MANILA, Philippines - Former first gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo funded the operation to switch election returns in 2005, according to a police officer being eyed as witness in the government’s investigation into alleged massive fraud in the 2004 presidential elections.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Senior Superintendent Rafael Santiago told her in a meeting about Arroyo’s involvement but investigators would have to verify the police officer’s claims.
“He mentioned something about FG (First Gentleman Arroyo). The funding allegedly came from FG. But as to whether he has personal knowledge, I don’t know. That is what we have to verify,” De Lima told reporters. She said her meeting with Santiago and five other officers took place on Tuesday.
Asked if the former first gentleman would be summoned and eventually charged for election offense, she said it would depend on the progress of the joint probe by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on alleged irregularities in the 2004 and 2007 elections.
In a statement, Arroyo said Santiago’s claims were based on “hearsay evidence.”
“Our persecution continues. We are continuously being vilified and maligned based on hearsay evidence. I don’t know these people spreading these lies about me,” Arroyo said.
De Lima said those found involved in poll anomalies face a host of charges including bribery; persuading, inducing or influencing public officers to violate rules, and other offenses covered by Republic Act 3019 or Anti-Graft and Corruption Act.
“There were talks and stories about them (potential witnesses) already before. And the video they have, other people already knew about that either in 2005 or 2006 when the ‘Hello, Garci’ controversy broke. This group tried to come out but they just didn’t push through,” she said.
De Lima said Santiago and five of his men, all active members of the Special Action Force (SAF), are set to submit sworn affidavits today detailing their involvement in the switching of election returns (ERs) at the Batasang Pambansa building. She assured the team they would be given government protection.
The DOJ chief confirmed that Santiago also implicated former PNP chief and now Zambales Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane, former SAF director Chief Superintendent Marcelino Franco, election lawyer Roque Bello and his son Roel Bello in the ER switching operation.
Ebdane said he “will answer the allegation in the proper forum.”
“I cannot quarrel with him in the media. These are allegations I don’t intend to dignify. As to his motives, please address that to him. Let the issue run its course,” he said in a statement.
De Lima said Santiago claimed to have received specific instructions from Ebdane and Franco to join in an operation to steal original ERs from the House of Representatives building and replace them with fake ones.
She said that according to Santiago, at least four break-ins happened in January 2005, all during weekends.
Santiago’s team, according to De Lima, stole about 6,000 original ERs and replaced them with fake ones so that then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo would still emerge as the winner in the event of a recount. Official poll results showed her winning over closest rival Fernando Poe Jr. by over a million votes.
Santiago kept 50 stolen ERs for himself “just for assurance.”
“We examined all of these four ERs, we know the security marks and our initial determination or finding is that these are authentic,” De Lima said as she presented to the media four of the dubious ERs.
At the time of the break-ins, the camp of Poe had a pending motion to review the ERs.
She said that usually, the ERs are not reviewed during the national canvassing unless there is a compelling reason for them to be opened.
De Lima said even Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes initially thought the ERs were authentic, during their closed-door meeting.
Clueless
The former security chief of the Batasan Pambansa complex said he knew nothing about Santiago’s allegation of ER switching.
Superintendent Fernando Ortega, chief of the Special Action Force in Region 11, said he is “very willing” to face any investigation to clear his name.
He denied receiving orders from the PNP chief at the time or from Franco to undertake switching of ERs. He said he could not even recall if it was Ebdane or Edgar Aglipay who was PNP chief at that time. Ebdane, now Zambales governor, was then PNP chief.
“I was only a small fry. I did not personally talk to those police bigwigs except to greet them when we met,” Ortega said in an interview.
“I did not receive any instructions from them to that effect,” he said.
“I don’t know what Colonel Santiago was talking about,” Ortega said.
Ortega added he had never met Santiago at the Batasan complex during his stint as security chief.
“I don’t know him personally. We met maybe twice or thrice and all those were at the gatherings of SAF,” said Ortega, referring to Santiago, who was their intelligence officer at the time.
Ortega said he is ready to answer Santiago’s allegations “point-by-point” as soon as he gets a copy of the latter’s affidavit detailing the alleged poll fraud.
Ortega also said he will fly to Manila if summoned by Secretary De Lima.
AWOL
For failing to report to the PNP Director for Operations last July 7 after his relief as Zambales police chief, Santiago is considered AWOL.
