PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT

(1) Cayetano calls Corruption in Customs, the new 'Wangwang'

Alan Peter S. Cayetano (ASC): Yung BOC at yung pork, yun ang mga bagong wang-wang. Kung ang wang-wang ay na-address ng administrasyon, ngayon ang mamamayan ay naghahanap ng solusyon para sa pork barrel at sa korapsyon. Yun ang hamon ngayon.

Kahi anong uri ng reporma sa pork barrel o customs ay masakit.

So where does the BOC stand in the issue of corruption or on how to achieve tuwid na daan. 17/20 of our government institutions improved their net sincerity rating. This is from SWS. Although the BOC has improved its rating in fighting corruption, it is the sole institution with a bad rating. So from negative 69, it improved to negative 45. However, it is still negative.

Smuggling, bribery, and corruption are the problems of the BOC. In the SONA of the president, he mentioned that P200B or $4B is lost due to corruption.

For fiscal year 2012, the BOC failed to reach its revenue goal of P59B despite the surplus of P20M during the start of the year. It fell short of P13B.

Transparency International Global survey indicated that half of the households surveyed experienced corruption in the BOC. From 2009 to 2010, people have paid bribes. This survey is outdated. However, the President himself mentioned in his SONA that the practice is still prevalent.

As the President said, he estimates that P200B is lost every year. Now, what does that mean for us now that the budget is being proposed? It could mean 800,000 new classrooms, 20 million more scholarships, 10 million SMEs could be given 10,000-20,000 as loans, or P20M more beneficiaries of CCT's.

Paano natin ito sosolusyonan? Simple lang. Tanggalin 'yang korapsyon. Kailangang himayin ng mabuti. Alin ang dapat tanggalin. Marami naman kasi sa pork barrel ang nakakagawa ng mabuti. Halimbawa, sa mga ospital. Sa medical assistance, mga nasunugan o nabaha. Yung dumadaan sa ahensya pero direkta sa tao. Siguro dapat tanggalin ay yung talamak ang graft.

Sa paraan na sinagot ang issue ng wang-wang, dapat ganun din siguro dito. Kailangan ipaalam sa mga tao na lahat at bawat sentimo ng pork barrel ay hindi mapupunta sa korapsyon. I will discuss next week possible and radical reforms.

But right now, we're waiting to hear from the government. Pero ang simpleng pambabalasa, walang magagawa. I was talking to people working with the BOC. Sabi nila, masmalaki talaga ang kinikita ng mga taga-Customs kesa sa mga brokers. Sabi nila, SOP na daw ang pag-kada transaksyon, may lagay.

So we have to go to the root of the problem. Kasi sa customs, SOP na talaga ang magbigay kada-container. Yung mismong lehitimong mga importer na may sariling computation na pati ang gobyerno kikita. Pero di sila kinukumbinsi na wag nang gamitin iyon at sinasabing mag per-container na lang tayo para mapadali.

I think this issue gives commissioner Biazon all the political will for sweeping reforms. Naiintindihan ko sila ni Deputy Commissioner Lim na mahirap talaga ang reporma. Pero ngayon na nasa gitna sila isyu, nasa kanila ang suporta ng Pangulo at ng taumbayan. Hihintayin natin kung anong radikal na repoorma ang pwede nilang gawin.

(2) Cayetano: More than relief, rehabilitation should be given to victims of calamities and disasters

ASC: Doon sa mga kasama sa Paez Elementary School, makikita niyo na yung mga nasunugan, nabaha, at iba pa, mabilis naman an dumadating ang relief. Pero ang usapin dito ay kung papaano dadating ang rehabilitasyon. Paano sila babangon? Wala halos tayong reporma doon.

Pero ang mainit na debate ay yung tungkol sa dagdag na P20B na CCT. Even the President spent some time discussing it in his SONA. Pero ang mga kritiko, yun din ang tatargitin para pag-usapan. My idea is not to scrap it but to target it so that the poorest of the poor become beneficiaries.

There should be provisions in the CCT for conditions like this so that it will become less controversial. Lastly, rehab projects are important. Livelihood and scholarship projects are important for victims of calamities.

(3) On CCT

Q: May posibilidad daw na pwedeng ma-bankrupt ang gobyerno kapag nadagdagan ang CCT.

ASC: I think that is an extreme an analysis. Ang mga nagsasabi noon ay iniisip na dadagdagan mo ng P12B kada taon at walang trickle down at kada taon, palaki nang palaki ang dinadagdag ng gobyerno sa CCT. Ang mga nagsasabi nito, ang kanilang teorya ay hindi anti-poverty measure ang CCT dahil sa hindi ito nagbibigay ng productivity at wala siyang work component.

