June 16, 2005 · Posted in: 2004 Electoral Fraud, Gloriagate, In the News

Conversations with and about Bedol

WE culled from the three-hour tape the following conversations Elections Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano supposedly had with and about Atty. Lintang Bedol, who was the election supervisor of Sultan Kudarat and chairman of the Cotabato City Board of Canvassers during the May 10, 2004 elections. Read the previous post on who Attorney Bedol is.

Conversation between two unidentified men and a woman on 25 10:50 hotel May 2004

Woman: Hello

Man: O kamusta na ang kwan, canvass.

Woman: Sir, eto, Ongoing ho, papunta na ko ngayon e. Gusto ko na unahin yung.. sinabihan ko na pero puntahan ko pa rin siya ngayon.

Man: Puntahan mo na. kung maari matapos ngayon para ipatakbo sa.. kung hindi makahabol ng flight dyan ipahabol sa kwan, Cotabato, ay o Davao…

Woman: Wala ho ba ngayong number ni Atty. Bedol, sir?

Man: Meron pero di sumasagot. Basta nag-canvass na, din na yun sasagot eh?

Woman: O Sige ho.

Man: Paki-kwan lang ha. Kasi kung maari, matatapos siguro yan ngayon kung hindi sila makikialam dyan sa senatorial. Tutal wala na eh. Walang senatorial except the last one. Yan lang kailangan namin para madetermine namin yung number twelve.

Woman: Oho.

Man: OK, hintayin namin ha. Pakitawagan nga ako kung anong…

Woman: Papunta na nga ho ako eh…

Man: Thank you…

Conversation….

Woman: Hello Sir

Man: Hello , ano nang nangyari?

Woman: Nagtatalo sila sir. Sabi ko kahit na mamayang gabi, magfirst flight sila bukas ng umaga. Sabi naman, oo nakausap din ni Mely Nakpil kanina si Atty. Bedol. Dun ko ipinagamit ang cellphone ko.

Man: Ah ganito. Nandito kami ngayon, that is the only canvass that we are waiting. Pero sinabi ko I hope you can take the flight in Davao. Pero di nyo mahabol no? Pero nagta-tabulate na?

Woman: Oho, Nagta-tabulate sila, kaya lang sabi ko ho, bukas ng umaga, first flight sila. Hindi nila

mahabol ngayon yung last flight sir eh.

Man: Ah hindi na?

Woman: Hindi na. Matagal pa man ang byahe.

Man: Ay sige, sige … Thank you, Thank you

Conversation between Danny and Gary on 25 19:52 May 2004

Danny: Sir, good evening. Sir

Danny po ito. Sir, tapos na po ang Cotabato City?

Gary: Hinihintay ko yung i-fax ni Bedol.

Danny: Ano kaya, nagawan ng paraan sir?

Gary: Oo. Ang akin, sabi ko, kwarenta mahigit and kailangan para um-over siya. As of this afternoon, 39…

Danny: Ang hinihintay lang po ay Cotabato City, ano po sir?

Gary: Oo, pero may konti pa sa Lanao del Sur

Danny: Ah yung anim na municipalities. Panalo daw siya dun eh.

Gary: Mananalo siya talaga. Nandun si Boy Macarambon eh. Pababantayan ko…

Danny: Opo, opo

Gary: Kaya nga sabi kung makapanalo siya ng 20 to 25,000, mag-celebrate na tayo

Danny: San po ba kayo, nasan kayo sir?

Gary: Nandito ako sa kwan, Westin Plaza.

Danny: Hayaan nyo, ipapahanda ko yung mga kwan sir, basta’t nakwan eh aking ipapahanda yung para sa ating mga kwan…

Gary: Bata. Nag-usap na kami. Sabihin mo lang tumawag lang siya sa akin

Danny: Sige Sir.

Gary: Kung malalaman ko ngayong gabi, ipa-celebrate ko na sya eh.

Gary: O sige lang… Mag-uusap na kami

Danny: Opo, opo

Conversation between Gary and an unidentified woman

Gary: Hello.

