bakla.
Yuko, I beg to disagree strongly. Being gay does not have anything to do with one’s level of morality! I know more straight people, so called heterosexuals who are far more pervert and crooked than most gays I know. Let’s not put the morality or lack of morality of this scumbag on his being gay. It’s not only unfair to gays in general but stupidly judgemental to do so!!!
The lack of morality of this man (he is a man) is due to the standard of non-morality he was raised in by his parents who are scumbags of the lowest of the low variety.
I concur with your arguments AdeBrux…sexual orientations got nothing to do with this Guy’s morality or lack of it…
By the way, our deputy Premier, gay and married to same sex, just announced that he may challenge the Mayorship of the City and he could might as well said its His…That is how he is respected not as a Gay, but as a decent and upright politician and honest human being…he was one among the first to admit his sexual orientation, and his wedding was celebrated by the Province…
Tim Garcia: “They put me with pedophiles. I was trying not to get raped every day. It was scary.”
Ows? Talaga? Ayaw mo? Sure ka ba diyan sa sinabi mo? 😛
Katribu pala ni Romulo Neri si Tim Garcia. Pareho silang nakinabang sa pera galing sa kurakotan. Pero iba si Neri may busal sa nguso.
If I were a crook, I’d make sure that I do not risk my children being involved in my crimes. I would let them benefit from the proceeds, sure, that’s what we parents are for, but I would shield them from any and all brushes with the law.
Unfortunately, the Garcia spouses are so brazen and greedy they needed their children to handcarry their loot. The wife even admitted to reporters she received money from suppliers though she considers them as “gifts”. What a moron!
I look at the children as mere victims and not as co-conspirators because no child can refuse a parent if they were ordered to do it for their moms and dads. It’s the parents fault for corrupting the minds of their children.
So, na rape sya, hindi nga lamang everyday, ganoon ba yon? Naku, let this be known, para yong ibang magnanakaw dyan, matakot.
Tongue,
Yes, you’re right — the real criminals are the parents but the son, unfortunately, has become a willing victim.
i dislike more the children of politicians who become politicians to steal more from the people. this guy at least could not be a general that can steal more. why not just confiscate things that were stolen by his parents.end of story.
Where did Tim get the thousands of $$$$ to establish himself in New York? Siempre sa tatay na korap.
Asus, i-add ko lahat ang suot sa katawan ni Tim e mahihiya ang aking bank account!
why not just confiscate things that were stolen by his parents.end of story.
Not end of story. Send the parents to prison for good!
naturally.
chi, highly-paid publicist yung bading na Garcia sa Marc Jacobs.