Ex-justice, MIAA chiefs to face Senate probe on alleged poll fraud in 2004, 2007

MANILA, Philippines - Former Justice secretary Agnes Devanadera and ex-Manila International Airport Authority general manager Alfonso Cusi have been invited to testify in the Senate hearing on alleged election fraud in 2004 and 2007 on Tuesday.

Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III told reporters during a forum in Quezon City that witnesses implicated Devanadera and Cusi in alleged cheating during the 2007 mid-term elections.

“All the persons mentioned in the affidavits of witnesses will be invited to the Senate hearing,” he said.

Pimentel, chairman of the Senate committee on electoral reform, said the Blue Ribbon committee headed by Sen. Teofisto Guingona will be the lead panel in the investigation.

He said that former Shari’a court judge Nagamura Moner, who is now under the government’s Witness Protection Program (WPP), is also scheduled to testify.

Also invited to the Senate inquiry were former election officers in Maguindanao, including Lintang Bedol who is presently serving his jail term meted by the Commission on Elections.

Moner had earlier implicated former first gentleman Mike Arroyo in alleged poll fraud in 2004 to ensure the victory of his wife, former President now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

According to Pimentel, Moner was supposed to testify on the controversial PNP helicopter scandal, but his testimony later on shifted to the 2004 election after it turned out that the choppers were allegedly used to transport money to be used to rig the poll results.

The senator also clarified that the Senate Blue Ribbon committee report, which will be submitted to the plenary for confirmation, was the basis of the complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman.

“Our basis in filing the complaint was the committee report,” he said.

Pimentel expressed confidence that Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales will resolve the case earlier and those responsible will be charged before the courts.

“The fact finding investigation revealed that there was a crime committed, it is now up to the Ombudsman to determine who among those accused will be charged in court,” he added.