Zubiri to attend poll fraud probe

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines  — Days after he tendered his resignation, Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri yesterday told the media here that he is willing to attend a special probe body that will be tasked to investigate alleged poll cheating during the Arroyo administration.

Zubiri, who was in Bacolod yesterday for his first press conference outside Metro Manila since he resigned as a senator Wednesday, said: "If they invited me, I will have to attend. I used to support this investigation as an elected official, as a civilian I should do my duty to attend this investigation."

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said a five-member probe body, composed of officials from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Comelec, is set to probe allegations of fraud during the 2004 and 2007 elections.

"We have to determine the extent of his (Zubiri's) knowledge. He may not have participated, but clearly he was a beneficiary. A beneficiary may either be completely innocent or he acquiesced to the commission of the fraud. We have to know the extent of his knowledge," De Lima said.

"Was that face-saving or was it because he knew already the outcome of the election protest, or was that a strategy for possible reelection?" she asked, referring to Zubiri's resignation. 

Zubiri however insisted that he had no knowledge about these claims of poll fraud. "If cheating was done to my favor, it was without my knowledge," he said.

"I said before, if there's evidence to prove that we had benefited from cheating, I was very ready and willing to leave," he said, but countered: "What I will share to them (probe body) are the evidences we have found in Metro Manila in favor of the opposition."

Zubiri said he could have delayed his counter-poll protest and investigation on the alleged cheating in the 2007 elections until 2013, when his term ends, but he chose the honorable thing (of resigning) to do out of 'delicadeza.'

"I could have delayed the poll protest but I didn't. I believe it's not the right thing to do. Honor and integrity are more important than politics. There's life after politics," Zubiri said.

He said his election lawyers have told him that the earliest possible date for the release of the verdict of the investigation on alleged poll fraud in the 2007 elections at the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) is in February 2013 yet, or two months into the next elections.

There are 8,000 precincts that are to be recounted, and this could still go up until September this year, plus another 200 working days for establishing evidences and a few months of drafting resolutions.

All these process could have been finished by January 2013, and the decision would still be out by February 2013, but Zubiri said: "Let's leave it behind us and move forward and show the public there's still honor and dignity in public service." (FREEMAN)