Cayetano answers Lacson

Privilege speech of Sen. Alan Cayetano last Sept. 16, 2008

Let me just repeat that I stand on a question of personal and collective privilege, because of the speech of the gentleman from Cavite, I was specifically mentioned, and the whole Senate, the integrity of the Senate was impugned yesterday by Senator Lacson.

To quote Matthew 7:1, “Judge not so that you be not judged for with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged and with the measure you used, will be measured to you. Why do you see the spec that is in your brother’s eye but do not notice the love that is in your own eye.” It is difficult sometimes Mr. President to take to heart this verse because it is precisely sometimes our job or our task to judge. Judge which bills need priority; what is better for the country; what appropriations should be prioritized, and in some of our committees we are even asked to judge whether there were wrongdoings on the part of some people.

Yesterday, it seemed that that issue was graft and corruption, and there is no doubt whatsoever that graft and corruption is our enemy, there is no doubt whatsoever. Unfortunately, as far as this senator is concerned, I think I have been unfairly criticized by Senator Lacson, not just once, not just twice, but many many times yesterday, in this very august hall, taking my statements out of the context. Let me just put on the record that this started when I did not support Senator Lacson’s choice for senate president and I decided to join the camp of Senator Villar as far as his senate presidency is concerned and after many many unfair criticisms from Senator Ping Lacson, wherein I decided to just keep quiet and respect him because we’re allies in the fight against corruption.

I decided to finally to excuse myself from ping, ping stands for “puro intriga na lang gang.” We are both against graft and corruption but since I did not support his choice for senate president suddenly lahat ng ginawa ko para sa kanyang mata ay mali. Yesterday, same speech, Senator Lacson’s speech, the gentleman from Cavite made it appear that he is the good cop and anyone who defends the honor of the Senate President or anyone who disagrees with him is the bad cop. So maybe that should answer the question of Senator Arroyo, mga police ba tayo dito? Well, if we are all policemen here, we should all be good cops. We should not make it appear na may good cops at may bad cops ditto or at the very least we should be ready to back our accusations up.

I’m a lawyer by profession, Mr. President and due process is at the core of any belief of any lawyer. Due process simply means that we simply listen first before we condemn. Ang dyos nga po eh, alam nya pong nagkasala si eba at adan, tinanong pa, adam, eve where have you been, what have you done? Pero alam niya na na kinagat na yung mansanas, that is due process. Unfortunately, Senator Lacson believes in a different thing. He believes to shoot first, and then ask questions later, precisely why he said that “barya lang or loose change and 200M according to this gentleman from taguig-pateros who had the slogan katotohanan, katapatan, eto gusto ko,” etcetera, he took it totally out of context Mr. President. I have here the transcript of the interview I had and all of the members of the senate media would testify that when I make statements it’s not only for sound bytes, it is important for me that the members of media understand that I believe in what I’m fighting for so I take effort to explain to them, the basis of my statements and why I believe in it. And on one part which I believe to be was off the record, I said this statement “alam niyo, ang laki ng kinita — well I’ll read it then explain it – “barya yon kay senator villar, napaka successful ng negosyo nila.” It was in the context of our conversation that his company made more than 20 billion pesos, in its IPO. In its raising of capital through its capital markets, all legitimate, all moral and what is 200m compared to 20B pesos.

Sino naman po ang may kumpanya ma may isang billion man lang o sampung bilyon o twenty million pesos na kinita legally, legitimately, na pinaghirapan mo yan all your life, bakit ka mangungorap ng 200M pesos. Para na bang pag sinabi ko na kokonti ang Pilipino 80M compared sa China na isang bilyon ang China, can Senator Lacson go around and say Senator Cayetano said kokonti tayo sino-small niya ang 80 million Filipinos, hindi naman po siguro tama yun. In the same context, sinabi pa niya ang mga sundalo, sinabi pa nya yung kung ano anong pilipinong nagsusuffer dahil daw ako ang tingin ko barya ang 200million. Chineck ko po sa mga bangko, kahit sa Landbank dito wala pong barya na 200M piso, singkwenta sentimos, bentesingko sentimos meron barya, pero 200M po walang barya.. And every cent of public funds is important for me Mr. Senate President.

