MANILA, Philippines – Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo said on Tuesday, he “facilitated” the surrender of former Maguindanao election supervisor Lintang Bedol accused of orchestrating cheating for the Arroyo administration’s senatorial slate during the 2007 elections.
In a news briefing after Bedol appeared at the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Robredo said that the fugitive poll official had been in the custody of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) since Friday.
Robredo said Bedol surrendered to the DILG after four years of hiding because he knew at least two people from the DILG. Robredo refused to identify these officials but indicated that one was a lawyer.
Bedol did not impose conditions for his surrender except that he be secured by the “DILG-PNP (Philippine National Police),” the DILG secretary said.
“He contacted somebody from the office. He was interested to settle his problem with Comelec because if he does not settle this, he will always be in hiding,” Robredo said.
Robredo said that while he was aware of the arrangements, he himself did not talk to Bedol.
“I have no personal contact and personal conversation with him. I was only told that he was here in Manila. I have not even talked to him on the phone or seen him,” Robredo said.
Over the weekend until Monday, Bedol was reportedly moved from Malabon to Marikina secured by “four or five” policemen.
“Because he fears for his life. We can not give him too many security because it is not our job to do so,” Robredo said.
Robredo said he spoke with Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes on Friday, the day the DILG got custody of Bedol, to check on the fugitive election official’s pending cases and to arrange for him to surface.
Robredo said Bedol was supposed to appear at Comelec on Monday but this was moved to Tuesday “for security considerations.”
He said Brillantes had told him that he would issue a new warrant of arrest against Bedol for failure to answer summonses and illegally assuming and losing custody of Maguindanao election documents.
Robredo said Bedol had sent surrender feelers three to four months ago and denied that Bedol’s decision to surface now was part of former Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan’s bid to gain President Aquino’s sympathy.
Robredo said Zaldy, one of the principal accused in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre who has offered to turn state witness, had mentioned Bedol during a conversation with him a few weeks ago.
“But he did not say that these people are ready to testify. He said, ‘This is what I know of what they know,’” said Robredo.
“Before Ampatuan came out, there were reports that someone wanted to talk, wanted to surface. But nothing happened. We were burned,” he added.
Robredo said “several other personalities” in past controversies had also sent surrender feelers to the DILG but so far only Bedol has come forward.
Robredo said he did not know where Bedol had been before he surfaced.
He firmly denied “coddling” Bedol. “That sounds malicious. You may say coddle if we hid him when he was ordered arrested. We facilitated his surrender. If he was not in our custody, Bedol would be in the streets,” he said.
“Let me make clear that he did not make an affidavit because he is in custody. He said, “I will make an affidavit. May I do it when in your custody?’ Being taken in custody enabled him to make an affidavit. Remember his case is contempt, it’s not murder,” Robredo went on.
He said there were two other people who would corroborate Bedol’s statements who have asked to be taken into DILG custody.
Bedol in bullet-proof vest was brought to the PNP Custodial Center shortly after noon following his appearance at the Comelec headquarters.
The PNP spokesman, Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz Jr., said they did not see the need to beef up security because of Bedol. “There are sufficient security measures in place,” he said.