Aquino adviser claims getting feelers from ‘Garci’

A Malacañang adviser on Thursday claimed he has received "feelers" from controversial former Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, considered a key piece in the 2004 poll fraud puzzle. Presidential adviser on political affairs Ronald Llamas said in a radio interview that the feelers were in form of text messages and messages relayed to him by an emissary. "May text, may nagpaabot na tao. May nagse-set ng meeting. Pero wala pang push through. Hangga't walang nag-push through, mahirap pag-usapan yan," Llamas said in an interview on dzBB radio. (There were text messages, there were calls from emissaries, there were requests for a meeting. But so far none have pushed through. Until a meeting pushes through, it is hard to comment further.) "Sa ngayon the puzzles (sic) are falling into place. Ang iba't ibang tao involved sa '04 and '07 elections, nagsimulang lumabas. We call on Garcillano na lumabas nga para mapunuan ang blank spaces sa puzzle at makita kung may massive pandaraya noong 2004," he added. (It appears the pieces of the puzzle are falling into place as far as those involved in poll fraud are concerned. We call on Garcillano to come out and fill in the blank spaces.) But Llamas downplayed the implications of the feelers for now, saying such feelers still need to be validated and assessed. He also insisted the feelers from Garcillano - who looms as the third figure linked to poll fraud in 2004 and 2007 to come out in public - was no "conspiracy." Earlier, suspended Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Governor Zaldy Ampatuan and former Maguindanao poll supervisor Lintang Bedol had surfaced to link former President Gloria Arroyo to poll fraud in 2004 and 2007. "Di naman ito conspiracy, It's an open call ng gobyerno sa mga may alam ng katiwalian sa gobyerno lumabas at sabihin kung ano ito, pandaraya, pagnanakaw, o anomalya (This is no conspiracy. It's an open call by the government to those who have knowledge of poll fraud and other anomalies to come out and tell all)," Llamas said. The camp of Arroyo has repeatedly denied her participation in any poll fraud. Her legal spokesman, Raul Lambino, said the surrender of Bedol and the statement of Ampatuan were all related to President Benigno Aquino's III second State of the Nation Address on Monday. Llamas said he is not sure at this time if the surrender of Bedol will be included in the SONA. "Hindi ko sigurado, pinoproseso ang kanyang speech. Hindi ko sigurado (I am not sure at this time, the speech is still being drafted)," he said. Garcillano is the former poll commissioner at the center of a wiretap scandal that broke out in 2005. The scandal involved wiretapped conversations between a man believed to be Garcillano, and several personalities including a woman who was believed to be then-President Arroyo, who is now congresswoman of Pampanga's second district. Wants affidavit Llamas said he would prefer that Garcillano come out with an affidavit of his claims. He added Garcillano's coming out is still considered a "rumor" at this time. "Hanggang di siya mismo naglabas ng affidavit, ang tell-all na yan sa ere (Until he comes out with an affidavit, his tell-all is in the air)," he said. Llamas hinted that should Garcillano's statements pass initial assessment, he may be referred to the Comelec or the Department of Justice. "Kung sasabihin nila ay 100 percent true, dadaan pa yan sa proseso, sa Comelec man o sa DOJ (If what he says is true, he will go through the proper procedures in the Comelec or the DOJ)," he said. — KBK, GMA News