AFP vows to cooperate in electoral fraud probe

MANILA, Philippines - The military yesterday vowed to cooperate with authorities investigating the supposed involvement of soldiers in alleged poll fraud in 2007.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Col. Arnulfo Burgos Jr. said they would require the Intelligence Service of the AFP (ISAFP) to answer the subpoena served on the soldiers implicated in the cheating.

“The Armed Forces of the Philippines will fully cooperate with the process. The military will uphold the rule of law,” Burgos declared in a press briefing at the AFP headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

“We are one with the Department of Justice (DOJ) in seeking the truth,” he added.

The DOJ yesterday issued subpoenas against soldiers believed to have been involved in manipulating the 2007 poll results.

The subpoenas were issued to Jeremy Javier, Romy Dayday, Maj. Joey Leaban, Col. Reuben Basiao, John Oliver Leaban and Peter Reyes.

The soldiers were asked to attend the preliminary investigation on Nov. 3 at the DOJ main office in Manila.

The subpoenas were in connection with the electoral sabotage and election code violation cases filed against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and former elections chief Benjamin Abalos Sr.

Burgos said they would still validate the identities of the soldiers who were named in the subpoenas.

“The Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines will have to (respond to the) subpoena. The AFP will compel ISAFP to do that. That’s the time we would determine the identities and whereabouts of these personalities,” he said.

Burgos, however, said Basiao is already a field commander based in Mindanao.

He said the soldiers implicated in the poll fraud allegations would be provided with legal assistance.

Some intelligence personnel were tagged in the alleged cheating during the 2007 midterm elections and were accused of manipulating the poll results in favor of administration bets.

Leaban allegedly gave P2.1 million to Lilian Radam, former provincial election supervisor in South Cotabato, to cover up the poll fraud.

Radam claimed Basiao offered her P5 for every vote added to bets of Team Unity, the administration party.

Reyes, meanwhile, allegedly served as “handler” of Yogie Martirizar, former poll supervisor in North Cotabato who admitted the results of the polls were rigged in favor of the allies of Arroyo.

There have been reports that Leaban died last April due to complications from a bullet wound.

Military officials said they could not find any Peter Reyes in their records. Data on the other soldiers implicated in the poll fraud were not immediately available.