That is partially true and partially false. It is an anti-poverty measure kasi malaki ang drop-outs natin. By keeping them in school, we are helping the fight against poverty. Pero totoo na lumalaki masyado ang halaga at kailangan tignan kung paano ang CCT maka-sigurado na ang mga anak ay nasa-eskwelahan. Kailangan makatulong din ito sa maliliit na negosyo, orphans, nasunugan at iba pa. It's not about scraping the program but how to make it a more productive program.

Ang pintas dito ay dole-out ito. Sinagot nga ng pangulo ito na pag may nalulunod, sagipin mo. Pero hindi pwedeng panay sagip tayo. Kailangan mo rin silang tulungang lumutang. Ang gusto nating makakita ng CCT program na nagpapabangon sa mga maypangangailangan.

(4) Cayetano pushes for Anti-Corruption reform measures on the use of the PDAF

Q: You mentioned that instead of scrapping, pork barrel should be distributed to the various government units. Does that mean that you oppose the scraping of the pork barrel?

ASC: Scrap any pork barrel program that does not prevent graft and corruption or is prone to graft. For example, consumables. Fertilizers, deodorants, and etc. You cannot audit them. Paano mo hahanapin? For example, scholarship, diretso sa eskwelahan o sa estudyante yun eh.

Ang medical assistance, ang pera diretso sa ospital. I will support any program that abolishes corruption but will still make sure that the people will get the projects. People are looking for graft free projects from the government. Marami nang proposals.

Sen. Miriam, gradual abolition. Sa akin yung line budgeting, pwede rin yung bidding ilipat sa mga senators. Kasi hindi ako naniniwalang may kongresman o senador na papayag na magpabidding na maanumalya at diretso sa kanya. Walang kongresman o senador ang papayag. The paper trail ends with the agency. Yung agency, nagsasabing may unseen hand dahil itinuturo sa kanila kung saan ibibigay o ilalagay. Pero lilinaw lamang ang mga ito pagkatapos ng inbestigasyon.

In the mean time, what do we do? What the gov't can do is just like the wang-wang, ipinagbawal na. What the government can do is to start reforms that will eliminate graft. Halimbawa yung pera ibibigay mo sa ospital at yung ospital na ang maglalaan ng pera para sa pasyente. Halos imposible na ang graft kasi kapag binigyan mo ng P1M ang ospital, sa bill na lang nung pasyente mo binabawas.

The other one is scholarship. Makikita mo naman yung status ng bata. Yung third yung para sa kalamidad. These are examples of soft projects. Kasi dun sa infra, meron pa rin, pero nagiging paunti nang paunti kasi nawawala na ang ghost projects at pahigpit nang pahigpit ang DPWH. Dun sa infra, kailangan lang natin ay community watch. Kung saan ilalagay yung kalye, alam ng kumunidad kung sino ang contractor, magkano yung kontrata at ano yung plano.

(5) Drastic reforms in BOC

Q: Sabi niyo kasi drastic reforms. So pwede ba ang abolition ng BOC?

ASC: The problem with abolition, how would you address it and would it be the same people? From firing everyone there including those who are guilty or not, from privatizing and etc. Pero kung papalitan mo, at ganoon pa rin... (wala ring mangyayari).

Hindi ito nababalita sa media pero sa publiko, kapag sinabing gusto mong ma-assign sa BOC, ibig sabihin noon gusto mong kumita. So how do you change the system?

Q: So wala bang magagawa ang Senate hearing? ASC: Kailangan malaman kung sino ang padrino at pangalawa, kung paano aayusin ang sistema. What the government can do is abolish import duties or taxes. Sales tax na lang. Bakit ba may korapsyon diyan? Kasi malaki ang babayaran mo kapag nag-import ka eh. So babayaran mo para mas maliit ang bayad mo. Ang bayaran, dapat sa pagbenta mo na ng goods at hindi sa pag-pasok mo. These are policies that the government should look at. There are free ports around the world that are duty free and their income comes from the amount of tourist and commerce.

(6) Cayetano calls for an open and transparent probe on the PDAF scam

Q: Sir, on PDAF, may resolution na ba ang Senate na this should be taken up by the Blue Ribbon?

ASC: So far individual statements pa lang. Buo ang tiwala ng Senado sa NBI magaling ang ginagawa nilang trabaho. Ang aking personal na problema ay dumadami ang pangalan and these names have a large influence on the DOJ and the NBI dahil sa nagaasikaso ng budget nila ay ang Senado.

