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Friday, July 01, 2005
House plays tape of Arroyo 'chat' in hearing
MANILA -- The House of Representatives played late Thursday a recording of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's alleged conversation with then Commission on Elections Commissioner Virgilio Garcilliano following heated discussions among congressmen on whether to air it and which version.
In accordance with the congressmen's vote, Allan Paguia's edited version of the controversial audio recordings began playing in the House session hall at past 10 p.m. Thursday. Paguia is a former lawyer of deposed President Joseph Estrada.
The audiotape reportedly contains the wiretapped recordings showing Arroyo talking to Garcillano about rigging the 2004 presidential polls. Arroyo had apologized earlier this week for what she called a "lapse in judgment" that had her calling an election official, which she did not name, to ask about election results last year. She said her call was meant only to protect her votes.
The five House committees looking into the controversial wiretapped recordings agreed Thursday night to play the audiotape in an open session.
Before agreeing to have the tape played, opposition and administration legislators argued on whether to play it in public or in an executive session and if they should use Paguia's edited version of the wiretapped recordings.
Sorsogon Representative Francis Escudero reiterated his appeal to the committees to have the version recorded by Paguia in a compact disc (CD) played in an open session. The CD was the one Paguia submitted to the committees in a previous hearing.
Escudero said his plea was just meant to help Paguia recognize whether the compact disc (CD) presented to him in last Wednesday's hearing is the same one he submitted to the committees to avoid speculation that changes had been made to its content.
Paguia earlier said he could not say if it was his CD unless he hears the contents of the material because he was the one who recorded it.
He said a person who he refused to identify provided him two original copies of the alleged conversation between Arroyo and Garcillano. He said after having reviewed the almost three-hour conversation, he decided to reduce it to 32 minutes by picking out "highlights".
Camarines Sur Representative Luis Villafuerte called on anybody who has the original audiotape to go to Congress and present it so that it can be played.
Villafuerte said members of the House majority bloc are not against the playing of the tape in public or in an executive session provided that the materials that will be played are genuine.
Bayan Muna party-list Representative Teddy Casiño accused the administration of delaying the investigation to protect President Arroyo. He said the administration congressmen have resorted to all kinds of maneuvers "to hide the truth behind the audiotapes".
Casiño said Arroyo's allies in the House of Representatives should not stop other House members try to ferret out the truth. He added that the people would not tolerate "antics" by Surigao del Sur Representative Prospero Pichay and Davao City Representative Prospero Nograles who are hatching all sorts of plots against the hearings.
"They (administration congressmen) could remain supportive of Mrs. Arroyo; that is their choice. They could even join her in plunging down to her political plunge. But they should not stop other House members in trying to ferret out the truth," he said.
Pichay criticized Casiño for issuing such remarks as he asked it be stricken off the record for being "unparliamentary". He said Casino's remarks are an attack on the integrity of House members belonging to the majority bloc.
Cavite Representative Gilbert Remulla, the lead chair of the investigating committees, said members have agreed to air the audiotape but the debate as to whether what tapes would be aired were ongoing as of press time.
The congressmen also debated on whether there is a need for the original tape to be played first in an executive session with the five committee chairmen and leaders of the House majority and minority blocs present to determine if the contents of the audiotapes would not put national security in danger before having it played in public. (JFF/Sunnex)
Click here for a chronology of the crisis.
Click here for the transcript of Arroyo's confession.
(July 1, 2005 issue)
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