Bedol: 2004 presidential polls also rigged
Posted at 07/14/2011 10:03 PM | Updated as of 07/15/2011 12:58 AM
from an exclusive report by Anthony Taberna, ABS-CBN News; ANC
MANILA, Philippines - Former Maguindanao election supervisor Lintang Bedol has claimed that massive cheating also occurred in the 2004 presidential election won by now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Bedol, who earlier revealed alleged polling irregularities in Mindanao during the 2007 mid-term elections, was mentioned several times in the "Hello Garci" scandal.
The issue involved wiretapped conversations between then-President Arroyo and former Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano regarding an alleged plot to rig the election results.
"Ako yung election supervisor ng Sultan Kudarat that time. I'm also the chairman of the election canvasser of Sultan Kudarat province," Bedol said.
In the Congress tally, Arroyo won by a huge margin over the late Fernando Poe Jr. in Sultan Kudarat.
Bedol alleged that Arroyo benefitted from vote-shaving and padding or "dagdag-bawas."
He believes that the probe into allegations of fraud in the 2004 polls should be revived.
He added that the investigation should look into the supposed ballot-switching at the House of Representatives.
"Importante masyado iyun to find out whether or not nagkaroon nga tayo ng totoong presidente o hindi," Bedol said. "Kasi doon, meron movement of ballot boxes. Sa tingin, ko baka switching yan. Pag switching yan, fake naman ... ngayon kung mga peke ang dokumento e siguro may pekeng presidente ... yan ang gusto kong patunayan."
Bedol said had long wanted to make the exposé.
However, he said he did not want to suffer the fate of COMELEC law director Alioden Dalaig, who was gunned down in November 2007.
"Pinatahimik, kasi meron siyang alam eh," Bedol said.
He added that many pieces of evidence of cheating in the 2004 polls were lost in the fire that razed the COMELEC office in Manila in March 2007.
"Ang nawala, iyung election returns, nasunog. Dun ko nalaman yun kay Dalaig," he added.
Bedol gave ABS-CBN News a copy of his sworn statement.
He is now asking that he be placed under government's Witness Protection Program.
Arroyo's lawyer, Raul Lambino, said the former President is willing to answer allegations of electoral fraud and graft in the courts but not in media or Congress. --
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