Press Release
July 28, 2011

TRANSCRIPT OF AMBUSH INTERVIEW WITH SEN. DRILON
After Blue Ribbon committee hearing on PNP purchase of choppers

Q: Reaction sa testimony ng PNP officials

Pag tinanong mo kung sino ang dapat mag-certify na ito ay dapat brand new, nobody seems to be responsible or is tasked to do that. So obviously something is wrong and obviously there's an effort to cover up.

Q: You were centering on Mr. Piano, bakit siya sir?

Because he is an indispensable official here, he is the one who accepted the helicopters, notwithstanding the fact that it was very clear that the helicopters were not brand new as specified in the supply agreement.

Q: Hindi kayo convinced sa sagot?

Nobody will accept as correct an answer that in the entire organization, he doesn't know who is supposed to have accepted these as brand new. He denies that it was his duty to certify that it was brand new yet he knew it is supposed to be brand new because he was a witness in fact to the supply contract.

Q: Sino ang responsible?

He is the one whose cooperation and action are indispensable to this entire mess. In other words, if it was not his having certified as to the acceptability of the equipment, it would not have been paid. So it was only because he certified that payment was made. It was only because he accepted these helicopters as being consistent with the supply contract that payment was made.

Q: May overpricing po ba?

Obvious. They are jus trying to cover the overprice.

Q: Sa ngayon hindi pa nakita yung overprice?

Hindi pa. Malalaman yan.

Q: Naghugas kamay ang PNP?

Obviously naghugas kamay silang lahat.

Q: Were you disappointed?

Very disappointed.

Q: Ano ang link ni FG sa pagbenta ng choppers?

Hindi ko alam ang link nila sa pagbenta. I know that there will be testimonies that the First Gentleman is the owner of these helicopters.

Q: Invite sila? Dapat magsalita sila?

That's up to the chairman. Let's wait for the Tuesday hearing and let's see what is testified there.

Q: Dine-deny nila walang nag force sa kanila para bilhin yung choppers.

That's what they're saying. Let's see, let's wait for the testimonies on Tuesday.

2nd part

Q: Was there a conspiracy to defraud the government?

There is a conspiracy to defraud the government of sums of money.

Q: P105 million?

Not really the entire P105 million. It is paying for brand new helicopters when what was delivered was only 1 brand new and 2 previously owned.

3rd part:

Q: Misinformed ba si President Aquino sa P1 billion Pagcor expenses for coffee?

I do not know... I have not seen the documents.

Q: Sa 2004 switching of ERs.

I was the Senate President and I was co-chair of the National Canvassing Committee. Under certain jurisprudence, you cannot look... because Congress, as a National Canvassing Board, could not look behind what we see in the election return because that was the province of a protest. We were canvassing and therefore we just looked at the face of the ERs and that is settled rule of the Supreme Court.

Q: The mere fact na may umamin at pumasok sila at ninakaw nila yung mga original ERs...

That's really a very significant revelation because they were trying to cover up something.

Q: Magkakaroon pa ba ulit ng Senate probe?

I do not know.

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