MANILA, Philippines?Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago Monday called Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno the ?avatar of corruption and electoral fraud in the Philippines? and warned that his ?disturbing tactics? could lead to violence and fraud in the May polls.

The fiery senator, who is seeking reelection in May, in a privilege speech also accused Puno of being behind complaints lodged against her in the Commission on Elections.

Puno should be called ?Punong Magikero? or ?head magician,? she said, adding that the secretary had been ?living up to his self-proclaimed reputation as a political operator, meaning a person who manipulates his principal into the belief that electoral fraud and subsequent government corruption will result in victory.?

She alleged that Puno had certain schemes in mind for the 2010 polls ?that should be disturbing to all national candidates.?

These included, she said, the ?ominous transfer of the fighting capability? of the Philippine National Police to Metro Manila. She referred to the transfer to Manila of the headquarters of the Special Action Force and the heavy weapons of the SAF such as a .50-cal. heavy machine gun and .30-cal. light machine gun.

?This has resulted in the very big dip in offensive and defensive capabilities of such units in troubled areas, such as Mindanao,? she said in her Senate speech titled ?The Avatar of Corruption.?

Webster?s Third New International Dictionary defines avatar as an incarnation or embodiment in human form.

The word has become popular lately because of the award-winning eponymous Hollywood film.

Some 2,000 units of modern sniper rifles previously acquired by the police were stockpiled at SAF headquarters as well, she said, adding that Puno had refused to issue the sniper rifles to police officials.

Santiago also charged Puno with breaking the law when he ordered the transfer of local police chiefs starting on Jan. 9 in key provinces such as Pangasinan, Cavite, Bataan, Nueva Ecija, Zambales and Leyte.

?Election manipulator?

?Doesn?t he read the DILG Act? It is the mayors and not the DILG secretary who have the authority to recommend the transfer, reassignment or detail of the PNP members outside of their city or residences,?? she said.

After Puno dropped his bid for the vice presidency, Santiago alleged that the latter was ?secretly peddling himself as an election manipulator and kingmaker.?

?His pitch is that he will enter into a secret, but strong political alliance, using as his power base the full force and awesome resources of the DILG and the PNP,? she said.

Santiago added that Puno had an agenda ?known only to him but not to President Arroyo.?

She charged Puno with being ?out to destroy her reelection bid? because she had recommended cases against him before the Ombudsman, as well as against his brother Rodolfo whom she accused of misspending billions of pesos in road users? tax.

Puno was behind the filing of a disqualification case against her before the Comelec as well as a disbarment case against her before the Supreme Court, Santiago said.

Bad blood goes way back

?The two petitions are identical in that they constitute a rehash of all the black propaganda that Puno threw at me during the 1992 presidential campaign,? she said.

Santiago and Puno have been at loggerheads since the presidential election of 1992 during which Santiago ran and lost the presidency to Fidel Ramos. She had alleged that Puno, then aligned with Ramos, was behind the black propaganda against her.

?Rehashed charges?

The office of Puno issued a statement shortly after Santiago?s tirade at the Senate, saying that they were not surprised by the senator?s ?unfounded, rehashed allegations.?

DILG Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Brian Raymund Yamsuan, who is Puno?s spokesperson, said Santiago had long considered Puno her ?political nemesis? and ?wrongly blames him for her defeat in the 1992 presidential elections.?

?As expected, Senator Santiago has resorted to personal attacks against the secretary instead of dealing with the complaints filed against her in the Commission on Elections,? Yamsuan said.

?Senator Santiago?s attacks on Secretary Puno does not depart at all from her usual attitude of downgrading people whom she suspects of doing her ill will, and fabricating allegations against them,? Yamsuan added.

?As for her allegations, Secretary Puno has always been transparent in all aspects of his public life. Throughout his career as a public official, he expects unfair accusations against him as par for the course and he knows that he should not be bothered by them because his priority has always been his job as a public servant,? Yamsuan said.

Yamsuan said ?Secretary Puno has also been at the receiving end of public scrutiny, but we wish to remind (Santiago) not to drag other people?s names when the same thing happens to her.?