‘GMA ouster no longer possible’

After causing a political maelstrom that almost swept away President Arroyo, the Senate investigation of the “Hello Garci” scandal – which is set to be reopened – can no longer  threaten her remaining three years in office, a retired intelligence   officer who claimed to have heard her plotting election fraud with a poll official said.

Retired Army T/Sgt. Vidal Doble said he doesn’t expect the revival of the scandal to cause the downfall of Mrs. Arroyo, saying her administration has managed to consolidate its forces and that the public has become apathetic to political controversies.

“She has a firm hold on power. She controls all government offices and the people have become passive,” Doble told a select group of reporters.

Doble defended his decision to come out only after two years, saying he had feared for his family’s safety. He said he is now determined to make the public know how elections are rigged, especially because former poll commissioner Virgilio Garcillano’s alleged co-conspirators like Lintang Bedol and Rey Sumalipao in Mindanao were active in the last May elections.

The release of a taped conversation between Mrs. Arroyo and Garcillano on their alleged plot to manipulate the results of the 2004 presidential elections triggered public outrage that almost cost the chief executive her job.

“Let’s not tolerate cheating. They cheat because we lack vigilance and their striking force is very much active,” Doble said. “They ruin the institution. Even if you take Garci out of the picture, others like him will emerge if we don’t watch out.”

Doble said his retirement from the service last Feb. 17 also emboldened him to come out and seek the help of Sen. Panfilo Lacson. “I cannot please everybody, but I have to bare the truth despite all the mudslinging,” Doble said.

“I feel I’m a free man now, and nobody can dictate on me. They had my family before. And there’s no way I’d pull the trigger if they have my family,” he said. He said his family is now out of harm’s way.

He also said that the service provider of Garcillano’s phone, which he used in his conversation with Mrs. Aquino, was Smart Communications Inc.

He revealed that it has been the practice of ISAFP leadership to research the “weaknesses” of technical personnel of service providers and eventually hire them as “consultants” for purposes of bugging telephones.

Doble said bugging would never succeed without help from telecommunications industry insiders.

He also clarified that he did not sell the recorded conversation to former National Bureau of Investigation deputy director Samuel Ong. He said he didn’t know that he would be given P2 million, P200,000 of which he gave to Ong’s agent Lito Santiago. The meeting took place at Imperial Palace, he said.

“My friends ridiculed me for taking only P2 million, and they said I could have sold the tape for P40 (million),” he said. He added he used part of the money to help a sibling.