Military defends Mayuga Report findings on generals in poll fraud

MANILA, Philippines – The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Thursday defended the findings of the Mayuga Report which had cleared its officials from accusations of having a hand in the alleged electoral fraud during the 2004 presidential elections.

“We don’t see any intent for cover up,” said AFP spokesman Commodore Jose Miguel Rodriguez in a press briefing.

“We believe in the presumption of regularity of the report Admiral Mayuga was asked to do official report we believe what he did was a regular [investigation],” he added.

The Mayuga Report was the result of an investigation conducted by a committee led by former Navy chief Admiral Mateo Mayuga which was tasked to look into the alleged involvement of several military officers in election fraud in 2004.

The report, which was officially declassified on Wednesday, cleared the so-called “Garci Generals” – former AFP chief General Hermogenes Esperon Jr and Lieutenant Generals Roy Kyamco, Gabriel Habacon and Francisco Gudani – all retired from military service.

They were tagged the “Garci Generals” for allegedly carrying out the alleged poll fraud with the help of former Commission on Elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano.

However, Rodriguez clarified that the military was not backing the Mayuga Report.

“We’re not backing up any report, we’re backing up anything that would retain credibility of armed forces because that would make us effective,” Rodriguez said.

He also urged those military officers and personnel who have knowledge on the alleged involvement of some military officers on the electoral fraud issue to come forth and say what they know. He added that there may be some officers who were involved but not the entire military organization.

“It’s the organization [that’s] being hurt by this. Its’ not an organization operation maybe some people but the armed forces as a whole has nothing to do with that,” Rodriguez said.

“We should be accountable for our action whether right away or five years from now, we have to be accountable in what we do,” he added.

Meanwhile, Rodriguez said that the AFP would cooperate in the review being conducted by a new committee formed by the Department of National Defense.

The DND formed another committee led by Undersecretary for Defense Affairs Honorio Azcueta to review the results and recommendations in the Mayuga Report after President Benigno Aquino III expressed his dissatisfaction over its findings.