Transcript of Interview of Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III

On Gen. Albayalde and Mayor Magalong

Q: Who is more credible?

SP Sotto: Ganito. Nanood kayo ng hearing. Nakita ninyo yung hearing. Nagtataka ako doon sa mga nagsisisi kay Mayor Magalong, bakit daw after six years, ngayon lang nilabas yan? Naalala nyo yan? Hindi niya nilabas yan. Baka nakalimutan nila, hindi yata sila nakikinig nuong hearing, ang nangyari nuong hearing, inimbita si Mayor Magalong, dahil doon sa raid na ginawa sa NBP at investigation na ginawa niya sa NBP nuong araw, sa National Bilibid Prison, di ba? So nuong nandoon na siya, napunta yung issue sa recycling. Doon sa issue ng recycling, sinasabi ni Mayor Magalong nuong panahon niya, nung nagiimbestiga siya, yung NBP was involved in transactions. As a matter of fact, sabi niya, merong isang malaking transaction na nangyari that ang NBP ang involved. Ito yung heist sabi niya doon sa isang probinsiya na involved ang 138 o 238 kilos, parang ganun yung natatandaan niya. So tinanong namin, alin yun? He was just using it as an example doon sa recycling sa Bilibid, which was connected to the NBP and the GCTA investigation. Kami ngayon ang nagtanong, ano yun? Ano yung nangyaring yun? Sabi niya, hindi ko po pwedeng masabi, sa executive session na lang. In other words he was very conservative about it. Nahihiya siya dahil magbabanggit siya ng mga tao eh nuon pa yun, 2013. In other words, hindi totoo yung sinasabi na bigla na lang after six years, nilabas ng lahat yan. Hindi. It was unearthed by the committee because of the connection to the recycling in the National Bilibid Prison. Yun ang dahilan nuon, kaya sa executive session niya sinabi. Nuong kinuwento niya sa amin sa executive session, complete with the case files and everything, na-shock kami. Kaya the members of the committee wanted to bring it out into the open. So, I don't think it is right to blame Mayor Magalong.

Q: Ano ang assessment ninyo doon sa naging explanation ni PNP Chief?

SP Sotto: I am sorry, not part of the ano pala ako. Hindi ko masyadong nakuha yun.

Q: Ang sinasabi niya is that is part of his obligation, alamin ang status ng case dahil nagtatanong yung mga pamilya ng mga kapulisan niya?

SP Sotto: Oo. That is a reasonable explanation.

Q: Sa tingin ninyo may liability ba si Albayalde?

SP Sotto: That's for the courts to decide, or even the Napolcom because sila yata ang inaatasan ng DILG na tumingin niyan. I would rather not comment or give my personal assessment.

Q: Dapat ba siya magleave habang nag-iimbestiga?

SP Sotto: Hindi naman siguro, baka namang ika nga ay in the course of his incumbency, wala namang ganung issue. Wala namang masamang issue, wala namang masamang tinapay na nakita kay Director General Albayalde so ang pinaguusapan dito was related to something that happened many years ago.

Q: So hindi affected yung credibility niya?

SP Sotto: As the present chief PNP I don't think his credibility is affected. Ibang usapan yung nakaraan, hindi natin masabi kung may value or what, di ba? But we are talking about the present situation, wala akong nakikitang masama.

Q: Pero the fact na nakabalik yung 13 rogue cops na meron pang sensitive positions?

SP Sotto: Ang tanong, sino ang nag-appoint sa mga yun? Hindi naman siguro si General Albayalde, di ba? Eh di dapat ay tanungin natin ang Napolcom, paano nakabalik yung mga yun?

Q: Pero nandoon kayo sa executive session, yun bang niname ni Magalong sa public hearing kahapon, yun ba yung nirerefer niyang ninja cops?

SP Sotto: Kung ano yung ineksplika ni Mayor Magalong sa hearing kahapon, ganung-ganun ang explanation niya doon sa executive session. As a matter of fact di ba sinabi ko pa nga that Senator Lacson was asking me, kasi hindi kumpletong nandoon si Senator Lacson during the executive session, kaya tinanong niya, yan ba yung eksaktong sinabi ni Mayor Magalong doon? Oo, sinabi ko eksakto. Di ba it only means accuracy of his story?

