Retired Army officer confirms 2004 poll fraud allegations in Sulu

MANILA, Philippines - A retired Army officer yesterday confirmed allegations of cheating in the 2004 presidential polls that allowed then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo a fresh six-year term.

Retired Army colonel Jose Gamos alleged that he saw how the poll results were rigged in Sulu, one of the areas where massive cheating was believed to have taken place.

In an interview with reporters over the weekend, Gamos said the canvassing of votes in Jolo, Sulu was moved to military camps amid security threats that could disrupt the elections.

Gamos said an explosion occurred while votes were being counted at a high school in Jolo, prodding poll officials to move the canvassing to the Army’s 104th Infantry Brigade headquarters.

There was also a bomb threat in a canvassing site located along the vicinity of Camp Asturias, he said.

Gamos, a graduate of Philippine Military Academy Class 1976, said he wanted to go to the headquarters of the 104th IB, which was then led by his classmate Nehemias Pajarito.

Gamos alleged he was denied entry to the camp.

The retired officer alleged that the actor Fernando Poe Jr. was leading Arroyo by about 80,000 votes before the counting was moved to the 104th IB headquarters.

However, the final tally showed Arroyo won by about 20,000 votes in the area. Gamos believes there was no way Poe could be beaten in Jolo.

He said these incidents were happening amid reports that the former president’s husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo, and then military operations chief Hermogenes Esperon were in Lanao, another province where massive cheating reportedly took place.

Gamos said he had obtained information that the military officers who cooperated with the cheating had received cash rewards.

“I believe in this because I was denied entry to the 104th Brigade for no reason at all,” Gamos said.

He alleged that the election results in Tawi-Tawi were also manipulated.

Gamos said then Navy Capt. Feliciano Angue and Air Force Col. Rene Pilapil had opposed moving the canvassing of votes to Manila from Tawi-Tawi.