Press Release
May 27, 2009

Transcript of Senator Miriam Santiago's interview

On the possible Noli-Ronnie tandem for the 2010 elections

It is a declaration of ambition by Sec. Puno. Normally a person should entertain the ambition to run for national public office if he has three factors that he is reasonably sure is in his pocket before the campaign even starts. These three factors are: 1) personal popularity; 2) funding, whether it comes from an established party or from independent contributors; and 3) if he has an organization.

Normally it all comes down to money because with money you can buy popularity in terms of exposure in media. With money, you can buy a party or establish one by yourself and then you would have an organization because you can buy people to act as your party leaders in the local level. Basically it is still the politics of money. In effect, every person who declares a candidacy is saying that he or she either despises the criteria and is willing to test him or herself even without these three criteria, or that he or she has satisfied the three criteria.

Does Sec. Puno have the qualifications?

Does he have popularity? Apparently he is not even scoring in any survey because he has never been included. And now he will be included, but I doubt very much if he is going to suddenly turn popular overnight. Number two, he has the party, but will the party spend for him, or will it break into little factions as we have seen before? The third question is the organization at the grassroots level: does he have that? Or is this going to be a repeat or Operation Dagdag-Bawas in Sulo Hotel?

He is alleged to have an expertise. I don't know really what his field of expertise really is. In my understanding, expertise means devotion to a particular academic field of study. It does not include, in my view, a special skill unknown to many others but available to them but rejected on the basis of moral political scruples. I mean, it is very easy to have a special skill if you are minded to go outside ethical strictures.

Is it a formidable tandem? Why?

No. They don't have any money. Mr. De Castro doesn't have any money of his own, at least not sufficient to run an entire presidential campaign, or to attract volunteers who will just act on its own. In the case of Mr. Puno, neither does he have these factors working for him.

Even with De Castro's popularity?

Look at the percentages. People can be topping surveys but if you compare them to the percentages of other presidentiables at other times in six-year intervals, you will see that there is a great gap. For example, suppose a person tops the presidential surveys, and suppose that he is only getting 15%. That means that out of the voting population of 45 million, only 15% are willing to vote for him. All the rest are just too enervated or just have no energy to deal with the problem. It doesn't interest them. So it will be very easy to overcome that competitive edge.

You have to see what percentage did other presidentiables get before, and six years before that. You can be at the top of the surveys, but if your percentage is very low, it means that your popularity can be easily evaporate before the campaign period. I ask the media to look at the figures. In 1992, for example, what are the ratings of those in the top 3 compared to those now in the top 3? There was a lot of election fever in 1992, but today nobody is willing to express an opinion. So they might be topping the surveys but they only get low figures like 15%.

Who do you think is the man to beat?

Nobody. The country is in a state of chronic fatigue. There is no excitement, there is no action. People aren't jumping on their feet with elation or exhilaration. Everybody is yawning. With Puno's declaration, more yawns from the public.

He will have stiff competition if he runs for vice president and if he is able to convince his party because basically what will happen is a two- or at best a three-way contest. All the other presidentiables will slide down to vice presidential candidate. It is just common sense: if you have a dozen presidentiables, two or three will remain and all the others will have to run for vice-president or senator. So he will have to beat others who have been scoring high in the surveys.

On the call for an executive session in the Hayden Kho sex video scandal hearing

Normally in trial court we do that. In rape cases, normally we go into closed door trial when it is the victim herself who is testifying on the actual process of being raped. That should be a valid call for privacy in favor of the so-called victim. It also should be a closed door meeting because the members of the committee will have to watch those videos to be able to form an intelligent opinion.

Isn't it ironic that the Kho's camp called for a closed door executive session despite the public viewing of his videos?

I have to go by media accounts. Apparently he has a personality disorder, but he has to deal with it on his own because I cannot possibly grapple with the problem that the person himself is capable of solving. He has to see a shrink.

On the criticism of the Senate holding the hearing despite other agencies investigating the same scandal

That is a valid point. It may be superfluous at this time because actually we already have a bill that has already been a subject of a committee report (SBN CRN 65). I don't think that anyone is seriously against my bill, so it can easily pass second reading, which is the period of debate, and then we'll go to voting. I'll talk to Sen. Zubiri that at least we can take it up before the break.

On the Senate committee of the whole going to trial proper for the ethics complaint against Sen. Villar.

It all depends on whether Sen. Villar decides to present evidence. If not, there is no point because we will never hear his side. We will only hear one side, and as a former trial judge, I know enough to realize that this will be, in effect, a waste of time because we can just ask for a summary judgment of the pleadings, that is to say we will just issue judgment on the basis of the complaint and its annexes or exhibits that have been filed. And there is no controverting evidence.

Do you agree with Sen. Villar's move to stay out of the proceedings?

He is gambling because the Supreme Court might take its time. We will never know. The Supreme Court may issue a TRO tomorrow. On the other hand, it might just allow the period to lapse and allow the Senate to continue proceedings until judgment is due. Then it is possible Sen. Villar could be convicted simply because he did not present evidence on his own side. You cannot rely on the Supreme Court to step in in a timely fashion.

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