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Saturday, December 10, 2005
Senate threatens to arrest ex-poll official
MANILA -- The Senate committee on national defense and security on Friday warned it will order the arrest of former election commissioner Virgilio Garcillano if he would continue to snub hearings on the "Hello Garci" wiretapping controversy.
Senator Rodolfo Biazon, chairman of the committee, said they have invited Garcillano to the next hearing and if he fails to attend again, a subpoena would be issued to him. If he still won't show up, the committee would be forced to order his arrest.
Biazon said under Senate procedures, the panel would have to first invite a witness or resource person at least twice to a hearing before a subpoena could be issued.
A repeat of absence in the inquiry despite the subpoena would compel the investigating body to issue an arrest warrant against the witness or resource person, he added.
He said he hopes the camp of Garcillano would abide by the rules of the Senate.
He said he accepted Garcillano's reason of fatigue for not appearing in Thursday's hearing.
Garcillano had attended a whole-day hearing at the House of Representatives a day before the Senate inquiry.
The Senate panel, in the next hearing, will investigate military intelligence agents who allegedly wiretapped the conversations between Garcillano and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on the alleged rigging of the 2004 presidential elections .
Following last Thursday's hearing on the wiretapping scandal, Biazon said it appears that the "Hello Garci" tape was indeed manufactured by agents of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (Isafp), including Technical Sergeant Vidal Doble, who was reportedly the source of the so-called "mother of all tapes."
He said the wiretapping of the President is a serious offense that should not be repeated. He wants to know who ordered the Isafp agents to illegally record President Arroyo's talks with some individuals.
The senator, however, is unsure if the Isafp agents would be allowed to testify in the Senate hearing as Executive Order 464 issued by the President prohibits them from doing so.
On claims of Marietta Santos, Doble's girlfriend, that the Isafp wiretapped President Arroyo, Colonel Tristan Kison, Armed Forces Public Information Office chief, challenged her to substantiate her allegations in the proper forum.
"Well, she who alleges should prove. With all these allegations, the proper venue are the courts," he said in a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo.
On whether the Isafp has the capability to wiretap, Kison said: "I have no idea." The Armed Forces earlier claimed the Isafp is incapable of wiretapping activities and that it is not part of the job of the military intelligence unit to do such things.
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye branded as mere "hearsay" Santos's claims.
Bunye said Santos had no direct knowledge of the actual activities of the Isafp.
Asked if Malacañang has any plans of verifying the reports, he said: "The bottom line for our President is whether she won the election or not, and our answer to that is the President won the election."
During Thursday's hearing, Santos told the Senate that Doble and 13 other Isafp agents wiretapped President Arroyo and Garcillano at the Imperial Hotel in Quezon City.
She named the other military spies as Colonel Sumayo; Captains Rebong, Sagui and a certain 214; Master Sergeants Villedo and Callos; and Technical Sergeants Abato and Cando.
Santos said the operation was authorized by a military official who she did not name, adding that the wiretapping facilities used in wiretapping the President was housed inside the Isafp compound at the Camp Aguinaldo.
She said former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Samuel Ong allegedly paid Doble's group P2 million for a copy of the President's taped talks. (JFF/JMR/Sunnex)
(December 10, 2005 issue)
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