Transcript of Interview of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile

On Secretary Llamas' Firearms

Q: Sir, 'yung report tungkol sa baril ni Secretary Llamas. Hindi ba siya criminally liable kahit 'yung driver ang may dala nung armas?

SP: Ano 'yun? Walang lisensya?

Q: Hindi, sir, pero di ba kapag may permit to carry man 'yun dapat dun sa tao na permitted to carry, hindi 'yung kanyang tauhan. Di ba, sir? Ganoon ba 'yun?

SP: Depende kung sino ang nagdadala ng baril. Kung military 'yun, he does not need a license. He's issued a firearm as a military personnel, kung member ng police. Sino ba 'yun? We do not know. Di ba?

Q: Pero sa staff po, sa Office of the President Adviser. Hindi po sila military. Hindi po pulis.

SP: No, but they can be assigned a military escort. They can be assigned a police escort.

Q: Pero, sir, hindi po ba personal 'yung permit to carry?

SP: Kung sundalo, on mission, you do not need any permit to carry.

Q: Sir, 'yung permit to carry po kay Secretary Llamas tapos 'yung baril po na may permit ang laman nung sasakyan na pinadala niya sa staff niya. Pwede ba 'yun i-delegate, sir, sa tao niya? Hindi ba liable, sir, 'yung staff?

SP: Pwede 'yun. You don't expect naman a Cabinet member to be carrying his gun. He's using that for security so he has to give it to somebody.

Q: Pero considering the Secretary is not in the country right now, wala siya sa Pilipinas ngayon...

SP: If he entrusted it to him that is his responsibility. He's a person in authority. If that was given to him, entrusted to him as a part of his duty, I do not see how you can spell out a criminal liability. You have to consider the position of the person because if he's holding a sensitive position and he's exposed to possible threat because of his acts as high government official, he's entitled to protect himself.

Q: Pero, sir, 'yung ganoong political adviser, okay lang ba na mayroon siyang limang baril, high-powered firearms?

SP: Depende sa kanyang trabaho ang mission niya. Political adviser, if he was given by the President a sensitive work to handle, I think they're involved in dealing with the MNLF and other groups.

Q: So, the arsenal is warranted, sir?

SP: Well, I cannot say. I do not know the facts. Mahirap 'yung you make a judgment. You're not in possession of all the details. Sometimes, when we go out, when I was the Secretary of National Defense, I myself carried either an automatic pistol or an automatic rifle. I normally give it to my security because that's the purpose of the security. Kung mayroon kang security at wala namang baril, anong klaseng security 'yun? 'Yung ngipin niya ang gagamitin niya para kagatin 'yung tao na who will assault you? Silly.

Q: Sir, 'yung kay Secretary Llamas, enough justification po ba 'yung may threat sa life niya kaya mayroon siyang mga high-powered firearms?

SP: Well, with his position, that's given. There's always a possibility of a threat. He's entitled to protect himself.

Q: Nothing irregular sa high-powered?

SP: It depends upon the threat. Kung ang kalaban mo ay may kanyon, kung pwede kang kumuha ng kanyon, kanyonin mo rin. Kung may armalite, kailangan tapatan mo ng armalite.

Q: Hindi OA 'yun, sir? 'Yung ganoong karami?

SP: No. Ngayon, when you're holding a position like that, he's the political adviser of the President then he travels and deals with all kinds of issues especially on security, he's entitled to protect himself.

Q: Pero, sir, the fact na dala ng tauhan niya pero wala naman siya rito sa bansa?

SP: Kung he entrusted those guns to somebody, he cannot be keeping that somewhere else. You have to assign that to your men to protect yourself.

He was invited to a peace talk with the MNLF and he surrendered his firearms and all of them were killed, massacred. Kaya you can never tell the magnitude and the extent of the threat to people who are enforcing the law. 'Yun ngang mga sundalo, walang anu-ano, sumasabog ng nakasakay sa truck.

On the class suit against Napocor

Q: Sir, 'yun daw pong mga taga-Bulacan, balak nila mag-file ng class suit against Napocor dahil daw sa pagbaha, dahil daw po sa miscalculation at sobra-sobrang pinakawalang tubig.

SP: They can but I doubt if they can make a case. That's government property. They are discharging the water in order to prevent a greater injury because kung 'yung dam na 'yun ay pumutok, malulunod sila. They would not have a chance to file a suit.

Q: Pero, sir, ang government can be sued kung may consent?

SP: Yes but you have to prove that there was negligence. That is the case of US vs. Frank. Mahirap 'yon. Maraming mga abogado na nagsasalita ng hindi naman pinag-aaralan.