April 13, 2006 · Posted in: 2004 Electoral Fraud, Gloriagate, In the News
Mayuga report absolves ‘Hello, Garci’ generals
KEPT from the public for six months, findings of the long-awaited military fact-finding report on the “Hello, Garci” scandal were finally disclosed yesterday, absolving top-ranking officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines of any complicity in the alleged manipulation of results during the 2004 presidential elections.
The report by the AFP fact-finding board chaired by Navy chief Vice Admiral Mateo Mayuga cleared three generals — Army chief Lt. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Southern Command (SouthCom) chief Maj. Gen. Gabriel Habacon and retired Lt. Gen. Roy Kyamko — implicated in an alleged conspiracy to rig the presidential vote in favor of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Retired Brig. Gen. Francisco Gudani, accused of being sympathetic to the opposition, was likewise cleared.
Mayuga’s announcement was made last night over the government television station, NBN-4, apparently to avoid questions from the media, and was even preempted by the early afternoon disclosure made by Michael Defensor, the presidential chief of staff, to reporters in Baguio City. Oddly, the release of the findings was timed a day before newspapers and broadcast news programs momentarily were to cease operations for two days in observance of Holy Week.
The report relied on the testimonies of 70 individuals — whose identity Mayuga said will remain confidential — regarding the allegations against the four senior officers mentioned in the alleged wiretapped conversations, none of whom admitted having “any direct knowledge whether or not they participated in any election fraud.”
Mayuga made it clear though that the fact-finding body’s mission was not to pass judgment on the culpability of the officials concerned but to make recommendations on the future role of the AFP in elections. He said the use of military pesonnel as members of the board of election inspectors, clustering of precincts, and using military camps for the canvassing of votes need to be re-assessed.
Mayuga, however, said that certain low-ranking military officers — out of the close to 300 military personnel deputized as election inspectors — will be further investigated for alleged unprofessional conduct during the 2004 elections.
The Mayuga fact-finding board needed only two months to finish its investigation, which began in August last year, two months after the “Hello, Garci” scandal broke out. But Mayuga, the AFP inspector general at the time, submitted his report to Chief of Staff Gen. Generoso Senga only in January, following his promotion as Navy chief in December last year.
It was only recently that the AFP got Arroyo’s nod to disclose the report, which came two months after Senga turned it over to Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz Jr., who subsequently forwarded the same to Malacañang on April 5.
All four generals were mentioned — at least twice — in the taped conversations between Arroyo and former election commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, suggesting possible involvement in election fraud.
In his conversation with Arroyo on May 28, 2004, Garcillano was heard talking about a Gen. Gudani who was sympathetic to the opposition and how he was able to have Gudani’s temporary relief with the help of Gen. Esperon and Gen. Kyamko.
Conversation between a male (believed to be V. Garcillano) and a female (believed to be Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) on 28 22:13 May 2004
Gary: Hello, good evening ma’am.
GMA: Hello, the FPJ camp raw will file a case against the Board of Canvassers of ano, dun sa Marawi, and the military?
Gary: Ano, ma’am?
GMA: The FPJ camp raw will file a case against the Board of Canvassers and the military in Marawi?
Gary: Hindi naman po siguro nila maa-ano yung ating Board of Canvassers, pero ang military, si Gudani, sa kanila si Gudani. I do not know why they will file.
GMA: Oo, oo.
Gary: Sa kanila si Gudani ma’am. In fact that’s why we have, I have to work with Gen. Esperon and Gen. Kyamko at that time, pinalitan nga niya si Gudani for a while. Kaya kwan, pero bakit nila pafile-filan and military na sa kanila lahat. Halos ayaw na nga mag-give way sa aming mga tao.
GMA: Oo, meron silang pina … (line cut)
On June 8, Garcillano, this time talking to a certain Gene, again spoke about the relief of Gudani with the help of Esperon and Kyamko, including a Col. Pirino.
Conversation between Gary (V. Garcillano) and Gene on 08 13:25 hotel June ’04
Gene: Boss, nakatanggap ako ng certification ngayon dito galing sa mga bata natin sa Lanao, nag-failure na naman pala dahil kay Gudani.
