US embassy cable - 05MANILA5734

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANILA 005734 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, INR/EAP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/08/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KCOR, PINS, PINR, EAID, RP 
SUBJECT: TESTIMONY OF FORMER ELECTORAL OFFICIAL BEFORE 
PHILIPPINE CONGRESS LEAVES MANY QUESTIONS UNANSWERED 
 
REF: A. MANILA 5482 
 
     B. MANILA 5364 
     C. MANILA 4140 
     D. MANILA 2970 
     E. MANILA 2777 
 
Classified By: Acting Pol/C Joseph L. Novak for Reasons 
1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  Former Commission on Elections (COMELEC) 
official Virgilio Garcillano's House testimony on December 7 
did not bring closure to the "Hello Garci" audiotape 
controversy involving President Arroyo.  Garcillano refused 
to comment directly on the audiotapes, but firmly denied 
rigging votes in favor of Arroyo during last year's election. 
 Garcillano lashed out at the Opposition, saying that 
whatever he did in talking to Arroyo during last year's 
election timeframe was similar to what he did with other 
politicians.  Garcillano is due to attend more hearings 
shortly.  The continued controversy highlights the need for 
serious electoral reform in the Philippines.  End Summary. 
 
"Garci" Testifies 
----------------- 
 
2.  (U) During a nine-hour hearing (with some intermissions) 
before a five-committee panel at the House of Representatives 
on December 7, former COMELEC Commissioner Garcillano 
admitted talking to President Arroyo once during the 2004 
presidential election but denied that their conversation had 
anything to do with the rigging of votes in Mindanao.  (Note: 
 Garcillano is the election official with whom President 
Arroyo spoke in a taped and subsequently leaked telephone 
conversation last year, leading to Opposition accusations of 
electoral fraud and calls for her resignation.  Arroyo 
admitted the conversation was "improper."  See refs A, B, D 
and E for background.  End Note.)  He challenged the 
authenticity of the tapes and demanded that the originals be 
produced for examination.  Garcillano, however, refused to 
answer specific questions about the wiretapped conversations 
and confirm whether it was his voice on the tapes. 
Garcillano argued that he could not comment in detail because 
he has filed two petitions with the Supreme Court (one 
seeking to lift the warrant of arrest issued by Congress 
earlier this year for his failure to testify, and another 
questioning the admissibility of illegally-obtained audio 
recordings in Congressional hearings). 
 
And Stirs the Pot by Naming Names 
--------------------------------- 
 
3.  (U) Pursuant to recent comments he has made to the press 
since emerging from hiding last month, Garcillano claimed 
that he also spoke in private meetings or by telephone with 
at least 37 legislators and others during the May 2004 
election timeframe, including many Opposition notables.  The 
names included senators (Juan Enrile, Jamby Madrigal, Panfilo 
Lacson, Alfredo Lim, Manuel Roxas, and Richard Gordon), as 
well as many incumbent congressmen, including Minority Leader 
Francis Escudero and his assistant Allan Cayetano.  He also 
claimed to have spoken with Opposition vice-presidential 
candidate Loren Legarda.  Some lawmakers quickly denied 
having met or talked with Garcillano, while others admitted 
having had "chance encounters" with him or discussing 
non-poll related issues.  For example, Legarda vehemently 
denied having discussed electoral matters with Garcillano 
during the election. 
 
Reactions 
--------- 
 
4.  (U) The Garcillano hearing received heavy media coverage 
and was carried live on broadcast television.  Most press 
opinion, however, expressed disappointment that the hearing 
uncovered little solid new information and failed to bring 
closure to the controversy.  Malacanang Executive Secretary 
Eduardo Ermita declined to comment and said that Arroyo will 
remain focused on "pressing national concerns."  The 
Opposition, for its part, was on the defensive after 
Garcillano's refusal to implicate Arroyo in alleged electoral 
fraud and by his naming of names, including some of their 
own.  Opposition figures harshly criticized his testimony and 
accused him of delivering "a Malacanang-scripted exoneration" 
of Arroyo, just as some in the Opposition had claimed he 
would do prior to his appearance before the House (see ref A). 
 
More Hearings 
------------- 
 
5.  (U) Garcillano's hearing before the House will continue 
on December 13.  He is also scheduled to testify on December 
14 before the Senate Committee on National Defense. 
According to the latter Committee's Chairman, Senator Rodolfo 
Biazon, the Committee is investigating the alleged breach of 
national security involved in the wiretapping of the 
President's phone conversations. 
Comment 
------- 
 
6.  (C) Garcillano's comments yesterday did not bring closure 
to the "Hello Garci" controversy but left it open-ended. 
Nonetheless, Malacanang clearly hopes that Garcillano's 
affirmation that Arroyo did not discuss rigging votes with 
him will ease attacks on her.  Now that Garcillano has also 
accused other politicians of speaking with him during last 
year's election, the Opposition may find it harder to single 
out Arroyo on this point.  That said, the Opposition will 
likely continue to accuse Malacanang of a cover-up, though 
most Filipinos seem tired of the political bickering.  The 
controversy, however, highlights the urgent need for 
electoral reform in the Philippines in order to strengthen 
rule of law and good governance, and thus build up trust in 
the political system. 
 
Visit Embassy Manila's Classified SIPRNET website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm 
 
You can also access this site through the State 
Department's Classified SIPRNET website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/ 
 
Jones