Sen. Osmeña asks all the COMELEC commisioners to resign

From the Daily Tribune:

Abalos ‘admits’ tape real; Osmeña dares poll execs: Quit

By Marie A. Surbano and Angie M. Rosales
Tuesday, 06 21, 2005

Commission on Elections Chairman Benjamin Abalos yesterday virtually admitted the authenticity of the controversial alleged taped conversations between President Arroyo and Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano on how to cheat in the May 2004 elections.

This after Abalos revealed the poll body has started checking the names mentioned in the “Gloriagate” scandal and determining if they are connected with the Comelec.

“We're checking one by one the names mentioned in the tape and if they are connected with the Comelec, we will summon them,” he said in Pilipino during a telephone interview.

According to Abalos, their main objective is to identify the persons or the voices in the tape and establish their connections with the alleged plot to manipulate the elections.

He stressed the three names mentioned in the wiretapped conversations had been ordered to report to the Comelec main office and will be asked to explain their involvement in the scandal.

But opposition Sen. Sergio Osmeña III, during a separate interview, also yesterday dared Abalos and all other Comelec commissioners to resign from their post, as an effort in redeeming what he described as tainted credibility and integrity of the poll body.

“I think all the commissioners will have to resign... it has to be a top-to-bottom clean-up of the Comelec,” he said, expressing belief that reclaiming the image of the poll body would not end up with this effort considering what is perceived to be a conspiracy of sort in rigging, supposedly, last year's presidential elections.

“If we start today, it will take us 20 to 25 years to clean up the Comelec completely. That is, if we start today,” he told reporters.