Dalawa ang nakikita kong problema ng NBI, kapag di nila sinama yung pangalan ng opisyal, sasabihin ng tao bakit di niyo sila sinama.Pag sinama naman nila, baka maapektuhan ang budget nila o sila naman ang paginitan sa mga hearings. It's possible that once the NBI finishes with its investigation, then ipasa sa Ombudsman.

Pangalawa, ang NBI, di nakakapagbigay ng immunity. Di nila kayang sabihin na ituro mo ang may sala at pagkatapos ay bibigyan kita ng immunity o di kita kakasuhan. Ang ombudsman pwedeng gawin 'to. There are valid reasons for the NBI to finish its investigation and pass it to the Ombudsman.

Question, will it be productive for the house or senate? It will always be productive. It will be transparent. Problem is, it includes our members. Kapag naubos ang oras doon at nagaway-away ang mga miyembro, baka walang legislation. So may solution doon.

So the DOJ or the Ombudsman to allow the hearings to be televised. Ginawa nila ito sa hostage taking noong televised. So satisfied ang tao sa investigation kasi bahagi sila ng investigation. That's also possible pwedeng di sa Senado o Kongreso at ang DOJ at Ombudsman ang pwedeng bumuo ng panel at allow full media access.

Q: Pwede bang sabihin na it's a long shot na imbistegahan ng Senado ang scam?

ASC: Not necessarily. Parang yung Fertilizer scam. Maraming senador at congressmen ang involved pero tinuloy pa rin natin. It will be upon the decision of the leadership of the blue ribbon committee pero they have to understand na may implication kapag inimbestigahan niyo ang inyong mga sarili.

Q: May proposal si Sen. Escudero na idaan sa open vote kung iimbestigahan ang scam.

ASC: That's also possible. Pero that will break traditions kasi traditionally, it's the chairman, in consultation with its members, kung ano ang desisyon. So the question of the Senate is, what is our priority? Usually, nagiimbestiga ka kapag walang nagiimbestiga. Kasi feeling ng senate, responsibilidad natin 'yan. Kung tayo ang mag-iimbestiga, my concern as the majority leader, maapektuhan yung legislative work.

Now, kung di maganda ang takbo ng NBI, ako mismo ang mangunguna na magtawag ng imbestigasyon. Pero so far, the NBI is doing a good job at lumalabas naman ang lahat at tumutulong naman ang mga broadsheet.

The Ombudsman is in a very good position to start ang investigation because less ang influence or halos walang influence ang kongreso ang hindi ito departamento. Unlike the DOJ, hindi mo masasabing walang impluwensya ang kongreso.

Q: So it is not a priority?

ASC: It is up to the chairman. If it becomes a priority, it will affect legislation kasi emotional ito at hindi pwedeng di maglabanan ang mga senador dito. So baka simula pa lang, mag-speech na ang mga senador. If we say na ang isa guilty, baka sabihin niya na politika ito. Kapag sinabi na innocent, ang sasabihin ng iba siyempre kasi kasamahan niyo 'yan.

That is why independent investigations are better. Pero once nakita ko na tinigil ng gobyerno ang imbestigasyon na ito, ako mismo ang magsasabing simulan ang imbestigasyon nito. Sa nakikita ko, walang sinasanto ang NBI at Ombudsman. So confident ako na the Senate handles the reforms and the DOJ and the Ombudsman handles the investigative outfits.

Q: So will it be referred to the appropriate committees?

ASC: Yes, any resolution or speech style, automatic 'yun. Wala tayong hino-hold. Tulad ng sinabi ni Sen. Escudero, kahit sinong Senador, pwede itong itanong sa budget hearings. So in a sense, we will have a mini-hearing.

Q: Ang sabi ni Sen. Escudero, unlike the Senate hearings, hindi ito ginagawang public and at the same time, face-to-face ang inquiry.

ASC: I agree with Sen. Escudero. But this point in time, baka may rason ang NBI. Pero eventually dapat ganoon ang gawin ng NBI or better yet, the Ombudsman. What I suggest is for the NBI and the Ombudsman form a panel and investigate in the open. Napaka-importante para sa tao na maging part ng resulta at ng proseso.

By allowing the media to become insiders, we're allowing the people to become part of the investigation and not just the result. Anything that is sobra sa public interest, the investigation should be open and transparent and there should be full media access.

Q: Will involved legislators be granted any immunity on PDAF issue?

ASC: The only immunity granted to legislators is immunity from arrest if the penalty is below six years and we are in session. For example, kung plunder ang kaso, kung makita that it was systematic and more than P50 million cash is involved, no bale yun, anytime pwede mong arestuhin.

