"Hello, Garci" general heads the National Printing Office

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas last Sunday said he is deeply suspicious of President Arroyo's motives in appointing retired Adm. Tirso Danga as the new head of the National Printing Office (NPO) which would print ballots for the 2010 elections.

"Mahalagang ibalik ng ating gobyerno ang tiwala ng taumbayan sa malinis na eleksyon sa 2010, pero sa pag-appoint ni GMA kay Danga sa NPO ay lalo lang tumindi ang suspetsa natin na walang balak si GMA na gawing malinis ang susunod na halalan (It's important that the government restore public trust in the integrity of the elections in 2010, but GMA's appointment of Danga to NPO only confirms our suspicions that GMA does not intend to clean the elections in 2010)," Roxas said.

Danga was head of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) when its agents bugged phone conversations between President Arroyo and then Elections Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano where the Chief Executive supposedly asked the elections official about her "one million votes" for her in the 2004 elections.

The incident has stuck in public minds as the "Hello Garci" controversy and reinforced widespread suspicions she cheated opposition bet Fernando Poe Jr.

Roxas said Danga's appointment to NPO could be Plan B if President Arroyo and her allies in Congress fail to ram through the Gloria Forever Charter Change through a constituent assembly that Malacanang's congressional cohorts plans to illegally convene without the Senate's participation.

"Hindi pa nga nasasagot ni Admiral Danga ang mga tanong sa kanyang naging papel sa kaso ng Hello Garci ay eto at siya pa ang ilalagay sa ahensyang gagawa ng mga balota para sa eleksyon. Talagang garapalan na ang ginagawa ng Malacanang (Admiral Danga has yet to answer questions about her role in the Hello Garci case, yet here he is being appointed to the agency that will print the ballots for the 2010 elections. Malacanang is trying to pull a fast one over the nation)," he said.

"What assurance do we have that this is not a plot to manipulate the printing of ballots for the 2010 elections so that the administration can dominate next year's elections? None, given this administration's black record of cheating, stealing and lying," the LP President said.

Earlier, Roxas warned that President Arroyo's appointment of retired generals in key agencies compromised the civilian nature of the government and fuelled fears this could be a prelude to Mrs. Arroyo's abrogating total control of the government through martial rule, especially if her administration's Charter Change plans would not succeed.