Press Release
February 9, 2009

Transcript of ambush interview with Sen. President Enrile before session

Q. Bicam? Bicam sa Baseline?

SP. Yung sa Baseline, natapos namin kanina yung Bicameral conference. We finished the Bicameral conference today and we are preparing a final version of the Baseline Law, taking into account the position of the Senate and the position of the House of Representatives. We suspended the Bicameral Conference and we will meet again within the next few days to finally approve the final version of the law as agreed upon by the two bodies.

Q. Sir, anong nangyari dun sa Regime of Islands?

SP. We adopted the regime, the concept of regime, for the islands of Kalayaan, and the Bajo de Masinloc or otherwise known as the Scarborough Shoal.

Q. Ok lang ba sa inyo na magbigay na ng deposition si First Gentleman na di siya maka-attend?

SP. Well. I leave the matter to the members of the Committee how they will deal with the problems of the First Gentleman. If he could not appear, then the deposition is open for him. It will probably be better if they will just take his deposition.

Q. Paano yung proseso ng deposition?

SP. We'll notify him of the time and place of the deposition, and he will be assisted by a lawyer, and they will ask him questions on what they want to ask.

Q. How vital would be his testimony?

SP. I don't know what they want to ask him. As far as I know, the supposed report of the World Bank that was shown to me, and a copy of which I have, there was no mention of Mike Arroyo or First Gentleman or husband of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in that document.

Q. Sir, hindi pa original yung document...

SP. I think a few pages maybe five or six.

Q. Hindi ba conclusive yung document?

SP. It was a report. According to them, it was a report of the World Bank. They did not disclose who were the witnesses that they interviewed, they have examined, what was the proceeding done, and the findings. They did not sustain the investigating arm of the World Bank; arbitral body of the World Bank made certain findings about what they said is more likely than not that there was collusion. They did not say that there was collusion. They just said it was more likely than not. It was an imprecise statement. And then they said it was more likely than not that there was no corruptive activity. These were imprecise statements. They did not say there was no corruptive practice nor did they say there was collusion. It was more likely than not.

Q. Did they say there was sufficient evidence for the collusion?

SP. No, that's precisely why they use the phrase "it was more likely than not". Weighing all the evidence that they had, they concluded that it was more likely than not that there was no corruption activities.

Q. Pwede ba silang mag-file ng protest against the World Bank?

SP. Ano? Di pabayaan mo silang mag-file ng protest.

Q. Di, yung Philippine government?

SP. Ay, hindi ko na problema yun. Problema na nung mga nauukol.

Q. Senate Pro-Tempore Estarada has been hospitalized...

SP. Yes, he has been hospitalized. He's suffering from some stomach problems. But he's OK. He is alright. I just asked him to do something for the Senate.

Q. Sir, in the deposition, will the presence of the senators be required or can they go?

SP. There will be the presence of course of the Senate panel. They will be present because they will take the deposition. The deposition will be recorded.

Q. So, Sir, walang Thursday session?

SP. Tapos na namin ang mga bills dito e. We are rushing the hearing of the committees.

Q. Sir, yung sa baseline, Senate version ang ina-adopt ninyo?

SP. Version ng Kongreso ang ina-adopt (He meant Congress composed of the House and the Senate).

Q. Pero may adoption sa version ng Regime of Islands?

SP. May portion ng version of the Congress that came from the House, meron ding portion that came from the Senate.

Q. Basically, Sir, Regime of Islands, Sir?

SP. Correct. Regime of Islands.

Q. Sir, na-adopt yung Senate version ng Kalayaan at yung Scarborough ay hindi subject sa Philippine sovereignty?

SP. No. The Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Islands, as well as the Kalayaan Islands, were considered as regime of islands under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Q. Anong main reason bakit na-convince ang House to get the Kalayaan and the Scarborough out of the baseline?

SP. Because we showed them the nomenclature or the mechanics that is authorized by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Q. Sir, they did not argue on that?

SP. Well, we had an argument for the whole morning. We argued the case.

Q. Sir, clarification lang. Na-approve na siya o hindi pa rin?

SP. Na-approve na kaya lang subject to style, sinusulat nila yung final version. Yung technical working group.

Q. Sir, sabi nila, unconstitutional daw yung requirements?

SP. Yung mga nagsasabi na unconstitutional, let them go to court. Yung mga nagsasabi na unconstitutional, kung sinasabi nila na unconstitutional, I urge them to go to court.

Q. Sir, klaro lang, paano ang naging compromise between House and the Senate sa Baseline Bill?

SP. Basta yung metes and bounds noong baseline ng Pilipinas nailagay na sa panukalang batas ng Senado, yung regime of islands accepted. Ngayon, meron lang modification ang House sa Section 2, Section 4. We adopted their modification. I cannot remember the wording.

Q. Kailan mara-ratify yun?

SP. Siguro in a few days. As soon as they write the final version.

Q. So, within the week, Sir?

SP. I don't know whether it's within the week. Maybe next week. Ok? Q Thank you, Sir.

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