Transcript of interviw with Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile
at Kapihan sa Senado
(Part 2)

Q: Can you make them happy, sir?

JPE: Everyday, gusto kong happy ka sa kalusugan mo, sa kabuhayan mo, sa mga kaibigan mo, sa girlfriend mo, sa boyfriend mo, sa lahat ng bagay, gusto ko happy ka.

Q: Sir, ikaw daw po ba happy?

JPE: Ako ba happy? Ako happy ah. Happy kayong lahat sana.

Q: 'Yung tungkol po kay Senator Panfilo Lacson, what will happen to his staff, the budget of his office and his status as a Senator, will he remain in the roll until 2013?

JPE: Of course, of course he is a member of the Senate. To be fair to Ping Lacson, he has never absented himself except now as I remember it. He has always been punctual in attending sessions and it is only now that he has not attended the session of the Senate because of a personal reason, and I respect that reason so he will continue to be a Senator. Kung si Senator Trillanes nandun sa kulungan, he is entitled to all the privileges of a Senator except to attend the sessions, to answer the roll call, and we will do the same thing as far as Ping Lacson is concerned.

Q: And you were also an example sir when you were arrested.

JPE: Yeah, inaresto ako. Ganun din ang ginawa sa akin dalawang beses akong naaresto. Ganyan lang ang buhay mo eh kapag ika'y pulitiko, kung minsan natatalisod ka pero at least kailangan kapag natalisod ka, bumangon ka harapin mo yung problema at sagutin mo kung kailangang masagot, at kung kaya mong sagutin. Kung hindi mo kayang sagutin tumakbo ka, lumipad ka. Parang sisiw na lilipad at hindi natin alam kung saan dadapo.

Q: Sir, there are calls for Senator Ping Lacson to face the charges.

JPE: Well, let there be calls for him to come home.

Q: Will you advise him the same thing?

JPE: Of course. He should come home and answer the problem. But unfortunately I have no communication with Ping Lacson. I never talked to him by phone, or by letter. I just received a letter. I receive the letter from him. And he told me that he was abroad and that he could not attend the session. I don't know where he is, he did not indicate in his letter his address abroad.

Q: Where was it posted, sir?

JPE: Well, I got just a piece of paper.

Q: Baka tinapon na yung sobre.

JPE: Hindi, siguro, ewan ko, palagay ko ine-mail yun.

Q: Sir, as Senate President, like you were saying, that he should come home. Don't you feel na it's your responsibility as Senate President to communicate back to him?

JPE: No, it is not my responsibility. Each Senator is a free agent, I did not elect them. The people elected them. I was just a Senate President. Administratively, I handle the administration of the office but I have no control over the members of the Senate, I cannot tell them what to do or what not to do.

Q: But if the case of Lacson happened to the case of the so called Batasan Five, if he isn't in the country and decided to camp in the Senate, he cannot be arrested in the Senate.

JPE: He can be arrested in the Senate. But what I am saying is that I will not allow him to be arrested in the session hall. Kasi sila Satur, that is Plenary, plenary area of the Senate. In my case, I was arrested in the Senate but I was arrested in the office of the Senate President. I was allowed to deliver a Privilege Speech before I left the Senate to answer my arrest, and I will do the same thing.

Q: You remember that very well, sir. You were escorted by Erap.

JPE: Kagaya ni Minority Floor Leader Pimentel, magkasama kami noon. Nag-iisa ako. Dalawampu't dalawa silang Senador ng administrasyon. Si Erap lumipat, sumama sa Liberal. Nag-iisa ako. Pero kinaya ko sila. Nakayanan kong harapin silang lahat.

JPE: Ako hindi ko binubuhat ang aking bangko. Open book yung aking record sa buhay ko, isinusulat ko nga yun eh. Para malaman nila kung ano ang ginawa ko at kung ano ang katotohonan.

Q: Kwento ko lang yung arrest kay Senator Enrile, at that time. It was Senate President Salonga who told Alfredo Lim who was in NBI that time, who went up the floor and told him that he cannot arrest Senator Enrile in his premises. Senator Enrile was escorted by Senator Erap down the elevator into the waiting arms of Director Lim.

JPE: I was called. I was in the session hall. I knew that Fred Lim was waiting for me. I was called to the office of the Senate President and then, there sinamahan ako ni Erap from the session hall to the office of the Senate President and then I was received by Fred Lim. I was accompanied by Erap in the van all the way to the NBI and Erap stayed with me the whole night in the NBI. Of course, as far as I was concerned, I have no fear, about being hurt because it was unknown to many during the Marcos years I was the one that saved Alfredo Lim. Kalaban niya yung Felix Brothers. Mga bata ni General Ver, he was out of power in Manila. He was a member of the Manila Police. Tinulungan ko si Fred Lim, I restored him to a position where he was given the position in the police again. Hindi na nalaman yun ng Cory Government, kaya sigurado ako na hindi ako sasaktan o lalapastanganin ni Fred Lim sapagkat mayroon kaming pinagsamahan niyan.

Q: Dagdag na information lang. The one who accused Senator Enrile then, was then Secretary of Justice Drilon. Considering Senator Ping Lacson is claiming na he's a victim of political persecution. Is it possible na mag-apply siya for political asylum?

JPE: Political asylum saan? Saan yun?

Q: Ngayon sinasabi na nasa Australia siya.

JPE: Ewan ko pero pwede siguro yun pero depende yun sa bansa na kung nasaan siya.

Q: Meron bang extradition treaty with Australia?

JPE: Hindi ko alam kung meron tayong extradition treaty sa Australia. I am not sure.

Q: DOJ said meron daw po.

JPE: Ha, Ganoon?

JPE: Thank you for the help and cooperation you have also extended to us in the Senate in disseminating what we have been doing for the people. Without you, we would be a gong, so to speak. Saying something hollow but could not be known by the people. At least through you, they know what we have been doing. You are witnesses to what we have been doing as Senators. You have an idea about us, individually as Senators of the country. You know our capacities, our weaknesses, foibles, our faults, our inabilities. And you can really judge us. You know who is telling the truth, I'm sure. And you know who is telling lies. I leave it to your conscience to do your duty in your best light so that the people of this country will be assured that liberty and democracy will prevail in this land, as it must. And so today, once again, I thank you for all the good things that you have done for me and please forebear the bad things that I did to anyone.