Press Release
September 9, 2009

Transcript of ambush interview with Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile

Noynoy's Candidacy

Q: Sir, 'yung kay Noynoy po tinanggap 'yung pagtakbo sa 2010...

SP: Talagang given na 'yon sapagkat noong nagbitiw si Mar (Roxas), kung natatandaan niyo 'yung sinabi niya, I do not want a disunited party to head. In effect, that's what he said, I want to maintain unity. And if there is anybody who will make the sacrifice, ako na 'yon, sabi niya. Ibig sabihin noon, talagang given na si Noynoy ang magiging kandidato ng Liberal Party. If you can just imagine what will happen if Noynoy did not announce his candidacy. That will mean a demise of the Liberal Party. They will have no candidate. So, it stands to reason na 'yung reflection niya was to really to seek guidance spiritually. But as far as the decision to run, it was already there.

Q: Considered as threat po ba siya sa mga ibang presidentiables?

SP: Well, every candidate is a threat to another candidate. There's no question about that. If I were a person running for the presidency at this time, I will not take it for granted --- I will not underestimate him. But we cannot say for sure whether the expectation of those who are supporting him and the belief of those who are with him are really a reality in the end. We do not know. Everyone is starting from a given point and will continue the race until election date.

Q: Sir, may sapat ba siyang panahon considering na binanggit niyo before na hindi biro mag-ikot ng bansa?

SP: Totoo 'yun pero I do not know how they do it. I cannot underestimate them. They will not go into this venture, given their knowledge of the political terrain, the political condition of the country and the size of the voting population that they have to reach blindly. I'm sure they have taken into account the rigorous need to reach out to the people of every nook and corner of the land to be able to acquire voters on their side. So, I presume that they have adopted the strategy to reach out to the people.

Q: Sir, may caucus ba mamaya?

SP: May caucus kami mamaya yata because we have to discuss that and we have to take a position.

Q: Sir, are you ready to go back to the Supreme Court?

SP: If necessary, then we will have to study whether we will have to bring it back to the Supreme Court for a final definition of the extent of the powers of the Senate to conduct inquiries in aid of legislation where we would need the assistance of members of the Executive. Because you see, under the Constitution, members of the Executive especially Cabinet members, they may appear on their own before us. That's one situation. Or we may call them to help us in dealing with certain issues that would come before the Congress in order that we can proceed and work on certain legislative measures that would be needed.

Q: Pero mali po ba yung interpretation ng Palasyo?

SP: Hindi ko masasabi 'yon whether mali or not, but I'm just quoting to you the Constitution. Now, of course, we respect the prerogative of the other departments of government like the Executive and Judiciary in their respective areas of concern. You see, we are a tripartite government system. You have the Executive, the Legislative enacts the law. It is implemented by the Executive and interpreted by the Courts. So, essentially, you start with the lawmaker because the lawmaker issues the rules to be followed in governance. Ngayon, the Constitution recognizes this and it says that the members of the Cabinet may appear at their own volition before the Congress or they may be called upon to appear before Congress. Now, to what extent can they withhold their appearance when they are asked by Congress or either the Senate or the House of Congress so that they could enlighten these bodies in the performance of their function as lawmakers.

Q: Comment lang sir sa sinabi ng Palace na Erap is dividing the opposition?

SP: Any candidate for a public office like the presidency would of course divide the votes. Always. Any withdrawal from the race will consolidate votes for some people.

Q: Kaya sir nag-iikot si former President Erap, kinakausap niya 'yung mga presidentiables, encouraging them para mag VP na lang sa kanya.

SP: Hindi naman. Well, natural lang 'yon kung papayag sila na to take the second position which I doubt. Okay lang. That's a part of the political practice of the country.

On ZTE

Q: Sir, ang Senate ba mag-rereopen ng inquiry sa ZTE? Si JDV may letter kay Senator Gordon.

SP: I have not heard about it. This is the first time I heard about that.

Q: Pero pwede pa 'yun i-reopen sir? 'Yung investigation ng ZTE?

SP: Matagal na siyang nagsasabi na gusto niya umattend dito. Hindi naman siya umaattend. Pumunta na lang dito at magdiskurso.