Mr. Senate President, I do not say that I’m a better graft fighter than he is, in fact I respect the fact that he fights graft. Whatever his motivation that’s up to him and I’ll respect him. My motivation is my belief in God and believe that he is here, I’m not perfect, I try not to be hypocrite and sometimes in politics people think were hypocrites, but we try to do our best.

Unfortunately, Senator Lacson, the gentleman from Cavite is fond of jumping to conclusions. Look at his privilege speech, “You need not be an expert on the national budget to find malice in this situation. Only a keen eye and a strong motivation to pull this country out of this deep pit of corruption.” First of all, pitong taon na siya dito so siguro naman expert na siya sa budget, kasama naman siya sa bi-cam, pinirmahan naman niya yun, siguro sapat na na meron Court of Appeals Justice na pumirma ng isang papel na hindi niya alam kung anong laman wag naman nating sabihin na hindi alam ni Senator Lacson ang kanyang pinirmahan, pero sabihin nating oversight, lahat naman tayo nagkakamali sa dami ng pinipirmahan, pero to find malice when you can ask the experts, people who understand the budget language, let’s go to the meat of the issue, double entry daw or double appropriations or double whatever you want to call it. That’s a technical term sa accounting, ang ibig sabihin siguro kung itong isang ballpen na binili ko ng sampung piso, dalawang sampung piso ang nasa loob ng accounting books ko, bente pesos, may corruption do’n? Dahil isa lang binili ko e tapos binayaran ko bente, so hindi ko sinisisi siya na nagisip siya, naku baka may corruption ditto, tama po yon, magaling ang instincts ni Senator Lacson pagdating doon, anung problema, shoot first, bumaril muna saka nagtanong, walang due process. Kung pumunta siya sa department of public works and ako’y naniniwala na magaling siya magresearch at kung tinanong niya sa kanila, eto ang ibibigay sa kanya, eto ang ibibigay kay Senator Lacson at makikita niya, dito Mr. President sa kulay green na hinighlight, na merong dalawang proyekto, construction of flyover in Sucat Road, construction of flyover at Coastal Road. I haven’t gone thru this much Mr. President, I will not go into details but if you look at this piece of paper any Congressman or any Mayor, who is asking for projects for Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will go to the DPWH and they know about these kinds of paper, ayan po nasa box o, funded in the 2008 budget, eto po dalawang magkaibang proyekto, in the same C5. So makikita mo Mr. President walang intensyon na manloko ng tao dito. Sinasabi niyang imbestigahan, imbestigahan, imbestigahan, yung ayaw maglabas ng dokumento, ayaw sumagot, yun ang dapat imbistigahan, pero iimbistigahan mo ba yung alam mo na yung sagot? Ang problema di naman nila gusto alamin yung sagot, at dun kami nagkasagutan, dahil ang gusto ni Senator Lacson, committee of the whole, at nirerespeto ko yon, pero ang argument ko, kung ang ZTE na 329 milyon dollars, e tatlong committee lang, e ito 200 milyon, bakit committee of the whole?

I wanted to hear the arguments of the others, and I will respect it. But that’s why I filed my own resolution, anung sagot ni Senator Lacson? Minumuddle ko lang daw yung issue, e yung speech na binigay nya kahapon e pareho lang nung finile kong resolusyon e. Bakit pag ako nagpapaimbistiga ng lahat ng nag insert at lahat ng infrastructure, muddling the issue, pero pag siya ang nagpapaimbistiga eto daw ay anti-graft and corruption. Hindi ata patas ang laban, katulad ng sinasabi niya kahapon.

