2 witnesses link Arroyo admin to 2007 poll fraud

(Updated 4:04 p.m.) Two former election supervisors from southern Philippines have surfaced to disclose their knowledge on how the results of the 2007 mid-term elections were allegedly rigged in favor of the senatorial bets of the Arroyo administration. At a press conference Monday, Justice Sec. Leila de Lima presented lawyers Lilian Radam and Yogie Martirizar, who both said they were pressured into signing extra copies of certificates of canvass (COCs) and statements of votes (SOVs) to manipulate the results of the 2007 elections. The two former poll officials have already been placed under the custody of the government’s Witness Protection Program. They will appear as witnesses in the investigation on allegations of massive cheating in the 2004 and 2007 elections that will be jointly conducted by the Department of Justice and the Commission on Elections. According to their affidavits, Radam and Martirizar said they directly received instructions from former Commission on Elections chair Benjamin Abalos, who was supposedly acting on orders from Malacañang. Radam and Martirizar said the plan was to make it appear that the 12 senatorial bets of the Arroyo administration made a full 12-0 sweep in their respective areas, which were North and South Cotabato.
"We were given instructions directly, personally. It is sometime in April of 2007 in Davao City," Radam, former acting South Cotabato poll supervisor, said at the press briefing. In her affidavit, she said when she and other provincial supervisors met with Abalos in Davao City, "it is emphasized that the instructions came from the top, which we clearly understood to be the President (Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo)." Martirizar attested that Abalos indeed gave the instructions at the Davao City meeting. "When it was already very near the election day, [Abalos] personally met us in Davao City (I, together with other provincial election supervisors and regional election directors) and conveyed the same 'instruction' of 12-0 in favor of Team Unity senatorial candidates. He stressed to us that the 'instruction' is from Malacañang," said Martirizar, former North Cotabato poll supervisor. The operation consisted of signing extra copies of COCs and other election forms to ensure the victory of the Arroyo administration’s senatorial bets. The documents were provided during the canvassing in their respective provinces. They said they could not say no to the plan to tamper with election results because they feared for their lives, with Comelec Region 12 acting director Michael Abas cautioning them that their actions are being monitored. "[Abas] warned us that if we refused to comply, we might be suffering from unfavorable consequences," added Martirizar. Abalos: What's their credibility? Sought for comment, Abalos cast doubts on Radam and Martirizar's credibility, adding that he has even ordered them arrested for electoral sabotage. "I know them and I actually had them arrested for election sabotage. So what's the credibility of these people? I don't have any direct dealing with them," he said. "These people are fugitives from the law and now all of a sudden sila na ang heroes?" the former Comelec chair asked. Monitoring by ISAFP officials The two former provincial election supervisors said they were monitored by the military's intelligence arm, the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP). Radam said that then-ISAFP Region 12 director Col. Ben Basiao approached her and told her he will be operating in her area "and that my cooperation in the matter is necessary." "Hence, he will be monitoring my activities to see to it that I will obey the instructions to the letter; that he told me I will be provided with all the necessary logistics including the accountable forms bearing same serial numbers with those to be supplied to my office; that he emphasized that their order came from the top and this implies coming from the head of Comelec and the President and the President's husband," Radam added. Radam also said she was also approached by Basiao's deputy, a certain Major Joey Leaban, who gave her a list of senatorial candidates with the corresponding proposed number of votes they are supposed to receive in South Cotabato. For her part, Martirizar said a certain Captain Peter Reyes from the ISAFP was the one who monitored her movements to make sure that the "12-0" plan was followed in North Cotabato. "On the day of the elections... Reyes appeared in my office and reminded me of the 12-0 instructions. However, I tried to explain to him that I cannot alter the elections because there were watchers and lawyers closely guarding the canvassing and also based on the initial or unofficial assessments, I have gathered it is impossible to achieve the 12-0 objective," said Martirizar. She added that Reyes gave her a list of Team Unity senatorial candidates that should be prioritized. Named on the list were Edgardo Angara, Joker Arroyo, Vic Magsaysay, Ralph Recto, and Juan Miguel Zubiri. Both also said their cell phones were being wiretapped Held at gunpoint Martirizar said that after the elections, she was told that if the 12-0 sweep could not be delivered, "I must at least deliver an 8-4 result in favor of the Team Unity candidates." "Three anonymous persons" later showed up and gave her three finished COCs, SOVs, and supporting SOVs, complete with the signatures of the other two members of the provincial board of canvassers and poll watchers. "At first, I refused to accept the fabricated results but then one of them [three anonymous persons] called up somebody. He then handed me his cellular phone and I was surprised that it was Commissioner Abalos. The latter told me that I have no choice but to accept the fabricated result," she added. Martirizar then said that Abalos threatened to remove her as temporary provincial poll supervisor, make up criminal and administrative charges against her, and destroy her. "I know [Abalos] is capable of doing it as he did it to me before when I refused to proclaim a non-winning candidate," Martirizar said. She then said she was held at gunpoint to affix her signature and thumb mark on the allegedly fabricated election documents. "I had no time to read what was placed there. One of the three persons just told me that I have complied with the '8-4' instructions," she said. Electoral sabotage cases When the votes were being counted by the National Board of Canvassers at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Manila, the alleged election cheating in Radam's area of jurisdiction was noticed. "Col. Basiao called me up informing me that the COC bearing the false results was exposed and that Chairman Abalos was powerless to control the situation. However, he assured me that damage control is being set in motion, that I should keep my silence to minimize the damage brought about by the exposure of fraud," said Radam. Electoral sabotage cases were subsequently filed by Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, who lost the last Senate seat to Zubiri. Radam is one of the respondents in the cases. Zubiri resigned in August this year amid allegations that he benefited from cheating in the 2007 polls. Weeks later, the Senate Electoral Tribunal ruled on Pimentel's poll protest and said that Pimentel was the rightful winner of the last Senate seat in the 2007 polls. Radam is the subject of an arrest warrant by the Pasig City Regional Trial Court. De Lima on Monday said that communications will be sent to the trial court indicating that Radam is now under the DOJ's protective custody. Radam said in her affidavit that when the cases were filed against her, then Team Unity counsel Alberto Agra assigned a lawyer from his law firm to represent Radam. Agra was later named Justice secretary by Arroyo. Radam added that for three years, she was given legal and financial assistance as she faced the electoral sabotage cases. - VVP/KBK, GMA News