Transcript of Interview of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile

On the filing of Cha-Cha resolution in the House of Representatives

SP Constitutional Convention? I am against it. Pareho lang 'yun. We will be electing the delegates. Kami rin 'yun, it doesn't matter. So it is better for the people involved in the day-to-day problems of the Constitution to do it. And if they cannot do it, they should be kicked out.

Q Mas magastos po ba ang Con-Con?

SP Siyempre. You will give them another budget, give them staff, give them cars, give them travel privileges, offices, buildings.

Q Pero 'yun pong debate sa Cha-Cha per se, are you in favor?

SP Well of course, we can debate that. We should be debating it so that the people will know what side they will take.

Q So kung ang House is for Con-Con, kayo naman ay Con-Ass, hindi matutuloy 'yung Cha-Cha sir?

SP I don't know. How can you say that the House will be for Con-Con? How do you know that Congressman Evardone can muster the majority there?

Q Sir, dito po ba sa Senate, wala pang nagfile ng any bill?

SP We are just going along with their proposal. 'Di ba nag-umpisa 'yung proposal sa House? Tinanong ninyo ako? Am I in favor? I said yes, I am in favor. But that does not mean that we are going to initiate it.

Q Kinausap na po ba kayo ni Evardone?

On carnapping

SP Hindi pa.

Q Sir, may magfa-file ng two bills to change the law to make carnapping a non-bailable. Is it about time?

SP Well, you have to redefine the crime of carnapping as a capital offense to make it unbailable. You cannot just make any crime unbailable unless you make it a capital offense. With a minimum penalty of life imprisonment, it becomes unbailable.

Q To make it a capital offense, ganun na po ka-grabe 'yun?

SP Ganun ba ka-grabe ang carnapping? 'Di ba sinusunog na nila ang mga kinukuha nilang mga tao?

Q Pwede siyang i-classify as a capital offense?

SP You do not even have to classify it as a capital offense. They kill the car owner, that is murder and murder is a capital offense. It carries a penalty of kadena perpetua.

Q Kung carnapping lang po?

SP Kung simple carnapping? Hindi. You are just a thief and not a murderer. Besides, that is bailable.

Q Malabong maging non-bailable kung carnapping lang po?

SP Malabo. Ngayon kung you carnap and you in effect kidnap the owner, then you bring the owner or the driver with you, then that becomes a complex crime. Two crimes committed. So you'll be punished for the higher crime.

Q Pero sir 'yung mga ginagawa ngayon, kasi daw talagang malalaking sindikato na kasi, pag marami na 'yung involved na incidents of carnapping...?

SP Noong araw marami rin 'yang sindikato na 'yan, pero tinapos lahat namin sila. Nawala lahat 'yan.

Q So ano dapat gawin ngayon against the carnapping?

SP Just law enforcement. A really, honest to goodness, consistent, purposeful enforcement of the law without let up. That's all. That's all you need. No retreat, always moving forward against the criminals.

On the oil price hike

SP Malaking impact 'yan kung you suspend the tariff on oil. Malaking pera 'yan sa gobyerno. I do not know whether we can afford it.

Q But it was done before.

SP Yes, it was done before.

Q But oil prices in other parts of the world are sky-rocketing again

SP Well, they can do it for the duration of winter.