Q: Yung kay General Aquino nandoon kayo?

SP Sotto: Hindi ko natatandaan yun. Wala yata ako doon, hindi ko natatandaan kung nabanggit yun sa executive session.

Q: Can you elaborate yung sinabi (unclear) na parang may cover-up?

SP Sotto: Aba'y nagkaroon ng raid or drug bust ng 10 ng umaga, pagkatapos ipipilit nitong mga operatives na 4:30PM? Ipipilit na 4:30PM? Ano ang tawag mo roon? Pagkatapos lahat ng barangay, yung mga nakakita ng pangyayari, may mga affidavit lahat pati yung mga security guard, at saka yung village mismo, sinasabi, umaga. At ang mga dokumento, makikita, umaga? Ano ang tawag mo roon? May pinag-tatakpan.

Q: Yung cover-up, hanggang saan ang nakikita ninyo?

SP Sotto: Mahirap sabihin at this point. Until we see the whole report, of the affidavits, other reports of the investigating units, siguro (unclear) tingnan yung CIDG investigation nung panahon na yun.

Q: As PNP Chief do you think that General Albayalde should suspend all his people?

SP Sotto: Hindi naman. Hanggang November na lang siya, baka magulo pa yung PNP at this point. As I said earlier, wala akong nakikitang masamang tinapay kay General Albayalde mula nung mag chief PNP siya hanggang ngayon, so wala tayong pinaguusapan. Yung issue nung nakaraan ay mas nakafocus doon sa mga involved doon sa raid.

Q: Pero dapat ba sila na ireconsider, at least icheck ulit ni General Albayalde yung position na binigay sa kanila?

SP Sotto: Dapat siguro the Napolcom and also General Albayalde should look into the matter. Paano nakabalik yung mga yun kung talagang mabigat yung asunto nila, at meron nang administrative order of dismissal. Mabigat yun. Naging demotion later on, pero dismissal. Again, ulitin ko, I am surprised why they are blaming Mayor Magalong on the issue. Apparently, hindi nila nasundan yung hearing ng Committee of Justice and Blue Ribbon kaya ganun. Sapagkat hindi naman dinala ni Mayor Magalong yang issue na yan sa Senado ng bigla-bigla. He was invited, because he was part of the preparations for a raid in the NBP before. At merong mga raid ang NBP nuon na involved ang CIDG, kaya naimbitahan si Mayor Magalong, siya kasi ang head nuon. So nung nandoon na, at kinukuwento niya yung mga pangyayari nuon sa NBP, connected din doon, nabanggit niya, we were investigating GCTA, and the NBP recycling, na ang NBP, involved sa recycling nung mga nandoon, yung mga drug lord doon. Sila ang tinatawagan, sila ang nagsasabi kung saan dadalhin, sila ang nagsasabi kung saan bibilhin, at sino ang magdadala. Yung mga transactions, ang sinasabi ni Magalong, (unclear) involved yung recycling and mga drug lords sa New Bilibid Prison. Ngayon, in the course of the investigation nung committee, nabanggit niya na talagang nangyayari yan, as a matter of fact, it even happened sometime in 2013 or 2014. Sabi niya, isang malaking recycling, naimbestigahan namin. Nung tinanong namin siya, ano yun at sino ang involved, ayaw niyang sabihin, gusto niya sa executive session sabihin. That's the start. Hindi yan out of the blue na Mayor Magalong plucked it out of thin air na bigla na lang after six years ay tinitira niya yung mag na involved? Hindi. Hindi ganun yun. Nagkakamali sila, hindi nila nasundan yung hearing kung ganun.

Q: Si General Aquino ba naapektuhan yung credibility doon sa pag flip-flop niya?

SP Sotto: I'd rather not comment muna sa mga ganyan, kasi meron din akong issue doon sa PDEA at this point. Mukhang hindi nila naintindihan yung bill ko creating the Presidential Drug Enforcement Authority. Kumokontra sila, bakit? Satisfied na ba sila sa trabaho nila ngayon? Kumokontra sila na ma-upgrade sila? Mabigyan sila ng bagong powers, at mas malakas na powers and control over prosecution and enforcement, drug prevention and rehabilitation? Ayaw nila? Aba, hindi nila naintindihan yung batas. We will find out tomorrow during the hearing.

