Palace warns media vs airing of 'Garci' tapes

Published February 16, 2008 7:51am

The â€˜Hello,Garciâ€™ Scandal "Hello, Garci" refers to the alleged wiretapped conversations where vote rigging in the 2004 elections was discussed by, among others, a woman presumed to be President Arroyo and a man presumed to be COMELEC Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano. Ironically, the controversy that nearly toppled the Arroyo administration started at the Palace, when Presidential Spokesperson Ignacio Bunye released CDs of the "Hello, Garci" conversations on June 6, 2005. Days later, former NBI Deputy Director Samuel Ong presented what he claimed to be the "mother of all tapes" of the wiretapped conversations. The revelation spawned House and Senate investigations, as well as calls for President Arroyo's resignation. The President was steadfast in her refusal to step down. She admitted talking to a COMELEC official during the canvassing period and apologized for her "lapse in judgment" in making such a call. However, she qualified that the conversations occurred after the votes had been counted. She was careful not to name the COMELEC official. Garcillano's whereabouts became unknown after the "Hello,Garci" CDs came out; there had been rumors that he slipped out of the country. He resurfaced more than five months later, admitting that he had conversed with President Arroyo during the canvassing period--after the votes had been counted. He denied that President Arroyo instructed him to cheat in the 2004 elections. He had since appeared in House hearings on the wiretapping controversy. - GMA News Research

MalacaÃ±ang on Saturday warned media outfits against airing the contents of the "Hello, Garci" tapes. Radio dzBB quoted Sergio Antonio Apostol, chief presidential legal counsel, as saying that the Supreme Court decision that lifted the government's warning against airing the tapes was not yet final. On Friday, February 15, the high tribunal nullified an order issued by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and the Justice department warning media against airing the recordings of alleged wiretapped conversations on a plan to rig the results of the 2004 presidential polls. On June 11, 2005, the NTC warned radio and television companies that if they air the tapes, they would face sanctions. Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez also threatened to file criminal charges in violation of Republic Act 4200 or the Anti-Wire Tapping Act against those found in possession of the â€œGarci" tapes. DzBB said the Palace was planning to appeal the high court's decision. But Francisco Chavez, former solicitor general, who questioned the Palace gag on the airing of the tapes, twitted Apostol for the warning. "Ewan ko kung saan nag-law school si Apostol. Tinanggal na ang prior restraint nananakot pa rin ang MalacaÃ±ang. Kalokohan na 'yan (I wonder what law school Apostol attended. The high court's decision already removed prior restraint, but MalacaÃ±ang continues to cow the media. That's bullshit)," he said in an interview on dzRH radio. In a related development, dzBB reported that Apostol attended a series of meetings in MalacaÃ±ang late Friday night. It added vehicles of the NTC and those with number "8" plates were seen entering the Palace compound Friday night. It was not immediately clear if they met to talk about the "Garci" tapes issue. - GMANews.TV

Tags: hellogarci, virgiliogarcillano, hellogarcitapes