March 15, 2006 · Posted in: In the News
Ex-Comelec director denies hand in faking ERs
FORMER Comelec Regional Director Roque Bello admitted today that the house that appears in a photo where election returns in the May 2004 polls were supposedly tampered with is possibly his. But he denied an operation that manufactured election returns took place in his Cainta, Rizal home in December 2004 as reported in Newsbreak‘s latest issue.
Bello told ANC that as an election lawyer, it was usual for him to examine election returns, revision reports, even ballot boxes, in his home, which doubles as his office.
He said he was counsel for candidates from different parts of the country, including Cainta, Mindoro and Ilocos Norte.
The photos published in Newsbreak show that the election returns supposedly being altered were from Barangay Sayli, Tapul town in Sulu province.
Bello said it was also common for his group to cut and paste carbonless paper to fit the space for the serial numbers. This, he said, enabled them to get the exact size of the serial numbers and compare these with those in the possession of Comelec.
The former election regional director denied borrowing a printing press from Ernest Printing, which was allegedly used to print serial numbers on the fake returns.
He also said he used an FX van at around that time to transport voluminous documents from his home to the Comelec. But he denied the van was used to transport the fake returns to the printing press.
Bombs exploded outside Ernest Printing, Rounce Printing and Bello’s house last December, on the day former elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano was testying before the House of Representatives on the issue of the wiretapped conversations between him and President Arroyo.
Yesterday, Bello told GMA News that his friendship with Garcillano may have been the reason he was being linked to the electoral fraud.
31 Responses to Ex-Comelec director denies hand in faking ERs
dimasalang
March 15th, 2006 at 6:58 pm
“Bello told ANC that as an election lawyer, it was usual for him to examine election returns, revision reports, even ballot boxes, in his home, which doubles as his office.
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Usual is different from legal. Bringing documents as sensitive as election returns can never be left in the possesion of a single person. This is a stupid excuse.
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“He said he was counsel for candidates from different parts of the country, including Cainta, Mindoro and Ilocos Norte.”
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I think we have a problem here. As a Comelec official, you have to be impartial and independent during elections.
johnmarzan
March 15th, 2006 at 7:17 pm
ah… so totoo pala yung mga pictures na lumabas sa newsbreak. okay…
so thank you mr. roque for confirming that.
jr_lad
March 15th, 2006 at 7:47 pm
wow!
Chabeli
March 15th, 2006 at 11:32 pm
Grabe!
ryebosco
March 15th, 2006 at 11:47 pm
I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHOM OR WHAT TO BELIEVE ANYMORE.
All I know is that corruption is the root of our problems. This root must be eradicated.
NO MORE CRYING IN THE SENATE
NO MORE BICKERING IN THE HOUSE
NO MORE PAID JUDGES
NO TO IMELDA’S OUT-OF-COURT SETTLEMENT
I’m sick of this pointless twilight zone serials.
ACT FILIPINOS AND RISE.
tambuli
March 16th, 2006 at 12:13 am
grabe no, they really think that filipinos are stupid enough to buy their explanations?!?!
ka emong
March 16th, 2006 at 12:32 am
mayo uno………..araw ng manggagawa……………..araw ng pag babago……..araw ng pag tutuos…………………..
Chabeli
March 16th, 2006 at 1:11 am
“Di na ‘ko papayag mauli muli…”
rego
March 16th, 2006 at 1:14 am
let see, ka emong, lets see……pang-ilan na ba etong mga deadline na ganito??sometimes, people just have to do what they have to do and talk after they did it….
schumey
March 16th, 2006 at 3:53 am
Sino na nga yung nag-challenge sa isang blog dito na peke daw yung mga pictures? Straight from the horse’s mouth na ito kaya sana yung nagsasabing fake yung mga pictures ay maliwanagan ng pagiisip..
Para sa Kanto Mama
March 16th, 2006 at 7:35 am
Peke? Baka ang ibig sabihin eh, tampered using computer editing. Si Director Roque nga walang sinabi about tampering. Deny lang siya. Madaling magsinungaling kesa magsabi ng katotohanang bibigti sa kanila ni Garci.
penpenpen88
March 16th, 2006 at 9:27 am
me part two pa ata nyan sa anc mamaya abangan ang susunod na kabanata
jade
March 16th, 2006 at 9:54 am
GRABE… GMA does not cease to amaze me with her capacity to do EVIL.
to_agol
March 16th, 2006 at 10:07 am
kailan kaya tataob yang si GMA
lokalokang matino
March 16th, 2006 at 10:29 am
>>>CUT-N-PASTE:>>>>END>>>>>
SUSMARYOSEP!!!
dI BA? Election returns and ballot boxes are supposedly locked in COMELEC DESIGNATED WAREHOUSE. hindi inuuwi. Alam ba ni Bello ang pingsasabi nya. How many more Comelec officials took home election returns and ballot boxes?
