Intelligence officer’s lawyer faces poll fraud body

MANILA, Philippines—The legal counsel of one of the soldiers implicated in the alleged electoral fraud in 2007 faced a government investigating committee Thursday afternoon, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Colonel Arnulfo Burgos said.

Colonel Reuben Basiao’s legal counsel appeared before the joint Department of Justice-Commission on Election investigation committee, said Burgos.

Basiao, along with John Leaban, Peter Reyes, Jeremy Javier, Romy Dayday, was implicated in the alleged electoral fraud in 2007. All tagged soldiers are members of the Intelligence Services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP), as indicated in their subpoenas issued October 25.

Burgos said that Basiao was currently stationed in Mindanao and his legal counsel was the one who attended the preliminary investigation in the DOJ headquarters in Manila. Leaban, meanwhile, had already died due to complications from a bullet wound, Burgos added.

There was no word yet on the location or identities of the other soldiers, Burgos said.

The DOJ-Comelec panel has filed a case against former Comelec chief Benjamin Abalos Sr. for Electoral Sabotage/Violation of Omnibus Election Code while Senator Aquilino Pimentel III filed a separate case against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for Electoral Sabotage.