Press Release
November 15, 2011

Transcript of Interview Sen. Franklin Drilon
Before Plenary Session

On the deferment of the Department of Justice on the budget deliberations

Sen. Franklin Drilon: Wala naman. I don't know. I have not received any call as of now. I don't think they will be called until we finish the general principles.

Q: So, itutuloy nila yung deliberations?

FMD: As of now, I have not received any request for deferment. They are scheduled this afternoon and we will continue with our schedule.

Q: So there should be a written notice?

FMD: They should just make a formal notice preferably a written request.

Q: May nagsabi daw po kay Secretary Abad about it?

FMD: Wala. Kausap ko si Secretary Abad sa telepono before he left because he had an emergency meeting.

Q: As of today, sa naka-schedule nating mga agencies wala pang masisimulan?

FMD: Wala pa. Pag open ng session, hindi pa namin masisimulan yan dahilan sa may interpellation pa on the general principles.

On the TRO issued by the Supreme Court on the travel ban of GMA

FMD: Dapat i-solve ng DOJ ang mga kasong nakabinbin para sa ganun kung talagang may kaso ay magsampa sila sa husgado.

Q: Pero yung naging decision po ba ng Supreme Court commendable po ba yun?

FMD: Sa akin, yun ang basa ng Korte Suprema. Bawat abugado, Justice ka man or pangkaraniwang abugado ay may sarili kang pananaw. Si Secretary De Lima may sariling pananaw. I can understand her position that she wants to push the limits of the power of the Secretary of Justice because that is a policy that they have adopted, but at the end of the day, the interpretation of the law is with the Supreme Court.

Q: Sir, enough ba yung mga conditions na inimpose ng Supreme Court like yung regular na magrereport sa embassy na pupuntahan and yung 2 million cash bond para hindi magtago si GMA?

FMD: Kung hindi siya makapagtago, kung ayaw niyang bumalik, anong gagawin mo?

Q: So yung mga conditions na yun hindi yun makakaprevent kay GMA kung sakaling gusto niyang magtago sa ibang bansa?

FMD: Sa akin, hindi makapagprevent. Sabi ko nga, kung ayaw niyang bumalik, anong gagawin niyo?

Message to Secretary De Lima

FMD: Sa akin, uulitin ko ang sinabi ko, yun pong Si Secretary De Lima dapat i-resolve na yung mga kasong nakapending sa Department of Justicepara sa ganun kung meron mang sapat na ebidensiya para magsampa ng kaso, eh di magiging academic yung kaso sa Korte Suprema dahil meron nang kasong sinampa. Pangalawa, sa akin, kanya-kanyang pananaw yan kung ano yung batas. And I do not blame Secretary De Lima for pushing the limits of her power as Secretary of Justice. Kung may sapat na ebidensiya, isampa na niya ang kaso sa husgado laban sa mga Arroyo. Para sa ganun ay humingi ng hold departure order sa husgado. Ngayon, I do not blame Secretary De Lima. She is doing her job as Secretary of Justice. She wants to test the limits of her authority and there is system in the Supreme Court that decides what the law is.

Q: Pwede bang i-MR yun, sir?

FMD: Of course, MR is allowed. This is an allowed pleading. In the rules of the Supreme Court, motion for reconsideration can be filed and pending resolution for the motion for reconsideration, the watchlist order can continue to be effective as the TRO is not yet filed.

Q: Sir, are you frustrated with the DOJ?

FMD: As I said, Secretary De Lima is testing the limits of her authority and I do not blame her for that because that is her role. Whether or not she is acting within the limits of the law, that is for the Supreme Court to decide. That is our system. Yun po ang ating sistema. Kung yun po ang action ng ating Secretary of Justice ay sang-ayon sa batas, ang Korte Suprema ang siyang magpapasiya.

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