Senate may summon Garci in poll fraud probe

Despite his insistence he did not take part in any alleged cheating in the 2004 elections, former elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano may be summoned to the Senate to testify on the matter. Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Teofisto Guingona III on Sunday said Garcillano, who insisted on his “innocence" in a press conference in Bukidnon last Saturday, remains one of the central figures in the “Hello Garci" poll fraud scandal. “Siyempre dapat ipatatawag siya... bilang isa sa central figures sa kaso na ito," Guingona said in an interview on dzBB radio. The “Hello Garci" scandal that broke out in 2005 centered on the taped conversation on alleged rigging of the 2004 presidential poll results between a man believed to be Garcillano and a woman believed to be former President Gloria Arroyo. Last Saturday, Garcillano maintained he never had any conversation with Arroyo to rig the 2004 elections to ensure her victory. Guingona said that while Garcillano clammed up when he first testified before the House of Representatives, there are now many witnesses coming out to testify on the alleged poll fraud. “Naalala ko noong congressman kami, ipinatawag namin siya... pero di siya nagsalita. (Ngayon) may lumalabas na bagong mga testigo. We hope that during the investigation meron panglalabas na ibang tao," he said. Guingona said his committee is preparing to investigate the matter, once the panel formally receives resolutions from Senators Panfilo Lacson and Alan Peter Cayetano for such a probe. Also he said He added he sees no conflict between the Senate investigation with the one the Department of Justice and Commission on Elections are jointly planning. “Once umabot sa akin yan ilalagay ko yan sa linya ng mga iimbestigahan ng Blue Ribbon," he said. — LBG, GMA News