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Escudero to look into 'evidence' of poll fraud during canvassing
Not wanting to see a repeat of their 2004 experience where evidence on poll fraud were just 'noted,' Senator Francis Escudero vowed to look into the complaints that will be presented during the canvassing of votes for president and vice president by Congress sitting as the National Board of Canvassers. Escudero made this vow even as he expressed disinterest in conducting a probe on the reported massive cheating in the just concluded May 10 polls. Escudero, co-chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee on the Automated Election System, told reporters Thursday: "Ang personal kong pananaw ay hindi dapat hadlangan at bawalang makapasok o ilahad o sabihin ang ebidenisya kung meron nga silang hawak." (We should not stop someone from presenting the evidence they have in their possession.) He said he doesn't want to see a repeat of their experience in the 2004 national elections where their evidence were not even scrutinized by Congress, which was dominated by political allies of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. "May hawak kaming ebidenisya, maliwanag at klaro pero hindi binigyan maski konting puwang. Naniniwala ako sa due process at naniniwala ako na dapat bigyan ng karampatan at sapat na panahon ang sinumang may nais sabihin kaugnay sa bilangan," he said. (We have strong pieces of evidence then but we were not given a chance to present it. I believe in due process and those who have something to say should be allowed to do so.) During the 2004 canvassing, Escudero, then an opposition congressman who acted as spokesperson for the late actor Fernando Poe Jr., led minority members in presenting evidence of poll fraud before the NBC. Their arguments, however, were met by Senator Francis Pangilinan's remarks of 'noted,' to the dismay of opposition members. Poe was Mrs. Arroyo's closest rival in the 2004 presidential polls. National Board of Canvassers But in expressing disinterest in conducting a probe on the reported massive cheating that marred the May 10 polls, Escudero said he would prioritize the convening of the National Board of Canvassers. "Papasok na ang canvassing, aantabayanan na lang namin ang mga ipinag-uutos ng National Board of Canvassers pero hindi nangangahulugan na walang kapangyarihan ang Kongreso, ang JCOC [Joint Congressional Oversight Committee]at Senado na tignan ang bagay na ito, matapos o habang nagka-canvass," he said.. (We can no longer conduct a probe because the canvassing is already set on Monday. We will just wait for the order coming from the NBC but that does not mean the Congress, the JCOC and the Senate have no authority to look into these things after or during the canvassing.) The House committee on suffrage has been conducting an investigation on the reported cheating during the May 10 polls since Wednesday. "Hindi naman siguro para makipagkumpetensiya pa ang Senado sa kanila at magkaroon ng parallel na pagdinig din," Escudero said. (I think it is not for the Senate to compete with the House of Representatives by conducting a parallel hearing on the matter.)
