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Saturday, September 08, 2007
2 phone firms linked to wiretapping
MANILA -- Former military intelligence agent Vidal Doble Jr., the only witness who appeared in the Senate hearing on the wiretapping issue, pointed at Smart and Globe Telecommunications as the service providers in the controversial "Hello Garci" taped conversations.
During Friday's hearing, Doble said some officials of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (Isafp) are in connivance with Smart and Globe in the wiretapping activities.
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Former Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Virgilio Garcillano Jr., Bishop Socrates Villegas of Bataan, and retired AFP chief Efren Abu were also invited but did not appear in the hearing.
Doble testified that at least 14 Isafp personnel, who he claimed were part of "Operation Light House," were tasked then to monitor the conversation of some government officials, including Garcillano, Senator Gregorio Honasan, the late Fernando Poe Jr., former Presidential Management Staff chief Michael Defensor, members of the Magdalo Group, former agriculture secretary Horacio Morales, and those considered enemies of the state.
The defense committee chaired by Senator Rodolfo Biazon is leading the inquiry into the wiretapping scandal.
According to Doble, he met with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's aide, Remedios Poblador, in June 2005 at the office of Abu, then the AFP chief, where he was reunited with his wife and two children.
"From June 2005 up to April 2006, my family has been under the custody of Isafp," Doble told the committees.
The former military spy also said he gave the master tape of the conversation between Garcillano and the President to former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agent Lito Santiago. Santiago was the one who handed the tape to former NBI deputy director Samuel Ong.
Doble also admitted he received P2 million cash from Ong, which was given to him allegedly by former movie actress Laarni Enriquez--who is a mistress of former President Joseph Estrada.
He said he was forced to lie during his appearance at the Court of Appeals (CA) and testify against Ong because of his family that was held hostage by the military.
He said from the San Carlos Seminary, he was ushered to a black van owned by then commodore Tirso Danga, who was then the Isafp chief. He said he was sure that the van was owned by Danga because the commodore's uniform was still inside the vehicle when they boarded it.
Doble was accompanied in the Senate by his three lawyers, Ronald Obaña, Alex Abisado Jr., and Noel Panganiban.
He said it is his own volition and decision to testify and come out and correct his testimony because his conscience has been bothering him.
Doble said he and his other teammates heard President Arroyo asking Garcillano to make sure she will maintain a one million-vote lead over Poe during the canvassing period, using the split signal system, 3600 cell phone in connivance with Smart and Globe.
But administration Senators Joker Arroyo and Juan Ponce Enrile laughed off the testimony of Doble, tagging him as a perjured witness with a questionable motive.
According to the two, Doble is a polluted witness because he has been changing his testimony for some reason or other.
Enrile was wondering why Doble, who admitted he had no bodyguard since his dismissal from the military this January 2007, did not encounter any harassment from the AFP yet claim that his life is in danger.
Biazon set the next hearing for next week. Those who will be invited to testify in the next hearing include Smart and Globe representatives from the operation department as well as Villegas who will now be summoned to testify. (CPB/Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Zamboanga. (September 8, 2007 issue)
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