TRANSCRIPT OF INTERPELLATION
Senator Risa Hontiveros & Secretary of Justice Jesus Remulla
Commission on Appointments
September 14, 2022

SRH: Just for the record, may we hear the views of the Secretary on POGOs. A reason given for the dramatic spike in Chinese nationals entering the country starting 2017 is the grant of Visa Upon Arrivals given to them under the VUA scheme of former SOJ Vitaliano Aguirre. Imbes na "upon arrival", these visas are pre-arranged with select tour agencies. Do you agree that this scheme has created many opportunities for corruption, and has allowed unsavory individuals to enter our country?

JR: This system of Visa-upon-Arrival which entailed giving these people arriving a piece of paper as a VISA really gave birth to a lot of debts to our country. Because our immigration system is not as modern as it should be to handle a matter like this. I believe if we had biometrics and advanced technology and information it would have been better if this had been present. But the current system of immigration, this VUA is really a problem that we have to contend with and it is for a fact that since we have assumed office in June 30, we have not granted VUAs and we have turned back people who have tried to enter our country with VUA scheme.

SRH: The Senate investigative hearings in the 18th Congress led to the filing of cases by the National Bureau of Investigation against 86 personalities involved in the pastillas scam. Anong corrective measures ang inundertake para siguraduhin na hindi ito magpapatuloy at hindi ito mauulit?

JR: The pastillas scheme is based on the structure of the BI. Usually the Chief of ports operation is the godfather of the pastillas. That's why in the bill that we proposed in the lower house we did away with that position and decided rotating leadership within the ports of entry is the better scheme to adopt than having one central godfather overseeing the operations of all the terminals. So it is structual in nature in the sense your honor that it makes organized crime an easier thing to commit when it is organized in that manner that is why structural change is so important for us to adopt through the new modernization law that we have submitted including amendments that we have submitted to congress.

SRH: Very well noted yung sinabi niyo na you have submitted a bill on a new modernization law and I believe lahat po kami who were in the previous Congress and very probably in the current will look with great interest towards supporting this bill. And salamat sa pagbanggit niyo ng word ng Godfather kasi parang nagkaroon talaga ng ganun sa pastillas scheme na yan sa VUA ng mga Godfather protector o mastermind. And I appreciate na meron kayong ginawa na organizational reform to address yung ganoong set up na nagamit para sa mga krimen sa loob ng BI mismo.

Binanggit ng Secretary sa kanyang opening remarks ang rule of law. And I appreciate that. In relation to that, the ICC's pre-trial chamber gave us until Sept 8 1 to submit its observations on the continuing investigation into the alleged crimes against humanity committed in the context of former President Duterte's "war on drugs". Have these observations been submitted?

JR: Since we are no longer members of the ICC, we cannot give any information to them as a matter of compliance or submission. We gave them information as a matter of comity, following the international law principle that there is respect among nations and among multilateral agencies in our country. So the findings of the DOJ given to them by Solicitor General Guevarra and he was the one who forwarded the information they were asking for with regards to the drug war and EJKs that were happening in our country. It is with this principle that we gave the ICC this information.

SRH: Salamat sa good secretary for even mentioning EJKs, thereby acknowledging their existence and there being subject of hopefully the truth-telling and doing of justice. I also appreciate secretary ang sinabi niyo in public at yung sinabi niyo muli ngayon na nagsumite ng mga obserbasyon through the SolGen though not out of compliance but out of comity at nabasa ko din sa media yung sinabi ng secretary na out of courtesy. Dahil para sa akin, out of whatever para sa akin it's a step forward na from the attitude of the previous administration at kahit papaano nagbibigay palagay ko ng dagdag na pagasa na balo at ulila na yun na nga magkakameron ang kanilang mga pamilya ng isang sukat ng hustisya in time. The ICC Prosecutor Kharim Khan noted that the Philippines made mention of the DOJ Panel and its efforts to investigate the killings. Have any further investigations been done mula nung inassume ninyo yung papel bilang kalihim?

