Transcript of Interview of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile

Q: Sang-ayon po ba kayo sa coup d'état?

SP: Sanay ako sa coup d'état, I know where that story came from. There's no need for them to do any coup d'état. All they have to do is to tell, we have...numbers (inaudible) can you give me that right away?

Q: Magsasagawa po ba kayo ng loyalty check

SP: I'm not going any loyalty check. I think I will demean the members of the Senate if I am going to conduct a loyalty check, for what? I told them before when they have... they approached me to become the Senate President over and over and anytime you want to change you are free to change so there is no need for me to do any loyalty check because if I am going to do a loyalty check that means I am clinging to the position.

Q: Sir confirmed ba or it is just a rumor?

SP: In fact I was surprised to read it in papers today, I never knew anything about it.

Q: We interviewed Senator Drilon this morning and according to him na-surprise nga daw siya nuong i-inform sa kanya.

SP: My God! You know si Frank inaanak ko yan eh, eh kung mayroon na siyang numero eh di sabihin niya, "Ninong pwede ba? Alam naman niya yun eh, sinabi ko sa kanya, sinabi ko kay Kiko, sinabi ko kay Frank, sinabi ko kay Manny, anytime na gusto ninyo yung pwesto ko, yung pwesto na yun at meron na kayong suporta sabihin lang ninyo at magbabalot na ako.

Q: So hindi sasama ang loob ninyo?

SP: Ako? Bakit naman sasama ang loob, papalakpakan ko pa sila. Alam mo ba at my age medyo mabigat itong trabaho ko na ito eh.

Q: Pero sinasabi naman nina Senator Gringo nina Loren na satisfied sila sa performance ninyo, walang basis para...

SP: Hindi ko alam kung, well I appreciate ang kanyang kuwan ano pero kung kahit na satisfied sila kung inaakala nila na may iba basta na may mas kakayanan na humawak nitong pwesto na ito eh hindi ko ipagkakait sa kanila ito, hindi ko�hindi ako mananatili dito.

Q: So sir kung LP initiative yung planong coup, possible bang Malacañang yung kasali?

SP: Wala naman, wala naman akong nalalaman, I don't think Malacañang will even bother to get involved anything like that, for what?

Q: Ano po ang mga priority ninyo?

SP: As far as my relationship with Malacañang whether during the time of President Gloria and during this time of President Aquino I have not changed my attitude towards Malacañang. Ang aking degree of cooperation is the same. I am not doing this because I want to negotiate myself to anybody for power. I have enough power in life; I am doing it for the country. We cannot afford to be fighting in this country anymore. There are people there who are waiting for us to work together to serve them.

Q: So by Monday you are still the senate president?

SP: Ha? Well, I don't know whether I will be Senate President or not, is no opt moment to be, it is not important to me. They can tell me today that they have the numbers I will give them my sign of consent.

Q: So you are not affected, you are not alarmed?

SP: Why I should be alarmed. I sleep soundly every day. I worked on my own. My God I am not clinging to this job.

Q: Pero sir still now you have the majority?

SP: I have been... in Senate as far as I know who support me, Allan Peter, Joker and Pia are the minority but that is a matter of arrangement to maintain the semblance of the liberative assembly where you have a minority and majority.

Q: Sir just in case pabor daw kayo sa term sharing?

SP: Anong term sharing, bakit ako makikipag-term sharing? There is no need for a term sharing basta kung merong numbers just tell me, okay.

Q: Would you make a challenge for them to come out?

SP: Ha? I'm not making a challenge, it's up to them, it's up to anyone. They are all free to campaign, to gather together and put a black of their...

Q: So you will not make any move to counter this?

SP: I'm not, I'm not, I will not! I Shall not! I will not!

Q: Sino po kaya sa tingin ninyo ang nagpapakalat ng ganyang tsismis?

SP: Ewan ko kung sino ang nagpapakalat, siguro gusto nila, akala nila yayanigin nila ako pero they do not known me well enough. I've gone through life more than anyone of you here can ever think about it and nothing can rattle me of this point.

Q: So sir wala pa kayong kasamahang senador na kinausap kayo at ininform kayo na may lumapit nga sa kanila?

SP: Wala, wala.

Q: Sir bale itong pong isyu ng kudeta hindi malaking challenge sa inyo na nabalitaan nyo man. Sinasabi po ninyo sanay po kayo?

SP: Challenge? I don't feel challenged; I don't feel challenged at all. I would feel challenged if I'm really that interested and dying to be named as Senate President but I'm not. Anybody who has the numbers, tell me. I am not taking this against anyone, it is given in any organization like this that when your peers do not want you anymore, and they want to change it, sure go ahead by all means.

