Press Release
September 27, 2017

Transcript of Ambush Interview of Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III

On the Anti-Hazing Law

SP Pimentel: The current law has not played its role as deterrent. Ilan na ba ang namamatay? Pang-ilan na ba si Atio after the passage of the law? Ang dami na. This is an obvious proof na hindi nga nagwork ang law. We have to make it stricter. Ganun lang naman yun. But dapat may ma-sample-an kasi.

Q: Sir, yung survey kasi is saying na 50 percent of Filipinos think na yung namamatay in police operations... 50 percent are skeptical?

SPKP: Alam mo ang tamang attitude is dapat tayong lahat hindi masaya sa extra-judicial killings matanda man o menor de edad. Hindi lang tayo dapat magalit dahil menor de edad ang napatay. Every Filipino's is important or should be important. Hence, hindi tayo dapat masaya kung may EJK o kung merong unsolved killings. Actually, the burden is a police matter. The burden is on the PNP to show that it has the minimum skills and capability to solve at least some of these crimes if not all pero ang malungkot if it cannot even solve one of this thousands of crimes.

Q: Is that contributed to that perception?

SPKP: Yes. Wala akong naririnig if the PNP has solved any of this killings then they should resort media and announce their achievement. Wala tayong naririnig. Kaya tuloy dito sa Senado nararamdaman ko yung tiwala sa PNP, yung bilib sa PNP eh wala. Bumabagsak o nawawala.

Q: Do you see the Senate supporting the House's plan to create Congress police force?

SPKP: Aralin muna natin yung merits nun. Open mind na muna tayo but we have our own security arms under our Sergeant-at-Arms. Pag-aralan po muna natin ano yung concept nung police na yun. Diba meron tayong concept sa Constitution na one national police, civilian in character. May mga ganun.

Q: Right now the set-up that you have, the security arrangements will suffice? The OSAA?

SPKP: Wala kaming choice except to work with the current set-up so review kami ng review kami ng aming mga processes and keeping our fingers crossed that the set-up will suffice.

Q: Sir, ang ininvoke po kasi nila is privacy and para daw po hindi ma-harass.

SPKP: Eh di sana wala nalang requirement na SALN or wag na tayo magjoin sa gobyerno. Ganun lang yun.

Q: Sir, do you support the Senate inquiry on that issue?

SPKP: Senate? Meron kaming Blue Ribbon and Civil Service kung meron mang accountability pero more of in aid of legislation ito mareview na rin yung SALN law even yung policy nung Judiciary na strikto sila sa pag-release. Dapat hindi ganun. Pantay-pantay tayong lahat. Don't join government kung nahihiya kayo sa SALN niyo.

Q: May executive order po si Presidente? Yung Executive Order No. 2 niya about FOI?

SPKP: Oo nga. Ni-release nila pero redacted nga. So just be consistent. And then isa siguro na dapat kalabasan nito ay siguro ang Supreme Court Justices na SALN should be filed in another office so that the release is not controlled by the Supreme Court but by that office. Ganun ang dapat gawin natin.

Q: Penalty provision. Do you see a need to review of make it tougher? Kasi right now those who failed to comply is only as to correct. Walang penal provision.

SPKP: Yun sigurong failure to comply by refusing to file ay dapat may penalty yun. Mga late filing or refusal to file lagyan natin ng penalty pero kung may konting mistakes, eh wala naming perpekto kasi lalo na kung centavos yung mali. Let us also be reasonable. Sa ibang jurisdictions, they look at the difference. Kung nagkamali ka ng less than 10 percent, acceptable yun. Ipapacorrect sayo. Pero kung nagkamali ka naman ng mga 5000 percent, 1000 percent eh ibang usapan na yun.

On the sponsorship of the resolution for Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago

SPKP: Yes.

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