JR: Tinuloy po namin ang pagtingin sa problemang ito. Yung ibang mga kaso na ibinigay sa amin ng NBI ay ibinalik namin sa NBI sapagkat hindi sapat na magdiin talaga ito sa mga tao na dapat masakdal sa krimen. Ang problema talaga dito is the lack of witnesses. At sinabi ko na ito sa ibang nagtanong sa akin isang problema dito yung law enforcement agencies do not really talk to each other, walang tumetestigo, ito po yung ating gustong tignan kaya ang isa pong suggestion ko po ay sana maamyendahan natin ang witness protection law, para masakop ang law enforcement officials under witness protection kung sila po ay magsasalita laban sa kanilang mga kabaro. At ang mga testigo ay napakahirap rin kunin sa mga ganitong mga pangyayari kasi biglaan po ito kaya napakahirap po at minsan ang isang problema po ay walang pamilyang naghahabol sa napakaraming kaso, kasi nga ang marahil ang daming nahihirapan na sa problema dulot ng droga kaya daw tumahimik ang kapaligiran kaya hindi na sila nagreklamo sa mga pangyayari. Kaya marami talagang sanhi itong pagkukulangan ng mga kaso, ngunit ang kakulangan talaga dito ang testigo na magdidiin sa mga sanlarin sa mga nag- [] ng buhay ng mga walang kalaban-laban.

SRH: Salamat din Secretary sa pagbanggit ninyo sa posibleng amyenda at pagpapaganda sa witness protection program dahil kayo din po ay naging dating nambabatas sobrang naaappreciate namin yung ganyang mga payo tungkol sa legislative agenda, very well noted. Do you agree that the ICC retains jurisdiction over crimes allegedly committed while the Philippines was still a member, or before March 2019?

JR: Pwede po yan pagusapan in the sense that kung ganun ang kanilang paniniwala paano nila itutupad ang ICC sa Pilipinas kung wala silang jurisdiction at wala silang compulsory process. In theory yun ang pwede nilang paniwalaan, but reality kung subukan nila pumasok dito upang mag-imbestiga sino ang kakausapin nila upang ipatupad ito ang reality dito talaga ay wala silang jurisdiction dito, yun ang aking paniniwala sa bagay na ito.

SRH: Maari ang pananaw ko sa tanong na ito sa inyo, pero I will leave it at that for now. Under what circumstances will the DOJ be able to recommend that the Philippines re-acquire the status of a party to the Rome statute?

JR: This is already on the upper-level of government. Its beyond the DOJ, ako po ay alter-ego sa itaas. It is really the job of the Chief Executive and of course the policy of the country itself if they want to really be a part of the Rome statute or ICC. It's beyond my call, I believe, since we have a functioning justice system we are not really too desperate to come out and be a part of the Rome statute.

SRH: Good Secretary, dahil sabi niyo nga pinaninindigan niyo yung prinsipyo ng rule of law, I look forward to that day hopefully in the next 6 years na dahil itinataguyod niyo yung prinsipyong iyon at sabi niyo nga na meron mga reforms na isinusulong sa ating justice system na magkaroon ng mga circumstances na posible ninyong irekomenda, kinikilala ko na nag desisyon ay nasa Chief Executive, pero na makapagrekomenda kayo tungkol dito sa tinanong ko but I will leave it at that for now. Doon pa rin sa rule of law, you gave assurances that the case of Senator de Lima will not be further delayed. However, reports also state na yung DOJ panel ay parang nakakadelay sa hearings sa pamamagitan ng paghingi ng continuance at every possible opportunity posible bang igarantya niyo sa komiteng ito sa Commission na ito, na iinstruct ninyo ang inyong mga prosecutors na wag ng maging cause ng anumang delay at sa ganung paraan, respetuhin ang karapatan ng dating Senador Leila de Lima to a speedy and impartial trial?

JR: Yes, Ma'am. Hindi po natin pababayaan na magdelay ang prosecutive. In fact, yan ay rule ng justice system natin na for every day that it is delayed we lose a witness. Kaya hindi po trabaho ng DOJ na idelay ang kaso, dahil hihina ang kaso.

SRH: Maraming salamat Secretary, both sa pagtataya ninyo na iinstruct niyo sila na wag magcause ng delay at para din sa pagbanggit ninyo sa pagkawala ng witness. Kanina pinaguusapan natin ang problemang iyon doon sa paghabla ng mga suspects sa EJKs, pero babalik kay dating Senador Leila, concerned ako sa mga case updates na natanggap sa kanilang legal team that the prosecution panel is vigorously opposing the recall of Rafael Ragos to the witness stand to present his recantation. Di po ba na yung akusado ay dapat mabigyan ang lahat ng pagkakaton ipresent ang lahat ng posibleng legal defenses so bakit yung DOJ panel tinututulan ang pagpresenta ng isang saksi na yung testimonya nila material sa mismo credibility ng kaso ng dating Senador Leila?

