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| Chairman Sixto Brillantes, Jr. |
By: Sheila
Crisostomo
09 February 2012.
MANILA, Philippines - The joint panel of
the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) will
assume the lead in the investigation on the alleged cheating during the 2004
national elections.
According to Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes,
they have begun their fact-finding efforts on the alleged rigging of the 2004
polls, which primarily involved former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo and former Comelec commissioner Virgilio Garcillano.
“They (Senate) have not investigated this. They
have discussed this twice and nothing happened so we are taking over on the
fact-finding,” Brillantes said.
When the joint panel was formed, it was agreed that
it would look into the alleged electoral fraud during the 2007 midterm polls,
while the Senate will handle the probe on the 2004 national elections.
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| Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Virgilio Garcillano |
The result of the alleged 2007 midterm election
fraud led to the filing of electoral sabotage cases against Arroyo, former
Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos, former Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr.
and provincial election supervisors Lintang Bedol of Maguindanao, Lilian Radam
of South Cotabato and Yogie Martirizar of North Cotabato.
However, Comelec can only file election offense
cases for the poll irregularities in 2004 because Republic Act 9369 or the Poll
Automation Law, which provides for electoral sabotage, was enacted in January
2007.
Brillantes added that Comelec’s representatives to
the joint panel had already been instructed to start the fact-finding by
inviting Garcillano, who was allegedly wiretapped while talking with Arroyo
about the manipulation of results during the 2004 elections.
The poll chief admitted that they could only invite
but not compel Garcillano to appear since the panel does not have subpoena
powers, unlike the Senate.
In a press conference in his hometown in Bukidnon
last July 2011, Garcillano announced that he would not participate in the joint
investigation of Comelec and DOJ.
Garcillano stressed that he had nothing more to say
as he already testified before a congressional inquiry in the past.
