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Deceiving "Apology" Proves GMA Can No Longer Govern
Posted on June 28, 2005 - 6:43pm :: Editorial
Nicanor Perlas
27 June 2005
In recent weeks, a supposedly unauthorized wiretap rocked the nation by recording a scandalous conversation between a woman and an official of the Comelec or Commission on Elections. The tapes revealed that the woman, who sounded like Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the President of the Philippines, was conspiring to bring about fraudulent election results with a commissioner of the Comelec. The Philippine Constitution mandates the Comelec to uphold clean and honest elections.
For weeks, "President" Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA) refused to comment on whether she was the woman on the tape. She maintained stoic silence. Meanwhile, the protests grew louder, bigger, and more organized. Then, suddenly, last night, PGMA appeared on nationwide television and radio. She finally admitted that she was the female voice in the wiretap recordings. She also apologized for her "lapse of judgment" in calling a Comelec official under questionable circumstances. She did not, however, admit any guilt and called on the nation to forgive and join her in rebuilding the nation.
Her unexpected apology stunned pro and anti-GMA forces. Most thought GMA was too proud to apologize. There is more, however, than meets the eye in this "performance", for so it was. To realize what happened, we need to compare what she said in her statement of apology and what appeared in the transcripts of the conversations that she had with an official of the Commission on Elections. Then certain conclusions will become clear and obvious.
GMA explains the reason why she called the Comelec official. "As you recall, the election canvassing process was unnecessarily slow even after the election results were already in and the votes had been counted. . . . . I was anxious to protect my votes and during that time had conversations with many people, including a Comelec official. My intent was not to influence the outcome of the election, and it did not. "
Then, she goes on to apologize. "That said, let me tell you how I personally feel, I recognize that making any such call was a lapse in judgment. I'm sorry."
GMA then continues to outline her achievements. "I took office with a mandate to carry out a plan for the nation. Since that time, I have focused on making the tough but necessary decisions to make up for years of economic neglect. . . . . That is why I want to close this chapter and move on with the business of governing. . . . . I ask each and every one of you to join hands with me in a show of unity, to help forge One Philippines . . ."
Shortly before, the nation read and heard the following taped conversations of GMA and the Comelec official, who most likely was Virgilio Garcillano. (Click Here for a downloadable copy of the transcript of the tapes.] There are many such conversations. We will only highlight a few. On 29 May 2004 at 09:43 in the morning, GMA had a talk with Garcillano.
"GMA: Hello…
Garcillano: Hello, ma'am, good morning. Ok ma'am, mas mataas ho siya pero mag-compensate po sa Lanao yan. [Ok, ma'am, he has a higher count but we can compensate for it in Lanao [province]. [He, in this case, is the late Fernando Po, Jr., FPJ,.the strongest contender for presidency who claimed he was cheated by GMA.]
GMA: So I will still lead by more than one M.[million], overall?
Garcillano: More or less, it's the advantage ma'am. Parang ganun din ang lalabas. [That is how it will come out.]
GMA: It cannot be less than one M.?
Garcillano: Pipilitin ma'am natin yan. Pero [But] as of the other day, 982. [We will force it to happen that way.] [Emphasis added.]
GMA: Kaya nga eh… [That is the case indeed.]
Garcillano: And then if we can get more in Lanao..
GMA: Hindi pa ba tapos? [It [the canvassing of votes] is not yet finished?]
Garcillano: Hindi pa ho, meron pa hong darating na seven municipalities. [Not yet, but the results of seven municipalities are still coming.]
GMA: Ah, ok, ok."
A few hours later, at 1400 hours or 2 pm, GMA has another conversation with Virgilio Garcillano. This Comelec official is now "affectionately" called "Hello, Garci" in the different versions of the taped conversation that have been converted into ring tones. More than 350,000 people have downloaded these ring tones from www.txtpower.org.