Q: Sir, so a letter won't suffice?

SP: We are not a part of the House so we make our own judgment here.

Q: Will they use the traditional campaign now?

SP: They must have their own notion of how to reach out to the people.

On uniting the opposition

Q: Sir, naging mas slim ba yung chance na mag unite ang opposition at magkaroon ng common candidate?

SP: Wala na ngayon. There is no such thing as a united opposition at this point. I don't think Sen. Noynoy will give up. I don't think Sen. Chiz will give up. I don't think Sen. Villar will give up. I don't think Erap, Eddie Villanueva, Sen. Loren, Bayani Fernando and Sen. Jamby will give up.

Q: Sir, favorable ba iyon sa administration candidate?

SP: Well, it poses a danger. From my own personal experience, in 1992 I was planning to run for presidency. I organized the Nationalista Party. In fact, we also had problems inside the party when former Vice-President Doy Laurel rejoined us because he was with the administration of Cory Aquino and had a disagreement. Then he separated from the administration of Cory Aquino and rejoined the Nationalista Party. Doy Laurel reorganized the party and changed all the people I recruited across the land. So, nagkaroon kami ng problema. Then there were so many others who joined the fray; Mrs. Imelda Marcos, Erap in the beginning until he slipped into vice-president of Danding Couangco. Miriam Santiago was also a contender,same as Jovito Salonga, Ramon Mitra. Fidel Ramos was the candidate of the administration. With the numbers of the candidate on the opposite side, Mr. Fidel Ramos was able to make it. Considering the popularity of Cory Aquino at that , it really helped Fidel Ramos to win. That is a possibility to happen again today. But in my opinion, if Joseph Estrada will not be disqualified and he is allowed to run for the presidency, he has a good chance based on what I have seen so far of the performances of all the opposition candidates up to this point.

Other issues

Q: Sir, paiimbestigahan daw ng Bayan Muna si dating pangulo Fidel Ramos sa 1.1 Billion travel expenses during his term. Kaya po bang habulin 'yun considering na matagal na 'yun?

SP: Tapos na yun. Baka wala nang records yung mga iyan. How would you prove the case?

Q: Sir, may records daw po sa Commision on Audit.

SP: Well, 1.1 Biilion travel expenses in his time, he can explain that. He was the president of the country. I am sure he has an explanation for spending 1.1 Billion pesos from the people's money.

Q: Sir, it seems that may word war sina Sen. Lacson and Erap. And by Monday, may privilege speech daw si Sen. Lacson at ipapakita daw niya ang good side and bad side ni Erap as a public official.

SP: Well, we will hear him. Every man has a story to tell. So we have to hear his story and let the people weigh the strengths and weaknesses of the story.

Q: Do you have plans to intervene considering na close po kayo kay Joseph Estrada and even to Sen. Lacson?

SP: No, I don't think so. That is a disagreement between them. Let each one air his views. I hope they will control it a little bit in order not to rock the country.

On Budget issues...

Q: Sir, paano po kikilatisin ang budget ngayon na may allegations na sobra-sobra ang mga foreign trips ni President Arroyo?

SP: Well, tatanungin naming ang may mga kinalaman diyan which is the Budget office and they will have to explain all the sources of money. Everything is open during budget time. Expenditure of money must be scrutinized as well as the allocations. Applications of the funds for different projects will be scrutinized.

Q: Sir, do you think matatapos yung budget before the end of the year?

SP: Yes. Kaya nga ginagawa na ngayon at may hearing na ahead of time.

Q: Even before the start of the campaign? Or before the filing of the certificate of candidacy?

SP: Yes. Before the end of the year, we have to finish the budget.

On Lakas-Kampi merger...

Q: Sir, ano po yung effect pag atras si Fidel Ramos and Jose de Venecia sa Lakas-Kampi merger?

SP: I do not know. Of course as a former president, meron din siyang followings. Sabi nga ni Amang, politics is addition not subtraction. Any subtraction will mean a weakening of the subtracted group. But to what extent the weakening that will happen, is something else. Will it mean the demise of the ruling party ? I don't think so.

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