Gary: Oo nga eh.
Gene: Putang-ina, sino ba yang Gudani, bakit ganun yun?
Gary: Yun ang pinaalis ko.
Gene: Oo nga, ba’t andudoon na naman, papaano ‘to?
Gary: Oo nga, bumalik na naman. Kaya nga ayaw makialam ni First Gentleman dyan. Sabi ko nga, pinasabihan ko nga kay Ruben Reyes na paalisin na nyo yan.
Gene: Putang-ina, tarantado talaga to.
Gary: Oo, pinaalis ko yan eh. Pero after three days after elections, bumalik man dyan. And nag (garbled) dyan si Col. Pereno thru Gen. Esperon at tsaka si Gen. Kyamko.
Gene: Eh ano ba gagawin ko, gagawan ko ng memo o ipapareschedule, papano, gagawa ako ng memo sa en banc?
Gary: Ipa-reschedule natin.
Gene: Gagawa ako ng ano ha?
gary: Oo para sa commission en banc.
Gudani was relieved of his position as head of Task Force Ranao two days after the 2004 elections for no apparent reason just as the counting of ballots and canvassing of election returns was getting underway in Lanao del Sur.
The Marine general later testified at the Senate last year that the Commission on Elections, aided by other top military officials, maneuvered to “slacken” security in Lanao del Sur, leaving the door open to massive cheating in the province.
Garcillano’s conversations on May 29 and June 2 which mentioned Habacon involved the canvassing in Sulu where the ex-poll commissioner complained to Arroyo about the general’s lack of familiarity with manufacturing election documents.
Conversation between Gary (V. Garcillano) and one unidentified female believed to be PGMA (Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) on 29 1400hrs. May 2004
GMA: Hello?
Garcillano: Hello ma’am. Good afternoon. Tumawag raw kayo, ma’am?
GMA: Yes, oo. Sabi nung kabila, nagpaplano-plano sila among themselves, meron daw silang mga affidavits from teachers and Board of Canvassers na they witnessed and were made to cheat.
Garcillano: Wala naman hong, san ho nila kaya, yung kwan ho kanina, yung sinabi nyo sa Pangutaran it’s like this. Its true na yung nag-appear doon, nabaligtad si FPJ. Pero sa canvassing sa province, and result yun din hong original and nalagay because of the words and figures were not changed.
GMA: uh-hm, uh-hm.
Garcillano: Kasi sila Gen. Habacon ba, hindi masyadong marunong pa dyan, medyo sila ang umano nun. Nag-explain ho sa akin yung election officer ng Pangutaran, si kwan.
GMA: Uh-hm …
Garcillano: … pero sa canvass, sinabi naman ho ng Provincial Board of Canvassers, ang ginawa, yung din hong original votes nya, yun din ho ang nabilang kaya wala ho (line cut)
Conversation between Gary (V. Garcillano) and an unidentified female believed to be PGMA (Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) on 02 22:29 hotel June 2004
Garcillano: Hello, ma’am. Good evening.
GMA: Hello, dun sa Lanao del Sur at Basilan, di raw nagmamatch ang SOV sa COC?
Garcillano: Ang sinasabi nya, naawala na naman ho?
GMA: Hindi nagmamatch.
Garcillano: Hindi na nagmamatch? 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 pagpataas sa inyo, maayos naman ang paggawa eh.
GMA: So nagmamatch?
Garcillano: Oho. Sa Basilan, alam nyo naman ang mga military dun eh, hindi masyadong marunong kasi silang gumawa eh. Katulad ho dun sa Sulu, si General Habacon. Pero hindi naman ho, kinausap ko na yung Chairman ng Board sa Sulu, ang akin, patataguin ko muna ang EO ng Pangutaran na para hindi siya maka-testigo ho. Na-explain na ho yung sa Camarines Norte. Tomorrow we will present official communication dun ho sa Senate. Dun ho sa sinasabing wala hong laman yung ballot box. Na-receive ho nila lahat eh.
GMA: Oo, oo.
