A MALACANANG official told Rear Admiral Feliciano Angue to show proof of cheating during the 2004 and 2010 elections and that the Armed Forces is covering up the alleged poll fraud.
Lacierda said Angue should also go through the appropriate channels and abide by the military hierarchy.
“If there are any allegations that he’s being muscled, then let him show proof of that. As I understand, there’s a hierarchy that their democratic voice is not as open as any ordinary citizens. Iba po ang kultura po ng military—kung may problema siya at kung sinasabing siya ay binabara, ipaliwanag n’ya ‘yun,” he said.
Lacierda also shrugged off comparison between allegations of fraud during the 2010 elections where Aquino won and during the 2004 elections where former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo won.
He said Aquino’s five million votes is difficult to dismiss.
“Whatever statements that he (Angue) said, he could raise it up to the Chief of Staff and there’s a military hierarchy, whatever there’s a mode of redress of grievances from within, and let him handle it and course it through the military structure,” he added.
Lacierda also defended Aquino’s previous meetings held with the military during the campaign period citing that it was a dialogue where the AFP members expressed fears that they maybe use in the elections.
“He was informed of the status of the Armed Forces because there were fears that the Armed Forces were going to be used in the election in a manner that would be prejudicial to Senator Aquino. So iyun lang ho ang nangyari doon. It’s just a briefing on the situation at that point in time. After that wala na po,” he said.
Angue last week came out claiming that an alleged "Captain Ball" attempted to rig the results of the elections in Tawi-Tawi in 2004, where he was then commander of the Navy’s Task Force 62.
He said he declined the offer of millions of pesos and any position that he wanted in the AFP in exchange for joining the cheating machinery.(JMR/Sunnex)