DND offers security to 2004 poll fraud witnesses By Mario J. Mallari 08/02/2010

DND offers security to 2004 poll fraud witnesses

By Mario J. Mallari 08/02/2010 Protection, not persecution, awaits officers and men of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) who would come out to spill the beans on the alleged manipulation of the 2004 presidential elections. Department of National Defense (DND) spokesman Eduardo Batac assured the witnesses the department, particularly the AFP, is ready to provide security to those who would come forward as witnesses should there be reinvestigation of the alleged electoral fraud in 2004. “I am sure that there are certain arrangements that will be made for this (security) need. The Defense depart-ment, the AFP and all those who are concerned will take cognizance of this and will provide for the safety of whoever is going to come out as witnesses,” Batac told Camp Aguinaldo reporters. At the same time, Batac welcomed the possible coming out of the Marine officers who have knowledge of the alleged electoral fraud but maintained the DND leadership is clueless what the concerned military men would be saying. “As of now, they are not even talking of what is going to be said and the only thing is the statements have been given is they are willing to cooperate and under the guidance of the new administration for transparency. I think the Marine personnel in question are now more open or more at liberty to talk about what they really know. As to what they really know, we don’t know,” Batac said.... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100802hed2.html

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