Gov't covered up escape of Garcillano, says solon

First posted 01:53am (Mla time) Sept 05, 2005
By Philip C. Tubeza, Nikko Dizon
Inquirer News Service

ALLEGING A MASSIVE government cover-up, a ranking lawmaker yesterday demanded the sacking of the heads of two state agencies and the stripping of the license of an air charter company for their alleged role in spiriting Virgilio Garcillano out of the country.

Garcillano, a former election commissioner, left the country last month at the height of the political crisis triggered by an election fraud scandal.

Cavite Representative Gilbert Remulla said a "top-level" diplomatic source had told him that Singapore had already provided the Department of Foreign Affairs with details of Garcillano's secret flight to the city-state on July 14 but that the DFA continued to give his office "the runaround."

He said that among the flight details supplied by the Singaporean government -- and which the Inquirer reported last month -- was that Garcillano had flown to Singapore on Subic Air RP-C1426 and he took off for the United Kingdom on a commercial flight the following day.

Garcillano's final destination was not known.

"This is a very big cover-up," said Remulla, lead chairman of the House investigation into the so-called "Gloriagate" tapes dealing with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's supposed attempt to tamper with the results of the 2004 presidential election.

Remulla, speaking at a press conference and on radio, called for the resignation of Immigration Commissioner Alipio Fernandez and Air Transportation Office chief Nilo Jatico.

No report, says DFA

He urged the government to revoke the permit of Subic Air to operate, and "suspend or revoke" the licenses of the pilots allegedly involved.

DFA spokesperson Gilberto Asuque told the Inquirer the department "has not yet received the official report of the Philippine Embassy in Singapore on how Mr. Garcillano arrived in Singapore."

Fernandez could not be reached for comment despite calls to him, while Jatico said the ATO had nothing to do with Garcilllano's flight but would investigate Subic Air and its pilot. Subic Air was also not available for comment.

Remulla, chair of the House public information committee, accused the administration of orchestrating the supposed cover-up.

Hiding the truth?

He said that when House officials on Wednesday inquired with the DFA about the official communication from the Singaporean government, they were just given the "runaround."

"They are really hiding the truth," he told reporters.

Remulla, in a statement, said the information he obtained about Garcillano was given to him by "friends in the foreign service." He refused to name his sources.

The House of Representatives last month issued an arrest warrant for Garcillano after he refused to show up at the investigation into the Gloriagate tapes.

Truth in the recordings

"This cover-up of Garcillano's departure only further solidifies the perception that that there is truth to the conversations in the 'Hello Garci' recordings," he said.

Remulla said that based on the information he received from his diplomatic sources, Garcillano flew to Singapore on the same plane and flight which he said the ATO and the BI had repeatedly claimed did "not contain any record of any passenger except for its crew."

He said the plane was flown by Captain Arthur Santos and Captain Wilfredo Bautista with flight engineer Benito Hafalia and it was flown to Singapore assertedly for maintenance purposes.

Subic Air is reportedly owned by a close friend of the President, Remulla added.

No passengers

"How was Garcillano able to connive with the ATO, BI and Subic Air to make it appear that he never left the country? For a commissioner, his influence over the two government agencies and a private airplane charter company is astounding, to say the least," Remulla said.

The immigration officer who signed RP-C1426's flight clearance to Seletar, Singapore, remained resolute that the document indicated that there were only three crew members -- the pilot, copilot and the flight engineer -- and that there were no passengers on the flight.

"There's nothing less, nothing more. I have nothing, really nothing to fear, because Virgilio Garcillano was not in the flight manifest," Raymond Pilac told the Inquirer. "I will bet my name that he was not on the (flight's) general declaration."

With a report from Leila Salaverria