TAKE HOME? WHAT FOR?
tikboyblue
March 16th, 2006 at 12:17 pm
deny si Roque siyempre. sino ba namang magnanakaw ang mag-aadmit na nagnakaw siya lalo’t wala siyang konsensiya?
at si Roque, mag-aadmit? may etiketa yan. he doesn’t talk when his mouth is full…
johnmarzan
March 16th, 2006 at 12:56 pm
i believe this is inciting to sedition, ryebosco.
i believe this is inciting to sedition, ka emong.
i believe this is inciting to sedition, to agol.
bagong_bayani
March 16th, 2006 at 4:42 pm
magkamag anak ba sila ni dr. vicky bello? parehas silang nagreritoke
coldfeet
March 16th, 2006 at 10:54 pm
noong 2004 election ay hindi na siya miyembro ng COMELEC…
coldfeet
March 16th, 2006 at 10:57 pm
There are
7 copies of Election Returns.. 1 goes to the candidate..at kinuha siya na consultant ng mga politico para e analyst daw ang mga result at hindi na siya commissioner ng comelec noong 2004…sana get nyo muna facts nyo before kau mag comment…
MitaMS
March 17th, 2006 at 12:55 am
sa dami ng tanga na umaamin sa pilipinas, wala pa naman nakukulong…
manuel salvador
March 17th, 2006 at 8:54 am
taking out of election records from the comelec office is illegal and strickly prohibited, the admission of bello having usually examine election returns in his house only proves that there was cheating during the last election. the pictures that came out from the newsbreak is true,
“BELLO ADMITTED IT”. Lying is the WORST among the WORST.
marcial bonifacio
March 17th, 2006 at 4:05 pm
mga kabayan,hinay2 lang tayo.baka naman pakana na naman ito ng mga oposisyon.kung tama ako,ganyan din ang ginawa nila nuon kapanahunan ni marcos.kahit ano,binato nila kay marcos.plaza miranda bombing,pinatay na daw ni marcos si tommy manotoc,bata daw ni imelda si hamilton,ymca bombing,etc,etc…para lang masira at pabagsakin nila si marcos at sila naman ang makinabang.sino2 ba itong mga ito?ah sila manglapus,maceda,pimentel,mitra,psinakis,banayo,joma,dante,cojuangco(peping side),lopez,aquino,laurel,guingona at marami pang iba.ngayon nuon sila naman ang naupo,may nagawa ba silang maganda?wala..puro pagnanakaw o sariling interes lang ang ginawa nila.kaya huwag ng magmalinis pa ang mga oposisyon.mula kay unggoy este jinggoy hanggang kay banayo ay pare-pareho silang mga inutil!!!!
marcial bonifacio
March 17th, 2006 at 4:35 pm
eto pa mga kabayan,nuon naman panahaon ni erap,mismong kabinete niya ang nagsabi na walang ginawa si erap kundi uminom ng alak hanggang madaling araw.Alak,Babae,Sugal ang inatupag ng ating mahal na si erap nuon nanunungkulan.balak pa niyang mag off bilang presidente tuwing miyerkules,aba,parang estudyante.wala raw kaibigan,kamg-anak,at kumpare sa kanya.ayun,nasira siya sa sobrang pagbibigay sa kaibigan dahil sa katiwalian.ano namn ba ang ginawa nila lito banayo,ernie maceda,et al nuon.wala.di nila mapuna si erap dahil nakikinabang sila.ngayon di sila nakikinabang kay pandak(gma)kaya naman halos araw2 sa kanilang kolumn ay binabanatan nila si gma.ay naku,eto bang mga ganitong klaseng tao ang ipaglalaban natin?sana huwag naman.matuto na tayo sa mga nagdaang kasaysayan.
jan.v
March 19th, 2006 at 2:58 pm
For clarification, Atty. Roque Bello is a FORMER DIRECTOR of Comelec and he’s been in private practice for more than 10 years now after resigning a long time ago. I happened to know them, around 2004 during mayor Sonny belmonte’s Campaign esp. their employees around 12 and EL BELLO, his son. We worked as trainors for SB’s Poll watcher’s Training for more than a month. The trainors were also the designated Poll watcher’s and Polling precint monitoring team during the election; they were all in Quezon City so they cant be all over the country rigging the election as reported.
