Philippine court sentences retired general to two years because of corruption

A military court on Friday sentenced a retired Philippine general to two years of hard labor after he was convicted of massive corruption and illegal acquisition of millions of dollars (euros) while handling the military's budget. The court found Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia, the most senior officer accused of corruption, guilty on two major charges, including failure to truthfully declare assets for several years.

In a verdict read by the court's head, Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Teodosio, Garcia was also dishonorably discharged from service and would forfeit all pay and allowances, including his pension. Garcia has pleaded innocent. He faces separate charges before a civilian anti-graft court.

Rampant graft in the 117,000-member military has sparked several rebellions by disgruntled troops in recent years. The military has been struggling with corruption and a lack of weapons and equipment in the face of raging Marxist and Muslim insurgencies and terror threats, reports the AP. I.L.