SENATOR Franklin Drilon urged the Office of the Solicitor General to ask the Supreme Court to void the ruling of the Sandiganbayan approving the plea bargain agreement between the Ombudsman and retired Lt.Gen.Carlos Garcia.

“I would urge the Solgen to bring this up to the SC.  I have read the motion of intervention of the Solgen and there is merit to the contention that they have asserted including the fact that no consent was given by the DOJ (Department of Justice) and the Solgen particularly on this issue,” Drilon said.

Sen. Francis Escudero also wants the OSG to appeal the denial of its intervention.

“I do not think the plea bargain should have been approved,” said Escudero as he urged the DOJ and the incoming Ombudsman to pursue the case based on the evidence gathered from a series of Senate inquiries.

“The magnitude of Garcia’s trespasses against foot soldiers and against every tax-paying Filipino cannot be discounted just like that. He belongs in jail, both him and the likes of Gen. Ligot who raped not only the military coffer but its system even more,” Escudero said.

Drilon said he was not surprised by the decision but is “totally disappointed.”

“When they allowed Gen. Garcia to enter a plea on a much lesser offense, which is bribery, and allowed him to post bail, it only means that plunder has been withdrawn and this withdrawal is based on the terms of the compromise agreement,” he said.

The Department of Justice however was unfazed by the decision, saying all is not lost.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said it was a disappointing development but the DoJ can file a motion for  reconsideration with the Sandiganbayan or elevate the issue to the Supreme Court.

“All is not lost because there are remedies under the law.

Pero kailangan siguro mag-file na muna ng motion for reconsideration although we will discuss that with the Solicitor General kung ano ang next move,” De Lima told Palace reporters.     With  Efren Montano