Dy's Discontent

Posted by Yvonne Chua 
PCIJ

WHO is the governor heard talking with former elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano on May 28, 2004 in the controversial "Hello, Garci" tapes?

Two months after the recordings were made public, a source discloses that the governor is none other than former Isabela chieftain Faustino Dy Jr.

The ex-governor is in the news these days because of his supposed presence at the dinner President Arroyo purportedly hosted for Mindanao-based  election officers at her La Vista, Quezon City residence in January 2004.  Envelopes, each containing P30,000, were reportedly distributed to the Comeelc personnel in that meeting by Lilia "Baby" Pineda, wife of alleged jueteng lord Rodolfo "Bong Pineda.

In a statement issued on Aug. 5, Dy, who is the U.S., said he will speak, but only "at the proper forum.

The interesting thing about the May 29 phone conversation is that Dy—if the voice is indeed his—was not urging Garcillano to help in his reelection. In fact, he had by then just about given up on that.

Instead, the former Isabela governor was asking just one particular favor of the commissioner: to come to the aid of Sultan Kudarat gubernational candidate Angelo Roncal Montilla by immediately proclaiming him winner. That apparently was what Dy had also asked of President Gloria Arroyo, whom he supported in last year's elections. 

The ensuing events indicate that Dy's request to both the president and Garcillano was spurned, and may partly explain his dissatisfaction with, if not resentment toward Arroyo. (Malaya's Ellen Tordesillas has other details on Dy's dissatisfaction with Arroyo in her column " Root of Dy's discontent.")

The "Hello, Garci" tapes show that Dy, national chairman of the Nationalist People's Coalition founded by businessman Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco, had decided to intervene for Montilla, a partymate who at the time appeared to be in danger of losing to Lakas gubernatorial bet Pax Mangudadatu.

"'Yan lang naman ang hihilingin ko naman eh…Alam mo naman hindi ako humihiling sa 'yo (That's all I'm asking. You know I don't ask you favors)," Dy is heard telling Garcillano.

On his own reelection bid, an obviously resigned Dy says, "Yung tungkol dun sa 'kin pabayaan mo na yan. Ok lang ako (Don't mind my case anymore. I'm okay)."

It is quite clear from Garcillano's reply that he would get his cue from the president.

In the end,  the Isabela governor did not get his way.

Montilla, who had been leading Mangudadatu by about 28,000 votes in nine of Sultan Kudarat's 12 towns, finally got beaten when the votes from the remaining three towns— Palimbang, Lutayan and Lambayong Mariano Marcos—rolled in. Mangudadatu had gotten nearly all the ballots cast in these towns. The provincial board of canvassers was chaired by controversial election supervisor Lintang Bedol.

How close the Mangudadatus, especially the governor's son Rep. Suharto "Teng" Mangudadatu, are to the president and First Gentleman Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo can be gauged from the other conversations in the tapes.

In her May 29 phone call to Garcillano, the president refers to "Teng," said to be the Sultan Kudarat congressman and from whom she had been directly getting reports on the election outcome in Cotabato.

Congressman Mangudadatu is also believed to be the voice in two of Garcillano's various conversations on June 4. In one of these, Teng refers to a request of "FG, 'yung boss natin ba, si Mike (FG, our boss, Mike)," an apparent reference to the First Gentleman.

According to Teng, FG was wondering how to delay the case of "Baiz Dilangalen." In last year's election, opposition candidate Bai Sendig "Baiz" Dilangalen, the wife of ex-Rep. Didagen Dilangalen, ran against administration candidate Bai Sandra Sema, the wife of Cotabato Mayor Muslimin Sema, in the first congressional district of Maguindanao. Dilangalen won.

The second conversation that supposedly transpired between Garcillano and Teng zeroes in on the canvassing in Cotabato City and how (Muslimin) "Sema" and (administration senatorial candidate Robert) "Barbers" could be helped.

Records show that the canvassing was subsequently transferred from Cotabato City to Manila. Sema beat opposition candidate Estrellita Juliano, but Barbers lost the senatorial race. Interestingly, the chairman of the Cotabato City board of canvassers was also Bedol.