Doble to name telecom firm in 'Hello Garci'

After naming personalities in the alleged "Project Lighthouse" wiretapping operation, former T/Sgt. Vidal Doble Jr will unmask the "cooperative" telecommunications service provider before the Senate. Senator Panfilo Lacson said Wednesday it is clear the telecom firm has much explaining to do because its "cooperation" was the key to the entire "Project Lighthouse" operation allegedly launched by the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (Isafp). "Clearly, it (telco firm) has culpability. If it did not participate in the wiretap operation, there would not have been any wiretapping in the first place," Lacson said in Filipino during an interview on dzRH radio. The Senate agreed to convene itself into a committee of the whole to investigate Doble's claims. Senate President Manuel Villar Jr said the hearing will likely take place next week. Villar, in an interview on dzBB, said those who are found culpable will be recommended for prosecution. "If there are those who should be prosecuted, we will prosecute them," he said in Filipino, adding that the hearings will be conducted during "extra time" so as not to impede the passage of important bills. During his videotaped interview played before the Senate, Doble said he was surprised to hear President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo call up former elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano in one of the wiretapped conversations. Mrs Arroyo allegedly called up Garcillano on his cell phone and asked about the "additional (dagdag)" one million votes. Also among the targets of "Project Lighthouse" are the late Fernando Poe Jr, who lost to Mrs Arroyo in the 2004 presidential race, former agrarian reform secretary Horacio Morales Jr, actor and Poe supporter Rez Cortez, the Magdalo Group including Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, now-Sen. Gregorio Honasan and even losing administration senatorial bet Michael Defensor. Lacson also admitted that Doble could be harassed or even "rescued" before he could give his testimony before the Senate. "Wala namang sigurado sa buhay na ito (Nothing is definite in this world)," Lacson said, when asked about the possibility of Doble ending up an "Udong Mahusay." Eugenio "Udong" Mahusay was a star witness of Lacson in the Jose Pidal case in 2003. He was "rescued" from Tagaytay City through the effort of then Palace official Michael Defensor. However, Lacson said steps have been taken to secure Doble and his family. He said Doble's family is safe in Kidapawan City. Lacson did not name the telecom service provider in his privilege speech. He said he did not ask Doble about the telecom firm because he was more interested in the procedure at the time. "If it were just the Isafp, they lack the capability to conduct wiretaps. They needed the cooperation of the service provider. It was the service provider that split the voice signals and sent the split signal to the ISAFP's phone," he said. Also, he said the other personalities whom Doble mentioned in a video testimony during Lacson's privilege speech Tuesday will also have much explaining to do. These include then AFP chief Gen. Efren Abu, in whose quarters Doble's family was detained for 10 months; and Bishop Socrates Villegas. Doble had narrated that on the day a press conference was held in Makati City on the "Hello, Garci!" tapes, Villegas fetched him and brought him to Abu's quarters in Camp Aguinaldo. It was in Abu's quarters where Doble saw his wife and children "detained." As this developed, Lacson said Malacañang can no longer use Executive Order (EO) 464 to stop the investigation, especially on Doble, whom he said opted not to reenlist in the military. Lacson also said that while Doble did not bare new developments aside from the technical details of the wiretaps, it was still shocking that the wiretaps were used for immoral purposes. "It would be understandable if they tapped the phones of the Magdalo group for security implications. But why did they have to wiretap for political purposes? The way I see it, they contracted Garcillano to cheat for them but wiretapped him to double-check on him. Unfortunately for President Arroyo, she did not know Garci was wiretapped so her calls to him were also recorded," he said. Meanwhile, Lacson belied claims that the investigation is meant to be a stepping stone to lodge another impeachment complaint against President Arroyo. He also reiterated his challenge to the Commission on Elections to look into the incident so it will take steps to prevent similar cheating in the future. - GMANews.TV