A former election official at the center of opposition allegations that Philippine President Gloria Arroyo cheated to win last year's elections told Congress yesterday there was no cheating.
Former elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano emerged from five months of hiding to say a number of elected officials, including some opposition leaders, had also talked to him about the election results.
Garcillano, however, refused to confirm if he was the voice in audiotapes released by the opposition in June which allegedly show him conspiring with Arroyo to help her to win the May 10 vote with a margin of 1 million votes over her opposition rival and matinee idol Fernando Poe.
Poe died last December but never conceded defeat.
Garcillano confirmed he spoke to Arroyo after the polls but said that "she asked why her lead just two or four days ago was 1 million votes but is now just 800,000 votes."
He said there was nothing irregular about Arroyo's request, adding that dozens of government and opposition candidates had inquired about election results and procedures.
These included opposition vice-presidential candidate Loren Legarda and several opposition figures leading the campaign to oust Arroyo.
"There is nothing wrong with any one of you calling up any official in the elections commission as long as you do not demand anything that is irregular," he told the legislators at a hearing on the alleged cheating.
Garcillano's alleged conversation with Arroyo is at the center of the opposition's six-month old campaign to oust her over the cheating allegations.
Arroyo has already apologized for "a lapse in judgement" in speaking to an election official before the votes were tallied but has denied any wrongdoing.
Congress sought to summon Garcillano months ago to testify on the alleged cheating and verify the contents of the tapes but he went into hiding.
Garcillano denied he had fled abroad despite a note from Singapore that he entered that country recently.
He said he went into hiding out of fear of both the administration and the opposition but was particularly worried about an order by Congress to have him arrested to compel him to testify.
He denied that he could have cheated for Arroyo even if he wanted to, saying this would require him to go through numerous other officials.
"Doing that would take a Superman," he said.
Arroyo has distanced herself from the matter with her spokesman, Ignacio Bunye saying in a statement that "the case is closed as far as the presidency is concerned."
Despite the quashing in September of an impeachment motion filed by the opposition, Arroyo's approval ratings have plunged to record lows. She has also seen key allies, including some of her Cabinet members, turn against her and call for her resignation.
Negroponte visits
Meanwhile, US intelligence chief John Negroponte slipped into the Philippines unannounced, as a "plausible threat" of attack forced the closure of the US embassy for the second day yesterday, an embassy spokesman said.
The former US ambassador to the Philippines arrived late on Tuesday and has already met with Arroyo, embassy spokesman Matt Lussenhop said.
Negroponte was also due to meet with other top security officials on intelligence matters and the terrorism threat.
Philippines presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said Arroyo had dinner with Negroponte on Tuesday, but refused to say what the two had discussed.
Negroponte's visit is not believed to be linked to the threat that prompted the US embassy to close on Tuesday. It remained shut yesterday, and the embassy was still evaluating when it can reopen, Lussenhop said.
During his visit, Negroponte, 65, who heads some 15 US intelligence agencies, will discuss "the full gamut of [security] issues but obviously terrorism is the highest on the list," the spokesman added.
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