TWO militant legislators filed on Thursday a resolution seeking an investigation, in aid of legislation, on claims of former Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan of Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) of his involvement in the 2004 and 2007 poll cheating to ensure the victory of, among others, former President Gloria Arroyo and her party mates.

In House Resolution 1475, Party-list Reps. Teodoro Casiño and Neri Colmenares of Bayan Muna urged the House of Representatives to direct the Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms to conduct the probe saying that the testimony of Ampatuan would be crucial not only in holding Arroyo, now the representative of the Second District of Pampanga, and her allies accountable for the so-called Hello Garci and other cases of electoral fraud, but help legislators in crafting measures to combat poll cheating.

The resolution was filed a day after Ampatuan released a two-page document declaring his willingness to testify that Arroyo’s husband, Jose Miguel, directed his father Andal Sr. to rig the 2007 election in the ARMM.

“Then-President Gloria Arroyo was not the only politician who benefited and manipulated this systemof cheating in ARMM,” the resolution quoted Ampatuan as saying.

It said Andal Sr. was specifically asked to that three opposition senators should get zero votes.

Zaldy, in the draft document, claimed that he has information that can pin Arroyo to the 2004 poll cheating which will lead to the closure of the Hello Garci scandal. He asserted that President Aquino was targeted because the Arroyos thought he had a chance in winning the presidency in the future because of his lineage.

The legislators said Zaldy is a credible witness because he was among those charged with manipulating the elections results.

Meanwhile, the Department of Justice (DOJ) is not closing its door on the possibility of tapping Zaldy and  former Maguindanao election supervisor Lintang Bedol as state witnesses in the alleged 2007 electoral fraud.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said getting  Ampatuan and Bedol as  state witnesses would depend on the result of the evaluation being conducted by Malacañang’s legal team of the exposés made by the former governor.

“If that [exposé] is duly proven, then that is electoral sabotage. We can consider whomever—if it’s Zaldy or Lintang—as witness,” de Lima told reporters.

De Lima, however, stressed that they have to meet the criteria required by law for an accused to become state witness, such as there should be an admission of participation and should not be the most guilty. With J. San Juan