One of the libel suits filed by Mike Arroyo against Malaya publisher Jake Macasaet and editors was over a May 19, 2004 article by Senate reporter JP Lopez quoting former senator Francisco “Kit” Tatad identifying the husband of Gloria Arroyo as the “chief operator” in manipulating the results of the 2004 elections.
Tatad, in that article, said uniformed personnel were seen altering elections results in Mindanao precincts.
Please click here (VERA Files) to read the 65-page summary of interviews.
There were also reports of Arroyo and then National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales in Mindanao. Their visits usually preceded distribution of money to election operators.
These things came to mind while reading the summary of the interviews done by the Mayuga Fact-Finding board headed by then Vice Admiral Mateo Mayuga on the alleged involvement of the military in the 2004 electoral fraud.