Woman:Sir, ano ba naman to. Ba’t inaaway ako ni Bedol … Di ba sabi ko sir, tino-total lang nila yung unang nacanvass? Pagpunta ko kanina?

Gary: Eh ikaw daw ang nagsabi eh.

Woman: Ang sabi nya ikaw daw ang tumawag kay Chairman.

Gary: Kay Chairman?

Woman: Oho, Ganito ho. Kasi tumawag sa akin si chairman. Ang sabi nya gusto niyang malaman kung ano daw talaga status ng canvassing nila kasi sabi ko hindi pa naman nila natatapos lahat. Tapos sabi ko kay Elisa,dahil yung kanyang member kasi hindi ko man sya nakaka-usap, ang sabi ko ano ba ang status. Ang sabi ni chairman, patawagin mo sa akin si Atty. Bedol. So Tinatawagan ko si Elisa, “o tumawag ka daw kay Chairman”… (line cut)

Conversation between Gary and Danny on 26 08:23 May 2004

Gary: Hello Danny.

Danny: Hello sir, good morning. Sir ano pong balita sa Cotabato City?

Gary: Ano, ano?

Danny: Ano pong balita sa Cotabato City?

Gary: Wala pa.

Danny:Wala pa po? Sir, ano kaya, nagawan kaya ng paraan ni Bedol?

Gary: Kung talagang ano yan, Sa akin basta ayos na kami. Yun lang hindi makakaya dun sa Calami. Pero wag nilang sirohin kasi mahirap yung…

Danny: Opo, opo. Kasi tawag ng tawag sa akin si ….. Nahihiya yatang tumawag sa iyo. Tumawag na ba sa iyo?

Conversation between a man and a woman on 29 09:47 hotel May 2004

GMA: Hello, forty-plus daw ang talo ko dun sa Cotabato?

Gary: Ma’am?

GMA: More than forty?

Gary: More or less, pero hindi ho siguro sosobra ng forty ma’am. Nag-usap na kami Atty. Bedol.

GMA: Ah ganun? So mali yung figures ni Teng?

Gary: Ah, siguro kasi yung si Teng, kinausap ho niya ang staff ni Atty. Bedol. Kami ni Atty. Bedol, nagusap ho ngayon. But I’ll give you the exact figure ma’am in a little while, para ma-ano ninyo.

GMA: Oo, pero.. (line cut)

Conversation between Senator Barbers and Gary on 29 15:16 hotel May 2004

Barbers: Hello Commissioner. Si Senator Barbers. Meron daw order na ipalipat sa Manila yung canvassing sa Cotabato?

Gary: Wala akong alam nyan Senator. Sabi sa May 29. Wala naman akong napirmahan ngayong araw. Wala naman kaming napirmahan ngayong araw. Wala naman kaming pinipirmahan. Kaya nga, bine-verify ko, pero si Atty. Bedol, yung ating tao dun, hindi makontak. (line cut)

Conversation between Gary and Teng on 29 15:22 hotel May 2004

Teng: May dumating daw na en banc eh. Ikaw lang ang walang nakapirma sir.

Gary: Ako lang?

Teng: Oo, Franco Rubeno (?)

Gary: Papano nangyari yan, nandyan naman ako sa Comelec.

Teng: Yun na nga eh, nagtaka nga kami eh dahil nung nandun na kay Bedol yung resolution ng en banc, ikaw lang ang walang …..

Gary: …. eh ba’t hindi ako tinatawagan, ako na nga ang nasa opisina eh.

Teng: Yun nga sir eh. Ngayon lang namin nareceive eh kaya nga tumatawag ngayon eh kung anong dapat gawin natin dito.

Gary: ….. yung ng order ng ano…

Teng: Hindi pa natapos sir eh.

Gary: Ipabigay mo nalang kay Atty. Bedol para makagawa siya ng kung anuman.

Teng: Ipadelay na lang..

Gary: Tutal kailangan pa naman ng arrangement dun sa kwan…. Anyway, mas maganda para sa kanila pag nandito. Pero para sa atin sa taas, medyo hindi maganda.

