AFP officer claims receiving P900k ahead of testimony in Senate poll fraud probe 

 

Appearing for the first time during Tuesday's Senate hearing, Lt. Col. Pedro Sumayo said that Col. Emil Zosa gave him the money that time when he was asking Army Col. Allen Capuyan, who headed the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines' (ISAFP) special operations group, for help regarding his floating status in the military.

 

"He [Zosa] gave me a green plastic bag. It contained nine bundles of P100,000 each. When I asked Col. Sosa, according to him it came from Col. Capuyan," he said, adding that Sosa had reportedly kept a separate bundle for himself.

 

But Sumayo said he does not know why Capuyan gave him the money. Both Zosa and Capuyan were not at the Senate hearing.  

 

"I don't know. Actually I was asking for help in my position. Ano gagawin ko sir dun?" Sumayo said, adding that he kept the money intact because he saw it "unwise" to accept it since he will be testifying before the Senate.

 

Sumayo then turned over the money to the Senate blue ribbon and electoral reforms committees. MIG 21

 

Sumayo used to head MIG 21, the ISAFP unit that specializes in communications and surveillance. But he said he was relieved after an article by online investigative reporting site Newsbreak alleged that he was involved in Project Lighthouse, a military operation which supposedly kept tabs on threats to the Arroyo administration during the 2004 polls.

 

He said he has been in floating status since 2011.

 

Earlier during the hearing, Sumayo denied the existence of Project Lighthouse.

 

But he admitted that Air Force T/Sgt. Vidal Doble Jr., a whistleblower who used to work for the ISAFP, had approached him with copies of the "Hello, Garci" tapes. He said Capuyan told him to burn copies of the tapes and transcripts, which he said made him suspect that his former superior was involved in the wiretapping. The "Hello, Garci" tapes refer to the supposed conversations between a woman presumed by her critics as former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and ex-Elections Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano supposedly discussing the rigging of the 2004 polls. Both Mrs. Arroyo and Garcillano have since denied taking part in rigging the 2004 elections.  — RSJ, GMA News