JR: Natural yun, na hindi magustahan ng prosecution na maging hostile witness yung kanilang testigo. Kaya yung lagi ko sinasabi tungkol sa affidavits of recantation mahalaga na maipresenta ito sa korte, maexamine ang gumawa ng affidavit at ma-cross examine ang irony rito ay sila ay witness for the prosecution na iccross examine ng prosecution pero kung talagang tumestigo ang tao walang umaawat sa kanila malaya sila tumestigo sa korte natin.

SRH: Sasabihin ko sa legal team ni dating Senador Leila na hindi na magooppose yung DOJ panel sa pagpresenta kay ginoong Ragos para ipresenta at macross examine rin sa kanilang recantation.

JR: Aalamin ko kung ano yung pangyayari diyan, kung meron talagang oposisyon at kung paano nangyayari sa kaso. Isang beses ko pa lang nakakausap yung mga abogado na kasama sa DOJ panel at kakausapin ko sila dito.

SRH: Iffollow up ko kayo in the coming days. Lastly on the rule of law, do you think the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) should be abolished?

JR: Ang PCGG ay isang parte ng gobyerno na binabanggit sa constitutary provisions ng ating saligang batas kaya ang abolisyon nito ay kailangan yung dalawang kamara ang magkasundo kung ito ay tapusin na ang buhay ng PCGG. Pero 36 years na ang nakakaraan mula nung ito ay tinayo at isa lang ang pakay nito na habulin ang pamilya Marcos, 36 years na ang nakakaraan, marahil dapat sumambunot ang bagong chapter sa atin, palakihin natin ang papel ng PCGG upang meron pa ito magawa sa kanyang opisina maliban sa paghahabol sa isang pamilya para mas magamit ito ng republika sa kabutihan din ng ating republika. Kaya ang suggestion ko na ito ay gawin fitted assets management office kasi dito nasanay ang PCGG, para makinabang tayo sa karanasan nila sa paghandle ng ganitong mga assets.

SRH: Nakikiisa ako sa sinabi ng Secretary na for the good of the people and our country yung ating republika palagay ko yung 36 years tulad ng mga long running ng nobela kailangan makumpleto yung kwento gaano kahaba yung nobelang iyon. At yung pagpapalawak sa papel niya wala pa naman akong narinig na pagtutol doon sana lamang ay makumpleto muna yung orihinal na layunin niyan pero hindi pa nga po nakokompleto. Kaugnay ng isang batas na kakapasa lamang, at salamat sa good secretary, nabanggit nila sa kanilang opening remarks, yung republic act 11390 o anti-OSAEC law was passed 2 months ago and the law requires the DOJ, through the IACAT, to come up with Implementing Rules and Regulations for the same. Yung stakeholders, particularly children's advocacy groups, are calling for the swift passage of the IRR. May we know how far we are into the IRR process at saka po that it calls for the creation of an Offenders' Registry containing the identity and information of adult individuals committing sexual offenses against children. Can we get the commitment of the DOJ that this Registry will be put up at the soonest possible time?

JR: Yes, your Honor, I give you that commitment that will comply with the law.

SRH: Salamat, and baka yung progress ng IRR process ay pwede isubmit sa komite through the Chair kahit in writing.

The Honorable Secretary was recently quoted as saying that "there are really complicated problems in the system that we need to fix," and that these problems were "masalimuot." You also mentioned that these were too long to be discussed in a brief interview.

Dahil sa opening remarks nila the good secretary said he is willing to ignite reforms ano po ba yung mas problemang masalimuot na ito?

JR: Yung unang problema na pinagusapan po natin tungkol sa BI, isa po yun sa mabibigat na problema ng korupsyon. Ang isa pang mabigat na nangyayari sa atin siyemore yung sa land registration. Sovereign function ko po ito at dito po kasi ginigive up ng state ang kanyang karapatan sa lupa at binigay sa private individuals. Dito po rin maraming nangyayaring milagro na kailangan matapos at maayos ang transparency ang hinahabol natin sa land registration sa ngayon pag gusto natin makakuha ng certified true copy ng titulo, minsan nadedelay, minsan ayaw ibigay at minsan binibgyan kayo ng titulo na may marka sa harap at hindi sa likod. Kaya dapat matapos ang problemang ito, isa lang iyan sa dapat tapusin na problema sa justice system natin.

SRH: Maraming salamat, I look forward na over time maenlighten niyo ang aming komite, commission, the whole senate kung ano po ang masalimuot na problema na mangangailangan ng legislative support natin.