Teng: Yun na nga eh, apektado tayo eh.

Gary: Lalo na yung inaano natin, sa kaibigan natin. Sa taas … hindi na baleng hindi na natin gagalawin.

Teng: Yun nga sir, kababayan natin yun di ba.

Gary: O sige, kung maari, tawagan ako ni Atty. Bedol para mabigyan ko sya ng instruction.

Conversation between Gary and Atty. Bedol on 29 15:25 hotel May 2004

Gary: Meron talagang resolution? Merong order na lilipat kayo sa Maynila?

Atty. Bedol: Hello sir, meron sir, Nandito, nareceive namin.

Gary: San ang date nyan?

Atty . Bedol : 29. Kanina rin.

Gary: Eh bakit hindi man lang ako pinalaman eh nandyan naman ako sa opisina.

Atty. Bedol: Nasa official business ka daw dun sa … eh. (line cut)

Conversation between Gary and a male personality on 30 10:45 May 2004

Gary: Hello.

Man: Hello sir, good morning po, si Primo (?) po ito sir. Sir ano daw pong balita sa Cotabato, sir?

Gary: Maayos na si kwan, pero kung madedelay, di i-delay na.

Man: Yun nga eh, kaya lang may human barricade dito.

Gary: Eh di mas mas mabuti para hindi sila maka-alis.

Man: I see…

Gary : Pero wag ka lang maingay kasi hindi nila ako pina-alam dyan sa resolusyon na yan. Hindi ako nagpirma eh. Hindi ko alam eh.

Man: OB (?) nakalagay eh.

Gary: Kaya nga eh, ako ang nasa opisina, sila ang wala eh.

Man: So ano sa tingin mo ngayon ang en banc. Balita daw papalitan daw ang Board of Canvassers?

Gary: Oo, papalitan silang lahat.

Man: Sinong papalit?

Gary: Tapos sinasabi na si Bedol na lang ang papupuntahin dito. Ano bakit superman sya? Pabayaan mo lang, wag kang maingay dyan. Kung hindi sya makapunta, mas maganda.

Man: Ah ganun.. sige po.

Gary: Pero kung maari, in the meantime, makakagawa siya ng paraan.

Man: Yun nga ang problema natin. Ang daming tao.

Gary: Hayaan mo sila, magkagulo dyan muna.

Man: I-monitor mo lang sir, baka bigla namang ipilit na lang ba.

Gary: Kung ipilit nila, di may … naman si Atty. Bedol na hindi aalis dyan eh.

Man: Meron naman.

Gary: Kung nandyan naman ang isa, di papano yan…

Man: Maraming salamat po sir ha.

Conversation between Gary and an unidentified woman and Atty. Bedol on or about 01 14:12 hotel June ’04.

Woman : Hello sir.

Gary: Ano nasan kayo?

Woman: Dito kami sa session hall sir waiting for the other counsels and watchers to come. Wala pa one side palang narito.

Gary: One side palang?

Woman: Sema side pa lang ito. Wala bang yung Juliano side at yung kila Digs.

Gary: Kausapin ko si Atty. Bedol.

Atty. Bedol: Hello sir.

Gary: Bakit walang Juliano na naman?

Atty. Bedol: Wala pa sir, wala pa sila dito. Probably they were not notified, probably they simply do not want to attend in today’s proceeding because we have earlier made in notice that it’s going to be afternoon of Wednesday bago kami umalis dun eh.

Gary: OO pero yung problema mo, they were the ones who asked for this type of petition for the transfer and then kung maari i-fax mo na lang dun sa Cotabato yung papel mo sa kanila.

Atty. Bedol: Yun na nga sir eh, they have to show better interest than that of the adverse party kasi sila nagpa-transfer eh.

Gary: Sila nag-transfer. Pagkatapos ito no, in the interest of Barbers kung mag-_____, tingnan mo yung mga favorable sa kanya, i-_____ sa kanya. That’s the only way we can trim down to make him win for about 8,000 or more.

