Speaking by phone at the Kapihan sa Maynila last Monday, Trillanes said: "Esperon will automatically deny that in the same way that he denied having participated in the Hello Garci operation."

Esperon was one of the ranking military officers mentioned by Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano in his several conversations with Gloria Arroyo helping them in their operations to tamper with the results of the 2004 elections in Mindanao. At that time, Esperon, who was then AFP deputy chief for operations, was deputy chief of the military’s Task Force HOPE (Honest, Orderly and Peaceful Elections).

Despite what everybody heard in the Hello Garci tapes, Esperon said he did not interfere in the elections process in Mindanao where many of the precincts turned out more votes than registered voters. He was quoted to have said, "I did my mission. I am proud of what I did."

Unfortunately for Esperon, he has low credibility. A Pulse Asia survey put him as among the most distrusted personalities in the country (together with Gloria Arroyo), next only to Team Unity senatorial candidate Tessie Aquino-Oreta.

Trillanes told reporters last Friday that Esperon’s directive was in the form of a radio message transmitted to ground commanders. He said officers who are in possession of the radio message will go public in due time.

We believe Trillanes because we are getting the same kind of information from other military sources.

Take this text message we got from an army captain assigned in Bicol: "For info: Grabe pamulitika ng AFP ngayon. Meron instruction from Gen. Esperon na iboto mga sundalo 12-0 in favor of TU."

A friend forwarded to me this message she got from a military source: "Sir, may umiikot sa mga BN HGS na mga ranking officers para mag-disseminate ng kung sino iboto na favor lahat sa TU at ANAD and Bantay sa party list." BN HGS is battalion headquarters. Bantay is Gen. (ret) Jovito Palparan’s party list group while ANAD is another ultra-rightist party list group.

A retired general passed on to us this text message he got from a soldier assigned in Tarlac: "Sir I need your advice re absentee voting AFP which ends 06 May. Kasi Sir, yung mga friends kung sundalo, army personnel are forced to vote straight Team Unity as per verbal order of CGPA. To make sure na yun ang binoto, binabantayan ka ng officers/Sr NCO habang nagsusulat sa balota.

"Marami galit mga sundalo, Sir. Ung iba ayaw ng bumoto. Takot sila lumantad. magugutom pamilya. Pahirapan sila sa imbestigasyon. Wala sila tiwala sa govt. What advise, Sir, sa kanila?"

NCO is Non-commissioned officer while CGPA is commanding general Philippine Army. That’s Lt. Gen. Romeo Tolentino.

AFP spokesman Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro dared those who are exposing Esperon and Tolentino to sue them.

He said the military leadership is considering the source of the allegations "bogus" if they do not come out in the open.

Bacarro would have to wait a little while. When Gloria Arroyo, the bogus president, falls, so will Esperon. Those officers will come out in the open and tell the public all they know. Bacarro wouldn’t want to be where he is now when that happens.

***

Erratum: In last Monday’s column, I made a mistake with Caloocan City Bishop Yniguez’ first name. I wrote "Nicanor". It should be Deogracias. The late Nicanor Iniguez was former Speaker of the Batasang Pambansa in 1984.