A video clip of a masked man exposing alleged cheating during the May 10, 2010 automated elections is shown during an investigation conducted by the House of Representatives Wednesday in Quezon City. (Photo by MARK BALMORES)

The House of Representatives opened Wednesday its investigation on allegations of massive poll fraud that attended the May 10 polls that were raised by at least 30 incumbent and former congressmen who lost in the recently-concluded elections.

In the presence of six key officials of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and representatives of poll automation contractor, Smartmatic-TIM, the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, chaired by Makati City Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr. viewed the footage of a television interview of the hooded whistleblower in the so-called “hocus PCOS” election fraud.

Code-named “Robin” and described by Locsin as a “koala bear,” alleged whistleblower claimed he was among those who engineered cheating by deducting millions of votes from presidential candidates Gilbert Teodoro of Lakas-Kampi-CMD, Bro. Eddie Villanueva of Bangon Pilipinas, and former President Joseph Estrada of Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) and allegedly adding them to presidential race frontrunner Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III of Liberal Party.

But what turned out to be the biggest election issue raised was the warning issued by Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Villafuerte who said that he expects Estrada and vice presidential bets Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay and Sen. Manuel Roxas to question the authenticity of the certificates of canvass (CoCs).

Villafuerte said the digital signature of CoCs could be questioned, thus, delaying the canvassing.

As this developed, the Comelec and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) dared a masked man who exposed alleged cheating in the last elections to come out and back his claims. Likewise, Atty. JV Bautista, PMP spokesman, also challenged the masked man to reveal his true identity to the public

In an interview in Camp Crame, Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal stressed that it is always easy for anyone to concoct story about electoral fraud, the reason concrete pieces of evidence are needed to back their allegations against the reported high-tech poll-rigging in this year’s elections.

“If you have allegations or complaints that something happened, you have to back it up with evidence. You have to show proof of your allegations, you can’t just make any statement without basis,” said Larrazabal in an interview.

“If you have proof, we will investigate it,” he added.

At the CBCP, Msgr. Pedro Quitorio III asked the whistleblower to unmask himself.

“Why hide? The best defense is truth… Anyone who carries the truth be prepared for the consequence of the truth,” Quitorio, CBCP media director, said in an interview.

The call for the whistleblower to surface came after the man’s video was presented during a forum in Intramuros, Manila where three losing presidential candidates – Sen. Jamby Madrigal, Nicanor Perlas, and John Carlos delos Reyes of the Ang Kapatiran Party – were also present.

Larrazabal denied the claim of the whistleblower, saying they have implemented some security measures that would make it impossible to hack the system that was used by the Comelec in the historic nationwide elections in the country.

Quitorio said by hiding behind a mask, the person’s credibility somehow is put in question.

“If you are going to hide behind a mask I don’t think people will find you credible. Right now, no one seems to believe him and that includes me,” he said.

Personally, Quitorio said, he is convinced that the election was credible, citing the data given by the Church’s poll watchdog, Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV).

‘There may be discrepancies as admitted by the PPCRV but they said it’s negligible that it won’t affect the total result of the elections,” he said.

“I think it’s credible. Unless there will be new data in front of us but the data appearing today makes the elections very credible. Scientifically credible,” added Quitorio.

In Malacañang, officials told critics to stop discrediting the May 10 polls as it also noted that the ongoing Congress investigation won’t impede the June 30 inauguration of the newly installed Chief Executive.

Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza and Political Presidential Adviser Prospero Pichay asked anti-government quarters to just wait for the results of the Congress inquiry, instead of speculating and sowing confusion about the integrity of the automated elections.

“Remain calm and don’t make conclusion. We have to wait for the results of the investigation of Congress,” Mendoza told reporters.