Can the COMELEC make credible reforms under Arroyo's watch?

Sa nakikita ko, hindi. Wala pa ni isa sa mga GLORIAGATE operators sa COMELEC at militar ang naparusahan at nakulong. And many of them are either still working at the COMELEC, or were given new positions in the administration (like the Garci Generals).

This is very troubling. From PCIJ:

While it is no secret that the Comelec reeks with the politics of accommodation, with election officers down to the rank and file mostly endorsed by politicians, the present line-up of regional directors and assistant directors is quite disturbing as it is a virtual who’s who of those who were implicated in the 2004 electoral fraud allegedly engineered by Malacañang to ensure the victory of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the presidential polls.

Among those who have landed top Comelec regional posts are the known lieutenants of Garcillano in Mindanao — as glimpsed from the “Hello Garci” recordings and testimonies of witnesses like Michaelangelo Zuce and retired Brig. Gen. Francisco Gudani:

• * Renato Magbutay, election director of Region X


• * Carlito Ravelo, acting assistant election director of Region X


• * Remlane Tambuang, election director of Region XI


• * Ray Sumalipao, assistant election director of Region XI and concurrent acting election director of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)


• * Teopisto Elnas Jr., election director of Region XII


• * Cirilo Nala Jr., acting election director of CARAGA Region (covering the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur)


• * Francisco Pobe, acting assistant election director of CARAGA Region


• * Vilfredo Balisado, acting assistant election director of Region IX

Magbutay was acting ARMM regional director and concurrent assistant director of Region IX during the 2004 elections. Sumalipao, on the other hand, was assistant regional director of ARMM and acting provincial election supervisor of Lanao del Sur.

The rest were former provincial election supervisors — Pobe in Agusan del Sur, Tambuang in Davao Oriental, Nala in Surigao del Sur, Elnas in Zamboanga del Sur, and Balisado in Zamboanga Sibugay.

The appointments confirm PCIJ’s earlier report that Sumalipao and Magbutay were given the go-signal to assume the post of regional directors at the height of the signature campaign vigorously pursued by Malacañang to push for amendments to the 1987 Constitution via a people’s initiative in late March.

Together with Atty. Lintang Bedol, Maguindanao provincial election supervisor, Renault ‘Boy’ Macarambon and other election lawyers who figured in the Garci recordings, Sumalipao and Magbutay are known to be part of Garcillano’s personal network of key Comelec people in Mindanao.

Incidentally, Macarambon is also now the division chief of the Comelec central office’s Election and Barangay Affairs Department (EBAD) and also assigned to the Office of the Deputy Executive Director for Operations (DEDO).

Sumalipao’s name was mentioned in at least two phone calls in the “Hello, Garci” taped conversations. The first instance was during the June 8, 2004 call of Arroyo to Garcillano where she was heard showing a special interest in the canvassing in Lanao del Sur province. In that call made shortly after Abdullah Dalidig, Lanao del Sur provincial chairman of the elections watchdog Namfrel (National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections), appeared in a press conference at a Quezon City restaurant alleging dagdag-bawas in Lanao del Sur, Garcillano offered to attend to the matter by getting Sumalipao to help.

Sumalipao again figured in Garcillano’s May 30 phone call, this time as the voice on the other line. The topic of the conversation is Poona Bayabao town, where election documents in the local Namfrel chapter’s possession illustrate the extent of the alleged vote-padding and shaving. Sumalipao reported to the poll commissioner that an en banc order had been issued.

Magbutay, on the other hand, was the election official who replaced then regional director for ARMM, Helen Flores, four days before the May 10, 2004 elections. Magbutay is believed to be the “Boy” who discussed with Garcillano on June 5, 2004 the kidnapping of an election officer in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan, Rashma Hali, who had voluntarily made an affidavit on the poll fraud allegedly perpetrated in the town.

The same Boy (believed to be either Magbutay or Macarambon) raised the possibility that a certain Patangan, who chaired Basilan’s board of canvassers in the 2004 elections, might be suspected of reversing the count at the provincial level.

Sumalipao and Magbutay were also among the Mindanao election officials identified by Zuce whose cooperation was sought by Malacañang to ensure Arroyo’s victory, and who received jueteng money at the Arroyo residence in La Vista.

Part of the annexes to Zuce’s affidavit was a report submitted by Garcillano to Arroyo through Sec. Jose Ma. “Joey” Rufino, then presidential liaison officer for political affairs, where he identified Magbutay, Elnas, Balisado, Sumalipao and Pobe among the election officers who attended the first consultation in Tubod, Lanao del Norte on November 27, 2002. Tambuang was present in the second consultation held in General Santos City.

The said election officers, including Nala and Ravelo, were also listed among the 23 Mindanao poll officials who attended the caucus to discuss Arroyo’s candidacy in the 2004 elections at the Grand Boulevard Hotel on January 10, 2004.

It was Pobe whom Zuce said introduced him to Baby Pineda, wife of alleged jueteng lord Bong Pineda, on their way to a scheduled meeting at the Arroyo residence in La Vista in January 2004.

Zuce also named Juanito Icaro, Region IV election director, as the one who received white envelopes containing P30,000 each from Mrs. Pineda and distributed these among themselves.

Icaro, Pobe, Tambuang, Magbutay, and Sumalipao had denied Zuce’s allegations.

I've always said that as long as Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is still in power, her corrupting influence will continue to undermine efforts to get to the bottom of the 2004 GLORIAGATE dagdag bawas scandal, and any type of election reforms will come out as watered-down.