Garcillano repeatedly denied at the House inquiry that it was his voice on the tapes while Arroyo, in her June 27 apology last year, admitted to talking to a Comelec official whom she refused to identify.
Esperon, then AFP deputy chief of staff for operations and deputy commander of Task Force HOPE (Honest, Orderly and Peaceful Elections) during the 2004 elections, was promoted as Army chief in August last year.
Habacon, then the commander of the 1st Infantry Division based in Sulu who led Task Force Comet in its operations against the Abu Sayyaf, has since been promoted SouthCom chief. Kyamko, who headed the Southcom during the said polls, was promoted to lieutenant general before he retired.
Gudani, then the 1st Marine Brigade commander based in Marawi City, is facing court-martial proceedings after defying Arroyo’s order not to testify before the Senate about allegations that she cheated in the 2004 elections.
Read the two-page summary of the Mayuga report’s findings here.
28 Responses to Mayuga report absolves ‘Hello, Garci’ generals
Tom
April 14th, 2006 at 1:31 am
Bilib naman talaga ako sa strategy at timing ng release nitong GAYUMA Non-Report. Naisahan na naman ang opposition . . . at ang bayan. Hangga’t may nagpapaduro, may manduduro.
Theboss
April 14th, 2006 at 4:45 am
Yung report naman ni MATUGA este MAYUGA pala, eh mabibilang mo sa daliri ang maniniwala riyan, unang una na si GMA, Jose Pidal,Sec. “MIMIYAK” Defensor,Speaker “RABBIT EAR” De Venecia,Sec.”USOS” Gonzales, Sec”YOYOY VILLAME” Cruz,Sec”BUNE” Bunye, “PULIS PATOLA” Lumibao,”APENG” Quirol, at saka ilang pang sipsip.
primo
April 14th, 2006 at 7:16 am
a perfect timing to release the “mayuga report” perfect indeed.. binuro muna tapos hinintay magkaroon ng exodus ang mga tao (kasi diba “mahal na araw”) hangggaling nila!!
Jon Mariano
April 14th, 2006 at 7:48 am
The timing is really strange. The report was completed in October but only released now, eh wala naman pala laman? Why do it that way? Dahil takot sila na magalit ang mga lower ranked officers na nakakaalam ng katotohanan? Kaya pina-inin muna ang galit?
Toro
April 14th, 2006 at 8:06 am
I can’t see the fairness of the spin given by media as to the timing of the release of the mayuga report ALLEGEDLY to avoid questions by media before it closes operation for two days in observance of the Holy Week. That’s speculative reporting. Is it really that urgent to get some answers immediately on its release that media cannot wait until after the Holy Week? Do they expect some twisted answers if they waited? I can readily speculate too that even if the answers were right media won’t find the report credible anyway. This is just to prove how speculative reporting can affect the minds of some readers. Just stick to factual reporting of the news and leave the speculations to the readers.
INSIDE PCIJ: Stories behind our stories » Mayuga report silent on other top military officials linked to poll fraud
April 14th, 2006 at 12:18 pm
[…] FINDINGS of the military fact-finding report made public Wednesday night that cleared the so-called “Hello, Garci” generals of any complicity in the alleged rigging of the 2004 elections are conspicuously silent on the other high-ranking military officers accused by a group of junior officers of having also involved in electoral fraud. […]
Simon
April 14th, 2006 at 12:32 pm
Why are Filipinos always at the receiving end of corrupt presidents and politicians? Why are Filipinos not ousting corrupt leaders and just suffering in silence? What prompts the state of paralysis among Filipinos, who despite knowing the massive corruption among politicians, seem to care no less at all at changing the faces in government? Why even discerning highly educated intellectuals among Filipinos (like Doronila, Mare Winnie Monsod, etc.) are content with having a cheating bogus woman as President?
Why is Gloria still in power despite more than 65% Filipinos who wanted her out for cheating and for being a corrupt leader who has led this nation to further perdition?