The conversation is about a botched attempt to cheat in favor of GMA at the local level. Garci explained that the problem was due to the unskilled work of some of the operators. He then reassures GMA that she will not be affected by this mistake as they already re-massaged the counting of votes at the provincial level.
"Garcillano: Hello ma'am . Tumawag raw kayo. [You called?]
GMA: Sabi nung kabila, nagpaplano sila among themselves, meron daw silang mga affidavits from teachers and Board of Canvassers na they witnessed and were made to cheat. [The other side said that they are planning among themselves. They supposedly have affidavits from teachers . . . ] [Emphasis added.]
Garcillano: Wala naman hong… san ho kaya? Yung kwan ho kanina , yung sinabi nyo sa Pangutaran it was like this. Its Tirona, yung nag-appear doon, nabaligtad si FPJ. Sa canvassing sa province, and result yung din hong original and ilalagay because of the words and figures will not change. Kasi sila Gen. Abahacon ba, hindi masyadong marunong pa dyan, medyo sila ang ano dun. Nagexplain ho sa akin yung election officer ng Pangutaran, si …, pero sa canvass, sinabi naman ho ng Provincial Board of Canvassers, ang ginawa, yung kinuhang original votes nya, yun din ho ang nabilang kaya wala ho kayong …. (line cut)
Translation: [There is none. Where could it be. What you said about Pangutaran. It was like this. Tirona appeared there and [the counts] for FPJ were overturned. At the province level canvassing, the results will be the original because the words and figures will not change. Because the group of General Abahacon, they are not too skilled in these matters. They are the ones [responsible] there. This was explained to me by the election officer in Pangutaran. But at the canvass, the Provincial Board of Canvassers explained that they used the original votes for counting. So there is no need to [worry?]." [Emphasis added.]
And finally a final segment on how the supposedly independent Comelec official and employees made sure that the results favored GMA. This took place on June 2, 2004.
"Garcillano: Hello, ma'am. Good evening.
GMA: Hello, dun sa Lanao del Sur at Basilan, di raw nagmamatch ang SOV [Statement of Votes] sa COC. [Certificate of Canvass]. [Hello, there in Lanao del Sur and Basilan, the SOV and COC are not matching.]
Garcillano: Ang sinasabi nya, nawawala na naman ho? [Is he saying that they are missing again?]
GMA: Hindi na nag-match. [It is not matching.]
Garcillano: Hindi na nag-mamatch? May posibilidad na hindi magmatch kung hindi nila sinunod yung individual SOV ng mga munisipyo. Pero aywan ko lang ho kung sa atin pabor o hindi. Dun naman sa Basilan at Lanao Sur, ito ho yung ginawa nilang magpataas sa inyo, maayos naman ang paggawa eh. [Not matching? It is possible that it did not match if they did not follow the individual SOV at the municipal level. But I am not sure if it is in our favor or not. In Basilan and Lanao Sur, this [proper matching] is what they did to increase your votes, and they did it in a clean [read: "clean"] manner.] [Emphasis added.]
GMA: So nag-mamatch? [So, it matched?]
Garcillano: Oho, sa Basilan, alam nyo naman ang mga military dun eh, hindi masyadong marunong kasi silang gumawa eh. Katulad ho dun sa Sulu, sa General Habatan. Pero hindi naman ho, kinausap ko na yung Chairman ng Board sa Sulu, ang akin, patataguin ko muna ang EO ng Pagundaran na para hindi sila makatestigo ho. . . . . [Yes, in Basilan, you know that the military there, eh, are not so skilled in doing these things. Like it was in Sulu, in General Habatan. But there will be no [problem]; I already spoke with the Chair of the Board [of Canvassers] in Sulu, for me, I first will have the EO [election officers] of Pagundaran hidden so that they will not be able to testify. ] [Emphasis added.]
GMA: Oo, oo." [Yes.]
