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Thursday, August 04, 2005
House probers cite ex-poll official in contempt
MANILA -- The five House committees investigating the wiretapping controversy involving President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo have cited former Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Virgilio Garcillano in contempt for his failure to attend Wednesday's hearing.
Garcillano had been summoned by the House investigating panels several times to appear in the hearing but he did not show up or send anyone who would represent him.
Cavite Representative Gilbert Remulla, who chairs the House committee on public information, said they decided to cite Garcillano in contempt so that the House of Representatives plenary can issue an arrest warrant that may ease the search for him.
The panels' recommendation for the issuance of a warrant of arrest against Garcillano was brought up Wednesday afternoon to the House plenary for approval.
House Speaker Jose de Venecia will be the one to issue the arrest warrant against Garcillano.
Remulla said the issuance of an arrest warrant will compel Garcillano to show up.
He added that once the arrest warrant is issued, they would ask the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation (BID) to issue a hold-departure order against Garcillano.
And if reports are true that Garcillano is already out of the country, the Cavite congressman also said they would coordinate with the International Police (Interpol) to locate and arrest him wherever he is.
Former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) deputy director Samuel Ong, who had also been summoned several times and did not appear in the hearing, sent lawyer Homobono Adaza to represent him.
Adaza reiterated that his client does not want to show up because of threats to his life.
Remulla said there was an administrative problem in the issuance of the subpoena to Ong. He said they would summon the former NBI official again in the next hearing and if he fails to attend, the committees will also cite him in contempt.
House sergeant-at-arms Bayani Fabic reported to the panels that the subpoena was served to the PNP, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and even the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) but the three agencies said they failed to locate Garcillano.
Fabic said Garcillano could not be found in his known home addresses in Cagayan de Oro City and Baungon town in Bukidnon province and even the place he last stayed, which is the Gotesco Towers in Ermita, Manila.
Baguio City Representative Mauricio Domogan moved to charge Garcillano for "repeatedly insulting Congress" by his absence. Other members of the five committees seconded the motion.
Military spy Vidal Doble of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (Isafp) and his erstwhile girlfriend Marietta Santos testified in Wednesday's hearing.
Santos, during the hearing, said the intelligence agent sold the tapes to Ong for P2 million but Doble refuted her claim and said it was the former NBI official who bribed him and that if he did not accept the amount, something bad would happen to his family.
Bayan Muna party-list Representative Satur Ocampo said Michaelangelo Zuce, a former political liaison officer of Malacañang who exposed the alleged payoff of elections officials to ensure the victory of President Arroyo in last year's presidential elections, may help Congress find Garcillano.
Ocampo said Zuce, a distant relative of Garcillano, had sad he first secured his uncle's permission before coming out publicly with his testimony against the President. "We will motion to summon Zuce to the joint hearing of the five committees," he said.
Makati City Representative Teodoro Locsin Jr., who heads one of the investigating panels, said he was planning to invite Zuce to the hearing.
Locsin said Zuce could shed light on the controversy since he admitted that he was "Louie" in the audiotapes. He is confident that they could get vital details that will help in the investigation.
But Remulla objected to the proposal, saying they would suspend the hearing indefinitely until Garcillano and Ong testify.
It was not yet known when the panels would resume the investigation, especially since the impeachment proceedings against President Arroyo would start next week.
Remulla said they would coordinate with the House committee on justice concerning the matter.
He said although they have sufficient information that will help them in drafting an effective Anti-Wiretapping Law, they need the testimonies of Garcillano and Ong in order for them to complete the report.
The House of Representatives is looking into alleged cheating in last year's presidential elections by President Arroyo based on the taped conversations.
The President has been accused of conspiring with Garcillano and other Comelec officials to manipulate the May 2004 presidential elections in her favor.
An earlier report said Garcillano left for Singapore last July 13 before proceeding to London "apparently to avoid the wiretapping scandal" but upon verification by the BID, there was no record of Garcillano's departure. (JFF)
(August 4, 2005 issue)
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