Walang immunity from cases ang senador o congressman. They only have immunity from arrest if tit's below six years and if it's during a session. Kapag wala kaming session, pwede (maaresto).

(7) 'lagayan' in Customs

Q: On BOC issue, on top of legitimate payment, meron pang nilagay ang brokers. May idea po ba kayo kung magkano?

ASC: I don't know the exact (figure). Mahirap din kasi magsalita yung ibang brokers for fear na mabago ang sistema o mas mapahirapan. Ang sabi sa akin, it's a per container basis, pati yung size. Ito pa yung legitimate. Doon sa mga in-xray, walang problema, alam mo kung ano ang kargamento...

I'd like to encourage the business community to start talking then. Many of those in the retail trade who import goods know about this, some of them leave it up to their brokers. Pero if you really want to reform, kung gusto niyo talaga magbago at nagbabayad naman kayo ng tamang tax pero nahihirapan kayo, dapat magsalita na din yung mga business club kung ano ba ang totoo. May turuan lang ba o may power play lang ba sa Customs o totoo rin ba na wala silang sinasanto, basta't may container van na pumasok, meron nang nakapatong doon or may S.O.P. o kasama na sa protocol yung magbibigay?

Q: Diba po kapag may legitimate, may lagay? Kapag po tumanggi sila sa lagay or may offer din ba na magbayad na lang ng mas mura sa tax?

ASC: What I meant by legitimate is that pinatingnan yung kargamento, hindi bawal o smuggled na goods and they're willing to pay at kompleto ang papeles, pero meron pa rin daw for the boys.

Yung sinasabing bawal na goods, le't say drugs, kahit anong tax ang ibayad mo doon, bawal yun.

Pero meron din yung misdeclare o underdeclare. Yung misdeclare, halimbawa jewelry ang pinapasok pero sasabihin damit. Yung underdeclare halimbawa ang halaga ng t-shirt ay P200 each, sasabihin nila P100 each. Syempre doon sa mga mis- o underdeclare mas malaki ang lagayan doon kasi alam naman nilang mali ang ginagawa. So you're paying para mapamura ka.

What I'm saying is that even those who regularly import goods may mga stores sa mga malls that complain na part of doing business na ang pagbibigay doon.

The reason I say na it's a bagong wangwang, yung ganitong klase ng corruption ay nawawala na sa ibang ahensya. So again hindi ko nilalahat. Hindi ko sinasabing lahat sa Customs, everyone is involved, lahat ng ports... But it's still widespread. So kung yung mga fixers sa maraming ahensya nawawala na, hindi ganun sa Bureau of Customs and I think all of this that is happening now gives Commissioner Biazon the elbowroom and the political will to propose and do workable, immediate reforms.

Q: How does corruption in BOC work?

ASC: Hahanapan ng problema yung papeles. Let's say one retail store ng maong at t-shirts, let's say every month may shipment sila so kompleto ang dokumento kasi sanay na sila eh, so halimbawa limang containers at sasabihin kailangan aside from the receipt bawat container.

(8) Giriian sa china

ASC: May negosyo satin may negosyante tayong may negosyo duon my ofws tayo duon that's also a big conern mabigat na pag babalanse ang gagawin natin diyan

(9) Transparent investigations

ASC: I don't know how much of the decision of the dbp how much of the decision of the sandigan bayan was based on the senate sent, but I do believe that any and all investigations on the senate mabigat ang nakukuhang ibidensya at nagagamit ng korte, senator escudero said because of nature of our rules mas maluwang yung rules tapos naka live ito so mas nakakakuha ng impormasyon.

Even in the military hearings diba general Garcia, general ligot, what im saying is that wala naman nagbabawal sa office of the ombudsman and department of justice from doing it the way the senate does it they do have to follow their own rules but merely being in front of TV cameras and microphones nung radio, cellphones and internet transmission changes the nature of the testimony.

Halimbawa pagka hindi live hindi mo alam kung mukhang guilty o hindi so ang tao ang hirap mong tignan yung testimony dun sa affidavit o sa papel pero yung body language ng tao pano sabihin yung follow up questions napa importante.

Pero hindi ito unique sa senado lang this is unique to the process that is open and transparent and we saw that during the investigation nung shootout sa hostage taking

That's why I cant comment specifically on that case because hindi ko alam yung main facts kung bakit nag order ang sandigan bayan kung anong pinagbasehan nila but I do believe that anything that the senate files mabigat ang weight except that what kind of evidence it is, what is the weight it is really up to the court sometimes lead lang ang binibigay ng senate opening.