Cop surrenders to Lacson alleged proof of poll returns switching

UPDATED 3:15 p.m. - A police officer on Thursday surrendered to Senator Panfilo Lacson a number of videos of alleged switching of election returns (ER) during the 2004 presidential elections. Lt. Joel Pinawin, a former liaison of the Special Action Forces (SAF), on Thursday surrendered to Lacson eight short video clips of police officers allegedly switching ERs at the Batasan Pambansa in 2004 so that any poll recount would still show former President President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as the winner. Pinawin immediately left after surrendering the videos and refused to talk to the media. In an interview with reporters, Lacson said he did not talk with Pinawin at length because he wanted to see the videos first. "Sabi ko iwanan mo na lang muna (I told him to just leave the video to me)," he said. However, he said the videos could confirm the revelations of the group of police officers who recently came out and revealed the alleged ER switching. Lacson, however, said he was more interested in the person who took the video and that they are trying to contact the person now to get his affidavit. The senator had earlier filed a resolution seeking an inquiry into the alleged massive poll fraud during the 2004 and 2007 elections through former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and several election officials. On Thursday, however, he said that he plans to withdraw his resolution and defer to the joint investigation to be conducted by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Commission on Elections (Comelec). Mike Arroyo tagged Earlier, a police officer has tagged former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo as the financier of operations to cover up for the alleged widespread cheating in 2004 elections where his wife, former President Arroyo, won the presidency. At a news briefing on Thursday, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima identified the police officer as Senior Superintendent Rafael Santiago, a member of the police SAF and then chief of the Intelligence Division of the Philippine National Police’s National Capital Region command. "The funding daw came from FG (First Gentleman). But as to whether Santiago had personal knowledge, I don't know; that can be clarified in his affidavit," said De Lima, who met with Santiago and five other SAF policemen last Tuesday night. Nothing new Meanwhile, Raul Lambino, legal spokesperson of the Arroyo camp, brushed aside Santiago’s revelations, saying that there is “nothing new" with the police officer’s statement. “Those same allegations were already investigated thoroughly before and even exposed in media. Now, personalities with their own political agenda to advance are like hyenas savoring to devour their fallen prey by capitalizing on matters that in their minds will help them earn some points from the unsuspecting public," he said in a text message. - with Sophie Dedace, Andreo Calonzo, VVP, GMA News