Mayuga report clears 4 AFP generals of election fraud raps

A military investigation has cleared four generals accused of conspiring with President Arroyo to help her cheat her way to victory in the 2004 presidential election.

Presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor said this should put an end to the political crisis that has gripped the country since last year as he rejected opposition accusations of a whitewash.

The investigation led by Philippine Navy chief Vice Admiral Mateo Mayuga found no evidence against Army chief Lt. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Gabriel Habacon, retired Lt. Gen. Roy Kyamko and retired Marine Brig. Gen. Francisco Gudani.

The generals have separately denied tampering with election results.

Gudani was accused of backing the opposition’s main candidate, late film star Fernando Poe Jr., but was also cleared of any wrongdoing, Mayuga said.

"We invited some 70 people who gave testimonies and not one of them testified or gave any evidence that will prove these generals were involved in elections fraud," Mayuga said.

Accusations that there was a whitewash in the investigation were unfair, said Mayuga.

Mayuga said that he recommended that some lower-ranking officers be further investigated for possible involvement in election irregularities unrelated to Mrs. Arroyo’s candidacy. He did not identify the officers or provide other details.

Mayuga also suggested that the practice of deputizing the 120,000-strong military for election duties be reviewed. Soldiers are traditionally asked to guard ballot boxes and the canvassing of votes.

Nearly 300 soldiers acted as elections inspectors and some of the results of the 2004 elections were canvassed in at least two military camps for security reasons, according to a summary of Mayuga’s investigation.

Defensor defended the report, anticipating accusations of a whitewash or that the report was watered down to avoid pinning down the military brass.

Malacañang is ready for any backlash that might arise from the report, he said.

Mayuga submitted his findings early last month to Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz who in turn handed it to Malacañang but the report was not made public until recently.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said despite allegations of "whitewash," the so-called Mayuga report would be very helpful in reforming the military.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said they have nothing to hide and there was nothing to be defensive about in the military’s findings.

"With the President’s order to make public the contents of the report, we hope that this would help end the intrigues intended to malign the President and divide our Armed Forces," Bunye said in a statement.

"In the first place, I don’t think the ‘Hello Garci’ tapes were used as basis for investigation since their authenticity were not proven. As expected, they found nothing to show there was massive cheating in the last elections," Defensor told reporters.

Mrs. Arroyo is on a retreat with her cabinet in Baguio City for the Holy Week.

Defensor said Mrs. Arroyo will issue guidelines for the military to avoid being dragged into politics.

"I’m sure (the opposition) will blame the Mayuga task force but they themselves cannot present any evidence to show there was indeed massive cheating in the last elections," Defensor said. "After this, I think it’s time for the opposition to come up with the evidence against the President themselves."

The vote-rigging allegation emerged last year and sparked calls for Mrs. Arroyo’s resignation. Her worst crisis has since eased but continues to foment small, frequent protests and military unrest.

Their names were mentioned during purported phone conversations between Mrs. Arroyo and former election commissioner Virgilio Garcillano in which the two allegedly discussed ways to ensure her victory by at least a million votes.

Mrs. Arroyo has never confirmed it was her voice on the tapes, but later apologized to the nation for calling an unidentified election official before Congress could proclaim the winner of the vote.

Alleged audio recordings of the phone conversations, which became known as the "Hello Garci" tapes, were investigated by the House of Representatives, dominated by Mrs. Arroyo’s political allies, but it has not yet released its findings. An investigation in the Senate, a bastion of the opposition, is under way.

Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, an Arroyo critic, refused to react to Mayuga’s findings and said the Senate investigation into the wiretap conversations which he leads would continue.

"I want the complete truth... I’m not making any conclusion now," said Biazon, whose Senate committee on defense and national security is conducting the probe.

"Specifically, I want to examine all the statements of the 72 witnesses Mayuga interviewed and drew testimony from," he said.

Mrs. Arroyo survived three impeachment bids over vote-rigging and corruption allegations after her predominant allies in the House blocked a potentially explosive investigation. Opposition politicians and left-wing groups, however, have continued to demand that she step down.

The military quashed a coup plot against Mrs. Arroyo last February then declared a "state of national emergency" to crack down on officers and opposition figures linked to the coup. She lifted the emergency declaration a week later amid widespread opposition by pro-democracy groups. — With Paolo Romero, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Christina Mendez, AP, AFP