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Friday, June 24, 2005
Glo allies gang up on Clavel
IN RAISING doubts about President Arroyo’s poll results in Cebu, Rep. Clavel Asas-Martinez accomplished something two cities’ officials have failed to do: She got Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña and Rep. Eduardo Gullas to agree on something.
Osmeña cautioned Congresswoman Martinez against giving statements in the ongoing House inquiry that tend to “make cheats out of the Cebuano voters.”
“Let’s just keep at the back of our minds that they are in effect accusing Cebu of cheating and there’s a limit to this kind of innuendoes,” he told a news conference yesterday.
Gullas, in a press statement, said he “made it of record in yesterday’s public hearing that Martinez’s sweeping statements are an insult to all Cebuanos.”
“As far as the first congressional district of Cebu is concerned, President Arroyo won handily, fair and square,” Gullas said, on Day 3 of a joint committee hearing on the alleged wiretapping.
The House of Representatives will resume next week an inquiry into the allegations, which sprang from audio recordings of a woman sounding like Arroyo talking to a man believed to be a member of the Commission on Elections, apparently about vote-rigging.
‘Mutated’
But National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Reynaldo Wycoco testified yesterday that the tapes it had examined had all been “tampered” with. There was no way to identify whose voices had been recorded.
“It appears this tape has mutated into many different tapes, and it has become extremely difficult for us investigators,” Wycoco said.
Martinez, in last Wednesday’s hearing, volunteered to submit her copy of a tape, which reportedly showed Cebu’s results were rigged. She also said she felt sorry for defending Arroyo’s victory last year.
Her comments struck a nerve, going by reactions from Gullas and Osmeña, who have been at odds over ownership of part of the South Reclamation Project.
“When they say GMA cheated and Cebu gave her the one million majority, we’re not far behind. They’re going to accuse us of cheating also. A point will come when we have to say enough is enough, their candidate lost, period,” Osmeña said.
Meanwhile, Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) President Winston Garcia plans to file a complaint against Martinez before Congress’ committee on ethics, “for issuing irresponsible statements.”
Prove it
In a radio dyLA interview, Garcia challenged Martinez to produce her tape and prove that a conversation took place between him and former Elections Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, supposedly about rushing the proclamation of Cebu’s governor.
Winston explained that he knows Garcillano, but that they do not call each other. He only met Garcillano when the latter and his employees went to the GSIS to avail themselves of an e-card.
Winston also said that what Martinez did was an act of desperation that insulted all Cebuano voters.
“I’m not a member of the party, but if Lakas has any integrity and moral leadership left, it should do something about this. Will Lakas allow someone who has just done that to remain within its ranks?” said Capitol consultant Pablo John Garcia.
Winston and Pablo John’s sister Gwendolyn defeated former congressman Celestino Martinez Jr., the congresswoman’s husband, in last year’s gubernatorial elections.
Back in Manila, President Arroyo called yesterday for an end to “political warfare” as pressure mounted on her to answer allegations that she stole last year’s vote.
Sabotage
“Those who plot against the government in this time of clear danger from external factors are no better than economic saboteurs,” Arroyo said in a speech. “They have nothing good to contribute to our country but bring about the miseries for one and all.”
Also yesterday, former defense secretaries Renato de Villa and Fortunato Abat separately called on Arroyo to explain herself.
Militant groups are expected to hold today another “national day of protest” to culminate in a march to Malacañang.
The country’s 113,000-strong police force has been placed on high alert to thwart possible violence. MBG/LCR/With Sunnex |
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