MANILA, Philippines?Only House Speaker Prospero Nograles took seriously allegations of massive cheating in the May 10 elections by the ?koala bear? whistle-blower.

But colleagues of Nograles, who lost in the mayoral race in Davao City, expressed skepticism during the nationally televised hearing of the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms called to look into the fraud claims.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair Jose Melo was more amused than concerned about the masked man, who first showed up during a news forum on Tuesday.

Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Y. Larrazabal merely laughed off the whistle-blower as ?hot air.?

?How can you summon a koala bear to a meeting of the House?? said Makati City Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr., the committee chair.

?That man is in a mask and a man with a mask is not entitled to anything. The Comelec has said that that man has made general allegations of fraud and anybody can make general allegations,? Locsin said.

?I am surprised it makes everybody jump. This is obviously something to derail the elections. But he has not even identified himself, he does not give specifics,? Melo told the hearing.

Melo added that the only serious thing he had heard so far was that Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, according to the masked man, gave P1 billion for the cheating operation against his vice presidential rival Sen. Manuel ?Mar? Roxas II who allegedly ?gave some money but it was not that much.?

?He should come out to identify himself and give specific charges,? Melo said.

Locsin said that the 30-minute video of the whistle-blower, who used the alias ?Robin? and wore a straw hat and a face mask which made him look like a koala bear, was useful only to the politicians who felt they were cheated.

?I remember a long time ago that you people were complaining that FPJ (Fernando Poe Jr.) was cheated. But wasn?t he a loser? So why did he complain? All of you who supported FPJ should support the ones who lost now otherwise we must all praise GMA (Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo). We cannot be hypocrites,? said Locsin, whose wife Ma. Lourdes lost in her congressional bid.

Losers in the SRO crowd

Among those in the standing-room-only hearing were Quezon City Representatives Mary Ann Susano (who lost the election for mayor) and Matias Defensor Jr. (who lost in his reelection bid along with his son who ran for mayor); Muntinlupa Rep. Rufino Biazon (who lost in the senatorial race); Pangasinan Rep. Victor Agbayani Jr. (who lost his bid for governor); Ilocos Norte Rep. Roquito Ablan (whose son lost in the congressional race); Iloilo Rep. Raul Gonzales Jr. (who lost in his reelection bid along with his father who lost as mayor); La Union Rep. Tomas Dumpit Jr. (who lost in his reelection bid); Batangas Rep. Eileen Ermita-Buhain (whose father and brother lost); Leyte Rep. Efrocino Codilla Sr. (who lost in his reelection); Sorsogon Rep. Jose Solis (who lost for governor), and Bacolod City Rep. Monico Puentevella (who lost as mayor); Bukidnon Rep. Candido Pancrudo Jr. (who lost his reelection bid); and Eastern Samar Rep. Teodulo Coquilla (who lost his reelection bid).

The committee will resume its probe on Thursday. Locsin said he expected the losing representatives to relate their experiences of election cheating.

Very questionable

Defensor had proposed that presidential candidates be summoned to the hearing, specifically Sen. Jamby Madrigal, but nobody seconded his motion, citing parliamentary courtesy.

Biazon said that the video was ?very questionable? and was clearly meant to discredit the whole election process.

?We don?t even know the one asking the questions. We can?t just accept this video as the truth,? he said.

After the hearing, Locsin said he was just happy to get rid of the koala bear.

?It?s an incredible assertion that should be proven first,? Liberal Party campaign manager Florencio Abad told reporters.

?But first things first. Let?s proceed with the canvass. When you start questioning the integrity of the whole exercise, that?s a serious action that you have to be able to prove,? he said.

Mere hearsay

?All of these are subject to the evidence to be presented. This should also be evaluated in the proper forum,? he said. Abad said that the allegations could be brought to the national canvassing board or to the Supreme Court sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal.

?You cannot make any conclusions based on mere hearsay. It?s still subject to verification,? said Edwin Lacierda, spokesperson for presumed president-elect Benigno Aquino III.

He said he was confident that Aquino would be declared the winner despite the allegations.

The Liberal Party also wants Congress and the Comelec to investigate claims that Binay cheated. He is leading Roxas by 800,000 votes in the unofficial Comelec count.

?We have to make sure that the real winners are proclaimed, not those who may have employed fraud to win,? said LP director general Chito Gascon.

?I didn?t do such a thing?

Binay and former President Joseph Estrada watched on TV the House committee proceedings in Estrada?s house, according to Ernesto Maceda, general campaign manager of Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino.

Binay denied the allegations earlier. ?In the eyes of man and in the eyes of God, I didn?t do such a thing,? Binay told reporters on Tuesday.

?The first requirement in building up credibility is identity of the one talking,? said Msgr. Pedro Quitorio, media director of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines. ?If he?s hiding behind a mask, I don?t think that?s going to be credible.?

Ms Arroyo?s political adviser Prospero Pichay told a news briefing that he was convinced that Aquino won.

?The people have spoken?

?The people have spoken,? he said. ?This country has to move on. We have a democratic process. We exercised it. It was very successful.?

In the same briefing, Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza said the administration was now focused on a ?smooth transition.? With reports from Philip C. Tubeza, Leila B. Salaverria, Christian V. Esguerra, Beverly T. Natividad, Marlon Ramos, Norman Bordadora and Nikko Dizon