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By Jomar Canlas, Reporter
The Supreme Court ruled that the
so-called Hello, Garci tapes can be aired in public.
These tapes supposedly contain
tapped conversations allegedly between former elections Commissioner
Virgilio “Garci” Garcillano and President Gloria Arroyo on the
rigging of the 2004 presidential elections in her favor. Parties
that have obtained copies of the tapes, mainly the political
opposition, had been gagged by Department of Justice and the
National Telecommunications Commission.
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez,
during a press conference Tuesday, said he had heard from the
Supreme Court on the 9-6 vote upholding a petition against the
banning of the playing in public of the “Hello, Garci” tapes.
Chief Justice Reynato Puno was
said to be the ponente of the case.
The Manila Times learned that
Puno and Associate Justices Adolfo Azcuna, Antonio Carpio, Angelina
Sandoval-Gutierrez, Alicia Austria-Martinez, Conchita Carpio-Morales,
Leonardo Quisumbing, Ruben Reyes and Consuelo Ynares-Santiago voted
in favor of the petition. The voting was held also on Tuesday.
The original ponente of the case
was said to be Associate Justice Antonio Eduardo Nachura, who
reportedly is now on the dissenting side.
Lawyer Jose Midas Marquez of the
High Court’s Public Information Office would neither confirm nor
deny the result of the voting.
Marquez said the ruling will be
officially released on Friday yet since, he added, separate opinions
will still have to be completed by the other magistrates.
He said the supposed 9-6 vote
could still move before Friday.
The petition against the banning
of the public playing of the “Hello, Garci” tapes was filed by
former Solicitor-General Francisco Chavez.
Gonzalez had threatened to charge
those who will play the tapes in public with violation of Republic
Act 4200, or the Anti-Wiretapping Law.
Chavez said the
telecommunications commission violated press freedom and the right
of the public to information on matters of public concern when it
banned the airing in public of the tapes.
On June 11, 2005, the commission
warned radio and television networks that they could face possible
sanctions, including cancellation of license, if they insisted on
airing the tapes.
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