I despise the hypocrites whose claim to fame is their family’s “possessions”. While material possessions may add bonus points to one's resume of so-called accomplishments, integrity still scores the highest in my book. My mom always said that “honesty is the rarest wealth anyone can possess.”
Well dearies, let me tell you an uncanny encounter I had with a nauseating individual a few years back:
Mojo introduced me to a supposedly “rich” classmate of his, Tim Garcia, from UA&P. The flamboyant kid is the son of General Carlos Garcia. I already heard of his father's exploits long before and so I wanted to be a bit rude to the kid.
“So you’re the son of the AFP’s money-bag (the comptroller). You must be very lucky and proud of yourself,” I told the kid acerbically.
Remarkably, he wasn’t able to grasp my glaringly sardonic remark and we parted ways. The kid didn’t show a tinge of remorse or anger. I thought that was the last time I would ever hear from the kid again.
I was mistaken!
“So you’re the son of the AFP’s money-bag (the comptroller). You must be very lucky and proud of yourself,” I told the kid acerbically.
Remarkably, he wasn’t able to grasp my glaringly sardonic remark and we parted ways. The kid didn’t show a tinge of remorse or anger. I thought that was the last time I would ever hear from the kid again.
I was mistaken!
A few months after, the Court of Appeals froze the Garcia family’s assets.
The controversy surrounding the Garcia family stemmed from a letter dated September 14, 2004 from David Meisner about the cash seized from the general’s son (Tim's brother). Matthew Van Dyke, a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, appeared before the Sandiganbayan on November 12. He was the one who arrested the brother of Tim, Juan Paulo Garcia, for bringing in to the US $100,000 without declaration.
The controversy surrounding the Garcia family stemmed from a letter dated September 14, 2004 from David Meisner about the cash seized from the general’s son (Tim's brother). Matthew Van Dyke, a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, appeared before the Sandiganbayan on November 12. He was the one who arrested the brother of Tim, Juan Paulo Garcia, for bringing in to the US $100,000 without declaration.
The Philippine government asked the US to extradite the general’s wife, Clarita Garcia, and their children Ian Carl, Juan Paulo and Timothy. The general’s family is allegedly hiding in the US after they were charged with PLUNDER- a capital offense.
The testimony of Van Dyke covered the following: the US government seizure of $100,000 from Juan Paulo in San Francisco in November 2003; Mrs. Garcia’s written explanation on huge amount of dollars confiscated from their son; and letter from General Garcia dated January 12, 2004, about the Fines, Penalties and Forfeiture Office in San Francisco. Records also showed that the general’s wife has sent more than $500,000 to the US from the Philippines since 1993, and that she owns several pieces of property in America.
Forfeiture proceedings in the Philippines were initiated over the Garcias' other assets that were ill-gotten, worth more than P56 million. December 2, 2005 was when the general court martial convicted Garcia of undeclared wealth, dishonorably dismissed him from the military and sentenced him to two years of hard labor.
While this corrupt general and his family accomplices pilfered and plundered from the military coffers - money which could have gone to soldiers fighting for our nation and dying in the fields!
In the very same month and year as the aforementioned story, December 2005, one of my family’s former security detail, Sgt Arnold Calixtro, died of malaria in the fields of Basilan.
I was devastated because I grew up with the Marine Sargent. When I queried why he died, the AFP told me that there was no proper medical attention given because of “lack of funds”.
If I had it my way, death by musketry to PLUNDERERS!
Another metaphor for you readers-
“Dishonesty is so grasping it would deceive God himself, were it possible” (g. bancroft)
“Dishonesty is so grasping it would deceive God himself, were it possible” (g. bancroft)
Posts
