Press Release
March 29, 2017

EXCERPTS OF INTERVIEW WITH SEN. PANGILINAN ON L.P. MATTERS AT KAPIHAN SA MANILA BAY

Moderator: Marichu Villanueva 29 March 2017

Q: The highest elected official of the LP is Vice President Robredo. And yesterday she announced that she was willing to sit down over dinner or lunch with President Duterte with the family for a get-together. Ano ang inputs niyo as LP in terms of advise to her?

KP: You know, si Vice President Leni, she was the wife of Jesse Robredo and Jesse was mayor for 18 years. So kung pulitika lang ang pinag-uusapan, eh mas malawak pa ang experience niya sa mas marami sa amin sa LP...

Q: Indirectly...

KP: Yes. But I cannot be more "babad" than that kasi asawa ka ng mayor. You know the politics, you know the political dynamics. So in that sense, it's her call as vice president. And sa akin, it's just a dinner. Bakit naman palalahikin pa natin, 'di ba? Mas maraming mahalagang dapat pag-usapan sa ating bansa. And that dinner is a social gathering. Nangyayari naman 'yan as among and between politicians. Sa akin it's no big deal, ika nga.

Q: You're gonna support whatever the Vice President agrees or what, to cooperate with the President in the next few months?

KP: Ang mangyayari naman kasi diyan, of course I don't know ano 'yung pag-uusapan nila. But si Vice President Leni naman has always been participative is her leadership style. Kung ano man ang pag-uusapan nila doon, hindi naman niya icocommit basta-basta. She will also discuss with the party.

Q: Just for comparison no. On the part of the Vice President, she was the one who resigned from the Cabinet. But in the case of the LP Senators, you were disempowered during the Seante revamp. How is it right now at the Senate?

KP: Hindi naman nalalayo 'yung nangyari kay Vice President Leni eh. Hindi na siya pina-aattend eh. Di ba? "Effective immediately, you are no longer to attend Cabinet meetings."

Q: But she was not told to resign?

KP: Eh parang ganun na rin 'yun. Ikaw ay nagmeemeeting sa Gabinete tapos ngayon ay...

Q: But she will remain as HUDCC Chief but she opted nga to resign...

KP: Yes, yes. But hindi ko naman sinabing eksakto 'yung naging mga karanasan ng mga senador at ni VP Leni pero hindi nalalayo. May mga senyales na hindi na maganda ang samahan.

Q: Did you get the same signals?

KP: Sa amin, hindi na ako na-sorpresa. Kaya hindi na rin namin tinutulan. Dahil nakita na namin sa mga kilos namin hindi sumasang-ayon sa mayorya, eh it was becoming more... parang nagkakaroon na ng clash ika nga. Eventually when they moved to declare the positions vacant, we did not object. We accepted it. We realized that the writing is on the wall and we felt that after all that has happened it would be best na kami ay lumipat na at sumama na sa minorya.

Q: You lost what committee?

KP: The Senate (Committee) on Agriculture and Food.

Q: And you kept one?

KP: Ah no. I only had one committee but because Senator Drilon gave up the Committee on Constitutional Amendments because under our rules, the Senate Majority Leader does not hold any committee. So they asked us to take on the Committee on Constitutional Amendments.

Q: So sa iyo mapupunta 'yung Cha-Cha... and shift to federalism.

KP: Well, alam mo tinanggal kami sa Agri dahil mayroon silang mga issues. Eh baka it's just a matter of time ang Committee on Constitutional Amendments sa atin.

Q: May LP stand sa Cha-Cha at federalism, di ba? Or individual pa rin?

KP: Individual pa rin but off hand, more and more, we are inclined to oppose Charter Change at this time. Si Ralph (Recto), for example, withdrew his resolution because he wanted Cha-Cha on economic provisions. But ito nga, because of the pronouncements of the Malacanan, pati 'yung hindi maliwanag 'yung federalism, kung ano ang ibig sabihin nito, we have reservations regarding proceeding with charter change given the uncertainty-the lack of certainty and predictability in terms of where Cha-Cha will go. Because mayroon ding mga pronouncements na tatanggalin 'yung mga safe guards sa Martial Law declaration. This uncertainty is a cause of concern and until such time that we feel that there is a definitive direction that Cha-Cha is to take, we have serious reservations about going through Cha-cha at this time.

Q: Ang LP right now will be the ultimate bene... I'm just teasing you. Right now, the PDP-Laban are on each other's necks, specifically Speaker Alvarez and Congressman Tony Boy Floirendo, both from Davao. Do you think it will benefit the LP if PDP-Laban at on each other's necks and LP is solidifying as a block or a political party?

KP: Well, I will have to remove my LP President hat and put on my citizen's hat. I'd rather na walang ganitong bangayan. It doesn't help the country if the dominant political party is squabbling. They should be focused on governance. They should be delivering on their campaign promise as an administration.

Q: Can you put back your LP President hat?

KP: From the political point of view, siyempre, us being in the minority, problema ng majority 'yan. Kumbaga sa ano, a weak majority will strengthen the minority. But when I say strengthen the minority, strengthen our ability to act, to perform our Constitutional duty to act as a check and a balance on the administration. It is not "it will strengthen the minority then destab, etc." Ako, unang-una wala kaming kinalaman sa anuman destabilization. We believe that any destab move will weaken our Constitutional democracy.

Q: Extra-constitutional.

KP: Yes, yes. Destab in itself...

Q: But the political quarrels can be considered destabilization, di ba?