Conscious Conspiracy to Defraud Elections
The conversations reveal one central fact. It disproves the claim of GMA in her statement of apology that she was merely trying to defend the votes that legally belonged to her. Rather, the conversations reveal a systematic effort to defraud the electoral public and the Filipino people of their basic right to a clean and honest election.
This becomes even more clear when one hears the other portions of the tape. The context of the GMA conversations with Garci is one where the Comelec official engages in other fraudulent practices including receiving bribe money in exchange for altering the votes of a senatorial candidate. This is the context and the reality of the embarrassing tapes on GMA.
Half Truths and Deception
GMA's apology was a tactical move to diffuse the rapidly mounting criticism and opposition to her regime. But, in the end, by admitting that she was the women on the tape, she has authenticated the tape and dug a much deeper hole for herself. Her apology gave the nation a rare glimpse into the hidden, underground world of illegal and fraudulent manufacturing of election returns.
She apologized for what seems on the surface to be a simple "lapse of judgment". In reality, GMA has established that she is indeed that scheming woman in the tape. GMA has de facto admitted that she was involved in a massive effort that conspired and succeeded in cheating the nation of a clean and honest election. GMA's apology has removed any sense of legitimacy for her government. She has finally lost her credibility to govern.
With her pseudo-apology, GMA was in top form. She remained true to character. She lied about her intentions on December 30, 2002, when she promised that she would not run for election. She admitted then that she had become a divisive factor in Philippine society. Now, she is deceiving the Filipino people again that she has apologized for her misdeeds when, in reality, her statement has only increased the evidence against her that she conspired to rob the nation of clean and fair elections. In effect, she has admitted that she is the woman on the tape that is caught in the act of plotting electoral fraud.
Nothing substantive has changed with the apology except that there is now another even more powerful proof that GMA is unfit to govern. She has totally lost any remaining sense of moral integrity. She has no choice left now except to step down. Her government will be hounded by more and more demonstrations and resistance until she finally resigns, for she will no longer be able to govern.
The Way Forward
These developments clearly show that Filipino citizens must now continue with their efforts to remove GMA from office. What the options are and what needs to be done will be the subject of the next editorial tomorrow.
27 June 2005
In recent weeks, a supposedly unauthorized wiretap rocked the nation by recording a scandalous conversation between a woman and an official of the Comelec or Commission on Elections. The tapes revealed that the woman, who sounded like Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the President of the Philippines, was conspiring to bring about fraudulent election results with a commissioner of the Comelec. The Philippine Constitution mandates the Comelec to uphold clean and honest elections.
For weeks, "President" Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA) refused to comment on whether she was the woman on the tape. She maintained stoic silence. Meanwhile, the protests grew louder, bigger, and more organized. Then, suddenly, last night, PGMA appeared on nationwide television and radio. She finally admitted that she was the female voice in the wiretap recordings. She also apologized for her "lapse of judgment" in calling a Comelec official under questionable circumstances. She did not, however, admit any guilt and called on the nation to forgive and join her in rebuilding the nation.
Her unexpected apology stunned pro and anti-GMA forces. Most thought GMA was too proud to apologize. There is more, however, than meets the eye in this "performance", for so it was. To realize what happened, we need to compare what she said in her statement of apology and what appeared in the transcripts of the conversations that she had with an official of the Commission on Elections. Then certain conclusions will become clear and obvious.
GMA explains the reason why she called the Comelec official. "As you recall, the election canvassing process was unnecessarily slow even after the election results were already in and the votes had been counted. . . . . I was anxious to protect my votes and during that time had conversations with many people, including a Comelec official. My intent was not to influence the outcome of the election, and it did not. "
Then, she goes on to apologize. "That said, let me tell you how I personally feel, I recognize that making any such call was a lapse in judgment. I'm sorry."
GMA then continues to outline her achievements. "I took office with a mandate to carry out a plan for the nation. Since that time, I have focused on making the tough but necessary decisions to make up for years of economic neglect. . . . . That is why I want to close this chapter and move on with the business of governing. . . . . I ask each and every one of you to join hands with me in a show of unity, to help forge One Philippines . . ."
