Court orders arrest of GMA witness, co-accused in 2007 poll fraud

MANILA, Philippines - Judge Jesus Mupas of the Pasay City Regional Trial Court (RTC) ordered yesterday the arrest of a witness against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her co-accused former provincial election officer Lintang Bedol and former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. in the alleged cheating in the elections in Maguindanao in 2007.

Mupas ordered the arrest of former Maguindanao election officer Rasam Mabang, who disappeared before the bail hearing last May 31 on electoral sabotage charges filed against Arroyo and the other accused and has since been missing.

Felda Domingo, Pasay RTC branch 112 spokesperson, said the arrest order was issued because Mabang had ignored the subpoena and failed to appear in court.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) prosecutor Juana Maria Valesa told Mupas that they could not present Mabang last May 31 because he left the safe house. 

Mabang, based on his sworn affidavit, claimed that he did not conduct a canvass of election returns for national positions during the 2007 elections.

But Bedol lawyer Reynaldo Princesa said Mabang’s failure to attend the hearing only proved that he did not want to tell more lies.

Star witness testifies

Former Maguindanao provincial administrator Norie Unas, the star witness of the Comelec against Arroyo, Bedol, and Ampatuan, finally testified in court yesterday and claimed that he heard Arroyo ordering Ampatuan to ensure a 12-0 victory for the administration’s Team Unity senatorial candidates.

Unas was said to be a trusted aide of Ampatuan.

Unas said Arroyo gave the order during a meeting in Malacañang sometime before the 2007 elections.

He said also present during the meeting were Team Unity senatorial candidates Prospero Pichay, Miguel Zubiri, Tessie Oreta and then Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr.

When asked during his testimony what made him come out and testify, Unas admitted that he decided to be a state witness for the Comelec after Bedol and several election officers of Maguindanao implicated him in the alleged cheating in Maguindanao during the 2007 senatorial elections.

The election officers presented by the Comelec in the bail petitions filed by Arroyo, Ampatuan and Bedol have claimed that Unas had direct participation in the poll cheating in Maguindanao in 2007.

Testifying under direct examination of prosecutor Valesa, Unas also admitted his fear of being implicated in the electoral fraud case in Maguindanao had compelled him to come out and testify in the electoral sabotage case filed against his former boss Ampatuan, Arroyo, and Bedol. – With Paolo Romero