Convincing proof of Palace cover-up attempt found — Locsin

The five House committees that terminated their "Hello, Garci" inquiry last week found "convincing" evidence that Malacañang attempted to cover up the scandal about wiretapped conversations between President Arroyo and former election commissioner Virgilio Garcillano.

Makati Rep. Teodoro "Teddyboy" Locsin Jr., one of the committee chairmen involved in the probe, told ANC (ABS-CBN News Channel) on Sunday night that the attempted cover-up was one of two major findings the five panels had agreed upon before Garcillano came out of hiding and decided to talk in November.

He said the other finding was that the "Hello, Garci" tapes were part of a "conspiracy" to bring down the Arroyo administration, though the committees failed to name the conspirators.

He said the conclusions were contained in an initial report that the five committees decided not to release when it received information that Garcillano was coming out of hiding.

He added he believed the findings would be sustained and would be contained in the final report.

Locsin chairs the committee on suffrage and electoral reforms. He was interviewed with Cavite Rep. Gilbert Remulla and newspaper columnist Manolo Quezon. Remulla was chairman of the public information committee, the lead panel in the "Hello, Garci" inquiry, until November. The only part of the probe that he did not preside over was the portion after Garcillano resurfaced and gave his version of the "Garci" controversy.

Remulla told The STAR yesterday that the conclusions in the initial report were unaffected by Garcillano’s testimony.

"We found convincing evidence that Malacañang, through Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, attempted a cover-up to suppress the truth from coming out. Had the Palace cooperated with us in the search for the truth, there would be no need for the new appeal of the Catholic bishops," he said.

He was referring to the statement of Church leaders last weekend that the truth behind the "Hello, Garci" conversations and behind allegations that Mrs. Arroyo cheated in the May 2004 presidential election should be ferreted out. — Jess Diaz