Deep inside each Filipino is a realization that he/he deserves a moral and progressive leader. But it seems he can’t muster the courage to apply his correct realization. We are like a people who want change rather than to adjust but can’t, who want transformation rather than conformation, but can’t. We know something is wrong but doesn’t want to take responsibility and the appropriate action but just wait for somebody else to take the cudgels for us. We are aware we are responsible for what happens in the future no matter what happened in the past but no one appears to want to lift a finger and take the risk.
Why do Filipinos lack the courage to change their corrupt leaders and system of government, to establish self-control and self-direction over their national politics and discover the reality of freedom of choice?
Filipinos’ lack of collective courage is Gloria’s (and other deceiving politicians’) ticket to lording over her continued corrupt rule on the Filipinos. Since Rizal’s days, the “Filipinos” as a people are in the same psychiatric state of consciousness. He knows he is being abused by his government and its corrupt leaders but just brushed it aside and goes on with his quiet sad life of desperation. The fortunate discerning educated Filipinos meanwile sing their hallelujahs to corrupt leaders and, because of parochial selfish interests, willingly developed amnesia of the noble values they were taught in schools.
Maybe, there is something wrong with the Filipino’s individual and national psyche brought about by his religion and docile experiences under colonial rulers that give rise to the Filipinos’ present pyschiatric case beneficial to corrupt and manipulative leaders. On Holy Week’s like this, Filipinos are prompt and border on cultism in performing their external strenuous ritual religious traditions (despite the scorching heat and discomfort as feeing these rituals of penance could make up for all their past or continuing sins against the Filipinos and society and their future) but forget to internalize and put to concrete action the life and teachings of Christ who actively condemned man’s sinfulness and proclaims the good news of love and righteousness. Like the Pharisees and Sadduccees, Gloria ( WHOSE RAPACIOUS CORRUPTION EPITOMIZED THE PEAK OF MAN’S SINFULNESS) and many religious leaders (WHOSE CONDESCENSION AND SILENCE, AND SOMETIMES ACTIVE ENDORSEMENT OF GLORIA, IN THE FACE OF REVOLTING CORRUPTION IN GOVERNMENT PUT TO NAUGHT CHRIST’ LIVING EXAMPLE) lulled the Filipinos into believing the root problem lies in them and they (NOT THEM) should change first if things are to improve. Filipinos forgot what Jesus did to these charlatans and hypocrites.
Maybe, Filipinos should be made to suffer more and the few remaining good and conscientious Filipinos may as well join Gloria, Pidal and their horde of thieves in bringing this country down further to the gutter of fecal wastes until Filipinos wake up from their deadening and stinking state to put an end to these unjust rulers and this unjust political system breeding these political vermins.
Toro
April 14th, 2006 at 1:29 pm
Simon asks,
“Why is Gloria still in power despite more than 65% Filipinos who wanted her out for cheating and for being a corrupt leader who has led this nation to further perdition?”
Did it ever occur to you that perhaps they want her out through constitutional means because people are tired of people power or revolution?
“Why do Filipinos lack the courage to change their corrupt leaders and system of government, to establish self-control and self-direction over their national politics and discover the reality of freedom of choice?”
Courage? I assure you the Filipinos have plenty of that stuff. They kicked out two corrupt presidents, didn’t they? Oh yes, the Filipinos kicked them out because they want to remove the corrupt system of governance but what happened. Back to square one because the politicos who lorded it over the political scene came into power. Twice the corrupt returned. The people will not fall for that stuff a third time. Obviously, the people learned some lessons from those experiences that it doesn’t pay to remove a leader through illegal and unconstitutional means. It only weakens the democratic foundation of the nation. What to do? Wait till the storm blows over in 2010 if not by Divine Providence something happens and the President resigns so the VP takes over. Like it or not that’s how things work in a democracy.
Toro
April 14th, 2006 at 1:40 pm
[…] FINDINGS of the military fact-finding report made public Wednesday night that cleared the so-called “Hello, Garci” generals of any complicity in the alleged rigging of the 2004 elections are conspicuously silent on the other high-ranking military officers accused by a group of junior officers of having also involved in electoral fraud. […]
Truth to tell, the sane thing that should have been done is let a totally neutral group of people to do the investigation and not, of all people, the military. Hey, you bright boys in the military, haven’t you heard of the ol’ boys club? Now, even if the report is accurate who will believe it? Even die-hard pro Gloria will not, hahaha.
