MANILA: An army captain told a Philippine Senate inquiry yesterday that a presidential aide had bribed local poll officials to rig the May 2004 vote in favour of President Gloria Arroyo.
Philippine legislators started hearing impeachment complaints and fresh allegations of election fraud against Arroyo yesterday as a the scandal continued to paralyse her administration.
Capt. Marlon Mendoza told the Senate, which is investigating the claims of gambling pay-offs, that during the election he was assigned as a security escort to senior election commissioner Virgilio Garcillano.
Mendoza testified that Garcillano, during a drinking session, once bragged that a reputed gambling operator “gave us 300 million pesos ($5.5 million) to support President Gloria Arroyo’s success in the election.”
Mendoza said he travelled with Garcillano and his aides to the southern Philippines several times and was told by election officials there that they were manipulating the vote for Arroyo. He quoted several local elections officials as saying that “we are finding a way for her (to win) here, there is no problem.” Mendoza said that at one meeting he saw a presidential palace aide hand money to a poll official. He identified the aide as Michael Angelo Zuce, a former assistant to Arroyo’s political adviser. Zuce had also testified in the Senate that he was part of a group, along with Garcillano, which had distributed money to poll officials. Mendoza cited disgust with dirty politics as his reason in giving evidence. “She is a good president, but after what I saw, I did not like her any more,” he said.       – Agencies





photo: Captain Mendoza of the Philippines Army presents documents to support his allegations as he testifies before the Senate hearing.            – ap 
Last update on: 11-8-2005