“He failed to report to PNP-DO, his new unit, last July 7. Under the procedure, he has 10 days to report after that he is considered AWOL,” PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr. said.
Santiago’s 10 days lapsed last July 17. Cruz said Santiago would be given another 30 days to report or face expulsion from the PNP. The spokesman said he was not privy to the reason behind Santiago’s relief as Zambales police chief.
“As far as the PNP is concerned, our actions toward Santiago’s exposé is limited only to providing him and his men with personal protection and security from threats,” Cruz stressed.
“It must be understood that Santiago’s actions are purely personal in nature and were done on his own volition,” he said.
“The PNP will remain guided by orders from duly-constituted authorities on further actions regarding concerned police personnel involved in the controversy,” Cruz pointed out.
Sources said Santiago only learned of his relief last July 18, during a command turnover.
Senior Superintendent Wendy Rosario replaced Santiago as officer-in-charge of Zambales.
The source noted that Santiago became provincial director of Zambales in January 2010 upon the request of Ebdane, who was then public works secretary.
A source said Santiago’s exposé was meant to preempt the filing of charges against him in connection with a raid on a mining firm. Santiago could not be reached for comment and he was not answering his mobile phone.
Another ranking government official said it was Ebdane who requested for the relief of Santiago purportedly due to poor performance.
“Santiago asked for grace period to prepare but apparently his request was not granted, he was immediately relieved. Santiago and his principal apparently had a falling out,” the source noted.
Cruz said he was surprised by Santiago’s exposé, but no so much for its nature but for the fact that he had followed an illegal order. He also said he was not aware of reports that Santiago had led a raid on a mining firm.
Central Luzon Regional Police director Chief Superintendent Edgar Ladao said there was no truth to the report.
“We support them for their quest for the truth but we don’t support them when they followed illegal orders (switching ERs),” Cruz said.
Santiago had trained in the US Federal Bureau of Investigation particularly in its Critical Incident Response Group, and the Anti-Terrorist Unit (ATU).
Santiago was a recipient of a Gold Cross for defending Camelot Hotel in 1987 from rebel soldiers and a bronze medal for the capture of a team of communist New People’s Army rebels.
House probe
The House of Representatives said it would look into Santiago’s allegations.
“The reported switching of election returns is a matter of concern for the House because it supposedly happened with the complicity of the Philippine National Police (PNP) unit tasked to secure them,” Quezon Rep. Lorenzo Tañada III said yesterday.
“The House should ask, ‘Who is the PNP unit guarding the House loyal to? Is it to the PNP chief or the DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government), or is it to the Speaker and the House?’ These are important questions that should be answered,” he said.
“Obviously, there was a breach of security in the House and we should get answers,” he said.
Rep. Joseph Victor Ejercito of San Juan said all those supposedly involved in the “conspiracy to steal the elections from FPJ (the late Fernando Poe Jr.)” should be investigated.
“These should include the members of the canvassing board even if they are P-Noy allies like Sen. Pangilinan,” he said.
Ejercito was referring to Sen. Francis Pangilinan, who, together with then Iloilo City Rep. Raul Gonzalez, chaired the joint Senate-House board that canvassed the presidential and vice presidential results, which showed that then President Arroyo beat Poe by around one million votes.
Mrs. Arroyo would later appoint Gonzalez her justice secretary. Gonzales said his appointment was his reward for “protecting her votes during the congressional canvass.”
Rep. Sherwin Tugna of the party-list group Citizens Battle Against Corruption said the House should look into the security aspect, since electoral fraud issues are better left to the DOJ and the Comelec to handle.
Rep. Teddy Casiño of Bayan Muna said the alleged break-in “was a direct assault on the House and has grave implications on the integrity of elections.”
“We should investigate even the previous House leadership for allowing this to happen and covering up the crime. On Monday, I will make a motion on the floor for the House to act immediately on this grievous breach of security,” he said.
Former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. said he did not know about the alleged break-in.
“I was not part of this reported conspiracy to tamper with the election results. If I were, then Gloria Arroyo and Mike Arroyo would not have removed me as Speaker in 2007,” he said.
He said it is clear that if the break-in happened, only police personnel and civilians as reported were involved.
“I am appalled by the temerity of these policemen, who were supposed to guard us, to do this illegal act,” he added. With Jess Diaz, Sheila Crisostomo, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Non Alquitran