Arroyo's camp clams up on poll cheating remark

President Arroyo's lawyer Romulo Macalintal opted Tuesday to keep quiet on the remarks of Elections Commissioner Ressureccion Borra that cheating marred the 2004 presidential elections. "I have advised the President not to comment. The case (on Mrs. Arroyo's mandate) is already terminated, let’s just move on," said Macalintal, election counsel for the President. Interviewed over GMA 7's DZBB, Macalintal noted that Borra's statements were made to support the thrust of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the computerization of polls. Testifying on Monday before the Senate panel on the "Hello, Garci!" wiretap scandal, Borra said more than one party or candidate perpetrated electoral fraud. He told reporters that the poll cheating was "endemic." Macalintal shrugged off questions about the administration's alleged hand in the fraud, saying the results that showed Mrs. Arroyo won in the previous polls were already final. "Wala nang sasagutin ang Pangulo ito, di na mababago ang resulta," he said. Macalintal conceded that some people who prepared election returns may have committed "administrative lapses." However, Macalintal said the Supreme Court already ruled against the election protest of Susan Roces, widow of losing presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr, and as such "no person nor body" may legitimately act for the removal of the President. Macalintal also belittled the alleged exposé of information technology expert Roberto Verzola, executive director of the advocacy group Philippine Greens Institute, during the same Senate hearing. Verzola showed alleged discrepancies in the tally sheets of Congress and the watchdog National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel). Macalintal said Verzola was nothing but a "self-proclaimed" elections expert who was only supporting his claims with estimates. “Kalokohan yung discrepancies na pinagsasabi niya … Ang elections expert yung talagang nag-canvass ng votes," Macalintal said.-GMANews.TV