GHOSTS OF 04 POLL FRAUD: KIKO, TITO TRADE BARBS; DRILON DEFENSIVE
MANILA, AUGUST 2, 2011 (TRIBUNE) By Angie M. Rosales - The ghost of the poll fraud past appears to continue haunting Senators Francis Pangilinan and Franklin Drilon and there is a rising demand for the two to subject themselves to the probe into the 2004 elections to disprove speculations of their cover-up of the alleged poll fraud scheme that ensured the victory of then President Gloria Arroyo.
Pangilinan and Drilon, yesterday's Arroyo allies and today's loyal political allies of President Aquino, found themselves at the receiving end of charges from their peers, including a former congressman with whom they worked during the canvassing procedures in 2004.
Former Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales, who, along with Pangilinan, presided over the National Board of Canvassers (NBC) proceedings for the presidential and vice presidential race alongside said Drilon had asked him to "shave" Arroyo's vote and reduce her lead to 800,000.
"Maybe he was just confident that her lead of one million plus (against then strong rival Fernando Poe Jr.) would not be disturbed," Gonzales said in a phone-patched TV interview.
Gonzales recalled an incident during the canvassing proceedings where supposedly Drilon sought him out while they were on a break and asked him "if we could probably reduce the lead of Gloria to just 800,000."
"I don't know if others head that. But I stand by that," he said.
Drilon was quick to deny the Gonzalez claim, saying that the former justice chief was lying through his teeth and merely trying to muddle the investigation.
"I find that statement pathetic and I do not engage in any debate. That's enough," he said.
"It is obviously intended to muddle the ongoing investigation on the charges of election fraud committed during the administration of his principal, (then) President Gloria Arroyo.
He said his position has always been against any election fraud, adding that he has never been charged with participating in any vote fixing.
" I don't want to think ill of former Secretary Gonzales. But I think he is totally wrong, and is lying through his teeth...I have never talked to him about reducing the votes. I have no control over the canvassing board, he was there. All I did was to receive the votes through the canvassers which was co-chaired by then Rep. Gonzales," he said.
Drilon, however, as a Tribune report in 2004, and during the canvassing, stated that Drilon had refused to have the election returns scrutinized, as requested by the then opposiiton.
He was quoted by the then opposition source, a senator, as refusing to give in, saying that the opposition would then have proof of the poll fraud.
Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III and Pangilinan, on the other hand traded barbs while Poe's then running mate in the opposition umbrella organization Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP), Sen. Loren Legarda, stood by Sotto's narration of events on the supposed refusal of the administration allies then to entertain their request to open one election return.
In a press conference, Sotto demanded that Pangilinan and others pressing for the conduct of the probe but who were active participants in the alleged cheating operations should subject themselves before any investigating body.
The majority leader said all those involved in the alleged cheating operations should be held liable.
The Senate leader was also referring to Gonzales who was then House Deputy Speaker and counterpart of Pangilinan who was then Senate majority leader, then Speaker Jose de Venecia and some personalities who supposedly helped the administration at that time.
Sotto, however, did not mince words in criticizing Pangilinan for what he described was an attempt to wash his hands on the issue by joining the push for a Senate probe.
"Coming from a personality who should have been there in 2004 and stood up for what is right and what is correct but did not and instead conspired in covering up the truth, this is such a hypocrisy," he said.
"Our call in the NBC was the authenticity, the evidence was right under their noses, all we wanted was just to open one of the election returns in any of the areas we were pinpointing: Pangasinan, Cebu, ARMM, in fact even Iloilo.
Sotto pointed out that the Senate would not be engaged in this issue today had the then majority and allies of Gloria , opened just one ER. We would have known then if we were right (on our charges of cheating) or they were right (that there was no irregularity), we would have known if fraud was committed, we would have known then if indeed GMA (Arroyo) won not FPJ. That's how simple it is. We would not have come to this now," he said.
Sotto emphasized though that it should be the Executive department through the Department of Justice and the Commission on Elections to carry out the probe and not the Senate.
Pangilinan did not waste time replying to Sotto, taking a dig at the latter's defection to the camp of Arroyo in 2007, even as he accused the former leader of cheating in 2004.
"The public should be reminded that he has no moral ascendancy to comment on the issue of fraud for the simple reason that he flip-flopped on the issue and embraced the cheater in the end. Yes, by all means let's call a spade a spade. He who lives in a glass house should not throw stones.
"It is ironic for Sotto to be talking this way now. When the evidence of cheating and irregularities in 2004 became more convincing with the Hello Garci expose, instead of condemning GMA and calling for her resignation he did the exact opposite, suddenly developing amnesia by joining her administration's ticket in 2007 and embracing the administration he had earlier accused of massive cheating.
"I, on the other hand, out of principle, refused to accept both the administration and opposition offers to be part of their tickets, and instead ran as an independent in 2007 and won," Pangilinan said in chiding the majority leader.
Sotto, he said, is in no position to make criticisms when he himself is highly deplorable for defecting to the administration in 2007.
"He is being less than honest when he says he wanted just one ER (election return) to be opened. The truth on record is that they questioned 144 of the 177 COCs, or eighty percent of the ERS for a total of some 25 million votes. The general rule is that the canvassing board under our Constitution can not be the venue to raise the issue of electoral fraud, but Sotto and the others wanted to transform the canvassing board into the electoral tribunal and when the issue of going to the ERs is raised by way of a motion 144 times, what is there left for one to do but have the matter noted."
"Senate President Enrile as Chairman of the canvassing committee in 2010 and an ally of Sotto in 2004 said that allegations of fraud raised by losing bets would not be entertained in the canvassing committee. It is the same position we took in 2004 because the canvassing laws and rules were one and the same."
Sotto retorted saying that Article 7, section 4 of the Constitution is clear, "the determination of the authenticity is within the power of national canvassing board."
"Their explanation does not hold water, that we cannot open (one ER). The provision in the Constitution precisely says we can question the authenticity and therefore the NBC may be able to formulate their own rules. It's there in that provision," he said.
The majority leader also lambasted Sotto's statements on his political alliance with the Arroyo administration saying that such was a "loser's argument" in a debate.
"Why don't they just answer the issue. The issue here was the 2004 elections, not 2007 polls. Because I joined Team Unity in 2007, that would be their best argument?" he asked.
"Why can't I argue with them? I was the campaign manager of Poe and we're talking here of 2004 (polls), they're on page 2007," he said in twitting Pangilinan.
Legarda, in a separate press conference, corroborated Sotto's statements on what took place during the canvassing procedures.
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