Biazon: Ex-NBI exec in 'Garci' probe receiving death threats

A reported threat to his life is the main hurdle keeping Samuel Ong, former deputy director of the National Bureau of investigation (NBI), from testifying at the Senate's "Hello, Garci" investigation. Senator Rodolfo Biazon, chair of the Senate defense committee, said Thursday the Senate has made security preparations for Ong, who claimed possession of the "mother" of all "Garci tapes" at a press conference in Makati City in June 2005. "Through the chairman of the defense committee in the Senate, it was informed that the Senate is ready to provide physical security during the transport of Attorney Ong from where is going to be picked up, up to his appearance in the Senate, and when he is going to be returned to where he is going to be picked up," Biazon said at a media forum. Biazon said Ong faces a sedition charge over the "Garci" tapes. The senator said that while sedition is a "bailable" charge, it may put Ong's life "in jeopardy." The hearing is scheduled at 10 a.m. Friday. As this developed, Biazon said three resource persons had confirmed their attendance on Friday, "through intermediaries." These include former military spy Vidal Doble Jr, Balanga Bishop Socrates Villegas and retired Gen. Efren Abu, former chief of the Armed Forces. Biazon said the Senate already served a subpoena to former poll commissioner Virgilio Garcillano through his lawyer. It served an invitation to Ong through his lawyer. He added that the Senate expects problems in summoning another resource person, Navy Vice Admiral Tirso Danga, to the hearings because of Executive Order 464. He said that even if Danga retires from the military on September 24, Malacañang may still extend his term, or appoint him to a post under the executive department. "I assume the hearing will go beyond September 24 where Danga will be shedding the protection of EO 464, unless of course he is extended. If he is extended, that will be a major issue in the rank and file of the AFP. Or if he is immediately upon retirement appointed to any position in the executive department, such as being an ambassador or a member of an executive department in the government, we will deal with that possible scenario as it comes," he said. Biazon said Ong's appearance may be needed to at least verify the evidence Ong submitted to the 13th Congress in 2005. He said that at the time Ong submitted the tapes and the latter's testimony, the senator had Ong mark the tapes so the committee could not be charged of substituting other tapes. Ong was also asked to submit an affidavit describing the circumstances of his acquisition of the tapes and summaries of the contents of the tapes. Also, he had Ong transmit these pieces of evidence to the committee through a letter. "[But] we are not blocked on the possible testimonies of Atty. Samuel Ong. There have been corroborating testimonial and physical evidence to establish the facts he stated in his affidavit," he said. However, he also said Ong could corroborate the claim of Marietta Santos, Doble's girlfriend, in an earlier hearing that some of the voices in the tape were of agents of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (Isafp). Doble could identify his voice in the wiretapped tapes, and those of other Isafp operatives who annotated the tapes, Biazon said. - GMANews.TV