Don't waste peoples money on Garci probe – DoJ

By Philippine News Service
December 15, 2005

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez on Monday said lawmakers who believe former elections Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano is lying should take him to court for perjury instead of wasting time and money on more hearings.

“It’s like trying to squeeze blood out of a stone. It’s a waste of taxpayers’ money,” Gonzalez said, referring to the ongoing probe in the House of Representatives.

Gonzalez also refuted a statement by Ilocos Norte Rep. Imee Marcos on Monday that a justice department report said Garcillano had flown out of the country in a Subic Air plane “owned by Ricky Razon.”

“That’s not true. There was never any statement about that in the draft (report),” Gonzalez said. “I don’t even know who is the owner of Subic Air.”

“Subic Air is mentioned in the report... but I know that that is not owned by Razon,” he added.

The Palace, meanwhile, dismissed the allegation that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo had ordered the military to wiretap Garcillano.

“That’s a wild claim. They are entitled to their erroneous opinion,” said Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye.

Earlier, opposition Senator Panfilo Lacson charged that President Arroyo had ordered the wiretap, which explained the military’s “wishy-washy” attitude about investigating the case.

Also on Monday, Armed Forces chief Gen. Generoso Senga said the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) has no technical capability to wiretap mobile phones.

Senga made this assertion after meeting with Senate President Franklin Drilon about the general’s confirmation hearings, which have been reset to January 2006.

Senga’s statement contradicted the claim of Marietta Santos that her former live-in partner, T/Sgt. Vidal Doble and other ISAFP agents had tapped the cellular phone conversation between Mrs. Arroyo and Garcillano.

Senga also questioned Santos’ testimony before the Senate about seeing Doble with the wiretapping machines, saying she didn’t have the expertise to identify such equipment.

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, however, described Senga’s statement as “laughable,” saying that she would move that the Commission on Appointments conduct an inspection of ISAFP “war room.”

In his remarks on Monday, Gonzalez also said Marcos “stretched” his statements out of context and used the draft justice department report that was overtaken by events when Garcillano emerged from hiding.

Gonzalez said lawmakers who want to find out once and for all if Garcillano is telling the truth should just file a criminal complaint against him for perjury.

“The ones who are interested should just file charges,” he said.