Q: Sir meron po ba kayong napipisil na pupuwedeng maging senate president?

SP: Ah, marami sa kanila pwede maging Senate President.

Q: Like po nino?

SP: Wag ko na sasabihin, mahirap yun eh, unfair yon sa iba. Ikaw naman, nag-uumpisa ka pa lang alam ko na kung saan ka pupunta.

Q: Sir hindi kaya sa palagay ninyo parang testing the water lang itong pagpapakalat na ito?

SP: Ewan ko, ewan ko, I don't know. It doesn't interest me, it doesn't bother me, and it doesn't even occupy any part of my thoughts at the moment.

Q: Ibig ninyong sabihin sir kung sa Monday may dumating sa inyo at may number sila at sinabi sa inyo...

SP: Surely, I will take out all my things here and go to another room.

Q: Sir sabi nung report yung LP ba? Yung mga LP daw ang nag-i-insist nito. Sa tingin nyo ba...?

SP: Sinong LP?

Q: Liberal Party sir.

SP: Ang mga liberal party senator dito ay si Frank, si TG. I don't think Ralph is a liberal. Yeah, but he is not a liberal party. Serge is not a member of the liberal party; Kiko is a member of the liberal party. And there were 6 members identified with the Liberal Party, Franklin, TG, Kiko, Sergio, Ralph and Chiz. Six of them, Chiz is not a Liberal its NoyBi, he is NoyBi and Serge is not a Liberal, he is independent and then Ralph is under the Liberal Party but he is a member of the Wednesday Club. The only liberal here is Ralph, si TG and si Kiko. If anyone of them will get a number, why should anyone quibble about it, let it be.

Q: So you will be supportive kung sinuman yung susunod?

SP: Kung sinuman oo sure then that will give me more time to relax and do whatever things that I want to do without even coming here during the session.

Q: Sir ano po yung mga personal differences doon sa six na supposed to be? The allies of the president?

SP: Anong ano, ah allies of the president? That they are the one initiating this? They can have it if they want, sure.

Q: Do they have the numbers?

SP: I don't know, I don't know if they have the numbers. If the Palace want to change me which I doubt because I have not felt any such effort or anything like that. My relationship with the Palace is very cordial but if they want to have their own man here by all means I will give it them in a silver platter.

Q: If they get 13 votes.

SP: That is the number that is required to dislodge a senate president.

Q: Bagong kotse ni P-Noy?

SP: Bakit naman natin pag-aabalahan yung bagong kotse ng president kung hindi naman niya ninakaw eh bakit naman ipagkakait sa kanya magkaroon ng kotseng ganun? Napaka sobra naman yung ginagawang...

Q: Kasi doon sa situation na nahihirapan ang mga tao.

SP: My God, why should we deny our... the highest leader of the land to have a Porsche? You want him to have a bisikleta? I don't think you want him to have a bisikleta.

Q: Kasi di ba meron na siyang BMW, di ba he should give an example. Naghihirap daw yung taumbayan.

SP: Naghihirap ang bayan? Mayroong mga mahihirap dito sa Pilipinas kagaya rin ng merong naghihirap sa Amerika, marami ring naghihirap sa China, marami ring naghihirap sa Malaysia at maski na sa Saudi Arabia pero hindi nila pinupuna na magkaroon ng New Year's resolution yung kanilang pangulo. Eh tayo dito sobra naman ang paningin natin eh. Eh kung gusto nating ipantay yung pinakamataas na lider ng bansa sa pinakamababa na Pilipino eh ano ang ibig sabihin nun? What is it that you want? What is it that they want? Equal, pareho? If it is according to his needs and ability, ganun ba ang gusto natin?

Q: So hindi yun luho?

SP: Kung ako ang tatanungin ninyo, ano ang kaibahan noon kung siya ay gagamit ng... o kaya gagamit siya ng Porsche. Magkano ba yung Porsche? Hindi ko alam kung magkano yung Porsche eh.

Q: Second hand daw ang bili nun, P4.5 million?

SP: Ha? Second hand, oh magkano ang...magkano an Porsche? Masyado na yang isyu na yan, (inaudible).

Q: Sir sa Comelec chairmanship, parang may mga nag-uupong election lawyer appointed as new Comelec chairman?

SP: Kung ikaw ba ay magpapagamot, sinong kukunin mo? Diba ang pinakamagaling na Doctor? Pag ikaw ang may kaso, sino bang kukunin mo mangmang na abogado? Ngayon may programa... tungkol sa election, anu gusto ninyo gagong President of Commission on Election?