Cops surface at DOJ, turn over stolen ERs

MANILA, Philippines - Six members of the police's elite force today surfaced at the Department of Justice (DOJ) and turned over more election returns (ERs), which they allegedly stole from the Batasan Pambansa building in 2005.

"We seek justice by revealing the truth," Senior Superintendent Rafael Santiago declared before reporters at the Department of Justice (DOJ) office in Manila.

Santiago tagged along with him four more members of the Special Action Force (SAF), who have admitted to their involvement in the switching of at least 6,000 ERs kept inside the House of Representatives' building in January 2005.

The five other SAF members were Police Officer 2 Rodel Tabangin, PO2 Alan Layugan, PO2 Rudy Gahar, PO2 Tripon Lacsamana and PO1 Norman Duco.

The policemen were accompanied by their lawyers, including Victor Rodrigue

PO2 Alan Layugan, PO2 Trifon Laxamana, PO1 Norman Duco, and PO2 Rodel Tabangin. They were accompanied by their legal counsels led by lawyer Victor Rodriguez. 

Santiago said that more men in uniform are involved in massive poll cheating in 2005, and urged them to be "gentleman enough" to come out and tell the truth.

Santiago and his group turned over 38 copies of ERs, which is part of the boxes of election documents, they took from the Batasan Pambansa building and switched with fake ERs that were allegedly prepared by election lawyer Roque Bello, his son Roel Bello and 10 other unidentified men.

The SAF official said that they will submit sworn statements, detailing the break-ins at the Batasan during weekends in January 2005, next week.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said that the policemen are always on the move, which makes it hard for them to execute their sworn statements.

She said that she will provide the Commission on Elections copies of the sworn statements. The DOJ and the Comelec have agreed to jointly investigate allegations of election fraud in 2004 and 2007.

Santiago told reporters at the DOJ that he and other members of the group have been receiving death threats, which prompted them to seek protection from the justice department.

The police official, meanwhile, denied that they are involved in the massive election cheating in 2004. He said that they were just following orders.

He added that they have wanted to come out, but they were afraid of the people behind the massive poll fraud.

"We know that our lives are at risk here, our families. We know we are facing powerful people but there will be no turning back," Santiago said.

De Lima said yesterday that Santiago's group claims that aside from the Bellos, former Philippine National Police chief and now Zambales Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. and former SAF director, Chief Superintendent Marcelino Franco were involved in the operation.

The justice chief said that in her conversation with Santiago, the police official had initially revealed that a certain FG, referring to former first gentleman Mike Arroyo, financed the operation.

At the press conference, Santiago publicly apologized to actress Susan Roces, widow of the late Fernando Poe Jr., the closest rival of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in the 2004 presidential election.

"We would like to extend our apology to Madame Susan Roces for the error. At this point, we are trying to rectify," he said.

De Lima said yesterday that according to Santiago's group, they were involved in at least four break-ins at the Batasan. She said that the break-ins targeted votes from 6,000 precincts.

She said that the operation involved at least 1.2 million votes, which is about the same number of Mrs. Arroyo's lead votes over Poe.

Santiago, meanwhile, told the reporters that their decision to come out is not connected with the surfacing of several witnesses to the alleged poll fraud in 2004 and 2007, including former Maguindanao election supervisor Lintang Bedol.

Arroyo’s lawyer, Raul Lambino, said yesterday that Santiago’s group could be part of a grand plan to pin the former president to poll fraud allegations.

Before Bedol surface, suspended ARMM governor Zaldy Ampatuan implicated Mrs. Arroyo and the former first gentleman in election cheating in 2007.

Prior to Ampatuan’s revelation, he came out saying he is willing to turn state witness against his father and brothers. The Ampatuans are accused of masterminding the killing of 58 people, including journalists and civilians, in Maguindanao last Nov. 23, 2009.

Malacanang had denied that the series of revelations and coming out of poll fraud witnesses is stage-managed by the administration.