‘Garci’ feelers raw information — Palace

A day after denying receiving feelers from former elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, a key personality in the alleged cheating in the 2004 elections, Malacañang on Thursday described as “raw" the information received by presidential political adviser Ronald Llamas that the former official has been sending feelers. Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said this was the reason why Llamas did not inform them of the feelers. “Kasi very raw iyong information. Hindi nga niya alam kung anong information ang ilalabas ni Mr. Garcillano," he told reporters at a press briefing Thursday. “At the moment there is nothing to report except that feelers were sent, other than that, wala pang detailed offer, if ever there is one. So, that is why it’s pretty raw," he added. Llamas, in a radio interview earlier in the day, claimed that he received feelers from Garcillano through text messages and messages relayed to him by an emissary. Garcillano is at the center of a wiretap scandal that broke out in 2005 involving taped conversations between a man believed to be him, and several personalities including a woman who was believed to be then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The tapes allegedly contained discussions on rigging the 2004 elections. Arroyo, who is now congresswoman of Pampanga's second district, was said to have benefited from the fraud. Asked if he does not doubt the timing of the surfacing of persons who want to expose the alleged poll fraud in 2004 and 2007, Lacierda said he was just as surprised as anybody else. Lacierda, however, said this could be due to the change in the attitude of the people. “There is a confidence, I supposed, on the part of the people that this administration will likely hear the truth and so with that they decided to come out. But as to the timing, I am just as surprised as you are," he said. He also denied that the Aquino administration is coddling Garcillano, adding that they will assess and study first whatever information the former poll commissioner will give. “We will assess [his] testimony. Again, this is a period of assessment and evaluation of his testimonies. Ayaw naming makuryente. So, that’s is why its important for us to assess and evaluate all testimonies that will be offered," he said. — KBK, GMA News