The services that they are providing are post-election consulting for those who filed complaints before the COMELEC, being a former employee, they are consulted for their competency and knowledge of procedures for recount, attending complaints filed during and after the election based on the the following documents: WATCHER’S REPORT, CERTIFICATE OF CHALLENGE/PROTEST, CHALLENGE BEFORE THE BOART OF INSPECTORS SUPPORTED BY OATH OF VOTER -CHALLENGE FOR ILLEGAL ACTS. The copy in their possession were copies from their clients’ POLITICAL PARTY – THE CERTIFICATE OF VOTES OF CANDITATES AFTER THE ON SITE COUNTING, IN 3 COPIES, 2 COPIES ARE GIVEN TO THE REQUESTING WATCHER (A.) FOR QUICK COUNT AND CANVASSING -FOR ATTACHING TALLY SHEETS OF VOTES (B.) FOR FINANCE AND RECORDS AND 1 COPY IS RETAINED FOR THE CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF ELECTION INSPECTORS WHILE THE ELECTION RETURNS IN 7 COPIES MAYOR POLITCAL PARTIES AND NON-GOVT CANVASSER WERE ALSO GIVEN COPIES and what they have are these, the party copies to check the veracity of the ER to other forms I mentioned above. All these are either thumbmarked or signed by all election officials and Poll watchers.
Ang tinuturo po sa Poll watchers bilang opisyal na pulis na accredited ng COMELEC ay kung paano maging maayos at malinis ang eleksyon. Ngayon, kung nay nakita kayong pulis o sundalo nuong panahonng eleksyon na nakakalat sa inyong polling areas o sila ang nagbabantay duon po ang may dayaan sa mismong araw ng eleksyon.PnP and AFP siguro and dapat tanungin o maging sa Congress, kung sino ba ang Incumbent na may access. Isa lang akong sibilyan na nakuhang magtrain sa sa mga pollwatchers ng mga alituntunin ng Comelec at kung paano protektahan ang boto. Kailangan siguro ng lahat na mag election 101 upang maintindihan kung paano nagaganap ang dayaan lalo na malapit na ang eleksyo, magbibigay pa kami ng libre. Mahirap pong patotohanan lahat ng bintang sa mag-ama dahil sa dami ng kopyang dapat pagbasihan. Wala po silang printing press at wala ring taxi. Ang pinapakopya po nila ay mga dokumentong nakahaiin na sa Comelec at galing din sa kanilang kliyente. Ayaw na nilang patulan pa dahil wala naman silang ginagawang masama, nagkataon lang na naligaw ako sa INQ.net na may article na link sa site ng PCIJ at paumanhin sa inyo at di ko napigilang di magreact para sa katotohanan at para sa walang awang pag-sira sa reputasyon ng mag-ama.
jan.v
March 19th, 2006 at 4:10 pm
Sorry for typo errors, Major Political Parties and Namfrel during that time had copies.
For serious analysis:
Both the government and various oppositions are using the same tactics to lure us to their pit, while nobody from the opposition side would take responsibility on answering our query regarding who would head the “Transition Government, Revolutionary Government, Transition Council or Constitutional Succession (or they were just evading this legitimate question to address the issues regarding institutional disruption so as to avoid responsibility in case the form of leadership they are offering fails or free for all) Ms. Legarda on the other hand, successfully implanted herself to the scene taking advantage of this stand-off to position herself for claiming the Presidency. It was she who started all these congress fraud. Those who claim knowing how these things have taken place could not claim innocence. Otherwise, they could not have possibly known all these “operators.” The thing is, almost all of them are guilty of cheating (in various forms – vote buying, harrasment, ballot switching, etc.), both the losers and those who won. Those who lost simply were not successful in the cheating approach they implemented. I am both angry and devastated but we cannot just sit or join rallies to ask Gloria to step down, we have to make serious assessment on what we really want and how we are going to address these issues rather than just waiting for the anointed.
