Transcript of ambush interview with Senator TG Guingona III
(After the PCMC hearing, October 28, 2014)

Sen TG: Sabi nung NHA na they will comply if they are given either a Presidential Proclamation or DOJ legal cover...

Question: Sir kausapin nyo si Sec DeLima para ma-expedite yung...?

Sen TG: Yes. Kakausapin natin si Secretary De Lima para before Christmas malabas na yung ruling na para sa PCMC na yung lupa.

Q: Ano yung mas mabilis, Presidential Proclamation or yung legal opinion nung DOJ?

Sen TG: Pag-aralan natin. Basta ang date namin before Christmas dapat may klarong solusyon na.

Q: Ano mas feasible sa dalawa?

Sen TG: We cannot tell at this time. I will talk to Secretary De Lima so that we can have a sense of how fast they can...

Q: Sir yung swapping option, wala na ba?

Sen TG: Hindi, nag-swap na. In fact nga nagamit na ng NHA yung property at nabigay na yung property sa Cebu. Nagawa na ng housing na binigay na sa mga beneficiaries. On the part of NHA, kinuha na nila yung DOH property sa Cebu at ginamit na nila. Pero dito naman, di pa nila naibigay sa PCMC yung property. Hindi naman tama na nag-exchange kayo ng property tapos yung isa ginamit na. Natanggap na at ginamit na, yung isa naman hindi binigay. So hindi tama yun. Hindi makatarungan yun. At hindi dapat yun.

Q: So hindi na dapat ma-evict ang PCMC?

Sen TG: Hindi. Hindi na ma-eevict yan.

Q: Sir sa House daw bibigyan ng additional budget, P1.2 billion yung PCMC?

Sen TG: A para siguro sa capital expenditure, operating expenses. Pero dito sa lupa na ito, ang hinihingi lang ng NHA na bigyan sila ng legal cover, or legal justification para mabigay nila yung lupa.

Q: Actually sir sabi sa House para daw sa acquisition of land yung budget...

Sen TG: Well, pwede rin yun. Pero pag-uusapan pa naming, sapagkat madugo pa yan. Meron pang valuation ng lupa. Eto ay opinyon ng DOJ or Presidential Proclamation. Anyway, wala naman nawawala sapagkat government to government naman ito, hindi naman to private to government. At ang mabebenepisyuhan dito, ang mamamayang Pilipino, lalong-lalo na ang mga bata.

Q: Sir pinag-submit ng shopping list yung PCMC. Ano yun, budgetan na ho ba yun sa 2015?

Sen TG: Kukunin yun sa Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP). Merong P13 billion na naka-budget para sa infrastructure and equipment for hospitals all over the country. Of course we can also budget some for the PCMC.

Q: Sir yung invitation para kay VP Binay?

Sen TG: We are going to issue the invitation within this week. We just have to confer kung anong date available yung mga senators.

Q: Pa-clarify lang sir, yang invitation na yan to attend the sub-committee or...

Sen TG: No, no...not the subcommittee anymore. It would be the main committee.

Q: On the same issue?

Sen TG: On the same issue.

Q: Bakit na-cancel yung meeting today?

Sen TG: Na-cancel kasi winithdraw ni Senator Trillanes yung motion niya to cite in contempt yung Hillmarc executives. So sabi ko wala naman tayo pag-uusapan. Yung dates naman pwede naman magtawagan.

Q: Palinaw lang sir, the mother committee will now take over the probe from the sub committee?

Sen TG: we're not clear about that. Ganito na lang, the mother committee will invite the vice president so that he can give his side. Right now I just want to take it step by step.

Q: kelan sir?

Sen TG: We'll confirm the availability of the senators.

Q: Before or after the debate?

Sen TG: I don't have any idea of the debate. I am just proceeding independently. I don't use the debate as a reckoning point.

Q: How did you arrive at the decision regarding the mother committee?

Sen TG: There was a statement from the VP's camp that kung yung mother committee ang mag-invite maaari silang pumunta.

Q: Maaari? So pwedeng hindi?

Sen TG: There's only one way to find out.

When we heard the invitation of VP's camp, it was clear to me na ayaw nating magbanggaan ang mga institusyon. Sapagkat malinaw na sinabi ni Vice President na hindi sya dadalo sa subcommittee. At kung di sya dadalo iimbitahin pa rin sya ng subcommittee. Pupunta yan sa Korte Suprema. So sabi ko, para maiwasan ang banggaan ng office of the Vice President, Supreme Court, at ng Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, I deemed it best na ako na ang mag-imbita, nang sa ganun maiwasan natin ang banggaan ng mga institusyon.

Q: Do you stand by the subcommittee that they are doing the right thing in aid of legislation?

Sen TG: I'll not comment on that because the subcommittee has all the powers of the mother committee. Let it be that way. My only reason for stepping in is to avoid the clash of institutions, so that we can make sure that everything, as much as possible, can go on smoothly.