Press Release
March 6, 2008

Transcript of interview with Senate President Manny Villar over ANC with Tony Velasquez and Twink Macaraig

Q: A lot of senators who are part of the joint investigating committee are not very optimistic that the Chinese official of the company ZTE will respond to any summon?

SPMBV : We had to issue subpoena. Kailangang matawagan namin sila para mabigyang liwanag nila ang issue na ito. Hindi natin sila pwedeng i-exempt sa pag-imbita dahilan lamang sa iniisip natin na hindi sila darating . At least we have to go through the process at sila naman kapag nabigyan ng subpoena, palagay ko ay mahihirapan silang pumunta dito sa Pilipinas kapag hindi nila papansinin yang imbitasyon na yan.

Q: Who are the specific individuals who were sent the subpoena?

SPMBV : Fan Yang and Yu Yong of the ZTE, ito yung dalawang nabanggit ni Mr. Madriaga at kasama na rin sa iimbestigahan namin yung iba pang mga nabanggit na pangalan ni Mr. Madriaga - Abalos, Leo San Miguel, Ruben Reyes, Quirino dela Torre, Jimmy Paz. Eto yung tinatawag nya na greedy bunch.

Q: Apart from the Filipinos who would be summoned to the Tuesday hearing, the two Chinese personalities, the summons were sent I suppose?

SPMBV: Yes, sa office nila. May office naman sila dito.

Q: Who received it?

SPMBV: I don't know exactly. I gave it, normally to our OSAA (Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms), who does these things. Hindi ko alam eksakto kung sino tumanggap ng mga subpoena but they have already been sent. Marunong naman sila sa mga bagay na ito.

Q: What kind of details do you hope that Yu Yong and Fan Yang can provide at the inquiry?

SPMBV: According to Mr. Lozada and Mr. Madriaga, sila iyung ka-deal nitong mga nabanggit na pangalan, sila Mr.San Miguel at Mr.Ruben Reyes, at Jimmy Paz. Sila ang mga ka-deal dito and they know a lot about this deal so perhaps they can enlighten us. We don't know lang kung makikipag-cooperate sila but we're trying, they might, we don't know. Baka naman sakaling willing sila na mag-shed light ditto. Remember, one time may sinabi sa ating witness na nagco-complain na sila at nakapag-down payment na sila. Baka naman sila ay gusto nang magsalita dahilan sa nakapag down na sila.

Q: Are you going to be asking them about any other related issues as has been reported recently the Far Eastern Economic Review, somehow the idea of Chinese loans now being tied to the earlier exploration deals signed by the Filipino/ Vietnamese, are you going to ask them?

SPMBV: I intend to ask these questions. I'm worried about the Spratlys deal. Kung makakapagbigay liwanag sila dito, I would ask these questions. Anyway, titingnan ko kung ano yung isasagot nila if they come. Kung di nila sasagutin yung questions sa Spratlys, magkakaroon naman ng separate investigations for that. We want to know the deal that we entered into with China; kung anong deal yan, anong background nyan and bakit natin ginawa yan.

Q: We're anticipating that they will not respond to the subpoena, so what will the Senate do then?

SPMBV: We will have to write them first a show-cause letter, para maipaliwanag nila kung bakit hindi sila dapat mai-cite for contempt, for not responding to our subpoena. Lahat din iyan hindi lamang yung dalawang ZTE officials pati rin yung five names mentioned. Kung hindi sila magre-respond sa aming subpoena ay mapipilitan kaming sulatan sila. We have to comply with the process. We want to be sure na yung proseso namin ay nasusunod, kaya show cause muna ito. Hihingan namin sila ng paliwanag kung bakit hindi sila dapat ma-cite for contempt. If the committees are not satisfied, then we will cite them for contempt.

Q: The penalties of being cited in contempt, if the subject is out of the country sir, what happens then?

SPMBV: Warrant of arrest din yan just in case na pumunta sila dito sa atin. Kaya lamang siyempre, we just want to make it clear na hindi naman talaga kami basta-basta nag-iissue ng warrant of arrest. Talagang yang mga bagay na yan ay pinag-iisipan naming mabuti iyan at sparing din namin ginagawa iyan. Hindi naman kami nag-iisue ng ganyan indiscriminately. We go through the process and as much as possible binibigyan namin sila ng time. Talagang last resort lang sa amin ang warrant of arrest.

Q: In other words, you're saying upon pain of arrest only if they should set foot on the Philippines again?

SPMBV: Oo, mahirap naman kung sa China. I doubt whether we will have the capability to implement this sa labas ng bansa.

Q: You did say earlier that you & other senators are also disturbed by the oil exploration agreement that we have with China and Vietnam.

SPMBV: Dito kasi we broke ranks with other Asean countries. We want to know if this agreement is related to this deal. Kasi ito ang lumalabas sa aming imbestigasyon na may possibility na itong mga bagay na ito ay related. Para tayo humiwalay sa mga kasamahan natin sa ASEAN, there must be a reason. We want to know kung ano ang mga kadahilanan kung bakit tayo humiwalay sa ating Asean neighbors. Anyway, we want to know kung ang agreement na ito ay napirmahan three years ago. We want to know kung ano na ang nangyari since then, kung wala nang additional agreement na napirmahan between the Philippine government and China.

Q: Baka nagtataka ang publiko, bakit 2005 pa napirmahan, ngayon lang natin bubusisiin?

SPMBV: Ngayon lang kasi naglalabasan itong deals na ito. If you notice, itong deals na ito marami ito, isang package ito. May Cyber Ed, may South Rail, may North Rail. Ito ay series of projects that is being financed by the Chinese government. Merong mga nagsa-suggest na ito ay may kinalaman doon. So we have to look into this. Wala namang masama na tingnan ito. Pinare-review ko ngayon at unusual na tayo ay hihiwalay sa Asean. Normally Asean deals with China as a bloc. Bakit humiwalay tayo and then nagkaroon ng maraming projects na ganito. Gusto ko lang masiguro na ang timing ay coincidence lamang at hindi related. Gusto kong malaman if there are subsequent agreements with China after the agreement you are saying we signed in 2005.

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