Transcript of the interview with
SENATOR MIRIAM SANTIAGO
after her speech at the Rizal Technological University - Pasig Campus 14 December 2015

On former U.S. President Jimmy Carter's cancer cure

.... Ang cancer niya, nakarating na sa kanyang brain, at maliban diyan, ang cancer niya nag-metastasize. Sa cancer, basta sinabi mong metastatic o nag-spread na, mamamatay ka na, wala nang ibang paraan, dahil dati basta na-infect ka, wala nang paraan para mapigilan mo. Pero itong bagong gamot ni President Carter, na binanggit ko noon na napakamahal, napagaling [si Carter]. Ganoon din ang mangyayari sa Pilipinas. Kaya lang dahil maaga pa masyado, itong gamot ay napakamahal. Halos half a million per month. Kaya sana itong mga pharmaceutical companies ay mag-cooperate naman sa mga developing countries para maka-develop tayo ng mga gamot na makakayanan ng mga ordinaryong mamamayan.

Are you using the same medication as Carter?

I will be using it, I think, by next month, if all my doctors agree. They first have to circulate a memo among themselves.

So are you well?

Yes. I cannot come here--I have to dress up like this, go to the parlor first, and have my makeup applied, which is a fate worse than death--if I did not feel well.

On the Commission on Elections first division decision to disqualify Senator Poe

In our judicial system, there is a mechanism for appeal. There is always a decision at a low level. You can then go to the higher level to appeal the decision at the lower level, and then you can go to the highest level, after which there is no more appeal. That is the way it works. [Senator Poe] has lost on the first level. She is now appealing at the second level, and she will eventually appeal at the highest level. That means she has already lost two of the three divisions. She has one more division to go, but presumably it will also be like the other two divisions. If she loses on all three divisions, she will appeal at the Comelec en banc--ibig noon sabihin, the Comelec as a whole, as opposed to earlier appeals na by division na tatlong commissioners. Kung talo siya sa lahat ng divisions, lahat nang nine commissioners. Kung hindi pa, aakyat siya sa Korte Suprema.

Ang magiging problema niya ay baka bago matapos itong mga apela niya magkaroon na ng petsa na kailangan nang mag-imprenta ng pangalan ng mga kandidato [sa balota]. Nakalagay ito sa kalendaryo ng Comelec, at pagkatapos nito, hindi na mababago ang pangalan ng mga kandidato. Sa ngayon, ayon sa mga desisyon, hindi mailalagay ang pangalan niya, kaya kailangan madaliin ang pag-aapela niyan. Kapag hindi siya nakaabot, mag-aapela pa iyan sa Korte Supreme. Pero maaaring habang ganyan ang mga desisyon, hindi mailalagay ang pangalan niya. Kung ganoon, kahit maihabol pa, huli na ang lahat. Her name should appear in all the ballots. Can you imagine that there are 50 million ballots, plus the reserve ballots? Dapat ang ginawa niyan ay noon pa, pinag-aralan na at binunyag na sa buong bansa, kamukha ng ginagawa sa akin at sa sakit ko. Kaya ako ang ginagawa ko, lagi akong nagpapakita sa publiko, lalo na kung kumbidahin ako ng television dahil doon nakikita ang kilos ko at ang hitsura ko. Dapat ganoon din ang kilos niya. Hindi siya dapat natatakot, kung hindi dapat--tama naman ang sinabi niya--na kung ano ang sabihin ng Korte Suprema, susundin niya. Iyan ang pananalita ng tunay na lider. Ngayon, tingnan natin kung tutuparin niya ang sinasabi niya.

On Mayor Duterte's entry into the presidential race and alleged human rights violations

Si Mayor Duterte, halos magkamukha lang kami niyan, kaya matalik kaming magkaibigan. Sometimes we descend to the level of hyperbole, iyon bang sinosobrahan mo ang sinasabi mo para mas epektibo, mas nakaka-catch attention ng nakikinig, pero hindi naman literally true. I think itong mga accusations of a so-called death squad or other terrorist actuations, dapat noon pa. Noon pa iyan eh. Istorya na iyan noon pa, sampung taon na. Bakit hindi siya inimbestigahan? Bakit hindi sinampahan ng kaso? Kapag sinasabi niyang napatay ko ang taong ito, he might mean [the person was killed] on his orders, according to law. May mga circulars iyan na kill at will, kill on site, and so on. May mga regulasyon kung paano patayin ang tao na ayon sa batas. Iyan siguro ang ibig niyang sabihin. Wala namang taong magsasabing "Ako ang pumatay kay ganito." That would be an admission against interest, and he will need the whole panoply of judicial defense. I think [these allegations] can be disregarded unless there is weighty evidence that [they] are not hyperbole, or just some of the things politicians say to catch the attention of the public.

