Trillanes: Garcia just a front for somebody powerful

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV believes there is someone powerful behind former military comptroller Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia, which is why he was allowed to enter into a plea bargain deal with the Office of the Special Prosecutor despite allegedly stealing P300 million from government coffers.

Trillanes said there is a bigger story than what is appearing in the media regarding the compromise deal that allowed Garcia to return only P135 million worth of assets to the government while pleading guilty to bailable charges of direct bribery and facilitating money laundering.

"I believe General Garcia is only a front for somebody powerful. At some point late 2009, he was actually willing to talk and reveal the story behind his enormous wealth. But I don't know, maybe he got afraid," he told ANC's "Headstart."

Trillanes refused to identify the personality allegedly helping Garcia, saying only that he has relayed his information to people in Malacañang.

The senator said he and Garcia spoke and even played basketball together when they were both detained in Camp Crame. Trillanes was detained for 7 years for participating in the 2003 Oakwood Mutiny and 2007 Manila Peninsula siege. He was released last month.

The senator said Garcia himself will not deny that he stole money while in the military.

"It just shows the state of our judiciary...We need to question that deal. We need to direct our outrage on the Ombudsman herself because she was the one who allowed this thing to happen," he said.

Asked if he will support a move to impeach the Ombudsman, he replied. "Yes. I can even give my vote now. It's a no-brainer."

Trillanes blasts Joker, defends 'biggest spender' tag

The senator, meanwhile, defended himself from accusations that he is one of the biggest spenders in the Senate despite staying in detention until December last year.

Trillanes spent P21.136 million in 2009, making him the 4th highest spender in the Senate, according to the Commission on Audit. The top 3 biggest spenders are Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Gregorio Honasan and Benigno Aquino III, the current President.

In contrast, Sen. Joker Arroyo retained his title as the thriftiest senator for the 9th straight year after only spending P14,611,455.95 in 2009.

In the interview, Trillanes said most of his spending goes to his staff of 44 employees, compared to only 3 employees for Arroyo.

"I have 44 employees. This is well within the quota provided by the Senate. They gave us a quota, we maxed it out. Now in terms of performance, we filed 347 bills, 18 were passed into law. Compare that with the performance of Joker Arroyo who failed to file a single bill. In all his 18 years as a legislator, he has failed to file a bill," he said.

Asked if failure to file a bill is bad for a senator, he said: "I believe so. That would make him at least the laziest. We have to put him to task here. He spent nearly P15 million but failed to file a single bill. Now he has to account, he has to present to the people, where did he spend that?"

Trillanes said that for the past 9 years, Senator Arroyo had lawyered for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in the Upper House.

"That would make him the most expensive lawyer. We have to put things into context," he said.

Lessons in detention

Trillanes admitted he was reckless when he and 300 other junior officers decided to take over the Oakwood Premier Ayala Center (now Ascott Makati) serviced apartment tower in Makati City to expose alleged corruption in the Arroyo administration. Trillanes was 32 when he joined the short-lived mutiny.

"Some said I was more cocky (then). Maybe I still am although I am trying to tone down, I can admit that I was more on the arrogant side. Being detained is a humbling experience. So you'll have to look back on how and where and change all the negative things and be more positive," he said.

The senator said the end-goal of the Oakwood Mutiny was just to air their grievances to the government after the chain of command failed to take action. He noted that before the mutiny, he even talked to then President Arroyo and told her about the corruption in the military.

After the mutiny, Trillanes started his long stay in detention, which he described as a "roller coaster ride." He said he and his fellow mutineers were isolated from the rest of the detainees during their first 6 months in detention at the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) compound.

At one point, he said the authorities even removed electric fans and other amenities inside his cell out of retribution.

His transfer to Fort Bonifacio and later Camp Crame allowed him to mingle with other detainees, an experience which "enriched his knowledge" and now fuels him in his new role as a senator.

No need for Truth Commission

Trillanes refused to give more details about his involvement in the 2007 Manila Peninsula siege when he and other Magdalo leaders walked out their trial and took over the second floor of the Makati hotel. He said he is still awaiting the approval of his application for amnesty but said he will probably write a book about the Oakwood and Manila Peninsula rebellions.

Trillanes said the country paid a steep price for allowing President Arroyo to stay in office despite widespread cheating in the 2004 presidential election. He noted that the worst of the "Arroyo regime" happened in the last two-thirds of her 9-year stay as president.

Asked if actor Fernando Poe Jr., whom Arroyo defeated in the 2004 polls, would have made a better president, Trillanes said: "Not necessarily, I don't know if he would have been better or worse but he got the mandate and we should respect that. We are in a democracy so we should respect the results, whether he belongs to our intellectual class or not. We must accept the upsides and downsides of democracy."

Despite being a supporter of President Benigno Aquino III, Trillanes said he does not agree with Aquino's decision to form a Truth Commission to investigate irregularities during the Arroyo administration.

"I believe the Truth Commission is a propaganda instrument. If you want to prosecute, then prosecute. No ifs or buts. The isntruments of the state are at your disposal, You can do these things through the Department of Justice," he said.

Instead of focusing on a truth commission, Trillanes said Malacañang could simply form a research team that would gather evidence and build cases against erring government officials during the Arroyo administration.

"We can't afford to waste time anymore. We're 7 months into the Aquino administration and no one has been prosecuted yet," he said.
source: abs-cbnnews.com/