Witness tagging GMA in 2007 poll fraud to be presented tomorrow

MANILA, Philippines - Commission on Election (Comelec) Chairman Sixto Brillantes revealed yesterday that he would present tomorrow a former top government official who would directly link former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to cheating in the 2007 elections.

He told reporters during the weekly news forum Kapihan sa Annabel’s in Quezon City that the new witness is the first vital witness to directly link the former President to poll fraud.

Brillantes declined to identify the new witness before the formal presentation tomorrow.

“The witness is now under protective custody of the Department of Justice (DOJ), we want to secure the witness because of the very explosive testimony (the witness would give),” he said.

Brillantes said the new witness had already executed his affidavit that would be used by the joint DOJ-Comelec special committee investigating cheating in the 2004 and 2007 elections.

“Election sabotage is a non-bailable offense, once an arrest warrant is issued by the courts the accused would remain in jail until the final resolution of the case,” he said.

Brillantes said the new witness was directly involved in the cheating, particularly in the operation to ensure a 12-0 victory for the senatorial candidates of the Arroyo administration in Maguindanao.

He said Justice Secretary Leila de Lima initially announced the discovery of the new witness.

“Initially I did not confirm the announcement because we were still evaluating the testimony of the witness, but after four days we found out that his testimony was directly pointing to the former President,” he said.

The confirmation of the new witness came after former Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos had volunteered to become a prosecution witness in an election sabotage case against lawyer Lilian Radam, former chairman of the South Cotabato board of canvassers, who is facing 11 counts of election sabotage filed by the Comelec at the Pasay City regional trial court.

Radam had recently surfaced at the DOJ and executed an affidavit implicating Abalos to the cheating in the 2007 polls.

The DOJ has placed Radam under the Witness Protection Program (WPP).

Brillantes, however, ruled out Abalos as a prosecution witness because he was already implicated in the ongoing DOJ-Comelec investigation.

“Abalos is just making a drama, he is now accusing lawyer Radam who is also accusing him as the alleged brains,” he said.

Brillantes said the Comelec is now studying the legal move on whether to withdraw the charges filed against Radam or to amend the charges to include other respondents in the case.

“We will file the necessary motion in the court as soon as the ongoing fact finding investigation will be completed,” he said.