MANILA, Philippines—Supporters of the late actor Fernando Poe Jr. still want him proclaimed the 14th President of the Philippines.
“The millions of Filipinos who voted for him demand this,” said Marichu Vera Perez-Maceda, one of Poe’s campaign managers in the 2004 presidential election. “The truth must come out. I’ve spoken to a lot of people in the provinces who have the same sentiment. ‘Di pwedeng babuyin ang boto ng mga tao.”
Maceda, a close friend to Poe’s widow Susan Roces, made this statement even when Roces, in an earlier interview, said that Poe’s proclamation was no longer important since he already died in December 2004 following a stroke.
“Susan is not the type of person who is hungry for power and recognition. She’s a very simple lady,” Maceda said.
Allegations of massive election fraud not only in 2004, but also in 2007, were hurled against former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo by suspended governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Zaldy Ampatuan, and dismissed Maguindanao election supervisor Lintang Bedol.
Last week, a group of policemen led by Senior Superintendent Rafael Santiago Jr. apologized to the Filipino people, as well as to Roces, for participating in an operation meant to assure Arroyo’s victory in 2004.
Maceda said she was closely working with Senator Francis Escudero, who was then Poe’s spokesperson, to gather evidence that would prove that the voter’s list in Cebu was “bloated” to favor Arroyo.
“’Pag bloated, mas madaling itago ang padded votes. With the added voters on the list ang lalabas na percentage of the people who actually voted ay 101 or 105 percent. I believe that [Arroyo] really won in Cebu not by one million, but by only 300,000 to 400,000,” she said. “In due time, lalabas ‘yan. Makikita mo ang election returns ng Cebu ang lilinis—only one person made them. May election returns na ‘pag pinagpatong-patong mo, you will see na pareho ang nagsulat.”
Maceda said her group was trying to put together the “whole story.” She said she has spoken to someone from the Commission on Elections who claimed to know what happened to the plan for automated counting in 2004.
“He told me that two days after FPJ (Poe) announced he was running, somebody from GMA’s group went to see the commissioner to tell him we’re going back to manual counting. The computers from Mega Pacific were already here then. It was a conspiracy from the very start.”
Benjamin S. Abalos Sr. was chair when the Comelec approved a P1.3-billion contract with the Mega Pacific Consortium for the purchase of vote counting machines. It was later declared void by the Supreme Court because of “clear violation of law and jurisprudence” and “reckless disregard of [Comelec’s] own bidding rules and procedure.”
Maceda also talked about the alleged massive cheating that happened in the Visayas. “Visayas takes up 21 percent of the votes of the entire country—Luzon, about 50-plus percent. In spite of the vote shaving, FPJ won by almost 1.8 million votes in Luzon alone. Tinapatan ‘yon sa Visayas. Nanalo si GMA by 2.2 million. How can a 21-percent voting population (come up with votes) higher than Luzon’s?”
Maceda said Poe’s team did not expect Santiago and the other policemen to come out with reports of election irregularities. “Something like this, which was never resolved, acquires a life of its own. Nagugulat na rin kami sa mga lumalabas. You can’t stop this anymore… FPJ keeps coming back and haunting everybody.”
Maceda then recalled a conversation she had with Poe weeks before he died.
“I asked him ‘ano ang mga sama ng loob mo sa mga nangyari? He said, ‘masama ang loob ko, Manay, sa Mindanao. Akin ‘yong Mindanao. Tsaka ‘yong military at police, akin ‘yon.’ If you noticed in all of Ronnie’s movies, wala s’yang binaboy na pulis at militar. Respetado n’ya lahat, even the Muslims. Ronnie died na may kinikimkim na sama ng loob.”
Maceda said Roces has been experiencing depression lately.
“Swanie (Roces’ nickname) is missing Ronnie so much. Sometimes it takes years before you realize that you really miss someone. She’s feeling very melancholic. In due time she will talk to everybody.”
Roces’ daughter, Grace Poe Llamanzares, last week said her mother has decided not to make any more comments on the issue. The 70-year-old actress is reportedly resting in her farm house in San Juan, Batangas.
“She’s chosen to live as a private citizen,” Maceda said. “I once told one of GMA’s cabinet members, ang swerte n’yo mabait ang kaibigan kong si Susan. Kung n’ong libing ni FPJ diniretso ang katawan n’ya sa Malacañang, tanggal kayong lahat.’ Mga leaders ni FPJ, ordinary people, ang sumisigaw nito, but Susan saw to it na idiretso sa sementeryo.”
Maceda added: “Susan is a decent person. She didn’t want FPJ’s remains to be used for political purposes. She told me she would never forget what Cory (the late former President Corazon Aquino) told her: ‘Noong nakipaglaban ako nag-iisa lang ako. N’ong makarating ako sa Malacañang nag-iisa pa rin ako.’”