Thursday, October 04, 2007 Church voices alarm over 'Garci general' By Lizanilla J. Amarga
A LAWYER known to be a "Garci-General" is now commanding the topmost seat of the regional office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and will be lording over the synchronized barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Elections this October 29 in the entire Northern Mindanao area.
This latest development has alarmed the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro led by Archbishop Antonio Ledesma and Mindanaoan Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr.
The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) and other investigative journalism bodies have placed lawyer Renato Magbutay as among those whose voices was recorded in the controversial Gloriagate scandal.
But in a TV interview, Magbutay denied that he is a "Garci boy" and said there is no strong evidence to prove that he engaged in any election cheating incident.
Magbutay is said to be among controversial Comelec commissioner Virgilio Garcillano top brass in rigging the elections in favor of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo especially against her strongest contender, the late Fernando Poe Jr.
Magbutay was then acting assistant director of Western Mindanao and then became the Comelec director for Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (Armm) until the “Hello Garci” issue broke.
Reports revealed that this new Comelec regional director is the "Boy" who discussed with Garcillano on June 5, 2004 the kidnapping of Rashma Hali, an election officer in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan.
As early as 2006, Comelec's just-resigned commissioner Benjamin Abalos Sr. has already signed an appointment in favor of Magbutay, the man mentioned in the "Hello Garci" tapes.
Magbutay was to replace lawyer Dennis Ausan as regional director of Comelec-Northern Mindanao starting October 1 this year.
Political paybacks
Ledesma, Pimentel, and former senior state prosecutor Rogelio Bagabuyo are one in asking for replacing Magbutay from the Comelec-Northern Mindanao office.
"We don't want anybody who figured in the Hello Garci tapes assigned here as our regional director," Ledesma said over a television interview.
Pimentel for his part said Magbutay is one of the Comelec field officials "promoted despite having been implicated in manipulating the 2004 polls."
This, as part of the “political payback” that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo owes to Magbutay and other Garci-Generals who rigged the elections in her favor.
Pimentel recalled how, in the Hello Garci tape, it was Magbutay who informed Garcillano about a woman election official who refused to take part in cheating and who could have gone into hiding in Manila.
"Magbutay supposedly suggested to Garcillano that the election officers’ family be kidnapped to flush her out of hiding," he said.
Investigated not promoted
Bagabuyo for his part said he is no longer surprised with this development.
"Since this administration's days are numbered it is no wonder that the cheats are getting all the ropes they need to hang themselves," he said.
Pimentel said he has long been asking then Comelec chairman Abalos that Magbutay together with the other Garci-Generals should be investigated not promoted.
"Unless these election officials are investigated, and meted out sanctions or grounded while the probe is going on," he said.
Pimentel surmised that Abalos can’t clamp down on these tainted election officials because he himself is being denounced as an alleged accomplice in the massive electoral fraud that has cast aspersions on the legitimacy of the Arroyo presidency.
He said the reason probably is that he (Abalos) could be hit back by these officers.
