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Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Agent in ‘wiretapping’ taken from seminary
MANILA -- A military intelligence agent who allegedly bugged a supposed conversation between President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and an election official was taken out of a seminary in Makati City Monday.
Hours after Technical Sergeant Vidal Doble of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) left, Samuel Ong, who said Doble was one of three agents who did the wiretapping, followed.
The opposition led by Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. again called on President Arroyo to resign following the audio recordings wherein she allegedly talked with Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano about rigging the May 2004 elections.
Members of the President's family were also accused of receiving payoffs from jueteng operations, prompting her son, Representative Juan Miguel "Mikey" Arroyo, to take an indefinite leave of absence from Congress Monday.
In Cebu, support from the President's Lakas party allies and townsfolk remained strong as they held a rally in front of the Capitol.
The wiretapping scandal has resulted in conflicting statements from Doble and Ong, a former deputy director of the National Investigation Bureau.
Doble, who was escorted by Bishop Socrates Villegas and taken to Camp Crame, told ABS-CBN News that he was forced to claim the audio recording released by Ong last Friday came from ISAFP.
He admitted he was the military officer interviewed by Ong on video about the audio recording.
"They gave me something to read. I was told to read it," Doble said. He was also told to talk about corruption in the government.
Doble said he was promised a position in a "revolutionary government" once President Arroyo is deposed.
Immediately after the news broke out on Doble's release, a lawyer for Ong said the military intelligence agent was not kidnapped or detained illegally at the seminary.
Homobono Adaza told reporters that Doble came to the seminary Friday last week.
He said the ISAFP agent was already inside the seminary three hours before Ong's arrival.
Catholic Bishop Teodoro Bacani echoed Adaza's statement. He said Doble was not held against his will. He insisted that Ong cannot be liable for kidnapping charges.
Bacani was at the seminary Monday after his named cropped up as the one who received a copy of the tape from Ong. He said that the tape is already out of his hands. He did not identify its current keeper.
About 7:30 Monday night, Ong left San Carlos Seminary inside a black sports utility vehicle.
Manila Auxiliary Bishop Bernardino Cortez, supervisor of the seminary, earlier ordered Ong to immediately leave, after he was caught granting a media interview through a cell phone.
Cortez reportedly set a condition for Ong not to grant interviews while staying inside the seminary.
Ong sought refuge inside the seminary Friday night after he announced that he has the "mother of all tapes" that would prove President Arroyo committed election fraud.
But despite the jueteng payola and wiretapped conversation controversies, Senator Rodolfo Biazon said there is no rallying point or figure who will lead a people power against the Arroyo administration, at least for now.
He also dismissed fears of a military junta takeover of the government saying such a scenario is very remote.
But Biazon supports the suggestion of Pimentel for the President to resign, as well as her son Mikey and her brother-in-law, Negros Occidental Representative Ignacio "Iggy" Arroyo, who have been both linked to jueteng operations.
Biazon said "the capacity of the President to govern has been materially damaged so there must be an effort to repair the damage," adding that "if the capacity of a leader to govern is damaged, dangerous elements may step in and take the opportunity to grab power."
Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Ong will be arrested once a warrant is issued by a court.
The PNP has not imposed a deadline for Ong to surrender. He himself has not revealed his plans, saying he is consulting with his lawyers.
The PNP and the NBI will file charges of violation of the wiretapping law and inciting to sedition against Ong. He did not say before what court the charges will be submitted. (Sunnex Luzon/Sun.Star Cebu) |
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