KP: Kasi nga ang understanding mo ng destab... 'Di ba? Tayo galing tayo sa panahon ng kudeta. Kapag sinabi mong destab, ibig sabihin ganon. Extra-constitutional. Ngayon siguro dahil matagal nang hindi nagkukudeta, hindi na uso, hindi na na-eequate 'yung destab sa ganun. It's actually a play with words. But 'yan, nothing contrary to the Constitution.

Q: Pero mayroong concern ang PDP-Laban because the LP daw will be sending a contingent to a human rights forum sa UN? To present the EJK's against President Duterte.

KP: Walang ganung ano ang LP.

Q: LP delegation going abroad?

KP: There is an LP delegation going to South Africa but that is not the UN.

Q: But it's a human rights forum?

KP: It's not a human rights forum. It's a forum on democracy.

Q: Are you going? Who are the LP leaders going there?

KP: The Vice President is leaving tomorrow. I am going on Saturday. But this is the FNF-Friedrich Naumann Foundation. It's a regular exchange that happens. We have them over so that they can observe our democratic processes and this has been happening for decades.

Q: But the PDP Laban is expressing concern over that delegation.

KP: You know the administration is expressing concern over a lot of things.

Q: Paranoid?

KP: Eh 'yung DFA Commission on Appointment hearings ni Yasay, LP destab daw. 'Yung problema raw sa PCA na nag-aaway ang administrator nila at PCA Board, LP raw ang may kinalaman. Mayroon daw mga LP na nagbayad ng mga testigo para mag-recant sa DOJ na actually nag-recant din ang sinabing hindi totoo. Kami ang paboritong ituturo.

Q: Saka may isa pa! LP raw ang nagfinance sa New York Times sa anti-Rodrigo Duterte sa New York Times.

KP: Eh ang biro ko nga eh hirap na hirap nga kami makapag-meeting eh. Magfinance para mag-ano ng mga...

Q: 'Yung supporters daw niyo sa US specifically Loida Nicolas-Lewis.

KP: This is baseless. And unfounded. LP is not in any position, and will not, under my leadership allow any extra-constitutional...

Q: How many members na ang LP ngayon?

KP: In the Senate we're four. Ah 5, 5! Sorry. In the Congress, we're like 32.

Q: Divided pa.

KP: Oo, oo. Sabi ko nga, paanong kami? In fact, mayroong inakusahan, LP daw si Congresswoman from Binan, Alonte. Eh PDP 'yun eh. Siya raw 'yung nagbayad sa... Kumbaga sa ano eh ang daming akusasyon na baseless and unfounded kasi 'yun ang madaling gawin, ituro ang kanilang mga kalaban, kahit na sila mismo ang nagdedestabilize sa adminsitrasyon dahil kalokohan na ginagawa nila. 'Yung BID scandal na P50 million. 'Yung NFA nagbabangayan ngayon. 'Yung NIA tinanggal ang administrator. 'Yung PCA nagbabangayan ngayon. 'Yung DFA (Secretary) citizenship issue. These are all self-inflicted. The LP has nothing to do with these. But para ilihis ang mga bontante, ilihis ang taumbayan eh gagawa ng akusasyon na walang basehan. Ipaliwanag nila 'yung kanilang mga nasasangkot sa kataliwalian. Hindi 'yung sisisihin nila ang ibang tao sa halip na ipaliwanag nila. Baka hindi nila maipaliwanag kaya ganun ang ginagawa nila. Maninira, at maghahanap ng malilinlang.

Q: Misdirection. There are two months left on the first regular session of the 14th Congress. The Duterte administration has 8 months so far. Are there any areas of cooperation? Given the political wranglings.

KP: Nasa kanila naman ang majority.

Q: Is LP willing to support?

KP: Ang problema kasi, kapag kami ay may tinututulan, sinasabi destab.

Q: Obstructionists.

KP: But we are in a democracy and in a democracy there has to be...

Q: Dissent.

KP: You know, contrary opinions are respected and recognized and not dismissed as destabilization or... kasi wala namang perpektong gobyerno noon pa man hanggang sa ngayon. There is no such thing as a perfect government. There's no such thing as a perfect government. All presidents make mistakes. And when we point out what we believe to be are lapses or need correcting, there is nothing wrong with that under a Constitutional democracy.

So we have supported many of the initiatives of the President. Ako nga ang naging Chairman ng Committee on Finance sa Commission on Appointments and I sponsored the confirmation of Secretary Dominguez, because I believe that the he is capable and that he will be good for the country and he would be able to help steer the economic gains that we've had in the past and would like to see continued.

Sana pagka may pumupuna, 'wag iconclude na kami ay obstructionist. 'Yung ang pinakamadaling sabihin. Para lahat nung mga pwedeng gawin. Sabi ko nga, ano ba ang ginawa namin sa Senado? Tinulak namin na ma-hear yung mga deputy commissioners na nangingikil ng 50 milyon. Eh kung hindi naming itinulak 'yon eh 'di everybody happy? Ano pa? 'Yung Albuerra mayor killing. Nakakulong na, tapos sinasabi eh nanlaban. So kami ba sa Senado dapat magbulag-bulagan na lang at sasabihin, "teka muna, masama ito para sa gobyerno kaya 'wag na lang tayo magsalita."

Sabi ko nga, iba 'yung pupuna at magiging check. We act as a check and a balance on the Executive Department, dapat ganon. Kumbaga we will support measures that we think are going to help the country. Itong peace initiatives, ako, I believe this is the right direction that the government is taking to end the armed conflict and the insurgency. Pero hindi naman pupwedeng Administration, right or wrong. Kahit 'yung taong bayan, alanganan naman ang ineexpect nila sa amin na kapag may kalokohan, mananahimik kami.

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