The Hello Garci Case -- Selected Philippine Commentaries

For the benefit of all our readers that are interested in the Hello Garci Controversy, the Philippine Commentary of January 19, 2006 is reproduced verbatim below. It also contained the following links to the best of the commentaries that were published as that devastating political crisis unfolded and engulfed the Arroyo presidency, and now has reignited in the Senate.

National Security is the Highest National Interest
The Wire Tapping. The Wire Tapping!
Was the Adam and Eve of All Tapes Digital?
Overhearing the Palace Thinking
Rope-a-Dope Trap: Garci as Poisoned Pawn?
Fingerprinting the Human Voice
Judas Goat On Top Of Mount Pinatubo
Supreme Court Will Now Rule in Garci's Favor
Stunning Break in Gloriagate Controversy
Fourteen Soldiers Are Hostages of ISAFP
Long Live the Anti Wire Tapping Law!
The Right to Privacy and the Public's Right to Know
Only the Opposition Can Save GMA
Dilemma of the Poisoned Fruits
Freedom and Garci's Second Petition

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Senate is Really Digging Into Isafp Wiretapping
[first published on January 19, 2006 shortly after the Senate hearing reported in it.]
TECHNICAL SERGEANT VIDAL DOBLE owns the voice on the Garci Tapes annotating many of the conversations including the one with the line "Will I lead by 1M?", according to sworn testimony today by his acknowledged lover and mistress, Ms. Marieta Santos before the Senate Defense Committee of Sen. Rodolfo Biazon. Two more tapes allegedly produced by Intelligence Services of the AFP (ISAFP) were played in the Senate. (Her previous testimony in the Senate was a stunning break in the Senate for the Garci tape controversy because it first established as plausible fact, the accusation that ISAFP had conducted a massive wiretapping operation on behalf of Pres. Arroyo during the 2004 elections, because she or her political machinery did not trust Virgilio Garcillano.) Ms. Santos testified that these contained the vocal annotation of another acquiantance of hers, Vidal Doble's colleague at ISAFP, a Master Sgt. Villedo. That makes them prime witnesses in a coming investigation of how and why the Philippine Military was prostituted to such a partisan and selfish political purpose in 2004 as their use to eavesdrop on public and private persons alike. ABSCBN's report on the Senate hearing focuses on the bugging of FPJ's phone lines. (over which Magdalo's most loved-hated Senator, Gringo Honasan, tried to make much during the hearing. I hope he meets Trillanes, Bumanding, Faeldon and and the rest of the Magdalo in a dark alley one of these days. I reckon he's not seeing too much of them anymore.)

The politicians will surely be up in arms now over the revelation that the wiretapping operation may have been a little wider than first supposed by many. But I have claimed in numerous previous posts however, that the violations of RA4200 involved are completely independent of the CONTENT of any of the conversations. Someone used the military intelligence service to illegally eavesdrop on the Commander in chief and dozens, perhaps hundres of others. That someone should be punished to the full extent of the national security laws, whoever that someone is, even if it is the Commander in chief herself!

The self-evident violations of Republic Act 4200, the Antiwiretapping Law, embodied in the very existence of the Garci Recordings, AS OFFENSES AGAINST NATIONAL SECURITY LAWS, are being investigated by the Senate, under the tireless and dogged efforts of SENATOR RODOLFO BIAZON, who has done more to understand the awesome implications of this angle of the Gloriagate story than anyone else. Everyone has been so fixated on the VOTERIGGING aspect of thing that no one has paid much attention to the obvious: Someone made the Garci Recordings and its many copies. That someone obviously did so illegally, since at least one of its pariticpants, Virgilio Garcillano has claimed he did not authorize such recordings. Ipso facto, they are illegally acquired recordings.

Well if you are just tuning in to this issue just now, have you got a lot of catching up to do. Lucky for you there are all these posts from PHILIPPINE COMMENTARY on this subject:

The Wire Tapping. The Wire Tapping!

Was the Adam and Eve of All Tapes Digital?

Overhearing the Palace Thinking

Rope-a-Dope Trap: Garci as Poisoned Pawn?

