Chiz: Recognize FPJ as 2004 presidential poll winner

Sen. Francis Escudero on Thursday said that he is preparing a resolution which will ask Congress to recognize the late actor Fernando Poe Jr. as the real winner of the 2004 presidential elections.

 

"Siguro by early next year makukumpleto na namin ang supisyenteng basehan para hilingin sa kongreso na kilalanin bilang nagwagi at nanalong pangulo noong 2004 elections si yumaong FPJ," Escudero told reporters during an interview on Wednesday.

 

Escudero, who was Poe's spokesperson during the 2004 polls, said he asked the National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) during Wednesday's Senate poll fraud hearing to present the tabulated election returns during the 2004 polls. As one of the Commission on Elections' deputized group to do a quick count, NAMFREL was allowed to get a copy of election returns in the 2004 polls.  

Well, makakalap sana kami ng ebidensya sa hearing na ito at sa pagpupulong namin sana sa Namfrel para mahanap at makuha ang puno't-dulo ng naganap noong 2004... kung sino ba talaga ang nanalo kaya pinipigilan pa namin ang pagsampa at paghain nito [resolution]," he said.

 

Escudero had also filed Joint Resolution No. 11 which seeks the creation of a fact-finding commission that would supposedly bring closure to allegations of massive poll fraud which allegedly benefited Poe's rival former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

 

During previous Senate hearings, former Shari'a court judge Nagamura Moner and other witnesses testified on alleged bribery attempts of the Arroyo camp in areas where the former president was losing heavily during the 2004 elections.

 

2004 polls

 

Mrs. Arroyo won in the 2004 elections after garnering 12,905,808 votes over Poe's 11,782,232 votes.

 

Poe claimed Mrs. Arroyo had robbed him of his electoral victory. He died on Dec. 14, 2004 but his widow, Susan Roces, pursued the protest. 

 

In March 2005, the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) dismissed the protest.

 

In June 2005, a taped conversation about alleged vote-rigging between a woman presumed to be Mrs. Arroyo and a man presumed to be former Comelec commissioner Virgilio Garcillano surfaced. It became known as the “Hello Garci" controversy.

 

Both Mrs. Arroyo and Garcillano have since denied being involved in the supposed rigging of the 2004 elections. — LBG, GMA News