NCRPO chief tagged in 2004 poll fraud

MANILA, Philippines - Senior Superintendent Rafael Santiago Jr. has dragged a police general into the alleged cheating in the 2004 presidential election.

He said National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Alan Purisima could possibly be privy to the information on the purported poll fraud, which allegedly involved the switching of 2004 election returns (ERs) inside the Batasan Pambansa in Quezon City in early 2005.

Santiago recalled that Purisima was then a close associate of former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and now Zambales Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr.

“When Ebdane was chief PNP in 2004, Purisima was his trusted man at the Police Anti-Crime Emergency Response (PACER) at the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force,” he said in Filipino in a text message to reporters.

He recalled that Ebdane would stay in the PACER office “for sensitive and highly classified missions.”

Santiago said with this, the NCRPO chief should also be invited to the joint investigation of Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on fraud anomalies in the 2004 and 2007 polls.

The police whistleblower said investigators might also be interested in looking into the alleged role of Purisima in mining operations in Zambales and jueteng in Region III.

Santiago expressed fears that Ebdane would use his former men to “destroy whistleblowers like myself.”

Last Aug. 4, Santiago formally submitted to the DOJ, through an affidavit, his allegations that he and his team stole original ERs stored at the Batasan building and replaced these with fake ones in raids held on four weekends in January and February 2005 on orders of Ebdane.

He said there were about 6,000 ERs stolen by the team, 38 of which he kept for himself and submitted to the DOJ last week.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima had said these ERs could involve 1.2 million votes or 100,000 votes over the 1.1 million votes won by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo over late actor Fernando Poe Jr.

The operations were allegedly aimed at having Arroyo declared winner should there be a recount after the protest of Poe.

Aside from Ebdane, Santiago also tagged his former boss, then police Special Action Force director Chief Superintendent Marcelino Franco, and “El Bello” and “Arnold” in the ER switching operation.

El Bello is believed to be Roel Bello, son of election lawyer Roque Bello. Both, De Lima said, have a reputation of being election operators.

The five-man probe panel of DOJ and Comelec was created last week and is expected to start soon their fact-finding investigation.

Not in poll cheating

Meanwhile, Purisima denied any role in the reported ER switching, saying he learned about the incident only after Santiago, who was ousted as Zambales provincial director, came out in the open and linked Ebdane in the alleged election cheating.

In an interview, Purisima accused Santiago of “forum shopping.”

“He has no credibility,” said Purisima, referring to Santiago, who was listed absent without leave (AWOL) for his failure to report for duty Tuesday.

“He is now linking anybody close to Ebdane in the case as nobody appears to be taking seriously his expose on election cheating.” – With Non Alquitran