Q: Sino po ang nagsasabi ng totoo, si General Albayalde or si Mayor Magalong?

SP Sotto: That is an unfair question to ask because that may put me on a spot. Ang masasabi ko lang, yung kwento ni Mayor Magalong doon sa executive session at yung kwento niya kahapon sa hearing, parehong-pareho. Very accurate, yun yon. And then makikita mo na the affidavits that were submitted, the CIDG reports, are the same with what he said. Yun lang.

Q: Yung kwento ni General Aquino?

SP Sotto: Hindi ko kabisado yun. Hindi ko masyadong...I have no comment about that.

Q: Full pa rin yung trust ninyo kay Albayalde despite the allegations being unearthed?

SP Sotto: Oo. I don't see anything that involves any untoward issues against General Albayalde from the time he became the PNP Chief to the present.

Q: (Unclear) your support?

SP Sotto: I think it all boils down to the hands of the Napolcom and the DILG.

Q: Should you consider some reforms, his style of leadership, yung mga ganun? Kasi kahit paano, tainted yung name niya.

SP Sotto: Six years ago. The issue was discussed six years ago. I don't see anything wrong in the last three years.

Q: Pero given what's happening Senate investigation, whether he admits it or not, affected yung credibility niya, with the way people are reacting.

SP Sotto: Syempre, hindi maiiwasan. Pero again, ako, I would rather always give the benefit of the doubt.

Q: Pero (unclear) nasa magandang position pa rin yung mga police ngayon, na binabalikan niya si Mayor Magalong na walang ginawa, pero siya, wala ring ginagawa ngayon?

SP Sotto: As I said, nasa kamay ng Napolcom na yan. Now na naunearth yan, meron palang ganyan nuong araw, dapat ay kumilos ang Napolcom.

Q: Which he also chairs?

SP Sotto: DILG, (unclear).

Q: Sabi ni Magalong may mga death threats na siyang natatanggap since humarap siya sa Senate? May maitutulong ba ang Senate for security?

SP Sotto: Hindi kailangan. Mayor yun, General yun, CIDG chief dati yun, deputy pa yun.

Q: Nakaaway niya kasi ngayon yung PNP Chief?

SP Sotto: Kahit na. I don't think he should be threatened.

Q: Malapit na bang macontempt si Baluyo?

SP Sotto: Oo, actually dapat yun kinontempt na kahapon yun.

Q: Iinvite ninyo pa sa next hearing si Mayor Magalong?

SP Sotto: Depende kay chairman.

Q: Bakit dapat kahapon kinontempt na si Baluyo?

SP Sotto: Aba'y obvious na obvious na nagsisinungaling.

Q: Bakit hindi kinontempt?

SP Sotto: Hinihintay ko yung mga kasama ko.

Q: (Unclear)

SP Sotto: The Senate President usually does not do that. Because I am the signatory.

Q: Pero nanggigigil na kayo?

SP Sotto: I am the signatory, ano ba kayo?

Q: Yung credibility ni Magalong?

SP Sotto: I have known Magalong since 2008 when I was DDPB chair. When he was one of the top operatives and I know his record. His record was never tainted from that time. Meron ngang problema sa PDEA nuon, may mga nagkakaroon ng issue, he was the first to resign dahil ayaw daw niya yung nakikita niya so I think he (unclear).

Q: Can you say the same to Albayalde?

SP Sotto: I have only known General Albayalde from the time he became PNP Chief up to the present and I think he has a very good record.

Q: May dapat bang gawin si General Albayalde?

SP Sotto: Dapat ipagpatuloy lang niya ang trabaho niya. Dapat yan nasa kamay na ng Napolcom at DILG yan, wag na nila abalahin ang sarili nila. Ipagpatuloy lang niya ng trabaho niya at makakasira sa trabaho ng chief PNP yan.

Q: (Unclear)

SP Sotto: Siguro baka kailangan namin pag-aralan ni Presidente ang leadership ng PDEA.