3 generals on tape asked to explain

First posted 00:46am (Mla time) July 02, 2005
By Michael Lim Ubac, Philip C. Tubeza
Inquirer News Service

Editor's Note: Published on page A1 of the July 2, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

WERE the police and the military involved in the alleged conspiracy to rig the May 2004 elections?

Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez, former chair of the House defense committee, wants the answers to come from Philippine National Police chief Arturo Lomibao and the military generals whose names were mentioned in the "Gloriagate" audio tapes played at the House in open session on Thursday night.

Golez, who recently bolted the administration party, said Lomibao, Maj. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, and other military officers should clarify their roles during the elections after they were accused of involvement in rigging the May 2004 elections.

"One of the modus operandi in electoral fraud revealed in the tapes is the participation of the military and the PNP,'' Golez said.

Lomibao was then chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group while Esperon was the AFP deputy chief of staff for operations. In March this year, Lomibao was promoted PNP chief. Esperon will replace Lt. Gen. Generoso Senga as Army chief.

"Any general mentioned in the tapes who fails to be cleared must be retired,'' he added.
He said both Lomibao and Esperon occupy sensitive posts and "must not be tainted by suspicion that they participated in electoral fraud.''

3 generals mentioned

In the tapes submitted by lawyer Alan Paguia, the man believed to be former election commissioner Virgilio Garcillano told a woman said to be President Macapagal-Arroyo that he had to talk to Esperon and Southern Command chief Lt. General Roy Kyamko so that then 1st Marine Brigade commander Brig. Gen. Francisco Gudani, whom they suspected of working for the opposition in Marawi, would be transferred "for a while.''

The Inquirer had reported on May 16, 2004 that Gudani and two other military officers were relieved on April 1 that year or more than a month before the elections.

In another conversation, the man believed to be Garcillano told the President that Lomibao was in Zamboanga and that "people around us talk to him so that they will be able to prevent what (garbled) happened.''

Congress is expected to wrap up its investigation into the tapes by Thursday.

"What is expected to happen this week is for us to finish by either Wednesday or Thursday. There's a possibility that our hearings would end on Wednesday,'' said Cavite Rep. Gilbert Remulla.

Ong's security

Remulla said that among those invited to testify next week are former National Bureau of Investigation deputy director Samuel Ong and officers of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines who were suspected of bugging the President's conversations.

Remulla assured the former NBI official of his security while in Congress.

The chairmen of five committees have decided not to write and ask the President for her comment after she admitted that it was her voice on the controversial tapes, Remulla said.

However, the committees would still write First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, former Sen. Robert Barbers and Garcillano, since House rules require that they should be informed that their names were mentioned during the investigation, Remulla said.

"They can come and comment or they can choose to ignore or refuse to dignify [the letter],'' he said.

He said they had sent letters to the office of Garcillano and his last known address but received no reply.

All tapes to be played

Remulla said he would talk with other chairmen to decide when to stop the hearings since the committee would have to come out with a report.

"We want to put a closure to this although I'm still arguing with the majority that, at this point, (the testimonies) are not enough. We need to get a few more resource persons. We need to listen to other tapes that were subpoenaed,'' he added.

He said the contents of the tapes could be a subject of a separate hearing by another committee.

After hearing Paguia's version of the "Gloriagate" audio tape, the joint House committee will play all other recordings next week.

"We are after the truth, the whole truth, so let's play all the tapes," said Remulla.

Besides the CD version of the tape that Paguia submitted, the committees had also subpoenaed the two CDs presented by Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye to the media on June 6, which were forwarded to the NBI, and the four "master" tapes in the possession of Ong.

But he said Paguia should submit his original tapes or the committees would hold him in contempt.

'Mother of all tapes'

Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay challenged Ong to present the supposed "mother of all tapes" in the House hearing to "lay bare all the personalities, both administration and opposition figures, who were mentioned and identified in the tapes."

Pichay said that the Paguia tape "comprised the most incriminating alleged conversations of the President regarding the elections."

"But this is only an illegitimate child. We want Mr. Ong to give us his version of the mother tape which also contains interesting conversations of key opposition figures, in and out of public office," said Pichay.

For his part, Bacolod City Rep. Monico Puentevella wants Paguia to submit to the committees the three-hour long tape, which was the source of the shorter version played out the other night.

Minority over majority

While the tape was being played, Cibac party-list Rep. Joel Villanueva told the Inquirer that what was happening was "unprecedented and historic" because the "minority had prevailed over the majority.

Bukidnon Rep. Juan Miguel Zubiri said the decision of the majority to endorse House Minority Leader Francis Escudero's motion to have the tape played in open session proved to all that "this House will not obstruct the truth."

Davao Oriental Rep. Joel Mayo Almario said it effectively negated the opposition charges of stonewalling and cover up against the administration.

Lanao del Sur Rep. Benasing Macarambon, who abstained from casting a vote because he was "still unconvinced" of its propriety, said the administration bloc was "one with the opposition in the search for the truth."

'Nothing to hide'

In Malacañang, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye yesterday said the playing of the "Gloriagate'' tapes in open session proved that President Arroyo has nothing to hide.

"The action of her House allies shows their confidence that the President did nothing illegal or impeachable, Their initial reluctance was more on possible legal implications in the treatment of wiretapped materials,'' said Bunye in a statement.

With a report from Gil C. Cabacungan Jr.