Untold story from the 'White House'

By Christian V. Esguerra
Inquirer News Service



A WEEK before Michaelangelo Zuce revealed the alleged "La Vista payoffs,"
an election officer executed a handwritten statement about a similar
incident he witnessed at the so-called "White House" in Clark Field,
Pampanga, three days before last year's presidential election.

The eight-page statement by Ferdinand Gerardo, election officer of San
Simon town in the province of Pampanga, was submitted last week to
Archbishop Oscar Cruz's Krusadang Bayan Laban sa Jueteng [People's
Crusade Against Illegal Lottery]. A copy of the document was obtained by
the Inquirer yesterday from the Crusade on condition that full details,
such as names of the participants, be withheld.

Cruz confirmed to the Inquirer that Gerardo was one of the witnesses he was
supposed to present in the next Senate hearing. "He backed out at the last
minute," Cruz said.

Gerardo recounted that a Pampanga mahor gathered him and five other
provincial officials of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for a meeting
at the White House with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at around 8:30
p.m. on May 7, 2004 -- seven days before the election. Gerardo quoted the
mayor as saying that Ms Arroyo requested the meeting.

"Salamat at nandito kayo. Kamusta na kayo? Aasahan ko ang inyong tulong
para manalo tayo sa darating na halalan [Thank you for coming. How are you?
I am depending on your help in order for us to win in the coming
election]," Gerardo quoted the President as telling them.

Gerardo said the President, two Pampanga mayors and Lilia Pineda, wife of
suspected "jueteng" lord Rodolfo "Bong" Pineda, then left the gathering and
went to an office in the White House. After several hours, a man emerged
and handed to each participant an envelope containing P20,000 in cash,
Gerardo said.

Gerardo's narrative echoed that outlined on Aug. 1 by Zuce, a 30-year-old
Malacañang operative. Zuce said 27 Comelec officials attended a dinner in
the house of Ms Arroyo at the swank La Vista subdivision in Quezon City in
January-four months before the balloting-where she made an appeal for help
in the vote. After she left the gathering on the lower level of the house,
envelopes containing P30,000 were distributed to the participants, Zuce said.

Never happened

Ms Arroyo, engulfed in the worst political crisis of her 4-year-old
presidency over election fraud charges and disclosures her family received
jueteng payoffs, has denied bribing Comelec officials. Malacañang said the
La Vista meeting that Zuce referred to never happened.

Unlike Zuce, Gerardo never got to tell his story in the Senate panel
investigating jueteng -- a multibillion-peso industry that involves
protection payoffs to police and politicians.

On Aug. 5, Gerardo and another election officer, Gilbert Palogan of
Hagonoy, Bulacan, announced at a news conference they had rejected an
opposition offer to recruit them to testify against Ms Arroyo in her
impeachment trial. In exchange for their testimony, the two were offered
money and US visas, they said.

Gerardo and Palogan said that after they dismissed the offer, made by a
certain "General Yarcia," they and their families received threats,
prompting them to seek the protection of the National Bureau of
Investigation. NBI agents accompanied them at the meeting with reporters on
Aug. 5.

Gerardo's statement, the original of which appeared to have been written on
yellow pad paper, was submitted to Cruz's office through another witness
now under the archbishop's protection, the Inquirer learned. Along with it
was a video containing the testimony he was supposedly preparing for the
Senate investigation.

Bribed?

A close supporter of Cruz's group said Gerardo appeared to have been bribed
to turn around. The source said he believed Gerardo approached Cruz in the
hope of getting a hefty bribe from Malacañang trouble-shooters.

Gerardo's narrative also contained allegations that a top election official
in Pampanga, who was also present in the White House gathering, was given
P3 million, including two "imported and expensive" vehicles and a "mansion"
in Angeles City -- all courtesy of the President.

After the canvassing of votes at the municipal level a few days later,
Gerardo said the provincial election official required him and the other
poll officers to first proceed to his office before submitting the election
returns to the provincial board of canvassers.

"We were all given an envelope containing P15,000 more or less before the
election returns were transmitted to the provincial board of canvassers,"
he said.