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Thursday, December 08, 2005
Ex-poll official mum about tape
MANILA -- In the nine hours that former election commissioner Virgilio Garcillano faced a joint congressional inquiry Wednesday, he revealed little that the people did not know and dodged questions on what the people wanted to know.
Garcillano denied that he conspired with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to rig last year's polls although he admitted that he had talked to Arroyo over the phone, but only once.
That conversation between him and Arroyo happened 14 days after the elections or on May 24, 2004, and during that time, all election results were already submitted to the Senate, he said.
The President has been accused of electoral fraud, with the help of Garcillano.
The accusation-based on wiretaps of phone calls in which the President is allegedly heard speaking to an official, believed to be Garcillano, about ensuring a million-vote victory-set off her worst-ever political crisis.
"After the elections, I cannot remember talking to the President except once," Garcillano told the committees while being questioned by House Minority Leader Francis Escudero.
But Garcillano did identify several legislators that he also allegedly talked to in last year's elections including Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jamby Madrigal, Alfredo Lim, Richard Gordon, Mar Roxas III and Panfilo Lacson; Representatives Escudero, Allan Peter Cayetano, and Clavel Martinez; and former senator Loren Legarda.
Most of them denied Garcillano's claim.
Garci's phone pals
| | Vice presidential bet Loren Legarda | | Sen. Panfilo Lacson | | Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile | | Sen. Jamby Madrigal | | Sen. Alfredo Lim | | Sen. Richard Gordon | | Sen. Manuel Roxas III | | Sorsogon Rep. Francis Escudero | Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano
| Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez
| Cebu Rep. Clavel Martinez
| Lanao del Sur Rep. Benasing Macarambon
| Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez
| Quezon Rep. Rafael Nantes
| Isabela Rep. Anthony Miranda
| Parañaque Rep. Eduardo Zialcita
| Bulacan Rep. Silverio Lorna
| Sulu Rep. Munir Arbison
| | Valenzuela Rep. Bobbit Carlos | Misamis Oriental Rep. Ernie Clarete
| | Camiguin Rep. Jurdin Jesus Romualdo | | Camarines Sur Rep. Arnulfo Fuentebella | | Occidental Mindoro Rep. Ma. Amelita Villarosa | | Sultan Kudarat Rep. Suharto Mangudadatu | | Lawyer Liwayway Vinzons-Chato | | Pasig Mayor Vicente “Enteng” Eusebio |
Arroyo has apologized for a "lapse in judgment" in talking with an election official before the results were announced, but has denied influencing the outcome.
In September, Arroyo's allies in the House defeated an opposition move to impeach her.
Garcillano said he did not like it when the President made the "I'm sorry" speech last July.
"I don't accept for her to say I'm sorry because in fact there is nothing wrong if anyone talked to a Comelec official as long as you will not ask something that is irregular," Garcillano told the committee.
He also evaded the question if he was the one being referred to by the President in her speech.
"I think only the President could answer that," he told the committee.
Garcillano said it was "highly impossible" for him to manipulate election results alone.
"I am no Superman (to manipulate the election results)," he said, adding that to manipulate the results he would need a "kakutsaba (accomplice)."
Garcillano said he would not answer questions regarding the wiretapped conversation since there is a pending motion on the matter, which is subject of a Supreme Court ruling.
San Juan Representative Ronaldo Zamora asked him if it was his voice in the alleged wiretapped conversation with a woman whose voice was similar to the President.
"Show (me) the original tape and even without the Supreme Court ruling, I would answer that," Garcillano said.
He also told the legislators that he did not go abroad.
Garcillano, 68, earlier said he went into hiding at the height of the crisis five months ago amid alleged threats to his life and pressure from rival politicians for him to disclose what he knew of the allegations against the President.
But the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the former election official left for Singapore last July, a month after the wiretapped tapes surfaced.
DFA spokesman Gilberto Asuque said Wednesday that information given by the Singaporean foreign ministry showed that a certain "Virgilio Garcillano Jr." arrived in the city-state on July 14, 2005.
Garcillano said his life "got more miserable" when Congress issued an order for his arrest and when a P1-million bounty was put on his head.
He appeared at the hearing Wednesday morning looking at ease, though.
Garcillano appealed to the House committees on public information; public order and safety; suffrage and electoral reforms; national defense; and information, communications technology that he should be given chance to issue his prepared statement.
"I've been convicted before the bar of public opinion. I don't know if people will still believe me. I feel that that the balance of justice is out of balance," he said.
After he delivered his statement, Garcillano submitted his hand-written statement, which was attached to a four-page sworn statement, which he also signed in front of the members of the five committees. (Sun.Star Cebu/AP/Sunnex)
(December 8, 2005 issue)
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