Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. on
Thursday said there is nothing wrong with the poll body's use of
intelligence funds which are being questioned by former commissioner
Augusto Lagman.
Brillantes cited the poll body's filing of a electoral sabotage
charges against former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and former
Comelec commissioner Bejamin Abalos Sr. as one of the instances where
the intelligence funds were used.
"Nung nag-file kami ng kaso laban kay Chairman Abalos, meron kaming
mga testigo na tinatago namin. Kagaya noon, may mga testigo na ginamit
sa Comelec, hindi inilagay sa witness protection program. Pinrotektahan
namin ng sarili namin - naglagay kami ng safe house, binigyan ng
allowance, pinakakain ang witnesses.
"Iyung mga election officers na nanggagaling sa Maguindanao dinadala
namin dito at humaharap sa abugado. Hindi namin ginagamit ang pondo ng
Comelec. Doon namin sa intelligence fund kinukuha yun," Brillantes told
dzMM.
Brillantes also cited as another example the Comelec's release of
funds for the surveillance of alleged election operators and
manipulators of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines.
"May mga report na nagsasabing kaya nilang... nagbebenta ng PCOS,
kaya nilang i-manipulate.
Kumukuha kami ng NBI (National Bureau of
Investigation) agents, may naka-assign na special team.
May allowance
ang mga agents, magkakaroon sila ng surveillance, magpa-follow-up. Iyon
(intelligence funds) ang panggastos," he said.
Lagman, who has been at odds with Brillantes over the Philippines'
poll automation system, on Tuesday raised the alleged questionable
liquidation of the funds.
Lagman said he received intelligence funds worth P1.25 million in
2011. He returned the money after holding on to it for a few months, and
only after he felt that he was being made to sign a false liquidation.
"Thinking that there might be need for the fund in the future, I
deposited it in my bank account. In early 2012, somebody from [Comelec]
finance asked me to sign a document (just one sheet) that would
liquidate the fund. The document basically said that I spent the amount
on a variety of activities, none of which I actually did. I therefore
refused to sign the document and said that I would just return the
money, still untouched," he said.
Brillantes, however, said Lagman may have mistaken the supposed documents for liquidation papers.
"Hindi iyon liquidiation. Nakalagay doon, na sinasabi ng finance
officer, na ito ang pwedeng paggamitan [ng pondo]. Hindi iyon ang
liquidation," the poll body chief said.
Lagman said Brillantes' comment on his supposed lack of accomplishments during his few months as commissioner triggered him to raise the issue.
Brillantes, for his part, said he was only referring to Lagman's accomplishments as far as the automation of elections is concerned.
"Wala siyang accomplishment as far as the automated elections is concerned. Ang biggest accomplishment niya--he decided on 400 cases, na hindi naman siya abugado," Brillantes said.
