Peace adviser: Grilling me at Senate over poll fraud waste of time

A presidential adviser linked to alleged poll fraud in 2004 on Thursday said senators may be wasting their time if they grill her on the matter. Presidential peace adviser Teresita Deles said that while she is prepared to air her side at a Senate probe, she had nothing to do with the supposed election cheating. "Nag-usap kami ng ilang mga senador na as far as they know wala naman talagang itatanung sa akin. I think it will be a waste of their time pero kung tawagin ako siyempre laging handa," Deles said in an interview on dwIZ radio. On Tuesday, a former consultant of Deles claimed she used her office and its funds for former President Gloria Arroyo’s campaign in the 2004 elections. Ansari Alonto, former consultant of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process made the claim during Tuesday’s Senate hearing on the matter. He claimed Deles provided logistics for Arroyo’s presidential bid and even hired actor Robin Padilla to drum up the campaign. Deles denied the accusation Wednesday, saying she was very busy with the peace process and could not even attend her campaign sorties at the time. "Ang political appointee lalo na isang Cabinet member is allowed to campaign pero busy ako sa peace process noong 2004. If anyone will recall those days I was hardly in the campaign," Deles said in Thursday's interview. Deles was one of Arroyo's Cabinet members who quit their posts in July 2005 in the wake of the "Hello Garci" scandal, involving taped conversations that suggested the 2004 polls were rigged to ensure Arroyo's victory. — LBG, GMA News