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Garcillano vs. The House of Representatives Committees on Public Information / Santiago Javier Ranada vs. Senate

VIRGILIO O. GARCILLANO, Petitioner, versus THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEES ON PUBLIC INFORMATION, PUBLIC ORDER AND SAFETY, NATIONAL DEFENSE AND SECURITY, INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY, and SUFFRAGE AND ELECTORAL REFORMS, Respondents. SANTIAGO JAVIER RANADA and OSWALDO D. AGCAOILI, Petitioners, versus THE SENATE OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, REPRESENTED BY THE SENATE PRESIDENT THE HONORABLE MANUEL VILLAR, Respondent. / MAJ. LINDSAY REX SAGGE, Petitioner-in-Intervention.

G.R. No. 170338 and G.R. No. 179275 | 2008-12-23

DECISION

NACHURA, J.:

More than three years ago, tapes ostensibly containing a wiretapped conversation purportedly between the President of the Philippines and a high-ranking official of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) surfaced. They captured unprecedented public attention and thrust the country into a controversy that placed the legitimacy of the present administration on the line, and resulted in the near-collapse of the Arroyo government. The tapes, notoriously referred to as the "Hello Garci" tapes, allegedly contained the President's instructions to COMELEC Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano to manipulate in her favor...