Press Release
February 16, 2011

Transcript of Sen. Santiago's interview

On 3 Filipinos sentenced to death in China

Ang international law diyan ay basta ang Pilipino pumunta sa ibang bansa, iyong hindi siya pinilit, kusa siyang pumunta doon, idinemanda at nahatulang may sala, wala tayong magagawa dahil kung sila namang dayuhan ang pumunta sa atin at napagbintangan na may ginawang krimen wala rin namang magagawa ang bansa nila. Ngayon, kung nasintensyahan na sila at meron tayong treaty sa dayuhang bansang iyon, maari tayong magpalitan ng mga convicted criminal na halimbawa dito na lang ikulong kung kulong man ang parusa nila abroad. Wala tayong magagawa if there is no such agreement on the execution of death penalties. There is only an agreement between the Philippines and other countries on the service of sentence, that is to say on where they will be put in jail.

Hopeless case wala nang magagawa ang gobyerno?

We can avail of diplomatic remedies. We can personally send our secretary of foreign affairs or, as what happened some times in the past with past presidents, even Pres. Aquino could go there and beg for the lives of these people. But basically all we can do is appeal. There is no legal remedy that will make possible for them to lift the death penalty.

Ayon iyan sa batas ng China at ayon iyan sa findings of fact, kung ano ba talagang pruwebo doon sa korte sa China. We cannot second-guess na baka nagkamali sila dahil ayaw nating gawin din sa atin iyon. Kaya magsilbing leksyon na lang ito na huwag na huwag tayong makisangkot sa negosyo ng dangerous drugs dahil napakabagsik ng mga bayang gaya ng China o Singapore. Immediately they will impose the death penalty and we can't do anything about it.

There are some remedies, but in my view magiging useless lahat. For example, you can charge denial of justice pero you can only do that kung makikita na itong paghatol ng kamatayan ay para lang sa mga Pilipino pero di nila ginagawa sa mga Chinese citizens. Pero kung tama lang according to Chinese law ang ginawa ng kanila Chinese court, wala tayong karapatang maghatol na mali sila.

May mararating pa ba ang Blue Ribbon committee hearing sa Biyernes?

Yes. First of all, ang Blue Ribbon kailangan meron silang conclusion about the plea bargain agreement. Was it still valid? Is it still pending? Is it already finished? Because magulo iyon e. And if the state is prejudiced, who should be punished for that? Who are the prosecutors or the state lawyers who should be punished for that? So, kaiba ang plea bargain na iyon. Meron talagang substance iyon at kailangan talaga may report ang Blue Ribbon.

Doon naman sa corruption sa militar, mukhang hindi pa matatapos iyon. Dahil maraming pupuntahan iyon. Halimbawa, magkano kaya ang nawala sa ating Armed Forces of the Philippines dito sa ginagawa nilang pangungurakot? Maski doon na lang sa panahon na naging comptroller si Gen. Garcia. He has already pleaded guilty to indirect bribery kaya hindi na natin masasabi na kuro-kuro na lang.inaamin na niya talaga. Kaya magkano kaya ang nawala? Tanungin natin ang mga state auditors, tingnan natin ang mga COA report. This is worthwhile, although the military already said "iyong sistema na mukha palang madali ang pagnakaw ng pera sa AFP ay wala na, pinalitan na namin noong 2005." Maski ganyan, tingnan pa rin natin kung bakit ba nangyari iyong mga iyon. Kapag pinalitan mo na ang sistema ay magkakaroon na ng malinis na pagtanggap at paghahati-hati ng pera sa armed forces? Halimbawa, tinatanggap na lang namin dito sa House of Representatives at Senado na binibigay nila hindi iyong eksaktong numero o bilang ng mga sundalo, kundi iyong pinakamataas para sabihin nila, "mamaya mangailangan kami, may giyera talaga kami, hindi na kami tatakbo pa sa inyo. Napakahirap din ng ganyang sistema dahil palaging overshot ang goal ng armed forces dahil baka 150,000 lang sila ngayon sasabihin nila halimbawa meron silang 200,000 na sundalo eh di lugi na kaagad ang gobyerno lalo na kung mapupunta iyan sa mga bulsa ng mga heneral. Kaya dapat talaga patagalin pa ang hearing on military corruption.

On the deportation of Taiwanese nationals to China

Una, wala naman kasing request for deportation from Taiwan. Merong request for deportation ang People's Republic of China. At pinakita nila na may passport na in-issue sa kanila ng PROC. So there is on the surface nothing irregular about the deportation. Ngayon Taiwan is making a complaint but we'll wait for the foreign affairs to deal with it because on the surface it was valid and legal for our government to deport these alleged criminals back to the country that made the request for deportation. Wala namang request from the other party at that point. And then they showed there were passports that were issued to these foreign criminals, so it appears these foreign nationals were nationals of the requesting party. That is correct under international law.

You have to send emissaries from the Department of Foreign Affairs just to make a factual explanation. This is all a post facto, meaning to say tapos na at nagawa na, complaint from another state. Pero ang negosasyon , which appeared to be valid, between the two states of the Philippines and the People's Republic of China. Ngayon may nagrereklamo, the Republic of China, meaning Taiwan. Ngayon gusto nilang baguhin pa. Mahihirapan iyon. Takot tayo sa China kasi napakalaki ng ating economy with China. China is now the world's number two economy. Japan has already surrendered that position. The experts are saying by 2020 China will be the world's leading economy. So you don't just undo things summarily when you are dealing with China. In international relations, you can't please all states.

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