Thursday, July 07, 2005 (Philippines)

Lawyer Allan Paguia (above left) who provided the tape to the House probers admitted yesterday it was former senator Kit Tatad (right), an opposition leader and a critic of the President, who gave him the tape last May 15. Paguia said he is no longer bound by the lawyer-client confidentiality because Tatad himself owned up the tapes in an earlier Time magazine article. (Sun.star file) MANILA -Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Benjamin Abalos said former commissioner Virgilio Garcillano should now come out in public, after he admitted having talked to President Arroyo during the election period last year. “Come out in the open and tell the truth. At least that is fair enough with the people,” Abalos urged Garcillano. The poll commissioner, who has been in hiding for weeks, denied plotting to rig the vote in comments published yesterday. He said the secretly recorded tape had been tampered with. [full story]