Transcript of interview with Senator Mar Roxas on DWIZ's 'Karambola'

On the ZTE deal:

Q: Do you think it's really necessary to subpoena Mike Arroyo?

MAR: There was a motion initially just to invite, by one of the senators, and then it was converted by another senator to a motion to subpoena, and there was a whole discussion. I as co-chair suggested, let's just discuss this at the appropriate time and we'll make a decision. In the meantime let's find out the facts muna because magiging he-said, she-said ito, and we will never get to the bottom of it.

There are two issues here. Yung unang isyu, yung potential graft and corruption, yung interference ng high officials, that's one set of issues. The other set of issues is, leaving aside all of that, ito ba'y pangangailangan natin. Kung makakautang ba tayo ng 330 million dollars, dito ba dapat natin gastusin ito? At ano ba itong binili natin? Baka naman gold-plated ito, baka hindi naman kailangan ito, baka bumili tayo ng 12-cylinder pero ang kailangan natin 4-cylinder. Maliban sa gold-plated, overdesigned, overpriced pa.

Q: So you're saying Malacañang should appreciate what you're doing, that this is a way out [of the deal with ZTE]. Maybe they can not unilaterally scrap the deal, which already smells so bad

MAR: I disagree that you cannot unilaterally scrap this. There is no law, there is no regulation, there is nothing that says government must continue with what apparently is a disadvantageous transaction.

There are preconditions to the close. There has not been a close, there is a conditional transaction. So if none of those conditions come about, then there could be no close.

Dalhin natin sa negosyo, halimbawa. Sa mga negosyante, kung gusto nilang magkatuluyan, they hire one law firm na mahusay makipag-ayos, makipag-areglo. Kung ayaw nilang matuloy ang project, palagay nila nagkamali sila, they will hire another law firm na bubutingtingin lahat ng mga objectionable, at sa suya, hindi na lang magkakatuluyan. Pwede yon mangyari rito e.

Q: You guys are not gonna keep going after people, are you?

MAR: For the issue of graft and corruption, there's an Ombudsman. In the Senate, this was referred to three committees. First, blue ribbon, because of the graft and corruption aspect; second to trade and commerce because of the, number one, trade relations with China, number two, IT and the technical know-how of the approvals of the ICC process; and then third to defense, because there is a security angle here.

When I was surfing the net, I found that the German government caught eavesdropping and hacking on to its government computer system that was using ZTE equipment proceeding from a ZTE contract. So do we want that the Chinese government have a Xerox copy of every transaction and every document that we are passing among ourselves here? So there is a security angle also here. Ang point lang dito is that there are serious national security and national economy issues here apart from the graft and corruption.

Q: Ano po ang aasahan nating pupuntahan nitong hearing sa ZTE at sa National Broadband Network.?

MAR: Makikita natin una na kung saan man dumating ang graft and corruption, yung allegations ni Mr. De Venecia, yung depensa ni Ben Abalos atsaka ni FG, at ni Larry Mendoza. Makikita ko hanggang saan iyon, mga pruweba, corroboration, etcetera.

Q: If the deal is scrapped, can we not legally presume that any kickbacks that were commissioned or bribed had been returned?

MAR: We're not in a position to determine that. I'm just saying that is one aspect. The other aspect, and for me the more important aspect, is the 330 million dollar contract. Maaari na two, three weeks ma-headline ito yung kay FG at kay JDV, pero samantala tuloy ang pag-uutang natin ng 330.

This is a project in search of rationalization. Parang, gawin natin ang project, hanapin na lang natin ng pangangailangan. Makikitang convoluted ang reasoning kase hindi naman nagsimula ito sa tunay na pangangailangan. Kung kailangan man natin ito, ito ba ay number one na pangangailangan, or panlimang pangangailangan?

Q: Should it be Joey De Venecia to explain this, having submitted his unsolicited proposal for the project?

MAR: Ang problema ay, tinuloy ng gobyerno ito at a higher cost with a lesser coverage na walang procurement. Hindi ko sinasabing mabuti itong project ng AHI ni De Venecia, ang sinasabi ko lang, yung De Venecia, nag-submit ng proposal. Nasa sa atin bilang gobyerno kung papansinin ba natin ito o hinde.