Nuns won't give protection to potential witness Bedol

Nuns who had earlier given protection to witnesses in high-profile cases said they will not be taking into their custody former Maguindanao election supervisor Lintang Bedol, a potential witness in alleged poll fraud in the 2004 and 2007 elections. “We give protection to selected people. We only help those with integrity," said Sr. Mary John Mananzan, co-chairwoman of the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP). In an article posted on the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines news site on Tuesday, Mananzan said it would be better if the government would provide protection for Bedol - if he is qualified. “We don’t want to be politicized. Anyway, the Department of Justice is capable of giving them protection," she said. Bedol surrendered to the Department of Interior and Local Government last weekend but was turned over only to the Commission on Elections Tuesday. He is now detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame. Last week, Bedol and suspended Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Governor Zaldy Ampatuan said there was poll fraud in 2004 and 2007, and alleged that President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo may have had a hand in it. In past years, the AMRSP had given protection to witnesses in high-profile cases, including Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr. in the $349-million ZTE broadband network deal mess. The AMRSP also provided protection to Lt. Senior Grade Mary Nancy Gadian who exposed alleged corruption in the military in 2009. - VVP, GMA News