Garcillano denies having ill-gotten wealth

BAUNGON, Bukidnon, Philippines  – Controversial former election official Virgilio Garcillano yesterday denied allegations of ill-gotten wealth in owning several real estate properties in some areas of the country.

Garcillano, who figured in the “Hello, Garci” wiretap recording scandal during the 2004 national elections, denied owning farms and houses in Cotabato City and Quezon province.

He said the only property he owned is the farm here in Bukidnon.

“They’re telling lies again because the truth is I do not have properties in Cotabato except a simple house lease in Subic (in Zambales) and another one which my wife owned a long time ago in Cagayan de Oro City, acquired a long time ago,” he said.

Garcillano is married to Grace Garcillano, a retired administrative officer of the Land Transportation Office in Region 10.

He said he already knew beforehand that the Aquino administration would look into his and his wife’s properties.

According to Garcillano, he already had a feeling that the administration would focus on him, alleging an emissary from the Office of the Presidential Adviser for Political Affairs has threatened him.

He named the emissary as one Jasper Zuñiga.

“Jasper Zuñiga told me this after introducing himself from the Office of the Presidential Adviser for Political Affairs. He claimed the possibility that my properties would be looked into and I told him that I am not hiding anything. I earned them… everything is an open book,” Garcillano told The STAR.

The former election official said he acquired the 11 hectares of farmlands here in Baungon at P35,000 from a local bank, which foreclosed the land in 1976.

Garcillano said his wife acquired a house and lot in R.E.R. subdivision in Cagayan de Oro City from her retirement benefits.

He said the secondhand house in Subic was a lease, which was then acquired by his wife, also a real estate agent.

Garcillano stressed his farm in Baungon where they are now staying was built through the years from combined savings.

He claimed to have had savings from his P60,000 monthly salary as regional officer of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), which was the reason why he and his wife were able to acquire some properties.

“I am an Ilocano… so I acquired some traits of the Ilocano to be wiser in spending and saving,” he said.

Garcillano said he had no reason to acquire more assets and wealth because he is already old and his only adopted daughter, now 37, is working in the US.

Garcillano figured in the controversial “Hello, Garci” wiretap recording scandal supposedly revealing the taped conversation he had with former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during the counting of results in the 2004 presidential elections in Mindanao.

Arroyo later apologized to the nation for making the call but denied it was for operations to rig election results but did not mention if the person she had called was Garcillano.

Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Ronald Llamas said the government had been discreetly looking into the assets allegedly amassed by Garcillano.

Llamas revealed the government had initially found that Garcillano had acquired houses and lots in Subic in Zambales, Cagayan de Oro City, Quezon City and Cotabato.

Garcillano also supposedly acquired several farms in Bukidnon.

Llamas did not say who were the specific sources of his information on Garcillano’s supposed acquisitions.

He said the focus of the investigation is how Garcillano could have built up his wealth despite his having no job in recent years.

“He saved GMA (Arroyo), that is not petty cash. It appears he made more,” he said.

Garcillano’s lawyer, Ed Tamondong said Llamas’ call for investigation of Garcillano’s assets was a kind of misuse and abuse of power that President Aquino described as a symbolic ‘wang-wang’ in his State of the Nation Address (SONA).

“The President issued warning of the wang-wang (siren) culture/mentality meaning a stop on any abuse or misuse of state power and authority and Llamas and his group should have fell in line with the President’s policy without necessarily destroying the reputation of the government,” Tamondong said.