Transcript of interview with Sen. Pia S. Cayetano (On
protecting La Mesa Watershed, Sen. Trillanes ethics case)

Q: About the memorandum of authority ni Senator Miriam on Sen. Trillanes...

SPSC: She was so kind to furnish me with a legal memorandum on jurisprudence on the authority of Congress to look into the actuations of their members compared to the authority of, say, the Judiciary. She furnished me as Chairman of the Committee on Ethics. We've looked at it and found it extremely helpful and informative. In fact I intend to discuss this with the Senate President because this will also help us determine the possible actions that the committee will take. It is my job to tell my colleagues what action we'll take and one would be to through the hearing process and to of course, hear the side of our colleague, Sen. Trillanes, and also to give room for those who are concerned about his actions, and in this case, one of them is Sen. Santiago. So I will confer with the Senate President and my colleagues on how to proceed.

Q: You still have to organize the ethics committee...

SPSC: Yes. I still have to get "volunteers" for my committee. It's not a committee that is exactly to "die for." (laughs) As background information, I had a discussion with the Majority Floor Leader (Sen. Pangilinan) and sabi nya noong 12th Congress, wala pa ako noon, he had the opportunity to chair it. Lima pala ang cases that were referred to the committee at that time. And each of them was treated in a different way. Like I said earlier, marami ngang options dito: conduct an initial hearing, go into caucus...not officially in hearing but we can hear the sides of all concerned parties.

Q: Paano po ang process dun? Dapat bang sa floor may mag-motion kung paano ioorganize yung committee?

SPSC: Hindi naman, hindi naman. Medyo kukulitin ko lang sila na mag-miyembro sila sa committee ko.

Q: Paano kung wala...

SPSC: Meron naman, imposible namang wala. At some point the Senate President would have to put his foot down. In the same way na nakiusap sila sa kin na mag-chair, e di makikiusap din kami (sa kanila). Basically it's a voluntary thing, but officially (their names) have to be manifested on the floor and then approved. Wala namang mag-oobject once the nominations are officially made.

Q: But what is the official status of the resolution?

SPSC: It has been officially referred to the ethics committee already.

Q: About La Mesa, paano kung na-declare nang watershed, e di tanggal yung mga bahay?

SPSC: The objective is to declare La Mesa Dam as a protected watershed. But this does not mean that no development will happen. In fact, in a lot of natural parks, merong development precisely to preserve and encourage awareness on the need to protect the park. But as you all know merong issue dyan sa housing and the Supreme Court has ruled na may karapatan ang MWSS employees na magtayo ng bahay dun. Obligasyon 'yun ng MWSS management. Pero walang sinasabi sa Supreme Court case na dapat ilagay ang housing sa kung saan nakalagay ngayon sa development plan. Walang sinasabi sa Supreme Court case na dapat doon sa tabi ng reservoir. Ito ang argument ng mga supporters ng "Save the La Mesa Watershed" para ilipat yan. Both Bantay Kalikasan and MWSS have expressed their support and they're willing to host and gastusanan ang paglipat nito. Sana mangyari yan na wala nang masyadong issue. Hindi naman dine-deprive ang employees ng karapatan nilang magkaroon ng bahay at lupa, pero wag naman po sana sa lugar na makakasira ng kalidad ng tubig natin, dahil yan po ang iniiinom ng karamihan ng taga-Metro Manila. So there's no deprivation of property by doing that. Political will lang na wag dun itayo sa ibabaw ng pinagkukuhaan natin ng tubig.

Q: Sa Charter Change binuhay sa House...

PSC: Cha-cha? Hinika nga ako e. Parang may pollution na dumaan sa harap ng mukha ko nang mabasa ko na may Cha-Cha na naman sa House. (laughs) Wala yata silang magawa, so magdo-double time na lang kami sa mga committee hearings namin para ma-bicam agad at dumami ang mapagtutuunan nila ng pansin. Sa akin lang, sana mauna yung cheaper medicines bago yun. Kami naman, in the committee on environment, ang priority natin are the bills on Land Administration, National Land Use, Sustainable Forest Management. So sana yung mga key bills mauna and I've talked to my counrterparts in the House on this. And sana magawa natin to. I respect everyone's view on Cha-cha, but I don't see the immediate need for this right now.