Transcript of Interview of Sen. TG Guingona after the Blue Ribbon Hearing

On the PDAF scam investigation

How would assess Ben Luy's testimony?

The testimony of Benhur Luy is very credible. If you notice there are so many details, things that he remembers. These are crucial signs that he is very credible. I would like to point out where we started. Kung titingnan ninyo itong PowerPoint natin, nag-umpisa yung flow sa legislators, pumunta sa DBM, pinag-usapan natin, dito sa implementing agencies, nandyan ang NABCOR, ZREC, at napunta sa fake NGOs. So lahat yan napag-usapan natin. So, sinasagot natin, ano ba ang nangyari? Paano ba nangyari? Eto, nakikita natin, nasagot na yan, kung papaano nangyari, saan pumunta, at ang huling-huli na lang, pag galing sa fake NGOs, ang pag-balik sa mga legislators. Today na-establish natin na meron talagang corruption na nangyari at meron talagang pera na binigay sa mga legislators. Unfortunately, hindi lang lumabas ang mga pangalan. Pero, it is only a matter of time. According to the Secretary of Justice, it will come out on Monday.

On whether Luy will be called back to testify in the next hearing

We will sit down and assess after what will happen on Monday.

Will the next hearing be a tell-all?

Ang sinabi nila, yung affidavit will come also in batches. So, ang mangyayari diyan, kung sino ang nakasuhan na, merong affidavit for those na nakasuhan na at yun ang ilalabas nila.

Is Napoles next?

I cannot answer that yet, we will sit down and assess after Monday. About the other whistleblowers, we will take that into account but I think the most important whistleblower has already testified. I think he is very credible and very believable, therefore there is reasonable basis to conclude that there is in fact either malversation of public funds or plunder committed by some legislators. Sa flow, nakita natin doon sa implementing agencies may mga pangalan, may mga documents, may mga pangalan ng mga legislators na lumabas, ang last na lang na wala pang pangalan ay yung from the fake NGOs back to the legislators. That we will find out on Monday.

On why Luy was allowed not to name Senators involved.

That was a condition because we only found out this morning that Secretary De Lima decided to bring Benhur Luy. The status before that, we have a letter we received around 4:00PM in the afternoon, that she could not bring any whistleblower, so we were pleasantly surprised that she decided to bring in Benhur Luy on the condition daw na no naming of names. We deemed it sayang na hindi niya maibigay yung mga pangalan, but sabi namin, having Benhur Luy testify is better than nothing. We agreed to that and you saw naman what happened. It was a very convincing testimony of Mr. Benhur Luy. Ang kulang nalang yung names which will come out on Monday anyway. Its just a matter of a few days.

Q: Yun yung reason bakit nadelay?

Yes, that's the reason.

Q: Mahirap ba kayo maconvince na no naming names dun sa ganung condition?

Hindi naman because we were coming from the knowledge that there would be no whistleblowers. Sabi namin 'Ok, lets hear what he has to say'. We were hoping that we could convince them in changing their mind later on in the hearing.

Q: Sir, ngayon na naestablish na yung ibang lawmakers na nakatanggap ng part ng PDAF, do you still not see the need to invite the lawmakers who were earlier implicated?

We will assess. Right now, if you can the powerpoint, we have a full circle already from the start of the legislators to the Department of Budget and Management to the implementing agencies to the fake NGOs back to the legislators. So, full circle na siya. Nabuo na yung kwento. Ang hindi nalang sure yung tanong na sinong may kagagawan at sinong mananagod. Pero yan malalaman natin sa Monday pag-file ng kaso.

Q: Sir, anong aasahan naming sa next hearing?

We will sit down and assess muna.

Q: Pano sir yung mga lawmakers na matutukoy on Monday?

I don't want to answer that yet that is why we will sit down and assess this situation.

Q: Are you convinced with the statement that Napoles is the only mastermind?

We have to take that into account. It sounds convincing but I guess the proper person to answer that would be Janet Lim-Napoles.

Q: Do you still need her to testify?

We have to sit down and assess.

Q: Sir, sabi ni Benhur Luy na ayaw niya maging state witness si Napoles. What's your thought on that sir?

I'll leave that to the Secretary of the Department of Justice. They are the best persons to judge as to the thickness of Ms. Napoles. I would not like to speculate on that.

Q: Sir, definitely meron pang next hearing? Hindi kayo titigil dahil may kasong isasampa?

We will assess.

Q: Kahit po ba magfile na ng kaso ang DOJ on Monday, tuloy pa din po ba ang hearing ng Blue Ribbon Committee? Ano yung consideration niyo besides sa pag-aassess kung itutuloy pa or hindi.

Well, one, ang starting point natin, ano ba yung mga tanong. Ano ba yung nangyari? Papano nangyari? Nasagot na ba? Sino ang mananagot at sino ang may kagagawan? Yan masasagot sa Monday. Yun nga tinitignan natin, full circle na. Nandito na.

Q: Possible sir na last hearing na yung ngayon?

I don't want to answer that yet.

Q: Sir, meron po ba kayong initial na recommendation para at ma-safeguard na yung parerelease ng PDAF?

Yes, meron. Abolish the PDAF. If you abolish it, then you have nothing to abuse.

Q: Habang hindi pa po natin sir madetermine kung may next hearing at kung ano yung mangyayari sa Lunes at kung mapapangalanan ba, bakit hindi po muna natin bigyan ng attention yung Malampaya since umiinit na rin sa ngayon?

Pwede pero aalamin pa natin pero what I know is hindi pa tapos yung special audit. Pero kung meron nang audit report pwede natin imbestigahan yun.