Half-truths Mr. President. Kung makikita mo napakadaling ipaliwanag. I don’t blame him for pursuing this case. Sapagka’t nung unang sumagot si Sec. Andaya, parang nagulat din siya at nagtanung din siya for ten minutes e sa kanyang staff at sinabi nga niya Senado ang gumawa niyan. But sa totoo lang po, and let’s give credit where credit is due, the only person, many many people here did a good job sa budget, I saw Senator Loren, Senator Nene, really try to look at the budget, use a fine comb in going over the budget, but sa totoo lang po it was only Senator Juan Ponce Enrile who was here all the time, umaga hanggang gabi, hanggang matapos ito. Ok, and when this budget take out, Senator Enrile or anyone who has become chairman of the committee on appropriations of the House or Finance will tell you. Ang may alam nang appropriations, yung departamento, ang Secretary ng DBM ang sasabihin sa iyo yung macro, yung economic assumptions and the generalities of the budget. And if you want a specific information on a specific project u have to wait sometime dahil ipatatawag pa niyan ang mga departamento. So ang dapat tinanong ni Senator Lacson napaka simple, Mr. President, ang DPWH. Napakasimple, isang tawag lang po, maliliwanagan siya and in fact kung titingnan niya sa DPWH at tingin niya may anomaly pala, we all know that he was chief PNP, alam natin mga pulis mahilig sa entrapment, alam natin na kung tunay na may anomalya to, hinintay ni Senator Lacson na ibinid-out ‘to. Katulad ng ginawa niya sa mga ibang expose nya nung huli. Hinintay niya muna na kinagat na yung pa-in, saka mo hihilahin ngayon yung tali, para mahuli yung isda. Sino bang naglalagay ng pa-in sa tubig at hihilahin bago may kumagat pa? Hindi ba? Ang problema wala namang anomalya talaga. Ang problema hindi naman ito ibibid for the same project. What is the process, Mr. Senate President, very simple, after the appropriation you go to the agency, the agency has what it calls the plans or kumbaga sa arkitekto yung blueprint. After the plans are approved you will go to the program of work. The program of work has all the details including the bill of materials, dun palang makikita mo kung may anumalya na. After the bill of materials yung process of bidding magaganap na. So kung may anumalya dito, hinintay ni Senator Lacson na nai-bid to dalawang proyekto para sa isang, dalawang pondo sa isang proyekto, huli kaagad. E tingin ba natin walang manghuhuli sa Senate President kung siya nga ang gumawa nito? Ang problema din nga hinintay kasi nga ginawang issue samantalang it was a mere miscommunication. I don’t blame others who want to look into it, I want to look into it, I asked questions until I saw this document and heard the explanation and asked people who are experts in the budget. Half truths Mr. President.

Sinabi ni Sen. Lacson dito, may malice at pinakita niya yung ilang projects na broken down into two phases. I asked from the budget department napakaraming proyekto hindi nahahati-hati. Halimbawa po Edsa, puede mo ilagay Edsa lang, pag nandyan na yung pera pede ka mamili, sa Makati mo ba ilalagay yan, sa Cubao mo ba ilalagay yan, sa Quezon City mo ba ilalagay yan o dito sa bandang Ortigas? Puede rin na nakalagay phase I, phase II, phase III kasi kawawa naman ako kung ako masipag na Congressman ng Makati kinuha ko ng repair ang Edsa-Makati hindi nilagay in parenthesis Makati, biglang nilagay sa Quezon city. So minsan inilalagay yung detalye. But any person from the budget department will tell you, walang anumalya kung walang nakalagay kung anong phase gagamitin yun. Except usually nilalagay yung with right of way so that technically din a magkaproblema na part of it will be used for right of way. So meaning Mr. President kung nag ask question first there’s no reason to shoot. Half-truths, why do I say its half-truths, sabi po ni Senator Lacson, “I simply followed the trail and it lead me to you, Mr. Senate President, no political motive here whatsoever, walang kinalaman ang iyong pagtakbo sa 2010, nor with your senate presidency” and in page 8 of his speech at least with this piece of paper given to us yesterday, “the senate president in his early afternoon news conference, accused some of his colleagues of insinuating that he pocketed public funds, money in the extension of the c5 road. Nobody even up to now, has accused him of pocketing part or whole of the 200million.” Pero Mr. President tingnan mo yung transcript nung interview ni Sen. Lacson kay Ted at Korina. Korina: “pero possible ba kung sakasakaling mga lupain ni many villar yan? Dahil maraming lupa yon may development yun kung sansaan.” Lacson: “yun ang pinapaalam natin ngayon kaninong mga lupa ang tatamaan doon.” Korina: “At makikinabang pati.” Lacson: “doble at triple ang pakinabang pag nagkataon.” Ted Failon: “sabi nga ni linda humilya nung mdaan siya doon madalas pero lately wala na daw ang billboard.” Korina: “wala na yung billboard?” Ted Failon: “na binangit ni Senator Lacson.” Lacson: “so kumpirmado talaga Ted na ang billboard doon nakalagay ay project ni Senate President.” Korina: “para sa kanyang sariling kapakapanan, senate president pa naman din siya.” Lacson: “kasi right now di naman tayo nagbibintang na siya talaga. Siya ang nag insert pero kung talagang may kinalaman siya dapat ipaliwanag talaga. At napakasamang halimbawa ng isang lider ng isang sangay ng gobyerno na siya nga yung nangunguna na magsingit ng ganun.” Korina: “pero sa kanyang sariling kapakinabangan, senate president pa din naman siya.” Lacson: “ahh he would make a double entry yung isang entry nanakawin mo tapos actually walang pagagamitan nun.” I will repeat, Lacson: “aahh he would make a double-entry yung isang entry nanakawin mo kasi, kasi walang pagagamitan nun.” Ted failon: “opo, opo baka naman po sasabihin nila, ay hindi ano lang yan na nagkadouble entry dyan.” Ted failon: “mali siya don ginamit niya maka ibang panagalan” etc. etc.

