THE FULL MONTY THIS post contains the 67-page transcript in PDF format of the full three-hour recording of the conversations that allegedly took place between Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano and various individuals, among them President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, her husband Jose Miguel, senatorial candidate Robert Barbers, and Rep. Gerry Espina. The recording also includes conversations with as yet unidentified individuals, including one who is addressed as “attorney,” and another, as “superintendent.” These conversations have apparently been recorded by members of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines or ISAFP. The wiretaps were supposedly done on the instructions of high-ranking ISAFP officials. There are various theories as to why the wiretapping was ordered. One is that the officials wanted to keep an eye on Garcillano, to make sure that he would not switch sides and favor actor Fernando Poe Jr. instead. Another is that the officers wanted to protect themselves because they were being asked to help in the Arroyo campaign, and they needed to cover their backs by gathering evidence to show they were doing these on orders from above. Another theory is that the officers were aghast at the extent of the manipulation of the vote and wanted to record the fraud. There have been questions as to why the recording is being released now rather than last year, at the height of the controversy over the elections. What we have found out is that the CDs containing the conversations found their way to various opposition members last month. The reason the recording was leaked now, according to Senator Rodolfo Biazon, appeared to be linked to internal feuds within the ISAFP. Some factions within that once-feared military intelligence unit apparently wanted to use the tape as a leverage against the plan of AFP Chief of Staff Efren Abu to clip ISAFP’s wings by putting its Military Intelligence Groups under the control of the AFP’s five area commands. Under this setup, the ISAFP chief loses most of his powers, his functions becoming purely administrative rather than operational. (Check the Philippine Star’s report on the ISAFP reorganization.) Yesterday, the papers reported the replacement of the current, controversial ISAFP chief, Brig. General Marlou Quevedo. An Arroyo loyalist and the president’s erstwhile senior military aide, Commodore Leonardo Calderon, was named to the post. Calderon was also reported to be Mrs. Arroyo’s relative. When asked, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita told reporters, "I do not know if Commodore de Leon is a relative of the President. I have no personal knowledge." Calderon, a graduate of Philippine Military Academy Class of 1976, was promoted to commodore rank only in April. He is also the brother of Deputy Director Oscar Calderon, the Philippine National Police chief for operations. Today the Star reported that 120 operatives of the ISAFP’s Military Intelligence Group were confined to barracks on suspicion of "high-profile" wiretapping. The sound quality of the recorded conversations is uneven. Some portions are barely audible, but others are very clear. But it is worth listening to at least some of them if only to have an insider’s feel of how votes are manipulated. The conversations appear to have taken place mostly in Manila, where Garcilliano was during the period of the recording (May 17 to June 18, 2004). There are references to streets and places, and it is apparent that the commissioner was mainly in the city during that period. The recording is annotated by a male voice which begins each recorded conversation by announcing the time and date of the recording. The announcement is made military style ­ "09 11.30 hotel June" means that the conversation took place on June 9 at 11:30 a.m. Sometimes the people in the tape are identified ­ Gary is apparently the tappers’ code word for Garcillano, who is the common factor in all the conversations. Unlike the tapes released by Malacanang, the three-hour recording leaves a trail of clues as to Garcillano’s identity. For one, he was frequently referred to by various callers (including Senator Robert Barbers) as “commissioner.” The President herself calls him, “Garcy.” Most telling of all, in a June 12, 2004 phone call to a certain "Tony," the commissioner identifies himself as "Commissioner Gil Garcillano." In another conversation, at about 10:55 a.m. also on June 12, Garcillano called his wife Grace, who said she was at the second floor of a department store and asked that he meet her there. The commissioner referred to his secretary, Ellen Peralta, by name. As posted in the previous blog, a check with Comelec revealed that Ms. Peralta is indeed Garcillano’s secretary. Technical problems prevent us from uploading the entire tape now, but we hope we can upload the audio recording in a few hours. By SHEILA CORONEL PHILIPPINE CENTER FOR INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM