Honasan to testify today at Garci hearing?

Barring any hitches, former senator Gregorio Honasan and two officers of the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM) will testify before the Senate as it resumes hearings today on the "Hello, Garci" audiotapes.

At least six other new witnesses are expected to bolster earlier allegations of poll fraud against President Arroyo in the inquiry being conducted by the Senate committee on defense and national security chaired by Sen. Rodolfo Biazon.

One of the witnesses invited is former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) deputy director for intelligence Samuel Ong, who came forward in June claiming that what he called the "mother of all tapes" had been given to him by former buddies in the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP).

Honasan and RAM officer Rex Robles, who were also allegedly heard on the "Hello, Garci" audiotapes, are likely to authenticate the two tapes Biazon claimed to have in his possession. Retired Army chief Rodolfo Canieso is also expected to testify.

Ong identified T/Sgt. Vidal Doble, a military intelligence agent assigned to the Military Intelligence Group-21, an ISAFP unit, as the one who had given him the tape. Doble was later identified as the alleged wiretapper of Mrs. Arroyo’s phone conversations. He denies the accusation.

Doble’s girlfriend, Marietta Santos, had earlier told Biazon’s committee that Doble was involved. Santos claimed she knew about the wiretapping because she was allowed to enter the ISAFP premises.

Armed Forces chief-of-staff Gen. Generoso Senga denied that the military had the capability to eavesdrop on cellular phone conversations.

Biazon did not identify the other new witnesses, adding that more had come forward offering to testify. He earlier described three of them as "prominent" and said their testimonies would be corroborated by two other people. — Christina Mendez