PNP willing to secure whistleblower of fake 2004 election returns

Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr. says the Philippine National Police is awaiting results of the investigation by the Department of Justice and Commission on Elections on allegations of fraud in the 2004 elections. Video taken by INQUIRER.net’s Danica Hermogenes.

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine National Police is prepared to secure Senior Superintendent Rafael Santiago who exposed his and several other police officers’ hand in irregularities surrounding the 2004 presidential elections, a spokesman for the Philippine National Police said on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters at Camp Crame, Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr. said that they would provide security and protection to Santiago and other police officers who told the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Department of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima that he and several other officers had replaced original election returns (ERs) from Batasang Pambansa with ERs that would ensure Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s win.

But Cruz said that the security would be “limited only to providing personal protection and security from threats.”

Santiago should have reported last July 7 to the Directorate for Operations where he was assigned but has been absent without leave (AWOL) and has not communicated with the PNP since, said Cruz, revealing that they could only provide protection to Santiago if he showed up. “Until he surfaces, we cannot provide [him with] security.”

Once Santiago surfaces, he will be asked to explain where he had been while he was on AWOL, Cruz said. He added that if Santiago was in the custody of a legal government agency on official investigation, he would not be considered on AWOL. After 30 days from July 7, Santiago will be dropped from the rolls of the national police, Cruz added.

The spokesman, however, said that they were still awaiting recommendations to start an investigation on the issue from higher authorities. “The DoJ-Comelec panel will investigate on the matter. The PNP will conduct investigation only upon recommendation from higher authorities.”

He also said that they were waiting for recommendations from the PNP to file criminal complaints.

Cruz maintained that the PNP was not in the habit of taking on illegal orders, saying “the PNP remains guided by orders from duly constituted authorities – legal orders. If there is a PNP member who follows an illegal order, he is acting on his own. “He added that an officer found to have carried out illegal orders will be “investigated [and] charged with administrative and criminal cases.”

The PNP spokesman said that they supported the police officers’ exposing what they knew of the incident and said that other officers with knowledge on irregularities should come forward. “As public servants, if they should come forward if they have information on irregularities,” said Cruz.

Santiago had shown De Lima and the Philippine Daily Inquirer envelopes which he said contained some of the original ERs they had stolen. He detailed how he and several other officers and a civilian had carried out the plan to steal original ERs from the Batasan Pambansa main building and replace them with fake ERs. He said that he had planned and implemented the “special operation” based on orders handed down by Chief Superintendent Marcelino Franco, then Special Action Force director, who also took orders from then PNP chief Director General and now Zambales Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr.

Santiago was relieved from his post as police director in Zambales last July 7. Cruz could not provide information on why he was relieved. Cruz said that they were surprised that a senior officer would carry out illegal actions.