The Philippine National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales Monday dismissed as fabricated a taped conversation allegedly between President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and a Commission on Elections' (COMELEC) commissioner, in which Arroyo talked about rigging the May 2004 presidential election.

Gonzales said he learned that at least five versions of the tape had been distributed to some media organizations.

He said he heard two versions of the tape, both of which he claimed sounded like spliced voice recordings of the president.

"Granting that this tape is authentic, it has large implications to national security. What I see is technically, it is easier to create a tape like that instead of the authentic one, and that the equipment that can be used to listen cell phone conversations is available in the country," he said in an interview with the DZMM radio station.

He said the use of equipment to monitor and record cell phone conversations could pose serious threat to the privacy of individuals and the government will act to protect it.

He added that a group opposed to the government is set to play the tape's contents later on Monday, adding that the tape was being used to "recruit" people in a possible destabilization plot against President Arroyo.

Gonzales also advised the media to exercise discretion in airing the contents of the tape should they secure a copy of the recording.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye Sunday said to make it appear authentic, the opposition will claim that the tape came from a US official source.

However, the official opposition of the country and the US embassy in Manila have denied involvement in the reported destabilization plot.

Representative Francis Escudero, House Minority Floor Leader, said the administration should instead face the "jueteng" illegal gambling allegations, which did not come from the opposition but from a Roman Catholic Church priest.

The United States Embassy in Manila also denied any involvement in the alleged plot to overthrow the Arroyo administration.

"The US Embassy...denied tapping a conversation last year between President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and some military generals, who reportedly discussed a strategy on how to cheat late opposition standard-bearer (Fernando) Poe Jr. in the May 2004 elections," the Embassy said in a statement.

Source: Xinhua