page_title: Hello Garci scandal
section_title: Events history
hierarchical_section_title: Hello Garci scandal / Events history
caption_attribution_description: English: Cropped photo of president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo; Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo meets with Commanding Officer, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Col. Walter L. Miller near the site of a devastating landslide; Guinsahugon Village, Republic of the Philippines (Feb. 22, 2006) - Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo meets with Commanding Officer, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Col. Walter L. Miller near the site of a devastating landslide that struck southern Leyte on Feb. 17, 2006. Sailors and Marines from the Forward Deployed Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) with elements of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), Joint Task Force (JTF) Balikatan and the USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) arrived off the coast of Leyte Feb. 19 to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to the victims of the area. U.S. Navy photo by Journalist 2nd Class Brian P. Biller (RELEASED) Deutsch: Präsidentin Gloria Macapagal Arroyo der Philippinen
context_page_description: The Hello Garci scandal, also known as Gloriagate, was a political scandal and electoral crisis in the Philippines.
  The scandal involved former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who allegedly rigged the 2004 national election in her favor. The official results of that election gave Arroyo and Noli de Castro the presidency and vice-presidency, respectively. Hundreds of national and local positions were also contested during this election. The scandal and crisis began in June 2005 when audio recordings of a phone call conversation between President Arroyo and then Election Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, allegedly talking about the rigging of the 2004 national election results, were released to the public. This escalated when the minority of the lower house of Congress attempted to impeach Arroyo. This was blocked by Arroyo's coalition in September 2005 and no trial took place.
  Allegations against Arroyo and her accomplices in government are many, including electoral fraud and a subsequent cover-up. The administration has denied some of the allegations and challenged others in court.
context_section_description: Samuel Ong, a former deputy director of the country's National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), declared in a June 10, 2005, press conference  that he possessed original recordings of a wiretapped conversation between Arroyo and an official of the Commission on Elections, who was alleged to be Virgilio Garcillano. In the following weeks, the media analyzed contents of the tapes. The Ong recordings allegedly proved that Arroyo rigged the 2004 national election to maintain her presidency and the political success of her allies. Arroyo denied the accusations of election rigging in a television broadcast on June 27, but acknowledged that it was her voice on the tape. Protests occurred frequently during the crisis either in favor or against Arroyo and her administration. Attempts to impeach Arroyo failed on September 6.
caption: President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
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