MAGNA CARTA FOR PHILIPPINE

INTERNET FREEDOM ACTIVITY

Arlyn Ethel Morales H O T
ABM 12-B N E W S

Magna Carta - means 'The Great

Charter It is the principles like the rule of
law and due process which is essential to
democracy. It is one of the most
important documents in history as it
established individuals the right to justice
and the right to a fair trial.

Free Expression Right to Privacy

Refers to the ability of an individual or group of individuals to An element of various legal traditions that intends to restrain
express their beliefs, thoughts, ideas, and emotions about different governmental and private actions that threaten the privacy of
issues free from government censorship. individuals.

What is Hello Garci Scandal?
"Hello, Garci” scandal, also known as
Gloriagate, which involved wiretapped
phone conversations between then-
president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
and then-Commission on Elections
(Comelec) director Virgilio Garcillano
about allegedly rigging the results of
the 2004 presidential election.
Over 15 years since the “Hello, Garci”
controversy broke.
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Hello Garci
Scandal
The phrase came from leaked recordings of a
conversation between Arroyo and Garcillano in
2004. The recordings, believed to have been made
by people from the armed forces’ intelligence
unit, were released in June 2005.
This escalated when the minority of the lower
house of Congress attempted to impeach Arroyo.
This was blocked by the Arroyo-led majority
coalition in September 2005 and no trial took
place.
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 Who are the people involved in Hello Garci Scandal?
Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo
Former President of the Philippines
Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal Arroyo, often referred to by her
initials GMA, is a Filipina academic and politician who served as the 14th
president of the Philippines from 2001 until 2010. She is the longest
serving president of the Philippines since Ferdinand Marcos.
Allegations against Arroyo and her alleged accomplices in government
were many, including electoral fraud and its supposed cover-up. The
Arroyo administration denied some of the allegations and challenged
others in court. The House of Representatives, which was dominated by
Arroyo's coalition, blocked attempts for an impeachment trial.
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Virgilio Olivar
Garcillano
Former Commission on Elections Director
Also known as Garci, was involved in Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's alleged
electoral fraud in the Hello Garci scandal.
Arroyo's most publicized alleged accomplice from the electoral
commission, Virgilio Garcillano, was missing for a few months, but
returned to the capital in late 2005. Allegations persist regarding possible
conspirators from the government who helped in his escape, and another
alleged cover-up. Garcillano denied any wrongdoing, before his
disappearance, and after his return. In December 2006, Garcillano was
cleared of perjury charges by the Department of Justice.
 Who are the people involved in Hello Garci Scandal?

Samual Ong Oliver Lozano

Former Filipino Lawyer
former deputy director of the

National Bureau of Investigation

The first impeachment complaint came from Attorney Oliver Lozano

In 2005, Ong announced he was in possession of a set of four original
alleged that then-President Arroyo's admission that the voice in the Ong
audio tapes, made as part of a wiretapping operation conducted by Air
recording was hers was sufficient basis to impeach her for betrayal of
Force T/Sgt. Vidal Doble of military intelligence, containing a recording of
public trust and in subsequent supplemental affidavits alleged that her
a conversation between President Gloria Arroyo and Virgilio Garcillano,
contact with a COMELEC official was punishable after the proclamation of
an official of the Commission on Elections. Ong claimed that four of the
the election in contest. Additional affidavits also allege that her signing of
tapes incriminate Arroyo and all of the other politicians who were
the E-VAT constituted a betrayal of public trust, that her failure to order
officially declared winners of the 2004 elections
the National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National Police, and
In 2005, Ong was charged with sedition, for allegedly calling for civil
Armed Forces of the Philippines constituted additional evidence for
disobedience.
impeachment.

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Why Hello Garci Scandal is related to Free Expression and Right to
Privacy elements?
On this case, I correlated the Hello Garci Scandal to the Magna Carta elements:
Free Expression - Internet Libel; and Right to Privacy. First, Free Expression, it is evident
in the part where former President of the Philippines - Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and
her accomplice the former COMELEC Director - Virgilio Olivar Garcillano denied all the
allegations despite they do not have the evidence to their claims that they were not
the ones talking over the wiretapped record. Next, Right to Privacy, it is evident in the
part where former deputy director of NBI - Samuel Ong announced that he has the
recording of Arroyo and Garcillanos' conversation upon the 2004 elections results,
with this action falls under whistleblowing. Which is contrary the the Section 8 of the
Right to Privacy statement that it is to protect the person over his/her own data. The
wiretapped conversation is confidential, in essence no person shall have an access to
another person's private data.

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