Simon
April 14th, 2006 at 8:32 pm
The Filipinos in general are still in their “Child” psychological state and have not yet graduated into their “Adult” state who can ably analyze and decide things for themselves (for how can you explain tolerance of massive coruption left and right without tangible quality government projects as evidence of prudent spending of public funds) and are waiting for a “Parent” to tell them what to do. Tsk tsk tsk**** poor Filipinos! They justly deserve the present corrupt leadership. There are no tyrants where there are no slaves! No emperors where there are no fools! No shameless cheater where there is not a national culture of cheating. There are no corrupt leaders where there are not a surfeit of corrupt people. It takes two to tango. Even the hardcore Gloria propagandists should shudder at this reality because one day Gloria will be gone and they may not longer be in the inner circle or graces of the next corrupt president/prime minister. Glory is fleeting. Today you’re on top, next day you’re down and the victim of the despicable system and corrupt leaders you helped create and install. (De ja vu Dinky Soliman’s experience et. al.)
I’ll be content to just enjoy the panorama of corruption and be amused at the tales of les miserables. I’ll anaesthesize myself of moral outrage at what’s going on and view the moral decadence among Filipinos from their leaders to the intelligentsia and the shapeless masses. I’ll not smile with derision but I’ll be firm in my patience for the day that Filipinos themselves will consciously rise from their sorry state of affairs, because their collective destiny is their own undoing or doing (pro or anti Gloria alike)
Toro
April 15th, 2006 at 10:50 am
Yes do that Simon, be firm in your patience for one day that fateful day will come. Political maturity remains in its infancy and sadly, Filipinos are learning it the hard way. Don’t you wish that we could have unsheathed the sword and slay the corrupt that plunder this nation? Don’t you sometimes wish that we did not listen to America and follow the democratic processes? This political upheaval is one of the ironies of democracy that unfortunately also gives protection to the corrupt, the very people we want to exterminate, but cannot for now. But just as everything has an ending this too will not last. Believe me.
tongue in, anew
April 16th, 2006 at 4:39 am
Believe that Gloria will leave in 2010? You wish. Not when stockpiles of cases are waiting to be filed against her the very first day she leaves Malacañang. She’ll stay on until she’s old or dead by continuing to fertilize her ministers everytime election comes.
Not with her Lakas-Kampi parliament rewriting our laws and robbing our country blind. It’s like praying for rain in the Sahara.
Toro
April 16th, 2006 at 4:51 pm
Then you don’t have much faith in what the Filipinos can do. When it’s time to go it’s time to go. Let’s talk again when that time comes.
mang_doding
April 17th, 2006 at 12:46 pm
Hindi dapat MAYUGA REPORT (may uga)….dapat DIMAYUGA REPORT (as in walang umuga or nagalaw o walang nangyare)
mang_doding
April 17th, 2006 at 12:52 pm
Mas bagay yata kung MALUGA REPORT dahil puro luga ang laman.
Theboss. si Police Director Iskerol bilib ako dyan…magaling mag-ingles di ako alam kung san kinukuha …. bwehehe
Manuel L. Quezon III » Unintended unity
April 17th, 2006 at 1:18 pm
[…] The long-awaited Mayuga report was also released, absolving some officers while remaining silent on others, with regards to allegations they participated in poll fraud. […]
lokalokang matino
April 17th, 2006 at 3:42 pm
Basta para sa amin ‘YUNG DAGDAG, YUNG DAGDAG” is no LAPSE IN JUDGEMENT. It was pre-meditated, WELL PLANNED, FUNDED, MANNED and closely monitored by it’s principal.
The Mayuga Report is obviously sanitized, intended to avoid offending the generals involved.
Cecile Impens
April 17th, 2006 at 4:58 pm
If Mayuga electoral finding is really genuine, why the identity of these 70 individuals remain confidential? But the confusing item here is that, the 300 low-ranking military personnel who served the 2004 election as deputies will be further investigated. The white-washing of the four generals is not a surprise in this society where high-rank always prevails and the low-rank be crushed to the ground harder without pity.