Do I blame Ted and Korina? No Mr. President because if I listen to their interview with Sec. Andaya macoconfuse rin e. Meaning I do not agree with Ted and Korina but I respect their right as broadcasters to ask the questions but mali yung sinabi ni Senate (president) na nobody up to now, bakit po? It might be technically true, but it’s a half-truth. May namintang na e, its all over na. E hindi ba pamimintang yung sasabihin mong nagtatanong lang naman ako e. Diba? So kung sinabi kong sino yung magandang bisita dyan, nagtatanong lang naman ako. Senate President Ejercito-Estrada e diba namimintang na ko kay mahal kong kaibigan na si Senator Jinggoy no’n. Kung dagdagan ko pa, e sino pa ba yon e nasa upuan na reserved para kay Senator Jinggoy. So Mr. Senate President I’m just tying to prove a point that you cannot make insinuations and then say na ‘di ka namimintang. You look at his speech, you look at all the transcripts that came and this is the problem, the Senate President didn’t even know, what are you accusing me of? That’s why I was happy yesterday when Senator Lacson said number one, magandang project yon, e di wala naman palang problema yung insertion, maganda pala naman ang project e. Number 2, wala siyang sinasabing may bumulsa nung 200milyon at hindi ganun kadali yun. E yun naman pala e, e ano mga sinasabi mo sa mga radio stations? Na yun ang intensyon, na kukunin yun. Number three, na per se na hindi masama ang insertion, then why all the insinuations about these insertions.

So Mr. President it behooves me that at the end of his speech sabi niya, singit at taga. Ayan nanaman, hindi siya namimingtang. Alam naman nating lahat sipag at tyaga ang ginagamit ng Senate President. Tapos sasabihin niya singit at taga. E kung ako sabihin ko, di ako namimingtang ah pero ang sipit ang sipag tumira, e di alam mong tumira ka na. Ganun din naman yon Mr. President. So I think in the end, Mr. Senate President things like saying sino ang pumiyok siya ang nagitlog, what kind of legal argument is that? All over the radio sinabi niya properties mo nandyan baka ninakaw mo yung pera di natural hindi ka ba magpapainterview at sasagot? Pero sa amin po sa Taguig hindi po pumiyok ang ginagamit, ang ginagamit po sa amin, kung sino ang pumutak yun ang nagitlog. At siguro yon ang mas magandang tanungin dito sa Senado. Sino ba ang putak ng putak at sino ba yung nagingitlog parati. Sapagkat Mr. President everytime that we use our powers here in the Senate to give a speech, to investigate, to accuse fellow senators pero palpak, we lose part of our political capital.

We should use our powers, our privileges wisely Mr. President because marami talagang graft and corruption. So Mr. President, magkakampi kami ni Senator Lacson pagdating sa fight against graft and corruption. Sayang po wala siya sa hall na ito but sinabi ko kanina not just once or twice, one and a half years ho halos niya kong cinicriticize naalala niyo nung sinabi kong may witness na kong kausap. Sinabi niya sa media, dapat di mo ina-announce baka makausap. A few days later sinabi niya may kausap siya, ano nangyari pagdating dito ni Leo San Miguel, baliktad ang sinabi sa inaannounce ni Senator Ping. Anung ginawa ko? Dinepensahan ko siya sa media, di ko sinabi sa media, kita mo yan ako pagsasabihan na wag iannounce siya rin pala nag announce ng witness niya pala ang bumaliktad. Di ko sinabi yon, I defended him, why? Cos I believed in him, I believed na maganda ang ginawa niya, I believed na bumaliktad si Leo San Miguel at hindi siya. But yet he keeps on criticizing me unfairly Mr. Senate President, and I don’t believe it’s because of my stand in graft and corruption. I believe sincerely Mr. President that election fever has reached this august hall.

