ShareThisMANILA — Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila De Lima presented to the members of the media on Thursday evidence of massive electoral fraud allegedly committed during the 2004 presidential and the 2007 senatorial elections.
De Lima
In a press conference, De Lima said that once the DOJ begins the investigation into the electoral fraud during the 2004 and 2007 polls, she will strictly monitor it in order to guide the team of investigators.
De Lima said that as a former election lawyer, she has the expertise when it comes to the aspects of the elections such as in analyzing the figures and entries in the documents such as the election returns (ERs) and statement of votes (SOVs).
However, De Lima clarified that she has no intention to aid or support any candidate who ran in the 2007 elections.
The DOJ chief said that once it comes out in their study that the electoral fraud committed in the 2004 elections has already prescribed, the charges for election offenses may be filed either before the regular court or the Office of the Ombudsman against anyone who will be proven to be liable.
On the other hand, De Lima said that charges for electoral sabotage may be filed before the Commission on Elections (Comelc) against those who will be proven liable in the commission of election fraud in the 2007 elections.
She stressed that many people knew there was massive electoral fraud during the 2004 and 2007 elections, but up to now, no one has been held liable.
In the same press conference, De Lima also talked about the meeting she attended Tuesday evening where she was told by Philippine National Police (PNP) Sr. Supt. Rafael Santiago the he and a team from the Special Action Force (SAF), some still active and some retired, were ordered to steal original election returns (ERs) deposited at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City and replaced these with fake ones in January 2005.
Santiago was the former police provincial chief of Zambales. He was relieved only this month and assigned at the PNP Directorate for Operations in Camp Crame.
Santiago claimed that he and his “boys” acted upon the orders of then PNP Chief and now Zambales Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. He said the orders were coursed through the then Special Action Force director, Chief Supt. Marcelino Franco.
The DOJ chief said she was also told that a total of four “break-ins” were done at the premises of the House of Representatives during weekends in January 2005.
”Colonel Santiago claims to have a meeting previous to the break-ins with Franco and Ebdane at ang utos nga eh magkaroon ng personnel. Itong mga tao ni Santiago were kept out of the loop; at first they did not know the operation. Ang alam lang nila nung una ay they would transport some objects,” De Lima said.
De Lima also said that she was given samples of the stolen ERs during the meeting. “Kumuha sila ng samples, more or less 50, for insurance, for future purposes,” she said.
”If you possess a paraphernalia like this, this is an election offense. I officially informed the Commission on Elections (Comelec). I showed the samples to Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes. Tiningnan namin and our initial determination, these are authentic,” De Lima said.
It can be recalled that Filipino movie action king Fernando Poe Jr. (FPJ) ran in the May 2004 presidential elections and lost against then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. He filed an election protest but he died on December 14, 2004, before the election protest was resolved.