Shortly before, the nation read and heard the following taped conversations of GMA and the Comelec official, who most likely was Virgilio Garcillano. (Click Here for a downloadable copy of the transcript of the tapes.] There are many such conversations. We will only highlight a few. On 29 May 2004 at 09:43 in the morning, GMA had a talk with Garcillano.
"GMA: Hello…
Garcillano: Hello, ma'am, good morning. Ok ma'am, mas mataas ho siya pero mag-compensate po sa Lanao yan. [Ok, ma'am, he has a higher count but we can compensate for it in Lanao [province]. [He, in this case, is the late Fernando Po, Jr., FPJ,.the strongest contender for presidency who claimed he was cheated by GMA.]
GMA: So I will still lead by more than one M.[million], overall?
Garcillano: More or less, it's the advantage ma'am. Parang ganun din ang lalabas. [That is how it will come out.]
GMA: It cannot be less than one M.?
Garcillano: Pipilitin ma'am natin yan. Pero [But] as of the other day, 982. [We will force it to happen that way.] [Emphasis added.]
GMA: Kaya nga eh… [That is the case indeed.]
Garcillano: And then if we can get more in Lanao..
GMA: Hindi pa ba tapos? [It [the canvassing of votes] is not yet finished?]
Garcillano: Hindi pa ho, meron pa hong darating na seven municipalities. [Not yet, but the results of seven municipalities are still coming.]
GMA: Ah, ok, ok."
A few hours later, at 1400 hours or 2 pm, GMA has another conversation with Virgilio Garcillano. This Comelec official is now "affectionately" called "Hello, Garci" in the different versions of the taped conversation that have been converted into ring tones. More than 350,000 people have downloaded these ring tones from www.txtpower.org.
The conversation is about a botched attempt to cheat in favor of GMA at the local level. Garci explained that the problem was due to the unskilled work of some of the operators. He then reassures GMA that she will not be affected by this mistake as they already re-massaged the counting of votes at the provincial level.
"Garcillano: Hello ma'am . Tumawag raw kayo. [You called?]
GMA: Sabi nung kabila, nagpaplano sila among themselves, meron daw silang mga affidavits from teachers and Board of Canvassers na they witnessed and were made to cheat. [The other side said that they are planning among themselves. They supposedly have affidavits from teachers . . . ] [Emphasis added.]
Garcillano: Wala naman hong… san ho kaya? Yung kwan ho kanina , yung sinabi nyo sa Pangutaran it was like this. Its Tirona, yung nag-appear doon, nabaligtad si FPJ. Sa canvassing sa province, and result yung din hong original and ilalagay because of the words and figures will not change. Kasi sila Gen. Abahacon ba, hindi masyadong marunong pa dyan, medyo sila ang ano dun. Nagexplain ho sa akin yung election officer ng Pangutaran, si …, pero sa canvass, sinabi naman ho ng Provincial Board of Canvassers, ang ginawa, yung kinuhang original votes nya, yun din ho ang nabilang kaya wala ho kayong …. (line cut)
Translation: [There is none. Where could it be. What you said about Pangutaran. It was like this. Tirona appeared there and [the counts] for FPJ were overturned. At the province level canvassing, the results will be the original because the words and figures will not change. Because the group of General Abahacon, they are not too skilled in these matters. They are the ones [responsible] there. This was explained to me by the election officer in Pangutaran. But at the canvass, the Provincial Board of Canvassers explained that they used the original votes for counting. So there is no need to [worry?]." [Emphasis added.]
And finally a final segment on how the supposedly independent Comelec official and employees made sure that the results favored GMA. This took place on June 2, 2004.
"Garcillano: Hello, ma'am. Good evening.
GMA: Hello, dun sa Lanao del Sur at Basilan, di raw nagmamatch ang SOV [Statement of Votes] sa COC. [Certificate of Canvass]. [Hello, there in Lanao del Sur and Basilan, the SOV and COC are not matching.]