Anyway Mr. Senate President, when we go to work tomorrow, we have to still work together. So I forgive him for those criticisms as I ask that he forgive me for bringing this up, because he mentioned my name and he made it appear that 200million na barya and that I’m insensitive to that. May I just remind him that I am not on the side of Senate President Villar. I’m on the side of truth. I would be on his side, if I thought that this issue is true. Last month we had a hearing sa swine scam, isa siya sa mga authors, dalawang hearing po di siya dumating. 2.6billion pesos yun, wala siyang narinig sa akin. Di ko naman sinabing di na siya interesado. Eto ‘tong 200million lahat ng effort nandito. So importante din to, ituloy niya at sana yung mga sagot na gusto nya ay makuha niya. Pero sana naman po respetuhin din po nya yung karapatan at pananaw ng iba. Minsan siya tama minsan, tayo ang tama. Pero mali naman na pagka yung di natin sinunod yung gusto niya tayo na bigla ang bad cop at siya bigla ang good cop.

I have too much and too high respect for the Senate for this institutions individual members, it hurt me that Senator Jinggoy, majority leader and the minority leader had to divide the house and to huddle a while ago about speaking. I just appeal to our colleagues, I know that I’m a neophyte and I know that there are a lot that I have to learn from this august hall. But I always thought to myself bakit sa U.S ang mga Congressman at Senador pumupunta pa for two weeks sa Harvard para matuto sa pagiging legislator and I apologize to Senator Madrigal kung tingin niya siya dapat ang magsalita. Pero natutunan ko po sa House of Representatives when I was there I always admired how the Senate handled itself in all of its hearings. I would always say, bakit sa Senado opposition o administrasyon very fair, may courtesy at lumalabas ang issues. They disagree with each other but it is really a venue for statesmanship. E bakit po nagkakaganito sa atin ngayon? Hindi ba napaka simple naman na kung ang magsspeech pro ang magiinterpellate muna anti. Kung anti ang magsspeech, yun naman magiinterpellate yung sa kabila naman. Pero kung pagbibigyan naman ok lang. Pero di po naman rin ba tama na pag binangit mo ang mga pangalan, halimbawa na criticize ko si Sen. Honasan ngayon, hindi naman po natin sasabihing di natin siyapapatayuin para magsalita.

So Mr. President I just appeal to our colleagues and if I made my own mistakes I’ll try to correct them that we really show our people that this senate is a venue for statesmanship and this senate regardless of the issues facing us will be fair, we will not engage in half-truths, we will not paint each other as villains and as ako ang bida ikaw ang kontrabida dito. Because we can agree to disagree. I wish that God blesses this senate and I wish also that we refrain from mentioning people that cannot defend themselves. Sen. Lacson mentioned former Congressman Gilbert Remulla and even added the line “He being the spokesman of the party, is willing to say anything for the Senate President”. Alam mo yung tao nawalan ng pork barrel, nawalan ng committee, lumaban para sa katotohanan para sa “hello garcie”. Grabe ang inoffer kay Cong. Remulla na bumaliktad lang nanindigan siya how can you now say that he is willing to say anything just to protect the Senate President and unfair, di naman makakasalita dito, spokesman lang siya. Sabi nga don’t shoot the messenger. E shoot first before you ask questions e, yun ang problema. But kung maalala ko si Cong. Gilbert used to speak for Sen.Lacson. Miyembro rin siya ng “ping” nuong araw. So is he saying that he lied also for him? I think we should be very careful, couldn’t he say, ayang si Cong. Gilbert I disagree with what he says but I respect him, period. Bakit kailangan mo pang sabihin, willing to say anything. Tapos sasabihin niya di nagaacusa e para mo narin sinabing ang tao ay nagsisinungaling na maling-mali naman, Mr. President. And I think we should give that courtesy to the people who are not members here. Hindi naman papatawg si Gilbert sa hearing kasi spokesman lang siya e kung siya sana ang topic ng privilege speech ok lang.

But anyway, Mr. President I took too much of our time already and let me apologize for my feeling that I had to do this. Again, God bless us, God bless the Senate. Thank you very much for this opportunity.