Transcript of Senator Santiago's interview

On the infomercials of cabinet members

Hindi namin alam sa Senado na kalakip pala sa MOOE (Maintenance, Operating, and Other Expenses) ang advertising expenses dahil hindi iyan nakalagay sa budget. Kailangan itong malaman ng taumbayan. Hindi iyan nilalagay sa budget kundi sa isang libro na tinatawag na Budget Call. Talagang temptasyon iyan para sa ulo ng departamento na i-publicize niya ang sarili niya. Halimbawa sa PAGCOR, bakit maga-advertising campaign sila kung monopolya naman siya, wala naman siyang kakumpitensya? Why does it have to spend Php 80 million, which is what the chairman admitted in the last hearing. Gusto rin nating malaman na kung talagang pina-publicize ang departamento, bakit hindi taun-taon nila ina-advertise ang kanilang serbisyo? Wala naman silang sinasabi tungkol dito kundi ngayon lang 2009 dahil palapit na ang halalan sa 2010. Kaya maliwanag na ginagamit nilang paraan iyan para mangampanya sila, at ginagamit pa ang pondo ng gobyerno.

Ang mahal-mahal ng television ads. Ang thirty seconds sa TV ay halos kalahating milyong piso na. Biro mo, i-compute mo iyan sa kung ilang beses sa isang araw, at kung ilang araw hanggang sa halalan. Ilang daang milyon ang ginagastos nila sa pera natin para lang i-publicize ang mga katawan at mukha nila.

Kaya ang pagtatanong ko ay kung ngayon pa lang kandidato sila ay nilalabag na nila ang batas, ano pa kaya kung mahalal sila? Kung ganyan karaming pera ang gobyerno, ibigay na lang natin ito sa PGH. Ibili natin ng mga makina na available sa ospital ng mayayaman at wala sa ospital ng mahihirap gaya ng PGH. Bakit natin gagamitin ang pera para i-glamorize ang mga ito?

At ano ba ang inaadvertise nila? Tingnan mo ang mga infomercials. Sabi nga sa akin ng isang may mataas na panunungkulan, "Pakialam naming kung nadadagdagan ng 300,000 ang mga pulis? Trabaho nila iyan. That is a bureaucratic function." It shouldn't even be mentioned. Naturally you have to keep on expanding your workforce as the population expands. Bagong serbisyo ba iyan? So what is the rationale for the inordinate and exorbitant use of public funds just to publicize that we are hiring policemen? Kung contagious disease naman, yung disease ang i-highlight mo, unless the secretary of health is a disease himself.

Paano kung private funds ang ginamit, gaya ng sa commercial ni dating Pangulong Estrada?

In effect he is acting as a commercial model. Sa mga artista, iba ang rason natin dahil ang mga artista kinukuha talagang commercial model--maybe he has an excuse there. Ang punto ko ay kung hindi ka commercial model noon, huwag naman kayong magkukunwari o magbalatkayo na commercial model kayo ngayon. Sa mga nagsasabing "Itong aking TV ad ay binayaran ng aking mga kaibigan, or Paid for by friends of XYZ," aba, dapat imbestigahan natin kung sino ang mga kaibigang ito dahil nagbibigay sila ng regalo na hindi ayon sa batas.

Ang sabi sa batas, maski Christmas o birthday o kung ano pang okasyon, basta opisyal ka ng publiko, hindi ka pwedeng tumanggap ng regalo na manifestly excessive. Ang pwede mo lang tanggapin ay ang nominal or insignificant. Ibig sabihin, bigyan mo ng mangga o ng food basket. Pero kung bigyan mo ng bahay, lote, kerida, at iba pa, manifestly excessive iyon. Ngayon, bibigyan mo ang public official ng regalo na TV ad, na ang thirty seconds is already half a million pesos, that is manifestly excessive. And still they would be liable under the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Code of Conduct for Public Officials.

How much is the MOOE allocated per department?

It varies from department to department. Ang budget ng department is generally divided into two main topics, one is Personal Services--those are for salaries--and the other is the MOOE. Ang MOOE na iyan ang sanhi ng corruption kasi maintenance, operating, and other expenses. Tapos puwede mong i-realign iyan. Maski nga Personal Services dinadaya dahil pinapalitaw nila na may pinapasuweldo sila pero wala naman pala ang taong iyon.

Around how much is in their disposal?