You personally don't believe the allegations?

Unless there is evidence... I was a former judge and I'm always careful to make the distinction between hyperbole, i.e. exaggerated way of talking, and serious piece of evidence, which may be testimonial or which may consist of hard evidence. We always have to obey the rules of court.

Do you agree with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) that the Department of Justice (DOJ) should investigate the allegations against Duterte?

All I can say is that [the CHR] is doing its job. It might even be overdoing its job, or it might be too late in doing its job, dahil itong mga kuro-kuro tungkol kay Mayor Duterte never materialized, not even into a complaint in court. The question that remains on the minds of his supporters is "Why were these allegations not taken seriously, not when these crimes were allegedly committed? Why only now that he has announced his candidacy for president?" Now it because possibly an obstacle to his candidacy, because these are crimes against humanity or crimes against human rights. That is the first question in the mind of the voter: "Why is he now being accused of crimes that appear to have happened decades ago or at least several years ago?" Even I as a fellow presidential candidate would ask these questions.

On President Aquino's statement that seems to belittle campaigns on social media

I don't think [President Aquino] referred to me, because if that is the case, I will challenge him to any debate on any topic under his presidency, but he was wise enough not to mention my name. Let's just leave it to the comical contortions of politicians during political campaigns.

On black propaganda, especially about her health

Lahat kami iisa-isahin talaga kasi mayroon talagang nagkakapera bawat eleksyon sa pamamagitan ng paninira, o dirty operations. Bawat kandidato, maliban siguro sa akin, may pera na pambayad sa tao o grupo para manira o mag-imbento ng hindi totoo para masira ang tao. Kung ganyan ang palakad ng pulitika, maaaring pati ako sisiraan na rin. Noong 1992, siniraan na rin ako nang todo-todo, pero nanalo pa rin ako sa Senado. Maaasahan natin na lahat kami sisiraan, kaya importante na sa kampanyang ito, gamitin natin ang social media para makita natin ang katotohanan.

On her physical readiness to campaign nationwide

If I were not ready, would I be campaigning? Sila ngayon ang nag-iikot. Ako, for the three terms that I have been senator nag-iikot, not necessarily because of my presidential inclinations, but because the [schools] took it upon themselves to invite me.... When I say "I am ready to run for president," why is it that there are so many people who immediately say, "No you're not"? This concerns me, bakit sila makikialam sa akin? Kung sabihin ko halimbawa na hindi makinis ang mukha mo at hindi iyan pwede sa advertisement sa polbo, bakit ako ang magsasabi sa kanya ng ganoon? Mukha niya iyon eh, siya ang nakakaalam.

Kaya itong kaso ni President Carter, maganda ito dahil ipinapakita na sa Amerika, wala silang kaso ng prejudice. Hindi ba mayroon tayo ng tinatawag na anti-sexism, anti-ageism, at kung anu-ano pang movements, dahil noon lahat na lang may prejudice sila. Pero sa Amerika, unti-unti nang nawala ang mga prejudice na ito. Halimbawa, may mga ayaw mag-empleyo ng mga taong may kapansanan, dahil ayaw lang nila, kahit makakayanan naman ng employado ang trabaho. Kaya sa lahat ng aspeto halos, mayroon na silang paraan para mapigilan ang prejudice. This started with the Equal Employment Act [to protect] females. Dati basta babae ayaw nila. Ngayon sa Amerika... basta kaya ng tao ang trabaho, kahit ayaw mo sa kanya dahil babae siya, o may kapansanan siya, o matanda na siya, hindi na pwede na you discriminate unless on the basis of merit. Kaya dapat, ngayon, ang trend on social consciousness is that there should be equality in society and there should be no inequity or inequality in choice, except only in terms of merit.