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Thursday, June 09, 2005
Wenceslao: ‘Gloriagate’
By Bong O. Wenceslao
The expose on the taped telephone conversation supposedly between President Arroyo and Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano has, as expected, sparked a controversy. And for a reason: It involves a sore point in the last presidential elections, which is the claim by the camp of Fernando Poe Jr. that the Arroyo camp cheated to win.
Opposition leaders, eager as always to pounce on every controversy involving the Arroyo administration, has dubbed the controversy “Gloriagate,” an allusion to the Watergate scandal that forced then US president Richard Nixon to resign. Which is erroneous because Nixon was the one who bugged while Arroyo was the one bugged.
Anyway, the key here for both sides is to establish the authenticity of the recording. Malacañang apparently knows that because Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye was very quick to the draw. He immediately presented to the public what he claimed was the “original” recording to prove that the other tape was the tampered one.
So it is Malacañang’s word against the accusers. But whom should we believe? Media entities did bring the two tapes to voice experts who analyzed them using “state-of-the-art” equipment. The result tended to muddle the issue further. Even the National Bureau of Investigation couldn’t be definite, saying both tapes were probably tampered.
In the end, what we also have is a divided public. A good number of them think Tape 1 (which favors the opposition’s cause) is authentic and that Malacañang produced Tape 2 to counter it. This was given credence by the claim of lawyer Allan Paguia, who admitted distributing Tape 1, that he has in his possession an even longer recording.
But questions. From whom did Paguia receive it? Why did he edit the recording when he could just have presented it for better believability? Or who tapped the telephone conversation? Is he/she willing to testify to establish its authenticity? How can we be sure the man’s voice was that of Garcillano?
Meanwhile, a good number of people also think Tape 1 is fake and Tape 2 is authentic. But a few questions: Where did Bunye get Tape 2? Does that mean the President is also into taping his telephone conversations? If the man’s voice in the tape was not Garcillano but a certain Gary, who is Gary? Is he willing to come out?
Questions, questions. In the meantime, the national condition has gone bonkers again.
TEXTREAX. From S. Raborar of Banilad, Mandaue City: “It’s sad to admit the Pinoys’ penchant for tsismis. They act based on rumor then ask for proof later. Like Erap, President Arroyo may suffer the same fate.”
(khanwens@yahoo.com/ 0927-2055064)
(June 9, 2005 issue)
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