Comelec chief Garcia asks AMLC to probe bribery allegations

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairperson George Erwin Garcia on Wednesday requested the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to investigate allegations he received bribe money from a South Korean firm through offshore bank accounts.

In a letter addressed to AMLC Executive Director Matthew David, Garcia said he also issued a waiver authorizing the anti-money laundering body to open and investigate the alleged bank accounts.

“I am writing to formally request the AMLC conduct a full and thorough investigation into the baseless and defamatory allegations that have been circulating against me,” the letter read.

“These allegations claim that I have been accepting bribe money from a Korean firm and purportedly hold numerous bank accounts across various banks in Singapore, North America, China, and the Caribbean,” it said.

Garcia said he executed a waiver of secrecy of bank deposits and an affidavit of denial to address the “serious accusations” and to allow the AMLC “to open and investigate the bank accounts allegedly under my name and to inquire with your counterparts or equivalent agencies in the mentioned foreign countries to determine the existence or non-existence of such accounts.”

On Tuesday, SAGIP party-list Representative Rodante Marcoleta questioned the Comelec’s awarding of the P18-billion automated election contract to a joint venture led by South Korean firm Miru Systems amid the alleged existence of 49 offshore bank accounts that received money from South Korean banks.

Marcoleta said the decisions made during the bidding process up to the awarding of the contract to Miru coincided with deposits made to the offshore accounts that he said are apparently linked to a Comelec official.

Garcia admitted Marcoleta was alluding to him but denied he owned any foreign bank accounts or properties.

The Comelec chief said he had known of the “demolition job” for two weeks and had asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to determine the source of the accusations, the individuals responsible for spreading them, as well as the details and validity of the bank accounts referenced in the claims.

“Given the potential implications of these allegations on the integrity and independence of the Commission on Elections and the electoral process, I urge the AMLC to prioritize this investigation,” Garcia said.

“The public's trust in our democratic institutions is paramount, and there is an urgent need for the public to be informed of the outcome of this investigation. It is vital that this matter [be] resolved swiftly to maintain public confidence and ensure the integrity of our electoral system,” he said.

“I trust that the AMLC will handle this investigation with the utmost diligence and integrity,” Garcia added. —VBL, GMA Integrated News