Transcript of Interview of Senator TG Guingona

Q: Reaksyon sa mabilis na pag-aksyon ng Makati RTC sa subpoena.
STG: Natutuwa ako . Talagang dapat lang naman sapagakat malaking issue ito sa ating bansa. There Is no reason why they should not allow Janet Napoles to appear before the senate. I'm very glad.

Q: On invoking JLN against self-incrimination.
STG: Karapatan nila iyan.

Q: Just incase ganoon mangyari, ano ang mapapala ng Blue Ribbon Committee sa pagharap ni Napoles STG: Right now, antayin muna natin na dumating siya . Tignan natin kung ano ang sasabihin niya pero kung mag-invoke siya, karapatan niya iyon.

Q: Ano po ang security arrangements ?
STG: Maybe you should ask the senate sergeant-at-arms kasi sila ang incharge doon.

Q: up to what extent niyo papayagan ang pag-invoke niya against self-incrimination? Per question?
STG: Per question iyon. Every time you ask a question, she can invoke her right. But it has to be something you can incriminate her. It cannot be like, what is you name and then I invoke my right. Hindi naman puwede iyon. May limitation

Q: Pag gusto niyong i-contempt dito ba or doon pa din sa detention cell? STG: Doon pa din. Kasi andoon na siya.

Q: Ano ang parusa just in case she keeps on invoking her right?
STG: You cannot cite somebody in contempt for using a right kasi karapatan iyan eh.

Q: Malabo bang ma-contempt?
STG: Kung karapatan niya iyon , kaya nga tinawag na right, karapatan niya 'yon. Bakit mo ikukulong ang isang tao na ginagamit niya ang karapatan niya.

Q: This is going to be a public hearing. May possibility bang mag request ng executive session?
STG: Puwede silang magrequest pero I will not agree to that. Because that's precisely the point para malaman ang katotohanan at para malaman kung ano ang nangyari.

Q: Parang magiging powerless ang mangyayari sa mga senators that day kung mag-invoke siya ng right against self-incrimination. Baka wala na kayong makuha sa kanya.
STG: Well, will see. Let's not speculate again. That would be best assessment when she is already there on the stand.

Q: How can you sanction somebody for contempt when she is already detained?
STG: You already presupposing that we are citing her for contempt . Let's not jump the gun there. Let's just call for now, we are going to call her and listen to what she is going to say.

Q: You are still confident na may ma-gain kayo sa hearing?
STG: I'm very hopeful.

Q: Bottom-up Budget as an alternative PDAF. Ano ang sistema doon?
STG: Ang sistema , let's say you have barangay. Lalong lalo na sa mga rural areas, they ask the people. Basically it is a town hall meeting . "Halika kayo lahat, mag-usap tayo. Ano ba ang mga problema sa komyunidad dito?" Yung iba magsasabi na walang ilaw. Kailangan lagyan ng ilaw ang kalye. Iba naman magsasabi na kailangan ng tulay. Imbes na technocrat sa Manila or legislators ang magsasabi na ganito, ganyan ang kailangan na project ang tao ang nagsasabi. Kaya nga bottom-up budgeting. It starts from the bottom, the very basic community which is the barangay. Ako nga sabi ko nga parang ang bottom up budgeting parang let's call budgeting as if people matter.

Q: How regularly ginagawa ang meetings?
STG: It should be done annually because annual ang budget. This is a new concept . It hasn't been full pledged yet it is till under study but I understand in Brazil , it been widely used already-successfully. It is very powerful because you empower the people . You give them a say as to what are their projects. That's the power there.

Q: SP Drilon on filing a resolution on total abolition of PDAF.
STG: I'm for the total abolition of PDAF.

Q: transferring of the remaining PDAF to calamity funds. Wala bang magiging problema doon kahit may TRO ang Supre court?
STG: Maybe what we can do is abolish the PDAF and make a new appropriation for the calamity fund.

Q; Aboiliton for PDAF 2014 lang ang sinusuportahan ?
STG: Lahat na. All the way na. As a concept talaga, tanggal na talaga. That's why bottom up budgeting is very appealable to me because that is an alternative that gives the power to the people , to the basic communities to identify the projects. Hindi na iyong mga legislators.

Q: Yung resolution is for the abolition for 2014. STG: My stand is total abolishment of PDAF.

Q: Kailangan ba ma-approve ng batas?
STG: That can be done that way but it can also be done that you never allocate any PDAF funds.

Q: Pag na-abolish na iyon sa GAA lang sa tatanggalin pero just the same batas pa rin ang aprubahan. If that happens, puwede pa bang ibalik iyon later on? Irevise ulit?
STG: Yes. Future congresses. Every year is a law eh . They can bring it back if they want to.

Q: Hindi ba puwedeng gumawa ng batas na talagang permanent scrapping of PDAF.
STG: Sa consititution siguro kung mapasok. Hindi sa GAA or an SC ruling.

Q: Previous ruling of SC on PDAF abolition.
STG: Pero upholding eh. So ito ngayon, pag sinabing unconstitutional , hindi na talaga puwede . So kahit na may future congresses , hindi nila puwedeng gawin.

Q: In the future they can also question that again
STG: The Supreme court can always reverse itself sometime in the future.

Q: May effort ba kayo na ginagawa kay Napoles to encourage her to tell all?
STG: Wala naman kami communication with her and her lawyers. We'll just call her and listen to her. Let's see what she has to say. The best assurance is that she sees we are fair during the trial.

Q: Fear ng mga senators na it might turn into a circus.
STG: You can't define. what do they mean by circus? Nakikita mo naman the way I conduct hearings, it has never turned into a circus. As long as it is under my watch , it will never be a circus.