The election is near again, corruption and cheating is from Barangay up to National level. We are forgetting that those local officials (barangay-mayor-Governors) are also source of our kahirapan. The Local Government is handling 60 percent of budget from the National Treasury plus direct taxes; therefore, if crimes and insurgency are high and poverty is getting worse, blame the local officials, they are the direct implementors of GMA economic policies that are working against us. This the reason why removing Gloria alone or changing the form of government would not change anything, we will have the same barangay, councilors, mayors, congressmen , senators, generals and etc. back to their positions. We must be vigilant everyday -transparency do not apply to Gloria alone, even to the AFP that do not practice democracy- and in every election and help make sure the right persons are elected.
rico cabugayan
March 20th, 2006 at 1:28 pm
kung may maling nagawa parusahan, at kung puro haka haka nman, tigilan na…….
anndee
March 20th, 2006 at 8:20 pm
this is a reaction sa sinulat ni jan v. during the interview sa ANC bello admitted na meron FX taxi ang kanyang anak. Second if he is a former comelec official and working na as a private lawyer for election complaints how come nasa bahay niya ang ballot boxes, My cousin run for mayor and she filed a election protest noong wala pang schedule sa hearing ng kanyang complaint yung ballot boxes ay nakalagay sa city and was only brought to manila during the hearing and there it was opened and recounted and nanalo. This is how she was daya, COC and tinampered kaya when the ballot boxes were opened di nag match ang results sa dalawa. In the case of BELLO how come the ballot boxes were in his house? THE PRESENCE OF THOSE BALLOT BOXES IN HOUSE HIS HOUSE IS ALREADY QUESTIONABLE? HE ADMITTED THAT THOSE ARE BALLOT BOXES IN HIS HOUSE IS THIS WHAT YOU MEAN UNFAIR OF THE BINTANG TO THE MAG-AMA?
WALANG PINAG-IBA SILA GMA GARCI BELLO BUNYI ERMITA DEFENSOR GONZALEZ ISA LANG ANG DUGO NILA AND THAT IS TYPE C-CORRUPTION
marcial bonifacio
March 21st, 2006 at 1:22 pm
tama si rico.pag may kasalanan parusahan.parusahan ayon sa kanyang kasalanan.pag mataas na pinuno ng bansa(ehekutibo,lehislatura,hudikatura at tao sa gobyerno) ang nagkasala,parusahan ng hindi pamarisan.para sa akin,mawawala lamang iyan dayaan na iyan sa eleksiyon kung bibigyan ng mabigat na parusa ng taong bayan.huwag na ang gobyerno dahil kampi,kampi naman iyan.taong bayan ang humusga.gaya ng ginawa nila kay mussolini,ceasecu,milosevic,hussein at iba pang mapang abusong lider ng bansa.para naman sa PCIJ,tama ang ginagawa niyo.wala kayong kinakampihan mga pulitiko.mapa kay erap o gloria,pag may masamang ginawa,batikusin niyo.pantay ang laban,di tulad ng ibang propagandista nila erap,lacson,fpj at gloria.sayang na mga tao,ang gagaling sana,ngunit ginamit nila ang galing nila sa maling paraan o pamumuno.
lagundi
March 21st, 2006 at 2:28 pm
I have a proposal. Simple, but efficient. Clean, and quick.
My proposal is this: abolish the COMELEC. In its place, let us put the DPWH. Afterall, all that is needed now to win an election is to buy votes. Money. So, ‘pag wala na ang COMELEC at pinalitan na ng DPWH, hindi na natin idaan sa botohan ang eleksyon. Ipapa-bidding na lang natin. Magaling ang DPWH dyan. Bidding. The position goes to the highest bidder. Invitation to bid lang naman ang kailangan nyan eh. Importante lang na nandun ang media sa opening ng bids. Lalo na ang PCIJ. Pagkatapos, ang lahat ng na-accumulate na pera, pwedeng ipamigay sa masa, o di kaya’y gawing proyekto na nakabubuti sa lahat.
Advantages: Wala nang magulong kampanya. Wala nang siraan. Di na kailangan ng mga goons, so wala nang election violence. Afterall, sa ngayon, ang may pera lang naman ang nananalo. Sa mabuti pa, bidding na lang.
So I say: abolish the COMELEC, and let the DPWH facilitate the bidding.
Gurong Bayan
March 24th, 2006 at 11:32 am
Marcial Bonifacio, di ba yun yung pangalan ni Ninoy sa pasport nya ng dumating sya ng August 21, 1983..
wala lang..