INSIDE PCIJ: Stories behind our stories » Mayuga’s resource persons
April 17th, 2006 at 6:40 pm
[…] THE AFP fact-finding board that looked into the military’s reported involvement in the alleged rigging of the 2004 elections heard the testimonies of at least 44 officers and eight enlisted personnel, a civilian employee and Comelec regional director Helen Flores during its two-month investigation. […]
Alecks Pabico
April 17th, 2006 at 6:44 pm
Good point, Cecile. Thankfully, we were able to locate from our files the list the AFP furnished us last year of those who were called to testify before the Mayuga fact-finding body. Check our latest post.
INSIDE PCIJ: Stories behind our stories » CBCP: Disclose Mayuga Report
May 11th, 2006 at 10:38 pm
[…] The CBCP issued the call in a pastoral letter following the continued refusal of Malacanang and the military to make public the findings, which cleared Army chief Lt. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Southern Command (SouthCom) chief Maj. Gen. Gabriel Habacon and retired Lt. Gen. Roy Kyamko of the alleged conspiracy to rig the presidential vote in favor of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. […]
INSIDE PCIJ: Stories behind our stories » New impeachment complaint vs. Arroyo filed today as one-year bar lapses
June 26th, 2006 at 2:00 pm
[…] Though Arroyo has denied any culpability, she has refused to squarely address the allegations, which has only continuously sparked protests and restiveness in the military, some of whose generals and other senior officials were also implicated in the 2004 electoral fraud but were later absolved by its own fact-finding body. […]
INSIDE PCIJ: Stories behind our stories » ‘Hello, Garci’ general now AFP chief of staff
July 14th, 2006 at 8:52 am
[…] Mayuga report absolves ‘Hello, Garci’ generals […]
Uniffors- Life in Gloria’s Enchanted Kingdom » Esperon’s spokesman says Esperon welcomed by troops
July 17th, 2006 at 1:01 pm
[…] Virgilio Garcillano can attest to Gen. Esperon’s career dvelopment pattern. HERE. is an excerpt from PCIJ’s transcriptio of the Hello Garci tapes. […]
INSIDE PCIJ » Garcillano off the hook
December 25th, 2006 at 1:33 am
[…] Last April, a military fact-finding report cleared three high-ranking military officials — Army chief Lt. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, retired Maj. Gen. Gabriel Habacon, and retired Lt. Gen. Roy Kyamko – of conspiring to rig the votes in favor of the President. The other general mentioned in the tapes “as being pro-opposition” — retired Brig. Gen. Francisco Gudani — was also cleared. […]
Promdi — Philippine politics, current affairs, society and culture » Sneaky bastards
December 26th, 2006 at 9:47 am
[…] This is the same thing the government did with the Mayuga report, portions of which were disclosed to the public — via a broadcast on a government-owned TV station that hardly anybody watches — a day before Holy Thursday, just when Filipinos were thronging to the provinces or the beaches and just when newspapers and networks were preparing for a two-day break. […]
INSIDE PCIJ » Where is the Melo report?
February 6th, 2007 at 7:29 pm
[…] Another controversial fact-finding report — the Mayuga report, which probed into charges of fraud during the May 2004 elections, has yet to be released in its entirety. The Mayuga report cleared the four generals mentioned in the ‘Hello Garci’ tapes and remained silent on other top military officials that had also been linked to allegations of cheating. It is pointless to create fact-finding bodies if their recommendations are never released to the public. In order for the merits of the Melo report to be adequately analyzed and ajudged, its contents must be fully disclosed. extra judicial killings, gloria macapagal arroyo, melo, military, philippinesPosted in Governance, Human Rights | […]
The Daily PCIJ » Blog Archive » Arroyo’s legitimacy: An issue that simply won’t go away
November 30th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
[…] those implicated in the Garci recordings — from military generals to Commission on Elections officials — have been absolved by non-transparent investigations […]