Golez hits Bunye blunder in handling tape scandal

Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez on Wednesday said he was surprised about parts of the testimony of Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye including President Arroyo's "casual" reaction when first informed about the existence of the alleged wiretaps.

Golez, chairman of the House defense committee, said he questioned Bunye's earlier statement that one of the two audio compact discs (CDs) he played before Malacañan reporters on June 6 was original and the other one altered.

Bunye testified Tuesday before a congressional inquiry that he received the two CDs in the morning of June 6 and played the two recordings before the reporters a few hours later after talking to the President.

He admitted that he told reporters that one of the CDs was genuine and the other one altered based on the labels on the CDs.

"Alam ninyo kung pakinggan mo ang tape, masyadong matindi ang implikasyon. Kung ikaw ay aasa sa label kung ano ang altered at ano ang genuine, parang hindi gawain iyon ng isang responsableng Cabinet member," Golez said.

Golez said when Bunye described the President's reaction when the audiotape surfaced, it appeared that Mrs. Arroyo's response was very casual.

Golez said instead of calling a press conference, Mrs. Arroyo and Bunye should have studied the audiotape first as it contained serious allegations.

Golez said he also noted Bunye's retraction of his earlier statement that he was 98 percent sure that the voice heard in the recording was the President's.

"Tapos noong tinanong ko kung nakikilala niya ang boses ng Presidente sapagkat iyon ang unang pahayag niya, biglang nag-iba na. Ang sabi niya ay hindi niya daw makilala kasi ang tape ay posibleng kopya ng kopya ng kopya ng kopya, kaya nagbabago ang boses," Golez said.

He added Bunye, as press secretary, should be an expert on multimedia.

He also urged President Arroyo and Election Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano to issue statements on the authenticity of the recordings.

Golez, a former national security adviser to President Arroyo, said the wiretapping controversy was a national security issue as it involved the possible illegal recording of the President's conversations.

He said the inquiry would touch on the use of information and communication technology, on wiretapping equipment and possible electoral fraud.

Golez's committee is among the five panels investigating the alleged wiretapped conversations of the President.

The House of Representatives inquiry into the audiotape got off to a slow but emotional start Tuesday as a debate raged on the floor and a scuffle erupted at the gallery.

Golez decried delays in the conduct of the inquiry as the hearing started more than two hours late after pro-administration lawmakers raised a string of issues, ranging from the ground rules for the investigation to the venue of the proceeding.

"My conclusion is that - we could probably speed this up a bit. I think the things we talked about, it is normal to wrap it up in 30 minutes and not two and a half hours," he said.

The inquiry was also delayed after House security personnel forcibly evicted about a dozen members of anti-Arroyo groups, led by Linggoy Alcuaz of the FPJ Volunteer Brigade, the actor Rez Cortez and a lawyer, Bernie Luceros.

Security guards detailed at the session hall also stopped militants from the youth groups Anakbayan and League of Filipino Students from distributing copies of the alleged wiretapping CDs.