Defensor: Mayuga report absolves military brass
A military-led investigation has cleared four ranking officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) of involvement in the alleged fraud that marred the May 2004 polls, a Malacañan official said Wednesday.
Presidential Chief of Staff Michael Defensor told DZMM the Mayuga report, due to be released to the media later Wednesday, will reveal that four senior officers were not used to rig the 2004 election to favor Mrs. Arroyo as suggested by the alleged wiretapped conversation between the President and former election commissioner Virgilio Garcillano.
The names of Maj. Gen. Gabriel Habacon, Rear Adm. Tirso Danga, retired Brig. Gen. Francisco Gudani, Maj. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon and retired Maj. Gen. Roy Kyamko were reportedly mentioned in the wiretapped recordings.
Defensor, however, said the report recommends that three AFP officials, including a colonel, undergo a preliminary investigation for possible election fraud charges.
He said the report also made five recommendations to the AFP, one of which is the removal from duties of military officers during elections.
Defensor denied a whitewash in the probe led by a fact-finding panel headed by Navy Flag Officer-in-Command Vice Adm. Mateo Mayuga.