Fingerprinting the Human Voice

Judas Goat On Top Of Mount Pinatubo

Supreme Court Will Now Rule in Garci's Favor

Stunning Break in Gloriagate Controversy

Fourteen Soldiers Are Hostages of ISAFP

Long Live the Anti Wire Tapping Law!

The Right to Privacy and the Public's Right to Know

Only the Opposition Can Save GMA

Dilemma of the Poisoned Fruits

Freedom and Garci's Second Petition

National Security is the Highest National Interest

GENERAL RUDOLFO CANIESO, a supporter of Sen. Panfilo Lacson's presidential candidacy in 2004 and former Director of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency had an interesting point to make about the EQUIPMENT needed to undertake a CELLPHONE wiretapping operation successfully. He testified at the hearing that only GOVERNMENTS could legally purchase the sophisticated gear needed to eavesdrop on TRI-BAND FREQUENCY HOPPING cellphone conversations. Documents presented at the Senate hearing showed that typical "digital GSM cellular interceptor" systems would cost about 25 million pesos (US $420,000.00). Gen Canieso emphasized the point that a "CERTIFICATE OF END-USER" is required by all legitimate vendors, effectively restricting civilians from acqujiring such equipment. It was quite ironic that the first tape played by Sen. Biazon happened to contain a wiretap of Gen. Canieso's own cellphone. Gen. Canieso also made the very important point that cellular phone communicatins are DIGITALLY encoded by the service provider, as Philippine Commentary considered in WAS THE ADAM AND EVE OF ALL TAPES DIGITAL Interestingly, Gen. Canieso would not rule out PING LACSON being able to afford such equipment.

A Google Search for "digital cellular GSM interceptor" yields the following information

Cellular Telephone Interceptor Multi Digital Versions
(Including GSM amd TDMA)

GSM System $420,000.00 GSM Interceptor Pro This is an advanced monitoring system designed to intercept GSM cellular traffic. It is the most sophisticated - advanced state of the art equipment of it's kind. It is custom made to certain specifications according to the cellular system in your country Features 8 channels 900/1800 MHz, (System with 1900 MHz is also available). The system can target specific numbers or randomly screen GSM mobile Communication. Conversations are monitored and logged simultaneously to voice and data logger for storage and retrieval.. Housed in industrial PC 19” rack mounted portable cabinet with attached keyboard and LCD monitor. Weight:12 Kg about 23 Lb. Decodes voice codes LPT, RPE and EFR. Works with identificators IMSI, TMSI, IMEI, and MSISDN. Can receive BCCH, CCCH, SACCH, SDCCH, FACCH, and TCH Find incoming call number when call ID is available. Intercept 1 voice duplex Channel. Possibility to receive SNS Messages. Working range: Forward Channel 25 KM or 15.6 Mils, Reverse Channel depends on conditions - varies from 300 to 800 meters, or up to half a mile If unidirectional antennas are used, the range can be increased. Encryption Modes: A5.2 cooperation with network operator is not needed, the system works in real time. A5.1 If cooperation with network operator is possible, the system works in real time. If cooperation with network operator is not possible but there is an access to mobile phone, information can be extracted directly from SIM card, Extraction time – 15 Min., SIM card scanner should be added to the system. With special hardware and software module A5.1 Decoder the interceptor works without Cooperation with network operator. Item: 4001-D.

TDMA System $280,000.00 TDMA Interceptor Pro The system is an advanced monitoring system designed to intercept TDMA cellular calls. Designed to work in networks that specifically using D-AMPS. Features Scan Control Channels to locate a working base station in a given area. Automatic adjustments in the configuring file. Fast receivers presetting using data from the configuration files. Store telephone conversations on the hard drive. Monitoring the activity of phone numbers from the “list of interest”. Listening and recording all phone conversations of the accessible base station or only from the “list of interest”. Displaying and recording all events in the control channels. Displaying status of all phones from the “list of interest”. The system can control the following channels : Forward control channels IS-S4 & IS-136 (monitoring of incoming calls in one cell) Forward traffic channel (listening to conversations in the forward/ outgoing direction) Reverse control channel (defines outgoing phone numbers).

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SENATOR SERGIO OSMENA III appears to be the techie in the Senate, dropping the correct meanings of TDMA, CDMA and GSM for the education of a somewhat befuddled Juan Ponce Enrile.