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Doble 'stunned' to hear Arroyo call Garci


More than two years in the making, with a stellar cast – and a surprising presidential phone call. This may well describe the revelations Tuesday of former Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces (Isafp) T/Sgt. Vidal Doble Jr, who was the alleged source of the "master" tapes of "Hello, Garci!" wiretapped conversations in 2004. Doble, in a videotaped testimony during a privilege speech of Sen. Panfilo Lacson at the Senate, said he and his colleagues had orders to listen in on conversations not only of opposition figures but also of some administration figures. He also said he came out with his revelations only now because he feared for the safety of his family, whom he said were kept in the custody of Isafp from June 2005 to April 2006. Among the targets of "Project Lighthouse," which was created to monitor mainly anti-administration personalities were the late Fernando Poe Jr, former agrarian reform secretary Horacio Morales Jr, actor and Poe supporter Rez Cortez, the Magdalo Group including Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, now-Sen. Gregorio Honasan and even losing administration senatorial bet Michael Defensor. Doble admitted he was surprised to hear President Arroyo call Garcillano on his cell phone. "Nagulat kaming lahat nang tumawag si PGMA kay (Virgilio) Garcillano. Ang tinatanong niya ay yung dagdag na one million (We were surprised to hear Arroyo call former elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano. We heard her ask about the padding of one million votes in her favor)," he said. Doble said Project Lighthouse had 14 members divided into four teams. Its heads included commander Col. Paul Sumayo, Capt. Frederick Rebong, and Capt. Lindsay Rex Sagge. He said Sumayo is no longer with Isafp while Rebong is abroad on schooling, while only Sagge remains with the Isafp's Military Intelligence Group (MIG-21). Doble said he belonged to the second team headed by M/Sgt Alex Villedo. He named one of his colleagues as Air Force T/Sgt Ariel Petate. Doble said they were issued Nokia 3600 cell phone units by Rebong. Their units have the capability to monitor and record calls, he claimed. In his case, he said he gave the master tapes he got to Lito Santiago, an aide of former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) deputy director Samuel Ong. On the day Ong called a press conference in Makati City, he said Bishop Socrates Villegas fetched him and they went to the San Carlos Seminary in Makati City. "Sinundo ako ni Bishop Socrates Villegas. Dinala niya ako sa Camp Aguinaldo sa quarters ng dating chief of staff, si General Abu ... Doon ko nakita ang dalawang anak ko at yung misis ko na nandoon sila, naka-detain sa basement ng quarters ni General Abu (Bishop Villegas fetched me and we went to Camp Aguinaldo. We went to the quarters of then chief of staff Efren Abu and I saw my wife and two children detained at the basement of Abu's quarters)," he said. He said his family was kept in Isafp custody from June 2005 to April 2006. He said he got out of Isafp in February 2007 after he opted not to re-enlist. Asked why he came out only now, he said he felt he had to come out because he did not see any action against cheating in the 2004 and 2007 elections. "Nakita ko pa rin itong nakaraang May 14 2007 election na ganoon pa rin ang dayaan. Walang pinagbago mula nang lumabas ang May (2004) presidential election nang nagkaroon ng dayaan (I saw the May 14, 2007 elections were still tainted with fraud, just like the 2004 elections. There was no change at all)," he said. Doble also said he can prove the authenticity of the Garci tapes, saying he can identify those who annotated the recorded conversations. "Wala na dapat akong ikatakot. Civilian na ako. Para matapos itong issue na itong bumabagabag sa kalooban ko (I have nothing to fear. I'm a civilian now. I want this issue to end so I can have peace of mind too)," he added. Doble had previously confessed to taking P2 million to admit that he conducted wiretap operations on President Arroyo and Garcillano. - GMANews.TV

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