Cop to testify on Senate spying

A police officer will confirm before the Senate impeachment tribunal allegations that senators have been placed under surveillance and that their telephones have been tapped.

However, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr. refused to identify the police officer to reporters yesterday.

Pimentel said he had informed the impeachment court yesterday that the police officer had sent feelers that he is willing to testify in open court.

"I just told the court there is another police officer who is reportedly willing to testify openly that there was such a bugging of senator-judges, if he is available tomorrow he will testify, if not maybe on the following day," he said.

Yesterday, the Senate impeachment tribunal convened in executive session to hear the testimony of Lt. Col. Dioscoro Reyes, chief technical officer of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF), about the capability of the agency’s technical surveillance equipment.

Earlier, Reyes told the impeachment court that he could not testify in open court because the equipment’s details and capabilities are classified and involve national security.

"Since the issue here involves national security, I am willing to reveal the details of the equipment only in executive session," he said.

Reyes said the PAOCTF has P60 million worth of surveillance equipment which is used to monitor the activities of criminal syndicates.

Pimentel said Reyes testified on the capability of the PAOCTF’s surveillance equipment and not about actual bugging and surveillance of senators.

But Pimentel did not discuss details of the executive session, saying that Reyes had testified about the capability of the PAOCTF’s intelligence service to gather intelligence information.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Panfilo Lacson has denied a businessman’s claim that he had supplied P46 million worth of suveillance equipment to Camp Crame.

However, the businessman told The STAR late last month that he was prepared to testify before the Senate to shed light on the controversy.

Until authorities give him protection, the businessman wants to remain anonymous.

Last month reporters uncovered documents showing that the PNP bought electronic surveillance equipment three months ago.

The controversy started as the impeachment court was conducting hearings on allegations that the PAOCTF was bugging senators and other government officials. – Perseus Echeminada