The Philippine Online Chronicles

“We would like to extend our apologies to the Filipino nation, especially to Madam Susan Roces, for the error at this point we are trying to rectify,” said Superintendent Rafael Santiago, the senior police officer involved in the supposed switching of election returns at the House of Representatives in 2004, before turning over 34 ERs to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Friday.

Grace Poe-Llamanzares, Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) chair and daughter of deceased 2004 presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr., said the revelation “is a great birthday gift for my mom.”

She said the disclosure is not only a triumph of their family but of the nation.

In an interview, she said it was a breakthrough in proving that Arroyo snatched the presidency from Poe.

She clarified that, “a lot of people are saying that we should move on, that it would be inconvenient to bring the past back, but what we’re after now is to strengthen our institutions.”

According to Llamanzares, her mother Susan Roces said that perhaps, it was not meant for FPJ to actually sit in office... (his) purpose was for people to realize the sanctity of their votes, and the importance of leaders with a true mandate.”

Poe died in December 2004 after a stroke. In May that year, he supposedly lost the presidential elections to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo by a slim 1.2 million votes. It was his wife Roces who pursued the poll protest in his behalf.

Former President Joseph Estrada a close friend of Poe said, “It is a fact that GMA was never a legitimate president. It is a known that FPJ won the 2004 presidential elections in spite of the P728 million Fertilizer Fund Scam, the Garci Generals Scam; in spite of using billions of funds from PagCor and the PCSO; and in spite of using the military, the police and the Comelec. She (GMA) still lost the elections – that is why (the GMA camp) had to resort to cheating.”

Breaking into Congress

Santiago said he led a group that was part of the 15 police Special Action Force (SAF) which carried out a special operation in January 2005, stealing original election returns (ERs) and replacing them with fake ones in case the 2004 election votes were recounted.

He said they broke into the Batasang Pambansa four times to conduct the operation. The ballot boxes containing the original ERs were stored at the House of Representatives at that time. He said they were not involved in the 2004 poll fraud and were just “made to provide access and security to those who operated in order to cover up for their trail, or in order to jibe the tampered COCs [certificate of candidacies] that were made in Lanao with those with the authentic election returns deposited at the House of Representatives that we found out only later.”

His other companions Police Officer 2 Alan Layugan, PO2 Trifon Laxamana, PO1 Norman Duco, and PO2 Rodel Tabangin, and PO2 Rudy Gahar also joined Santiago for a closed door meeting with De Lima at the DOJ.

Santiago said it was only now that they decided to come forward because this time they would be given an equal chance.

“We know that our lives are at risk here, our families. We know we are facing powerful people but there will be no turning back. The truth shall set us free," he said afterwards, during a press briefing.

He added that even before surrendering the ERs, they have been receiving death threats.

For their part, De Lima said, "I've been offering protection, security to them because I know how sensitive, delicate and dangerous their situation is now. So the offer to secure them is there. We will evaluate the sworn statements once these are submitted to us. The scenario of them turning state witness is there and that is something that is very strong because they can share with us what happened.”

The 34 ERs turned over to De Lima were from Ozamiz City in Misamis Occidental, Magsaysay town in Lanao del Norte, Balindong town in Lanao del Sur, Mapun town in Tawi-Tawi, and Isabela City in Basilan.

People behind

Santiago said they were acting on the orders of former PNP chief and now Zambales Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. He director Chief Superintendent Marcelino Franco and Chief Insp. Ferdinand Ortego who supposedly headed the SAF unit that augmented the security at the Batasan complex.

He added that the fake ERs were produced in Cainta, Rizal at the house of election lawyer Roque Bello.

De Lima, during a press conference, said the Bellos had a reputation of being “election operators.”

She said they are yet to confirm if it is true that former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo who financed the operation.

Santiago said he got the information from another person who might also come forward through the efforts of the DOJ.

Commission on Elections Chair Sixto Brillantes Jr. said more witnesses will be coming out to reveal cheating and anomalies in the 2004 and 2004 polls.

Some of them were Comelec employees while most were from Mindanao.

Brillantes said some asked for fare money but he said they should come on their own.

Authentic ERs

COMELEC had already checked the first four (4) ERs sent by Santiago and said that they were authentic based on their examination.

“It’s very clear that those ERs are the Congress’ copies,” he said.

He said it is unclear if Arroyo will be summoned since “There’s still no direct testimony about her involvement.”

Sidetracked?

Meanwhile, in the GMA News Online article, some readers commented that the revelations are also a way to sidetrack the public.

“People are asking where is the PPP of Noynoy that he boasted last year. No mention of it is his SONA. Instead he showed that he built a single road and single water pump during his one year in office.  So because of such pathetic achievements of Noynoy which clearly shows Noynoy being absolutely lazy and stupid, the yellow fanatics have paid this hack his asking price of 200 million pesos to give people a new moro-moro.  All as deflection from Noynoy's absolute incompetence,” said a user named komentarista. He added that it was quite timely with Susan Roces’ birthday.

Another said the statements are all “scripted.”

One commenter lamented that in other countries, they worry about the economy but in the Philippines, people worry about only one person (Arroyo) and until now “they haven’t put her in jail.”

Meanwhile, Arroyo is making other headlines because of her cervical spine injury.