FINAL REPORT - Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism

switching of election returns in the 2004 election that was reported by
Newsbreak magazine
In a phone interview with INQ7.net, Abalos said the investigation was
to determine culpability, “if any,” of former poll official Roque Bello,
who allegedly fabricated 60,000 election returns on the Christmas
week of 2004 so that their figures would match those in the
certificates of canvass allegedly manufactured by former election
commissioner Virgilio Garcillano. 59
March 17, 2006 – Former Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky”
Soliman was arrested by Manila police. As soon as a group of 22,
including a three-year old child (the group belonging to the Black-and-
White Movement, including Dinky Soliman, some of them wearing black
t-shirts w/ the sign “Patalsikin na. Now na.”), stepped out of the
Aristocrat Restaurant, a group of about 50 policemen blocked them,
demanding that they present a rally permit before they are permitted to
cross Roxas Boulevard toward Baywalk. The group argued that they had
no placards or streamers or any sound system, not even a bullhorn. The
police insisted that the presence of media people was “proof” of a planned
protest action, objecting too at the t-shirts. They were brought to Manila
Police headquarters along UN Avenue where they were joined by the
other “Baywalkers.” It took the police more than three hours to
prepare the affidavit of arrest, charging them for violation of what
Sec. Raul Gonzalez later said were three laws, including “illegal
assembly.” But the inquest fiscal decided to release them. 60
March 24, 2006 – Representatives Teofisto Guingona III, Joel Villanueva and Alan
Peter Cayetano and Senator Panfilo Lacson file charges of perjury and
falsification of documents against Garcillano with the Department of
Justice based on the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas certification dated March
10, 2006 that the passport submitted by Garcillano to the HOR had
“irregularities” and was not “up to standard”
March 27, 2006 - Jonathan Tiongco filed the libel suit before the Quezon City
Prosecutor's Office on Monday against print and broadcast journalists from the
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila
59
“`I have instructed the law department this morning to call Newsbreak and ask them to produce the
pieces of evidence that would help us conduct an investigation on the criminal offense of election fraud
against Bello. I am also calling on Newsbreak to give us these evidence as soon as possible to speed things
up,’ Abalos said.” (“Abalos orders probe of ballot switching claim in 2004 polls,” Veronica Uy,
http://news.inq7.net/breaking/index.php?index=1&storyid=69596, First posted 02:35pm (Mla time) Mar 16,
2006)
60
“More on the Baywalkers,” Rina Jimenez-David, PDI, p. A9 (quoting Vicente “Enteng” Romano, another leader of
the Black-and-White Movement). Three officials of the Commission on Human Rights – Wilhelm Soriano, Elidio
Mallare and Quintin Cueto – have taken the position that the arrest for illegal assembly was out of order. (“Cops
violated Dinky’s rights, CHR execs say,” Norman Bordadora, Christine O. Avendaño and Margaux C. Ortiz, PDI,
March 21, 2006, p. A1)
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