Atty. Bedol: We have to go on now sir?

Gary: If you can, why not?

Atty. Bedol: Ok.

Gary: Ok, sige.

Conversation…

Man: Hello Comm.

Gary: Nakausap ko si Bedol. Andun na sila, ready na sila pero wala yung Juliano, Juliano naman ang wala. Di ba sila ang nag-petition for the transfer? Wala bang sumama sa kanilang watchers?

Man: Ah papano, papano manonotify kaya yun sir?

Gary: Hindi ganito, ang sabi ko nga one alternative is send them to the office of Cadeteng, Cotabato pero just the same, bukas na naman yan kung ganyan. … If it’s going to be sent there I think they make themselves rare para di maano kasi sinabi ko dun ready na sila nandyan din yung mga watcher ni Sema.

Pero they are already ready. Nandun sila eh. Galing sila sa aking office eh.

Man: So ang wala lang si Juliano.

Gary: Hindi ba sila nag-petition di ba? Bakit sila ang wala?

Man: Ano ngang solusyon dyan? Parang matuloy anong sinasuggest mo?

Gary: Sabi ko nga kung kaya niya ma-servan nga dyan. Magserve ka na dyan para you can go on.

Man: O sige, ganun na lang.

Gary: Sinabi ko ganun na lang.

Man: O sige sir.

13 Responses to Conversations with and about Bedol

intsik

June 16th, 2005 at 4:12 pm

Ibubunyag ko lang noh, nagkaroon talaga ng suhulan sa Masbate nung eleksyon. Si GLoria namigay ng mahigit P40M sa governor para idistribute sa mga mayors, para suhulan ang mga tao ng mga mayors. Friend ko kasi ang anak ng Provincial Treasurer ng Masbate kaya alam ko. Sinabi nya sakin, may picture pa nga sya ng bundle na pera sa mesa, sobrang dami talaga. Marami ako pinagsabihan nuon na wag iboto si GMA dahil nangdadaya sya, di sila naniwala sa akin.

I dunno kung saang ahensya kinuha ni Gloria ang ganun kalaking halaga.. Galing yun sa ating binabayad sa gobyerno. Pinangsuhol lang. Balak ko talaga nun na kunin yung bank receipt ng perang pinadala sa Masbate. Ayaw naman kasi tumulong ng anak ng Treasurer, syempre madadawit nanay nya. Mom nya kasi ang nagwithdraw at humawak ng pera nun. Kung may ebidensya ako, tetestigo din ako.

I believe alam ni Sandra Cam ang dayaan at suhulan sa Masbate. CLose sila ng Governor dun. Nakasama ko na si Sandra sa barko before, sa Lucena port. She’s kind naman dahil napasakay nya kami sa barko kahit nagkaubusan na ng tiket. I remember nun, pinabababa nya sa barko lahat ng pasaherong walang tiket dahil nga overloaded na ang barko. That means she’s concerned sa mga pasahero. Kung may alam sya sa nangyaring dayaan nung eleksyon, sana ilantad din nya. Pero mukhang malabo dahil madodoble ang problema nya.

jjc1384

June 16th, 2005 at 5:35 pm

Isa sa mga close friends ko sa dlsu ay pamangkin ni GMA. Father niya first cousin si Gloria. Sabi niya na totoo yung Pidal and yung sa jueteng pero di niya kinonfirm yung tungkol sa audio cd since auntie niya ang directly involved. Sabi niya na totoo yung mga ellegations kanila Arroyo (Mike, Mikey and Iggy). Si Mike Arroyo daw talaga si Jode Pidal…. Nasan na nga ba si Jose Pidal ngayon este Mike Arroyo?

cigen

June 16th, 2005 at 6:45 pm

The following piece appeared in the June 14 issue of Tribune and People’s Journal.

