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Aquino releases Mayuga report on alleged 2004 poll fraud


President Benigno Aquino III has allowed the release of the “Mayuga report," which details the military’s investigation on claims that some of its ranking officers participated in the alleged rigging of the 2004 elections to favor then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. A letter addressed to Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares, who requested for a copy of the report, said “the President has allowed the declassification of the AFP fact-finding board report." The letter was dated August 17 and signed by Defense Undersecretary Lorenzo Batino. On Wednesday afternoon, Colmenares showed the media a voluminous copy of the report, which has been considered as a classified document by the military for the past six years. Colmenares, however, said that based on his initial impression, the report “does not say anything much" on the alleged poll fraud in 2004. “Parang wala syang nakikitang electoral fraud at all... Wala s’yang ini-implicate na military except for some recommendations for reforms. We will have to look into the annexes if there are leads na puwedeng tingnan," he said. The report was prepared by former Navy Flag Officer-in-Command Vice Admiral Mateo Mayuga, who headed the panel that looked into the alleged participation of several ranking military officials in supposed cheating in the 2004 elections. The alleged irregularities made headlines again in recent weeks after several personalities, including some policemen, surfaced and claimed they had been unwilling participants in the supposed rigging of the presidential elections. Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teodoro Casiño, meanwhile, said he was wondering why the report had been kept secret for a long time when the summary only contains “general statements." “Sa initial impression natin, parang naghold back ‘yung investigators. Hindi talaga binusisi ng husto," he said. Aquino had earlier said that the report did not implicate Arroyo, now a congresswoman representing the second district of Pampanga, in the poll fraud. - KBK/YA, GMA News

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