A Senate hearing on Tuesday seeking ways to prevent fraud in automated elections was marred by a verbal altercation between Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano and Commission on Elections chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr.
The heated exchange ensued after Brillantes defended himself from Cayetano’s charge that he was “Garci in disguise.” Cayetano made the allegation in a recent plenary session after Senator Grace Poe’s privilege speech on the massive fraud in the 2004 presidential elections.
Cayetano likened Brillantes to former Comelec commissioner Virgilio “Garci” Garcillano, who allegedly engineered the rigging of the elections in favor of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
“Sa konting experience ko ho na nakaupo sa Comelec, nakakabigla naman na sabihin na ako ay Garci in disguise. Hindi ko naman ho kaibigan si Garci noong 2004. Hindi ko naman kakampi si Garci,” Brillantes said during the hearing.
Cayetano immediately took exception to Brillantes’ remarks, saying the Senate hearing wasn’t a venue for officials to air their gripes against senators.
“Hindi po ito privilege speech at interpellation na time ni Chairman Brillantes sumagot. This is a committee hearing. Kung mayroon kaming itatanong, mamaya kapag sasagot na siya, just answer it,” Cayetano said.
A visibly agitated Cayetano then told Brillantes: “To tell you frankly, in your face, you are worse than Garci… Binibilang ko po ang araw na magretire kayo.”
Brillantes once served as counsel of the Tinga family, the political rival of the Cayetanos in Taguig City.
What happened to 2004 poll probe?
Cayetano also criticized the Comelec chief for his supposed failure to completely investigate the alleged cheating during the 2004 elections.
“Ano ho ang nangyari sa imbestigasyon ng DOJ [Department of Justice] slash Comelec, ano ho ang findings nila…? Ang tanong ko lang ho sa inyo ngayon, ano’ng resulta? Baka ho kaya hindi niyo masagot ay bokya, walang resulta?” Cayetano told Brillantes.
To this, the poll chief replied, “Ang sagot ko ho: Ano ho ang resulta sa ginawang imbestigasyon ng Senado sa 2004 elections?”
Cayetano said the Senate investigation on the 2004 elections had nothing to do with the Comelec probe on the alleged poll fraud a decade ago.
The senator added that Brillantes had shortcomings during the 2013 midterm elections.
“The chairman lied to us here in Congress… by saying na matatransmit lahat ng machines except kung may problema. Noon pala, before the elections, alam na nila na maraming lugar ang hindi magtatransmit,” Cayetano said said.
He added that “a lot of safeguards” against automated election cheating were “removed by the commission under Brillantes.”
“Kaya hanggang ngayon hindi kumpleto ang records,” Cayetano said. —NB, GMA News
