'Poll fraud' exposé a great birthday gift for Susan Roces, daughter says

The daughter of the late action star and presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr. said the exposé on alleged fraud in the 2004 elections was a great birthday gift for her mother, actress Susan Roces. In an interview by Pia Arcangel on GMA News TV's "Balitanghali" on Friday, Grace Poe-Llamanzares said it was "providential" that the policemen made the exposé on Thursday, her mom's birthday. "This is a great birthday gift for my mom," Llamanzares said. Llamanzares, who is currently the chairperson of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), said she hoped that the cops' testimony and evidence would ferret out the truth about poll irregularities in the 2004 presidential polls. "Hindi po ito tagumpay ng iilang pamilya kundi ng buong bayan... Hindi ito personal vendetta ito po ay para lamang mai-tama ang mali para magbenepisyo po tayo lahat," she said. Llamanzares said she has not yet consulted with their lawyers about filing new legal actions against the people responsible for the supposed poll cheating. "Pero kung magkakaroon pa ng pagkakataon na masabi na dahil nga sa lahat ng ebidensya na bagaman hindi na kumpleto na si FPJ ang dapat na na-proklema, eh di maraming salmat," she said. Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo won over Poe in the 2004 presidential elections by a margin of 1.2 million votes. Poe's camp claimed the movie star was cheated by Arroyo in the polls. However, Poe died in December 2004, even before investigations on supposed poll fraud were completed. Roces eventually pursued their poll protest on her husband's behalf. Cop's apology Llamanzares also welcomed the apology made by a policeman who claimed to have been involved in the supposed fraud in the 2004 elections. At a news briefing at the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday, Senior Superintendent Rafael Santiago apologized to Roces after turning over to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima evidence on alleged election fraud. "We would like to extend our apology to Madame Susan Roces for the error. At this point, we are trying to rectify. We know that our lives are at risk here, our families. We know we are facing powerful people but there will be no turning back. The truth shall set us free," said Santiago. On Friday, the policemen went to the Department of Justice to turn over 38 election returns that Santiago claims could prove that there was an attempt to hide the widespread cheating in Mindanao in favor of an Arroyo victory. While Santiago and the other policemen admitted to participating in ballot switching, Llamanzares said the policemen-whistleblowers should also be considered victims themselves. "Isa rin sila sa mga naging biktima. Kailangan ang totoong may pakana nito ang siyang dapat managot," she said. Special operations Santiago and his group said they were part of the 15 police Special Action Force (SAF) men that allegedly carried out the January 2005 "special operation" to steal original election returns (ERs) and have them replaced with fake ones so that Mrs. Arroyo will still emerge as the winner should there be a recount of votes cast in the 2004 elections. Mrs. Arroyo's camp supposedly wanted the original documents replaced by fake ones so that if a recount is conducted, Mrs. Arroyo will still have a 1.1 million lead over Poe. Santiago has claimed he and his team broke into the Batasan Pambansa building four times to conduct the operation. The ballot boxes containing the original ERs were stored at the House of Representatives office at that time. The stolen 6,000 ERs reflected votes from Mindanao and were the subject of an election protest filed by Poe, Mrs. Arroyo's closest rival in the May 2004 polls. But Poe died in December that year, prompting his wife, Susan Roces, to pursue the protest on his behalf. Mrs. Arroyo's camp supposedly wanted the original documents replaced by fake ones so that if a recount is conducted, Mrs. Arroyo will still have a 1.1 million lead over Poe. - VVP, GMA News