No way out
By Conrado I. Generoso

TIME Asian edition’s June 13 issue has President Gloria Arroyo on the cover with the title “The Lord Put Me Here,” quoting GMA herself. Coming as it does at the height of the Senate probe of allegations her husband, son, and brother-in-law are on the jueteng-payola take—and with the ghost of Bong Pineda continuing to hound her since she became senator—the cover could have been more appropriately titled: “The Jueteng Lord Put Me Here.”

But unlike in the case of her predecessor, it is not jueteng that will likely seal GMA’s doom. Rather it is Garcigate, or the Garcillano tapes.

For unlike in the jueteng issue, in which the President had taken a categorical “no-member-of-my-family-will-be-spared” stand, GMA has kept mum about the Garcillano tapes and left it to her flip-flopping subalterns to make conflicting statements.

One is reminded of the late US President Richard Nixon in the early days of the Watergate scandal. Remember, what eventually led to Nixon’s downfall was not the Watergate break-in but the ensuing cover-up and Nixon’s taped conversations with his men.

Nixon and his men fought hard to have the tapes sealed—even invoking the national-security argument—but after hearing all arguments, the US Supreme Court on July 24, 1974, ordered Nixon to turnover the tapes to the US Senate that was then investigating Watergate—with instructions to delete portions that involved national security.

Since Nixon’s taping of the conversations did not have permission from the people he talked with, the tapes were initially deemed illegally obtained and constituted a violation of the constitutional right to privacy. But the Supreme Court, weighing such argument against greater consideration—truth, justice, and the American national interest—decided that they should be given to the Senate committee as evidence in the Watergate scandal.

The decision to make the tapes available to the US Senate paved the way for their use in the subsequent impeachment case against Nixon. Three days after the US Supreme Court decision, the US House of Representatives passed the first of three articles of impeachment (for obstruction of justice) against Nixon. On August 9, 1974, Nixon resigned.

Malacanang and Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales have been warning that the tape of the conversations was obtained by wiretapping—and therefore illegal—and that anyone possessing tapes or compact discs containing the conversations may be haled to court for violation of Republic Act 4200 or the Anti-Wiretapping Law. Even the National Telecommunications Commission, which is under the Office of the President, has warned broadcast stations against airing contents of the tapes or CDs or face closure.

What they do not realize is that by insisting on this stance, they are shooting themselves in the foot. And they are digging a bigger and deeper hole for GMA.

First of all, they have already admitted that indeed the telephone calls and conversations took place and that either the President’s or Comelec commissioner Virgilio Garcillano’s phone was tapped. (Recall that Malacanang even warned that if the President could be wiretapped, what security do ordinary citizens have?)

It then leaves only to prove that the tapes have not been altered or tampered with—and there goes the end of Gloria Arroyo.

That’s why it would do well for former NBI deputy director Samuel Ong to surrender now and ask for a one-day trial—not a day longer—since evidence is already on hand and very strong.

In order to convict Ong of violating the Anti-Wiretapping Law, government prosecutors would have to present as evidence the tape of the wiretapped conversations between GMA and Garcillano—otherwise they have no case.

The day after, the opposition can then—on the basis of the contents of the tapes—file an impeachment complaint against GMA for violation of the constitution, high crimes, and treason. There can be no higher crime, no greater treason in a democracy than to subvert the electoral will.

Since the tapes of the wiretapped conversations have been previously presented in court, GMA’s lawyers cannot then argue against their presentation in the impeachment trial.
Even if GMA’s political allies—by sheer dictatorship of numbers—manage to thwart any impeachment initiative, Arroyo would have been so weakened by this scandal that she would be unfit to govern. One way or the other, she has to go.

For now, she may think na nakaisa siya noong eleksiyon.

