Virgilio Garcillano, former commissioner of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and a central figure in the controversial “Hello Garci” scandal during the 2004 elections, passed away on Saturday, March 29. He was 87.
Comelec Region 10 director Renato Magbutay confirmed Garcillano’s death, stating that he collapsed in the comfort room of their farmhouse in Barangay Imbatug, Baungon, Bukidnon, after 8 p.m. on Saturday. Garcillano lived there with his wife, Grace. His wake is currently being held at St. Peter Lumbia, located in uptown Cagayan de Oro, near Baungon.
The “Hello Garci” Scandal
Garcillano gained national prominence due to his alleged involvement in the “Hello Garci” scandal, a wiretapping controversy that erupted in 2005. The scandal involved audio recordings of conversations between a man, believed to be Garcillano, and a woman whose voice resembled that of then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The discussions allegedly centered on influencing the canvassing of election results to secure Arroyo’s victory over her closest rival, the late actor Fernando Poe Jr., in the 2004 presidential race.
A 2005 report by Newsbreak Magazine revealed that Arroyo had chosen Garcillano for the Comelec vacancy over Roque Bello, a known election lawyer. The report detailed how Garcillano, as Comelec’s vice chair for personnel, orchestrated the reshuffling of election officers in Mindanao before the 2004 elections, placing his trusted people in key positions.
Arroyo’s Admission and Aftermath
Arroyo eventually admitted that the voice in the controversial tapes was hers but denied engaging in election fraud, claiming she was merely monitoring her votes. Despite public outrage and widespread calls for accountability, Arroyo never faced legal consequences for her role in the scandal. Although she faced corruption charges later in her career, none were directly linked to “Hello Garci.”
Garcillano’s Controversial Post-Scandal Life
After the scandal, Garcillano became a fugitive, with Congress launching a probe into the matter in 2005. The following year, he was accused of presenting a fake passport to prove he had not left the country during the height of the issue. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas later informed Congress that the passport lacked authentic identification, and the Singaporean government confirmed Garcillano’s arrival in their country on July 15, 2005, before leaving for London.
In 2007, Garcillano ran unsuccessfully for congressman in Bukidnon, even using the “Hello Garci” tune in his campaign. Despite the controversies, he managed to receive his retirement benefits from Comelec, amounting to P3.1 million, along with monthly pensions.
Perjury and falsification complaints were filed against him in 2012, and he was indicted by the Ombudsman in 2014. Garcillano was last spotted publicly in 2016 at a hotel in Cagayan de Oro, where presidential candidates Grace Poe and Jejomar Binay were staying for Comelec-organized debates.