Lacson: Ex-NBI exec Ong may attend ‘Hello, Garci’ hearings

(Update 11:55 p.m.) Former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) deputy director Samuel Ong may show up in the Senate’s "Hello Garci" scandal probe apart from the likely appearance of ex-military spy Vidal Doble, Senator Panfilo “Ping" Lacson said Thursday. The senator made a wild speculation that Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita ordered the wiretaps. Lacson, who called for a reopening of the probe in speech last August 21, said Sen. Rodolfo Biazon told him that he knows how to get in touch with the former NBI official. "Sen. Biazon has an idea. He was telling me he knows how to get in touch with Ong. He might be present in one of the hearings," Lacson said at a media forum. Biazon is chair of the Senate defense committee, the lead panel in the investigation. Also investigating the "Garci" controversy are the Blue Ribbon committee and the committee on electoral reforms. Ong had declared in a June 10, 2005 press conference in Makati that he had original recordings of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo allegedly talking with then Commission on Elections Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano to pad votes in the 2004 elections in her favor. But Ong has since kept a low profile. When asked where Ong is, Lacson said: "I have no idea, I have no dealings with Atty. Ong ever since." Ong had said Doble, a former agent of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Fores of the Philippines, gave him the tapes. Doble appeared in a video recording during Lacson’s speech, alleging that the military had wiretapped several opposition personalities Lacson also said that Doble’s lawyers also hinted that efforts to get more witnesses to come forward, some of them possibly colleagues of the former spy, are "in the works." The senator said other witnesses will come out, possibly including representatives of telecommunications service providers, without whose help he said the wiretaps could not have taken place. "There have been moves to summon the service provider," he said. Lacson also said some retired generals may have to be summoned, including former Armed Forces chief retired General Efren Abu, Tirso Danga, and Roy Kyamko. He said the former military officials are now civilians and can be arrested if they ignore subpoenas issued by the Senate president. For their part, lawyers who took Doble's sworn statement detailing the mechanics of Project Lighthouse voiced doubt that Doble would seek government witness protection. Lawyer Alex Avisado said that while it is up to Doble to make the "personal and tough" decision, the former spy would not likely place himself under the custody of the Justice Department headed by stauch Arroyo ally Raul Gonzalez. "If and when he decides to apply to be admitted to the WPP of DOJ, it will be a personal decision. But I don't think he will agree," Avisado said. He also confirmed Doble continues to receive threats. "He receives threats and prays daily that at least he'll live long enough to testify," Lacson said. When asked if Doble's colleagues would come out and corroborate his claims, Avisado said most of them are still in the active service and are unlikely to come out. However efforts to convince at least one of those who annotated the recordings to come out and corroborate Doble's testimony are "in the works." Meanwhile, Avisado said only Mrs Arroyo and Garcillano can stop the tapes from being played in the Senate hearing. "To say it is illegal one has to come forward and claim that was my voice, I am the President, that was wiretapped without my consent. Garci has to come forward and say that is my voice ... I am charging anyone who used the tape without my consent. We don't know if Garci or Mrs. Arroyo will come forward and say they were the ones whose conversations were allegedly wiretapped," he said. But Lacson said there is still no agreement on whether or not to play the tapes. "We didn't even tackle that during our caucus (Wednesday)," he said. Whodunit? Also Thursday, Lacson it is possible a member of the Cabinet ordered the wiretaps. "No way," Lacson said Thursday when asked if he thinks it is President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who ordered the alleged wiretapping. Lacson thinks that based on the circumstances surrounding the controversy, one of the possible "suspect" is Ermita, although the senator was quick to say it is a mere speculation on his part. The Senate committees on national defense and security, Blue Ribbon Committee, and the committee on constitutional amendments, revision of codes and laws, are likely to begin the probe of the wiretapping controversy next week. Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, chairman of the defense committee, said that among those who would likely be invited to appear in the hearing are National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales, Press Sec. Ignacio Bunye, and all other persons named in the videotaped testimony of T/Sgt. Vidal Doble. Proceeding on the assumption that the President was one of the voices in the "Hello, Garci" tape, Lacson said she would not have called former Commission on Election commissioner Virgilio Garcillano had she been informed of such operation. "I personally believe it (the order to wiretap) is within the circle of the President. This apparently exposes the rift between or among Cabinet members," he added. In pointing to Ermita as the possible mastermind behind the wiretapping operations, Lacson said that the executive secretary still has influence over the military, being a former Armed Forces Chief of Staff. And besides, Lacson said there were reports earlier that Ermita had a rift with former presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor, one of those allegedly wiretapped. Likewise, he said it constitutes a "betrayal" of the President's trust. "But this is just speculation," Lacson said. No impeachment Lacson also said the Senate wiretapping probe is not meant to seek the impeachment of the President. "We've gone past that era. We're not after impeaching her. Personally, I'd just want to get a closure in this issue," he said. On the other hand, he said one object of the investigation is to strengthen the oversight function of Congress over intelligence matters, probably to implement a system where Congress and the Executive determine how intelligence funds are used. In a related development, Biazon said that he wants to have Justice Sec. Raul Gonzalez summoned because in one previous hearing of the Senate the latter has already admitted that the President was wiretapped. In addition, he said Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye would have to be summoned because he was the first to claim to have a "fake" and a "true" copy of wiretapped conversation. Other persons named in the testimony of Doble who are also likely to be summoned include Adm. Tirso Danga, ret. Gen. Roy Kiamco, ret. AFP Chief of Staff Efren Abu, as well as other officers and men involved in the so-called "Project Lighthouse" - supposedly the wiretapping operation. Biazon also said another witness, who has already submitted copies of the conversation and an affidavit to the defense committee but was not able to testify in the previous hearings, might be able to testify. Lawyer Alex Avisado, counsel of Doble, said other team members of the "Project Lighthouse" could also testify. The chairmen of the three committees would meet Monday to discuss the procedure and schedule of the hearings. Biazon said that among others, he would bring up the issue on the possibility that they should put the witnesses under the Witness Protection Program for their security. -GMANews.TV