MANILA, Philippines -- Malacañang is confident retired Navy vice admiral Tirso Danga, who was linked to the so-called "Hello Garci" scandal, can secure the printing of ballots and other government documents when he is named director of the National Printing Office (NPO).

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said he has not seen the appointment papers of Danga but said he would be "very glad" if the retired Navy officer gets the post because there are "no questions" on his qualifications.

With his intensive background in intelligence work, Ermita said Danga could set up measures at the NPO to "ensure [the] security" of the printing of government documents, especially ballots.

"Danga, by the nature of his [stint] in the military, especially having retired as an intelligence officer, definitely he is very, very qualified for that job," Ermita said.

"It is very important that you place people there who can safeguard the printing of official government stationery, ballots [and] receipts so that the government would get a fair return on the amount of money they spent for the printing," he added.

Danga was chief of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) during the 2004 elections, when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's phone conversations with then elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano were allegedly wiretapped by military agents.

The purported wiretaps of Arroyo and Garcillano allegedly discussing plans to rig the vote with the help of military generals were leaked in June 2005.