MANILA, 21 October 2004 — Amid rumors of coup plots allegedly to thwart a crackdown on corrupt military officials, a growingly impatient President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo yesterday said she wants court martial proceedings against a general accused of massive corruption sped up.

Arroyo ordered defense officials and the Armed Forces of the Phlippines (AFP) leadership to quickly convene a tribunal that will try Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia, who had been accused of amassing millions of dollars in wealth while he headed the military’s budget department from 2001 to March this year.

Garcia has been suspended for six months without pay and is undergoing a preliminary investigation prior to a court-martial and possible charges in civilian court. Expected to be filed against Garcia are fraud against the government and conduct unbecoming an officer.

“The people have heard enough of the allegations of corruption in the military and it is high time to bring these issues under the open prosecution and judicial scrutiny in fairness to all concerned,” said Arroyo, assuring the public that there would be no cover-up.

Garcia, an obscure army general, became the subject of national attention after US Customs last month turned over to the Philippines documents indicating that his son was caught with an undeclared $100,000 in San Francisco and that Garcia’s family brought $660,230 in cash to the United States from May 2002 to January 2004.

Government lawyers say transactions by Garcia and his family in that period totaled at least 185.5 million pesos ($3.3 million), compared with his declared net worth of 1.25 million pesos ($22,295) in 2003.

Upon the instance of the Anti-Money Laundering Council in Manila, a local court last week ordered eight banks to immediately freeze 40 accounts of Garcia, his wife and three sons. The Philippine Department of Justice also said it has formally asked American authorities to freeze Garcia’s assets in the US.

House Hearing

Lawmakers at the House of Representatives are also conducting their own investigation and said they would summon his wife and son to answer allegations of their corrupt activities.

Para?aque Rep. Roilo Golez, chairman of the House defense committee conducting the inquiry, along with the committee on banks, claimed Garcia used his sons — Ian Carl and Juan Paolo — as “couriers.”

Garcia’s wife, Clarita, had told US authorities that the money was part of her husband’s “perks” as military comptroller at that time.

Opposition Rep. Francis Escudero said he believed that Garcia was protecting other high-ranking military officers or even government officials who might have a share in the money.

“I challenge the good lot in the military to break their silence and take this as an opportunity to cleanse their ranks and show our people that the AFP as an organization and institution does not and will not tolerate any form of corruption committed by their peers,” Escudero said in a statement.

As coup rumors continued to swirl, the Philippine Army gathered its top generals to affirm their support for the Arroyo government. Lt. Gen. Efren Abu, army commander and incoming AFP chief of staff, led the command conference at Fort Bonifacio in suburban Taguig, an army statement said.

Abu expressed confidence that the crisis in the military would be over soon. Military spokesman Lt. Col. Daniel Lucero also junked coup talks in an interview with reporters in Camp Aguinaldo.

“In fact we have not monitored any troop movement,” Lucero said. “We can say that with certainty.”

In a separate press briefing, Lt. Gen. Alberto Braganza, commander of the military’s Metro Manila command, said the military was ready to fight off putschists.

“We will not allow any group to use Garcia’s case for vested interests,” Braganza said. (Additional input from AP, Inquirer News Service)