2 military officers testify on election fraud
Other military officials no-show at Senate probe

First posted 11:39am (Mla time) Sept 28, 2005
By TJ Burgonio
Inquirer News Service

(3RD UPDATE) The country’s top military officials failed to attend a Senate hearing on the “Hello, Garci” wiretap controversy on Wednesday morning.
But two military officers defied a Malacañang order that they should not appear before the 10 a.m. hearing called by the Senate committee on national defense and security.

Philippine Military Academy (PMA) assistant superintendent Brigadier General Francisco Gudani and assistant commandant of the PMA corps of cadets Colonel Alexander Balutan testified on fraud committed during the May 2004 presidential elections.

Gudani testified before the Senate that he was relieved as commander of the 1st Marine Brigade “for ensuring clean and honest elections” in Lanao del Sur province during the elections.

He said he saw vote-buying and other irregularities aimed at securing Arroyo's election victory.

"This is the only place where I saw cheating from start to end," he said of Lanao del Sur where Arroyo won voters from other towns," to polling centers while politicians handed out money to buy votes, Gudani said.

He was among the military and police officials mentioned in the wiretapped conversation believed to have been between former elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. In the conversation, Garcillano was said to have mentioned that Gudani was sympathetic to the opposition.

Balutan said Gudani’s replacement as brigade commander ordered him to support administration candidates. He said his specific order was to “slacken security in canvassing centers.” Balutan was then a battalion commander under the 1st Marine Brigade.

Upon the motion of Senator Panfilo Lacson, the two were placed under the legal custody of the Senate lest they be declared absent without leave (AWOL).

Gudani also told the Senate that he received information that First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo used a helicopter to transport “bundles of money” amounting to millions to Iligan City during the elections. He, however, said he did not know what the money was for.

Lawyer Jesus Santos, a spokesman for Arroyo's husband, who is overseas, denied the general's accusations and hit back at Gudani in a statement, saying the general was spreading falsehood and "black propaganda."

He accused Gudani of being a longtime supporter of opposition figures and of resorting to hearsay.

Commission on Elections chair Benjamin Abalos Sr. questioned why Gudani was exposing alleged fraud committed during the May 2004 presidential elections only now.

"If he were present when the fraud was committed, if he had seen it happen, what did he do as an officer of the military? Did he arrest anybody?" Abalos asked.

He also faulted Gudani for the "hearsay" and "second-hand information" he divulged during the hearing.

Armed Forces chief General Generoso Senga, Army chief Lieutenant General Hermogenes Esperon, Vice Admiral Mateo Mayuga, Deputy chief of staff for intelligence Rear Admiral Tirso Danga and Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) chief Brigadier General Marlu Quevedo did not show up during the hearing.

In a letter to the Senate on Tuesday, Senga said they were attending to some operational matters.

In a second letter, given on Wednesday, Senga said they have not been granted written authority by the President to appear before the hearing.