Just play the effin Garci tapes, ABS-CBN and GMA7.

Play the tapes play the tapes play the tapes play the tapes...
Play the tapes play the tapes play the tapes play the tapes...
Play the tapes play the tapes play the tapes play the tapes...
Play the tapes play the tapes play the tapes play the tapes...
Play the tapes play the tapes play the tapes play the tapes...
Play the tapes play the tapes play the tapes play the tapes...
Play the tapes play the tapes play the tapes play the tapes...
Play the tapes play the tapes play the tapes play the tapes...

More from Ellen: Play it again, Garci

Even in his prepared statement, former Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano is confused.

He denies being the man we all heard on the tapes talking with Gloria Arroyo about how to rig the results of the 2004 elections in her favor. Yet, he bewailed being pictured as a villain when, he said, he was a victim of an illegal act, which is wiretapping.

If it was not him on the tapes, why would he be a victim?

The Counsel for the Defense of Liberties said Garcillano and Arroyo cannot escape liability by merely expunging from the evidence the "Hello Garci" tapes on the ground of inadmissibility. "Garcillano cannot ask the Supreme Court to disallow the use of the Garci Tapes absent proof that it was wiretapped and absent any claim by the parties wiretapped that it was done so without their consent. He (or President Arroyo) must first admit that they were wiretapped without their consent before they can petition the Supreme Court to disallow the same," the group said.

Sheila Coronel of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism pointed out a factual error in Garcillano’s prepared statement (in a computer printout read in a hut, supposedly in the jungle, by Garcillano wearing a Muslim headscarf!).

Sheila wrote: "In his interview with ABS-CBN senior correspondent, Henry Omaga-Diaz, Garcillano said he spoke to the President on May 24, 2004. ‘The President was asking why her advantage over [Fernando Poe Jr.] had been reduced to 892,000. That was May 24.’"

Sheila commented: "Garcillano did not quite get that right. To begin with, that conversation, according to the voiced annotation of the military intelligence operative that was introducing each of the supposedly wiretapped phone calls, took place not on May 24 but on May 29. The vote margin that the president was concerned about was not 892,000 but 982,000."

We don’t know what Malacañang is up to for bringing out Garcillano now after making him disappear five months ago. But it’s good that he is back because the issue of the "Hello Garci" tapes has been resurrected.

It is a good time for us to recall some of the GMA-Garci conversations.

Conversation between Garcillano and GMA on May 29, 2004 at 9:43 a.m.:

GMA: Hello?

Garcillano: Hello, ma’am, good morning. Ok ma’am, mas mataas ho siya pero mag-compensate ho sa Lanao yan.

GMA: So will I still lead by more than one M overall?

Garcillano: More or less, it’s that advantage ma’am. Parang ganun din ang lalabas.

GMA: It cannot be less than one M?

Garcillano: Pipilitin ho natin yan. Pero as of the other day, 982.

GMA: Kaya nga eh.

Garcillano: And then if we can get more in Lanao.

GMA: Hindi pa ba tapos?

Garcillano: Hindi pa ho, meron pang darating na seven municipalities.

GMA: Ah ok, ok.

Garcillano: Sige po.

GMA: Ok. Ok.

On May 31, 2005, almost midnight (11:17 p.m) a worried GMA called up Garcillano to make sure that the election returns which were the basis of Namfrel’s count and the municipal certificates of canvass tally. This was where she frantically reminded Garcillano "Yung dagdag, yung dagdag (the addition, the addition)."

Garcillano: Hello, ma’am.

GMA: Hello, tsaka ano yung kabila, they’re trying to get the Namfrel copies of the municipal COCs.

Garcillano: Namfrel copies ho?

GMA: Uhm-um.

Garcillano: Ay wala naman, ok naman ang Namfrel sa atin. They are now sympathetic to us.

GMA (mumbling): Oo, oo. Pero (garbled)...and Namfrel does not tally. Pero yun nga, yung dagdag, yung dagdag.

Garcillano: Oho, we will get an advance copy ho natin kung anong hong kwan nila.

GMA: Oo, oo.

Garcillano: Sige po.

On June 2, 2004, almost 10:30 in the evening, GMA again called up Garcillano about statements votes and certificates of canvass that don’t match. Garcillano assured her that their operations to increase her votes were done well. But in Sulu, where the military under Gen. Habacon did the job, it was clumsily done.

But, don’t worry, Garcillano told GMA. He said he would make the election officer hide for a while so that he would not be able to testify.

Garcillano: Hello, ma’am. Good evening.

GMA: Hello. Dun sa Lanao del Sur tsaka sa Basilan, di raw nagmamatch ang SOV sa COC?

Garcillano: Ang sinasabi nya, nawala na naman ho?

GMA: Hindi nagmamatch.

Garcillano: Hindi nagmamatch? May posibilidad na hindi magmatch kung hindi nila sinunod ‘yung individual SOV ng mga munisipyo. Pero aywan ko lang ho kung sa atin pabor o hindi. Kasi doon naman sa Basilan at Lanao Sur, itong ginawa nilang pagpataas sa inyo, hindi naman ho kwan, maayos naman ang paggawa eh.

GMA: So nagmamatch?

Garcillano: Oho. Sa Basilan, alam nyo naman ang mga military dun eh hindi masyadong marunong kasi silang gumawa eh. Katulad ho dun sa Sulu, sa General Habacon. Pero hindi naman ho, kinausap ko na ‘yung Chairman ng Board sa Sulu. Ang akin patataguin ko na muna yung EO ng Panguntaran na para hindi siya maka-testigo ho.

Now that Garci is back, let’s play it all over again.