Garcillano: Ang sinasabi nya, nawawala na naman ho? [Is he saying that they are missing again?]
GMA: Hindi na nag-match. [It is not matching.]
Garcillano: Hindi na nag-mamatch? May posibilidad na hindi magmatch kung hindi nila sinunod yung individual SOV ng mga munisipyo. Pero aywan ko lang ho kung sa atin pabor o hindi. Dun naman sa Basilan at Lanao Sur, ito ho yung ginawa nilang magpataas sa inyo, maayos naman ang paggawa eh. [Not matching? It is possible that it did not match if they did not follow the individual SOV at the municipal level. But I am not sure if it is in our favor or not. In Basilan and Lanao Sur, this [proper matching] is what they did to increase your votes, and they did it in a clean [read: "clean"] manner.] [Emphasis added.]
GMA: So nag-mamatch? [So, it matched?]
Garcillano: Oho, sa Basilan, alam nyo naman ang mga military dun eh, hindi masyadong marunong kasi silang gumawa eh. Katulad ho dun sa Sulu, sa General Habatan. Pero hindi naman ho, kinausap ko na yung Chairman ng Board sa Sulu, ang akin, patataguin ko muna ang EO ng Pagundaran na para hindi sila makatestigo ho. . . . . [Yes, in Basilan, you know that the military there, eh, are not so skilled in doing these things. Like it was in Sulu, in General Habatan. But there will be no [problem]; I already spoke with the Chair of the Board [of Canvassers] in Sulu, for me, I first will have the EO [election officers] of Pagundaran hidden so that they will not be able to testify. ] [Emphasis added.]
GMA: Oo, oo." [Yes.]
Conscious Conspiracy to Defraud Elections
The conversations reveal one central fact. It disproves the claim of GMA in her statement of apology that she was merely trying to defend the votes that legally belonged to her. Rather, the conversations reveal a systematic effort to defraud the electoral public and the Filipino people of their basic right to a clean and honest election.
This becomes even more clear when one hears the other portions of the tape. The context of the GMA conversations with Garci is one where the Comelec official engages in other fraudulent practices including receiving bribe money in exchange for altering the votes of a senatorial candidate. This is the context and the reality of the embarrassing tapes on GMA.
Half Truths and Deception
GMA's apology was a tactical move to diffuse the rapidly mounting criticism and opposition to her regime. But, in the end, by admitting that she was the women on the tape, she has authenticated the tape and dug a much deeper hole for herself. Her apology gave the nation a rare glimpse into the hidden, underground world of illegal and fraudulent manufacturing of election returns.
She apologized for what seems on the surface to be a simple "lapse of judgment". In reality, GMA has established that she is indeed that scheming woman in the tape. GMA has de facto admitted that she was involved in a massive effort that conspired and succeeded in cheating the nation of a clean and honest election. GMA's apology has removed any sense of legitimacy for her government. She has finally lost her credibility to govern.
With her pseudo-apology, GMA was in top form. She remained true to character. She lied about her intentions on December 30, 2002, when she promised that she would not run for election. She admitted then that she had become a divisive factor in Philippine society. Now, she is deceiving the Filipino people again that she has apologized for her misdeeds when, in reality, her statement has only increased the evidence against her that she conspired to rob the nation of clean and fair elections. In effect, she has admitted that she is the woman on the tape that is caught in the act of plotting electoral fraud.
Nothing substantive has changed with the apology except that there is now another even more powerful proof that GMA is unfit to govern. She has totally lost any remaining sense of moral integrity. She has no choice left now except to step down. Her government will be hounded by more and more demonstrations and resistance until she finally resigns, for she will no longer be able to govern.
The Way Forward
These developments clearly show that Filipino citizens must now continue with their efforts to remove GMA from office. What the options are and what needs to be done will be the subject of the next editorial tomorrow.