But as we are taught in the elementary grades about the parable of the monkey and the turtle, “Tuso man daw ang matsing napaglalalangan din.”

swerty

June 16th, 2005 at 11:51 pm

—Off topic—

Warning: Be careful especially if you are taking bus or train or around a big crowd. I’m a little paranoid but I need to tell you that there might be some incidences of criminal acts or a major news like bombing a mall. All I’m saying is that they might use some diversionary tactic to distract the attention of the people. Again, be careful and be vigilant.

bagabag

June 19th, 2005 at 3:32 pm

First of all, lets us accept the fact that the people in the Comelec have perfected the art of dagdag-bawas and any politician in the country are now aware how dagdag-bawas works. All you have to do is to have someone in the muncipal or provincial level to alter the result of the canvassing. I believe that this is not the first time that dagdag bawas happened. I remember a lawyer friend who told me that sometime in 1992, a group of lawyers were assigned in Mindanao to do some magic in the election between the late Monching Mitra and President Fidel Ramos. At that time, he mentioned about the help of the military in getting the advance results of the elections in the precinct level and relay these results to the national level for possible trending.

So the picture is now getting clearer on the role of the military during elections and how the people in the Comelec works wonder in directing the results of the elections.

INSIDE PCIJ: Stories behind our stories » “Defeated” Cotabato City mayoralty bet comes forward

June 20th, 2005 at 6:13 pm

[…] e. Juliano, whose name was mentioned at least five times in the supposed taped conversations involving poll commissioner Virgilio Garcillano and Atty Lintang Bedol, says she has come for […]

irene

June 21st, 2005 at 7:47 pm

hay naku.kahit sino papalit kay gloria..kahit pusa..alis lang sya pwe!…kakahiya ka. yun ba last best hope..nakapag aral sa US..economist…daughter of an ex-president. with all these things coming out..i became even prouder that i voted for fpj.

taratitot

June 22nd, 2005 at 10:06 am

kung sino man ang maniwala sa tape, lalo na ang mga namumuno sa gobyerno, sana ay paniwalaan ang kabuuan ng tape. kung may kakasuhan dahil sa pag-iingat o pagwiretap ng kontrobersyal na tape, sana ay kasuhan din o imbestigahan ang mga inaakalang nagmamay-ari ng mga boses dun sa tape. lalo na ang dep’t of justice na kung saan ang lahat ng mamamayang pilipino ay makakakuha dapat ng hustisya (justice).
ako po ay naniniwala na ang dep’t of justce ay hindi lupon ng mga abogadong tagapagtanggol lamang ni gloria o ng sinumang magiging pangulo ng bansa.
sana ay matimbang ng husto kung sino ba ang higit na nangangailangan ng hustisya lalo na sa mga ganitong sitwasyon.

tobebs

June 22nd, 2005 at 10:12 am

Is BEDOL and DOBLE one? Yes they’re one in fooling the filipino people.

almondreign22

June 22nd, 2005 at 10:34 am

I haven’t heard the said tape yet but from what i observe about malacanang’s reactions, parang totoong si gloria nga ung nasa tape, if it’s not her why would bunye react or brought the tape out even before someone blurted it out. and in fact it’s easy to deny it if it wasn’t her.

expilad

June 22nd, 2005 at 10:43 am

my only question regarding about all the apparent corruption in our government is: Is there any hope that the Philippines will find an honest person in the whole country who really cares about serving the people and improving their lives. Also someone who do not covet a government position only to enrich themselves?

INSIDE PCIJ: Stories behind our stories » ‘Hello, Garci’ lawyer to be promoted as judge?

June 26th, 2006 at 6:27 pm

[…] In the tapes, Bedol spoke to Garcillano at least twice, on May 29 and June 1, 2004. He was referred to in calls by Garcillano on the following dates: May 25, 26, 29 and 30, and June 1 2004. (Transcripts of the conversations can be read here.) The conversation that supposedly took place between Garcillano and Arroyo at 9:47 a.m. on May 29 had her asking about the extent of her defeat in Cotabato City. Garcillano replied, “Hindi ho siguro sosobra ng (It probably wouldn’t exceed) forty, Ma’am. Nag-usap na kami ni Atty. Bedol….Kami ni Atty. Bedol, nag-usap ho ngayon (Atty. Bedol and I talked just now). But I’ll give you the exact figure ma’am in a little while, para ma-ano ninyo.” The final outcome of the Cotabato City vote was Arroyo: 8,510; Poe, 29,417. […]

Conversations with and about Bedol

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