Two offshore bank accounts in the Cayman Islands have been linked to Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Chair George Erwin Garcia, according to allegations made by Sagip Partylist Representative Rodante Marcoleta on Thursday, August 1.
Marcoleta highlighted a significant discrepancy between Garcia's emphatic denials—supported by an affidavit—and what he described as "authentic, untampered, and therefore conclusive" documentary evidence.
During a press conference, Marcoleta explained that his team verified Garcia's ownership of the accounts by depositing $100 into each.
In an interview on Dos Por Dos, Marcoleta elaborated that a volunteer in New York made the deposits online on July 26. The generated transaction record from JPMorgan Chase & Co. included Garcia's name, the last four digits of both accounts, and his Makati address, confirming the accounts' existence and activity.
"Pag tiningnan mo 'yung account activity nung may-ari ng account, na nag-deposit sa New York, e lumilitaw talaga na na-deposit 'yung $200—$100 each—to those existing, active accounts, in the name of Chairman George," he said.
"Unang-una, 'yung mismong transaction record, mayroon tayong nakuha, in both accounts. Pareho ang account name, ay George Erwin Mojica Garcia. 'Yung account number, nandoon. 'Yung huling apat lang ang pinakikita eh, pero alam na namin 'yung buong account number," the congressman went on.
Host Gerry Baja noted that such a receipt would typically only include an account number, and in some instances, a name. Marcoleta responded that JPMorgan Chase & Co. includes the recipient account holder's address in its deposit slips.
"Pero dito sa porma ng Chase Co business, nailalagay 'yung account number, account name, pati address eh," he answered.
He disclosed that, before his volunteer deposited $100 in both accounts, the last transaction made via the first one was on July 2, 2024, and in the second, July 11, 2024.
It doesn't end at two offshore bank accounts. As per Marcoleta's July 9 press conference, the COMELEC chair originally had a hefty 49 accounts, 22 of which he had closed two weeks prior to Marcoleta's presscon.
"Two weeks prior to that July 9 presscon, the Chairman George, alam niya na raw ito, ang existence ng mga informasyon with regard to this questionable accounts. Ngayon, by coincidence naman, two weeks prior to my July 9 presscon, 22 ng offshore accounts ang isinara nila," he told Baja.
"Apat, China and Hong Kong hub, labing-dalawa sa Caribbean, anim sa Singapore, at 'yung iba nga na remaining, ay na-transfer sa mga accounts sa pamamagitan ng, minsan, international transfer, karamihan naman, mayroon din namang domestic transfer. Pero sa pangalan na ng mga taong foreign-sounding name," he detailed.
Marcoleta has come forward with the allegation and proof to back his claims, but the work is not over for him and his team.
"Hindi pa natatapos ang aming verification," he stated. "Ang aming agreement nung aking verification team ay makakuha ng lahat ng mga nilahad nating mga accounts na ito, na mayroong malinaw na pagpapatibay ng mga bangko, at ang quality ng ebidensiya na makukuha ko will stand in court as well as in congressional hearings. Hindi po puwedeng mga xerox-xerox lang."
In putting forth his evidence, Marcoleta had only meant to initially quash Garcia's claim that he did not have a single offshore bank account.
"Dito sa ginawa nating paglalahad nitong mga dokumento ngayon, pinatunayan ko lang muna na hindi totoo 'yung kanyang denial na wala siyang offshore bank accounts. Kasi sinabi niya iyon, 'Kahit isa wala. Diyos ang aking saksi, at ako nag-execute,' aniya, 'ng affidavit of denial under oath para kung sakaling ako'y nagsisinungaling, ako po'y puwede nilang kasuhan.'"
In response to Garcia's challenge to prove the veracity of the evidence against him, Marcoleta clapped back that it was up to the COMELEC chair to show that the documents had been falsified.
"Patunayan niya na peke ito, kagaya ng ginawa niya noon doon sa mga inilahad ni Congressman Erice," he said firmly.
"Kung gusto niya talagang ipa-certify, e di sulatan niya siguro 'yung JPMorgan Chase Company," he continued.
In the press conference on August 1, Marcoleta pointed out that the presence of these offshore bank accounts and the coinciding 18-billion-peso contract with substitute electoral service provider Miru Systems was suspicious. Garcia must explain, he said, we cannot sacrifice our elections.
