Press Release
November 14, 2007

Interview with Senator Allan Peter Cayetano

Q: Two sources sana isa lang ang dumating, given the testimony have we move forward?

As of Father, or gov.Panlilio has stated this is the first formal setting that he attended. So syempre iba yung may underoath at iba yung may power ang committee to compel attendance and to compel the production of some evidence and masusundan naming. So so far the media has done the work for us and have gotten so far given the fact that they don't have the power to compel people to be interviewed or to submit documents to them. So we're just trying to fill in the gaps for that, so that we can know the whole truth and then we can get to a conclusion but definitely it's moving na much further because even with the conversation between gov. Mendoza and gov. Panlilio was revealed here, today and so far wala naman questions sa credibility ni gov.Panlilio. so give us atleast a lead to follow both the technical working group, the BROOM and the senators of the individuals and that's why we scheduled right away for the hearing on Wednesday. So that we can follow-up right away. And there's a lot of aspects of these, from the Amla aspects to the comelec regulations, or regulating political parties. Thin line nga between what's tulong and what's a donation and what's a Bribe.

Q: So we haven't established quite yet kung bribe, ganun ba?

The law was clear so what we're trying to see is yung application nung batas. And what we're trying to see there's circumstances lead to that. That's why I'm asking hindi ba napakahigpit kung di pinaka higpit sa buong Pilipinas yung security ng Malacanang, so how could you bring the money in so that would I like to answer from the palace na sino bang nagdala ng pera dun, paano nakapasok, nagpaalam ba yon, kung nagpaalam sinong nagsabing ok. So the problem with this hearing raised a thousand more questions from the answers given. But the good thing about the hearing is that we know who to invite or where to follow up those one thousand questions that would lead us to a resolution of the case but we're trying to see release may relasyon ba 'toh sa ZTE, may relasyon ba 'toh sa impeachment, may relasyon ba 'toh sa iba or was it really a good faith na talaga lang gusto lang tulungan, bakit cash at san nanggaling yung cash.

It was part of their agenda was to take up yung impeachment that's why I'm saying ibang iba yung lapitan ka, gov. alam kung kailangan mo ng tulong, eto ang 500,000 sa project, iba yung nasa agenda nyo, yung impeachment on the same day or in the afternoon na ibigay nyo 'toh. Even a Fiscal and a Judge would tell you that changes, the application of the law tremendous. The intention of the one who gave the money comes into play and also the intention of the one who receive it. So here kung nagsasabi ng buong katotohanan si Gov. Panlilio klaro na hindi nya intended na i-receive yan for personal gain. Well it doesn't mean na yung nagbibigay did not intended for personal gain.

Q: Sir itinurn over nab a senyon yung half million?

The director general and the attorneys are now talking because may concerns ng konti sa chain of custody especially if the Ombudsman or the DOJ or whoever starts their own investigation and mas alam naman nila yung safe keeping natin sa senado. And they are discussing also if we accept it what to do kasi hindi naman pedeng bundles mo lang tatanggapin, isa isa mong isi-xerox bibilangin napakahirap na pag sinoli mo 99 na lang per bundle or something noh so some administrative and technical teams so they'll discuss each other then Senator Pimentel advised me and I'll consult with him.

Q: Sir would you know if the Bank of Commerce is a government depository bank?

I don't know that but we expect both Amla and the officials of the Bank of Commerce to be here. We intentionally not inviting specific branches only because it's also possible that the money was bundled somewhere else and another branch needed money so it was given to another branch so we're going to try to cover all the bases by having the officials of the mother bank then trying to get answers from them and the Amla to be able to see whether or not the transaction was indeed slot.

Q: So if it is not a government depository bank how would that come for the money being taken from the bank of commerce

Well, if it is not a government depository bank or none of the leagues and none of the political parties account then ang natural conclusion mo private money yan and kapag private ang pera parati mong iisipin bakit magbibigay.

Q: We're going into the money trail already, as you've said with the second hearing how do we go around the bank secrecy and bank officials are going to be invoking that particular provision, we cannot give out information, who, #'s ganung klase, bank secrecy?

Let me clarify yung public funds and private funds muna before we go there. Kung ang pera ay public funds pwede mong I-assume na para sa bayan yon para sa projects and legitimates pero pag niliko at ginamit for personal use may malversation dyan, may graft up. But at least yung source ang iniisip mo was really for a government purposes, for public purposes. Pero pag private you can assume already that there's a problem there because walang magbibigay ng ganung kalaking pera sa private na walang ine expect na kapalit. Kung meron man ibig sabihin it is a philanthropic donations hindi na paikot-ikutin yon. The private person would identify itself or kahit na would tell yung pinagbigyan na ako yan or I anonymous mo na lang hindi paikut ikutin ang istorya. So having said that we go na to the account itself. First of all we have to find out as much as we can, without violating the bank secrecy, meaning using other means. First and foremost, for example alam na natin kung anong banko dahil nga dun sa stamp. When you file a complain sa Amla may rule yun, so its very much possible na iniimbestigahan ng Amla yan pero hindi lang nila ina announce but we will know when we call them. And if they say they are investigating hindi nila pwedeng sabihin they are lang, we will look into what are they investigating. Kasi the investigation starts when you flag an account. When either it is suspicious deposit or withdrawal. So hindi nila pwedeng sabihin na sir may investigation. Pati yan, anong mga accounts yan etc. You can work to the Amla and the senate also has the oversight committee with the house on the Amla. Then going straight, if circumstances lead us to certain accounts, remember yung one of the exceptions nung bank secrecy law Bribery of public officials or the Anti graft, ofcourse if I were the lawyers of the other side, for the side who doesn't want to reveal the account I would also put up a legal file. So we are not expecting na it would simply an interpretation of the law. It will be a legal battle but I'm saying that unlike other investigations na hindi Bribery or graft and corruption ang mismong issue, sila medyo dead end pagdating ng bank secrecy.

Q: Sir natrace nyo na daw pati yung branch nung banko?

Ang pagte trace nun ay base sa papel na nakabalot but it doesn't mean na dun sa branch nay un na- disperse yung pera. Meaning the in tarlac branch nag widraw ka ng 25million And they only have 20million cash they could have got it to a pampanga branch na maaring ang papel nay un ay pampanga branch. That's why we need to ask the bank ano bang secrecy nyo. Para we know kung binobola tayo o hindi or kung yung more sensitive question kung kaninong account galing yan. Now if its truly Kampi or governor's league I don't think they will have a problem, remember some rights can be waved. One way of proving it eto ang pera galling sa account na to, the other way to do it is pakita nila yung account nila and kelan sila nag widraw, kung wala sila mapakita hindi sa kanila galing yun and you can do it the reverse .

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