Senate summons 17 persons to 2004, 2007 poll fraud probe

MANILA, Philippines — At least 17 resource persons have been invited by the Senate to shed light into the alleged massive cheating in 2004 and 2007 elections.

Invited at Tuesday’s joint hearing of the Senate blue ribbon committee were Comelec (Commission on Elections) regional director Rey Sumalipao, who was tagged in the 2004 poll scandal, Renault “Boy” Macarambon, head of the election and barangay affairs division of the Comelec; and and a certain Colonel Alexander Balutan.

Also invited were former Shariah Circuit Court Judge Nagamura Moner, who had directly linked former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo, in the cheating and other personalities mentioned in the media for their alleged involvement in the fraud like former  Philippine Ports Authority general manager Alfonso Cusi, Judge Casan-Ali Limbona, former Maguindanao election supervisor Lintang Bedol, former Maguindanao provincial administrator Norie Unas, Technical Sergeant Videl Doble, and former Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera.

Other invited resource persons were a certain Efren Bollozos, Nagamura Moner Jr., Eric Jude Alvia of the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), Datu Diana Imam, Amer Hassan Doro, Maulawi Calimba, and Ansari Alonto.