I can't really tell. It depends on the total budget. Generally you just halve it into two. They liquidate it but all the papers are forged.

Sa Lunes, ako ay magpi-privilege speech. Uunahan ko ang committee report ko kasi matagal magpapirma ng committee report; I have to get the majority of the signatures, and as you know after roll call there is hardly a quorum in the Senate. Ipapakita ko lang ang Powerpoint presentation sa aking hearing kung saan makikita mo na maliwanag naman ang batas: discretionary funds should be used only for a public purpose. Kung in-advertise mo ang mga serbisyo na ibinibigay ng iyong departamento, public purpose iyan. Pero kung pina-publicize mo ang sarili mo at alam ng publiko o sinabi mo mismo na tatakbo ka sa halalan, hindi na magiging public iyon; private purpose na iyon. Hindi ka puwedeng magtago sa pamamagitan ng kunwari infomercial o advertisement tungkol sa departamento mo pero ikinakampanya mo na ang sarili mo.

It is not based on whether they declared themselves as candidates. It is based on what the public thinks are the political ambitions of the cabinet members. Ganito iyon: Lahat ng senador gustong maging presidente. Lahat ng cabinet members gustong maging senador. Lahat ng kerida gustong maging asawa.

On her plans for 2010

Pinag-iisipan ko pa iyon dahil nagsasawa na rin ako sa sarili ko. Kung nagsasawa na ako sa sarili ko, ang ibang tao nagsasawa na rin sa akin. Hindi naman ako naging femme fatale at ayokong magpa-lipo. Kaya I need to reinvent myself but I don't know how to do that. I am comfortable with my own skin, I'm a grandmother. Actually, my secret dream is to become a recluse kasi kung naging celebrity ka, at kung magretire ka, magiging recluse ka. Pero kung hindi ka celebrity at magretire ka, anonymous ka lang.

Nakikipag-usap ka ba sa Nacionalista Party?

Lahat kinausap na ako. Lahat sila, they are recruiting senatoriables, so it is not exclusive to me.

Is NP your priority?

I told Sen. Villar I will certainly give him priority if I make a decision to run.

Hindi ba siya natatamaan sa anti-infomercial campaign ninyo?

Para sa lahat naman ito, it applies to all. Ganito kasi ang pagtingin ko: Basta mahinto ang isa, hihinto rin ang lahat. That is the unfairness of that situation, particularly because the Constitution requires that opportunities for equal access to public service shall not be denied. Dapat pantay-pantay lang.

If ever you decide to run, do you have any qualms in joining Sen. Villar's ticket?

I'm just making a point of information. Sa Senado minsan tatayo kami at sasabihing "Point of information. Meron akong alam na gusto ko lamang ipahiwatig sa inyo." Iyon lang naman ang sinasabi ko, na baka magkakagulo tayo dito, kaya sinasabi ko na ante mano.

Are you planning on seeking a higher post?

Wala na dahil wala akong abilidad na magnakaw ng pera. Una, it is intellectually repulsive to me. It really gives me nausea. So, constitutionally, I am not built to steal money. Iyon ang unang sikreto ng isang presidential candidate, dapat maraming-marami kang pera. Dapat nakadiskubre ka ng gold o diamond mine. Or dapat naging public official ka noon na merong discretionary funds at kukunin mo ang ten or twenty, or up to thirty percent.

What are the chances of you running for reelection?

Right now? Seven percent. I have to work for the rest of the ninety three percent.

On Bro. Mike Velarde's presidential bid

My comment would be a legal comment. Under the Election Code, the Comelec is prohibited from registering any religious political party. In effect, he will register El Shaddai as a party because it is known as a religious organization. He will have to think of some other name and he will have to have a political rather than a religious or spiritual agenda. That is a constitutional provision--there is a separation between church and state.

Do you think he can win?

In all honesty, it will not be possible because the other churches will mobilize against him. The result will be divisive because the other religions will have to circle their own wagons. That is precisely why it is prohibited in our Constitution; there is wisdom in that church-state separation clause in our Constitution.

On leaders of religious organizations joining politics

As an amateur theologian, I tend to concur on the opinion of some prime theologians that the religious should not run for public office. They should keep themselves in their pulpits and their homilies and to their charitable works where they can disseminate their own agenda if they wish. But they should not directly enter the arena of politics because that would be blurring the lines.