ILIGAN CITY—Former Lanao del Sur Sharia Court Judge Nagamura Moner, who has offered to testify in the investigation of poll cheating in the 2004 presidential elections, has been given government protection.
Moner told the Philippine Daily Inquirer by phone late Monday that he had just received word he was finally admitted into the Witness Protection Program (WPP) of the Department of Justice.
This was confirmed Tuesday by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.
In a text message, De Lima said that Moner was given a provisional 60 days under the WPP, which could be extended, “if warranted.”
“He also committed to produce corroborative witnesses regarding the distribution of funds for the poll rigging operations,” De Lima said.
Moner said he was hoping to be reunited with his family as soon as his transfer to “an equally safe place as where I am now” was completed.
He is currently in the custody of the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines (AMRSP).
Moner’s claim of poll fraud in many areas in Mindanao came out anew when he testified in the Senate inquiry into the used helicopters sold to the Philippine National Police (PNP). The helicopters allegedly belonged then to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s husband, Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo.
In his testimony, Moner said the helicopters were used in the vote-rigging operation that he participated in.
Moner’s name was dragged into the alleged poll fraud when two supposed operators claimed he had directly supervised them in manipulating election results in some Mindanao areas in favor of then presidential candidate Arroyo.
He said he fell out with the Arroyos when he ran for public office in Lanao del Norte in the 2007 local elections.
He said he had asked for financial assistance from the Arroyos then but they did not give him anything.
“Having served them in 2004, I was confident they would return the favor,” Moner said.
“Maybe they realized I was not able to really deliver on my primary tasks,” he said. Ryan D. Rosauro, Inquirer Mindanao; Nikko Dizon and Marlon Ramos
Originally posted: 4:44 pm | Tuesday, September 27th, 2011