DAGUPAN CITY–Unless resolved with
credibility, the Garci phenomenon will continuously disturb the nation and dividethe people, said Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz.

Cruz said in a statement that," It (Garci phenomenon) is an issue that continues to haunt the conscience of people and the peace of the land. Good or bad, this is the truth. To say the opposite is but wishful thinking".

Chief State ProsecutorJovencito Zuño said the other day that former Commission on Elections (Comelec)commissioner Virgilio Garcillano is not yet off the hook in the alleged cheating that took place in the May
2004 elections. Zuño said cases against Garcillano that had been dismissed by a panel of prosecutors did not include his alleged role in the reported massive
cheating in the 2004 presidential elections.

Cruz said,"The Garci issue is very much bigger than a person. It is fundamentally the serious matter of the legitimacy of the present national leadership—not to mention its big loss of credibility before the serious and thinking populace".

The prelate noted that there are those happily gearing up for the alleged candidacy of a person. At the same time, many are those who are sadly reminded of the workings of still the same Comelec, he said.

He said certain politicians are eagerly looking forward to have a person in their ticket. But there are certain groupings and entities that are more and more annoyed by the transactional politics in the country, he added.

Now, it's back to square one: impeachment case, with Garci question having come up, the so called “Hello, Garci” tapes are once again brought to mind, Cruz said.

And this is necessarily accompanied by no less than the impeachment process twice shelved not really by reason of demerit by mere tyranny of numbers, he said.

There is moral certitude that the same case will be once again—for the third
time—raised in the halls of Congress, Cruz said.

"And when once again thrown out, the present Malacañang occupant again also
loses by default—by denying her to have her day in court, in this particular still in socio-political open wound with serious fundamental socio-moral dimensions, begs for closure," he added.