Garcia had pleaded guilty to offenses lesser than plunder and money laundering, the crimes he was originally charged with, and in exchange he would surrender over P100 million of the P303 million he allegedly stole from military coffers in a plea bargain he forged with prosecutors.

Enrile praised Mendoza for her courage in exposing the diversion of military funds into the pockets of top officials.

"That lady is a very credible witness. She's articulate, intelligent and courageous. She presented a very good case for the people of the Philippines,'' Enrile told reporters.

Testifying before the House justice committee, Mendoza detailed the money trail surrounding the P200 million United Nations fund, P50 million of which had allegedly been diverted and is missing.

Enrile, defense secretary during martial law, said he had been saddened by exposés on the standard practice of paying off the top brass from military funds.

“I did not have any problem of that kind. Of course, when you're dealing with men and women in a large organization, there are always aberrant individuals. It would seem the organization has been mired by the activities of certain individuals and I think there is a need to cleanse it,” he said.

He said the real solution lay with “letting the axe fall on the heads of whoever is guilty of misbehavior.'”

Enrile acknowledged that such exposes of corruption involving high-ranking officials would take its toll on the morale of military men deployed in the field.

“That will bring about a problem of morale in the Armed Forces. If an ordinary soldier will hear a thing like that, he will feel bad. Even the junior officers will feel bad. We should be very careful that the rank and file in the military will not be disillusioned and disaffected,” he said.

TJ Burgonion, Phil. Daily Inquirer