Whistle-blower disowns statement vs NCRPO chief

MANILA, Philippines - Police Senior Superintendent Rafael Santiago Jr. has disowned the statement reportedly implicating National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Alan Purisima in the alleged cheating in the 2004 elections.

It was reported that Santiago said in a text message to reporters that Purisima could possibly be privy to information on purported poll fraud that was allegedly covered up by switching of 2004 election returns (ERs) inside the Batasan Pambansa in early 2005, since Purisima was then a close associate of former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and now Zambales Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr.

“When Ebdane was chief PNP in 2004, Purisima was his trusted man at the Police Anti-Crime Emergency Response (PACER) at the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force,” his text message in Filipino was quoted in the reports.

He, however, disowned the statement and claimed it could be part of a demolition job to cast doubt on his credibility as a witness in the joint investigation of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Commission on Elections (Comelec) on fraud charges in the 2004 and 2007 polls.

“I never gave such incriminating statements, more so against Police Director Alan Purisima whom I continue to respect and have worked with as my regional director in Police Regional Office (PRO) 3,” the policeman claimed in a statement.

Santiago told reporters in the DOJ that he would just stick to his affidavit that did not include Purisima.

“We expect that there will be more demolition jobs against us to come considering the enormous resources at the disposal of those behind it which we know might even cost our lives, not until we are able to take part in the legal process of the inquiry to ferret out the truth, which we are just awaiting,” he said.

Santiago’s lawyer Vic Rodriguez suspects that “unseen hands” are working to discredit Santiago through a malicious issue that would put a “wedge between Gen. Purisima and Col. Santiago and his men.”

A source, however, claimed that Santiago was “pressured into taking back his statement.”

“That’s expected – he will deny it after talking to higher-ups and since both of them (Santiago and Purisima) are still in the service,” the source explained.

Santiago had implicated former first gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo in the alleged ER switching at the Batasan Pambansa when he surfaced last month.

He, however, did not include Arroyo’s name in his affidavit submitted to the DOJ after admitting that he just heard from someone the allegation that Arroyo purportedly financed the operation, meaning it was just hearsay.

Santiago formally submitted last Aug. 4 to the DOJ an affidavit reiterating his allegations that he and his team stole original ERs that were stored at the Batasan Pambansa building and replaced them with fake ones in raids held on four weekends in January and February 2005 upon orders of Ebdane.

He earlier said his team took at least 6,000 ERs. Santiago was able to keep 38 of the stolen ERs, which he submitted to the DOJ last week.

He also did not mention in his affidavit this figure, which Justice Secretary Leila de Lima had said could involve 1.2 million votes or 100,000 votes over the 1.1 million votes won by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo over opposition bet actor Fernando Poe Jr.

The operation was allegedly aimed at having Arroyo declared winner in case a recount of votes was ordered after Poe filed an election protest.

Aside from Ebdane, Santiago also tagged his former boss, then police Special Action Force (SAF) director Chief Superintendent Marcelino Franco, and a certain “El Bello” and a certain “Arnold” in the ER switching operation.

El Bello is believed to be Roel Bello, son of election lawyer Roque Bello. De Lima said both Bellos have a reputation of being election operators.

The investigation is expected to start next week with the evaluation of affidavits of Santiago and his men when the DOJ and Comelec issue a joint order for the formal rules and procedures of the fact-finding and preliminary investigation.