Poe files electoral reform bill to prevent repeat of ‘Hello Garci’ scandal

Sen. Grace Poe SENATE PRIB

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Grace Poe on Wednesday pushed for electoral reforms to prevent a repeat of what she called a “blot in our history” that she said “robbed” her father, the late National Artist Fernando Poe Jr., of votes for the presidency in 2004.

During the plenary session, Poe delivered a privilege speech and showed a film presentation that detailed the events that unfolded 20 years ago, particularly the “Hello Garci” scandal.

The controversy arose after audio recordings of a telephone conversation surfaced in 2005.

READ: What Went Before: Saga of the ‘Hello Garci’ tapes

In the conversation, the voice of a woman said to be then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, could be heard asking a person on the other line, said to be then Elections Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, to protect her purported lead of one million votes against her closest rival, Poe’s father, more popularly known as FPJ.

The conversation is believed to have occurred at the time the results of the 2004 elections were still being tallied. Arroyo, who was running for reelection, was eventually proclaimed as the winner despite the controversy.

“A good two decades have passed since the ‘Hello Garci’ was pulled off, and I am recalling it today, not as a daughter of the decent man who was robbed of votes, but as a senator of the Republic who believes it is her duty not to let this blot in our history fade from the nation’s memory,” Poe said.

Lesson for generations

“I thought for a long time if I should relive this bitter episode, but it is not just a personal matter, it is history that should not be forgotten. It should serve as a lesson for the new and future generations. History is neither political nor personal, it only states what happened. It is a reminder to us that we must choose what legacy we want to leave to our children,” she added.

In filing Senate Bill No. 2664, Poe said she was just” taking the cue from my father, who died heartbroken for the people who were let down by the system.”

The bill proposes an amendment to the definition of vote-buying under the Omnibus Election Code to include criminal developments exploiting the use of technology and/or computer devices, software, and applications in the electoral space.

“There were laws passed like poll computerization and minor fixes, but the biggest scourge, the buying of votes, has not been purged out of our politics,” Poe noted.

Crucial reforms in the electoral landscape also need to be done, including redefining “premature campaigning,” “vote-buying,” and “vote-selling,” she added.

Poe said that campaigning should effectively start as soon as one’s candidacy is filed, and vote-buying should include all possible modes, like the buying of votes through e-wallets.