Transcript of interview with Sen. Pia S. Cayetano (SPSC) on "One on One with Igan" (DZBB) - hosted by Arnold Clavio and Orly Trinidad

(Excerpts of interview on the construction of Hanjin condos inside the Subic Forest)

Q: Bago po tayo mag break, akala kasi nila nung bumisita kayo sa Subic parang wala nang masyadong balita, so parang ang perception, walang problema yung tinatayong [condos]... Anong mga nakita ninyong violations?

SPSC: Let me give a background. First of all, klaro dun sa mga pictures at sa mga actual na inspection namin na nasa loob talaga siya ng forest reserve.

Q: Sabi nasa labas daw?

SPSC: Hindi, loob na loob talaga. Ang dinadahilan ng SBMA, nung 1960s pa lang, nung US Navy pa lang ang nag-o-occupy noon, may kalsada na papasok doon which is totoo naman, kasi bunker nila iyon. So nung umalis ang mga Amerikano, ang dinadahilan ng SBMA, tutal na-clear na naman yan, which is totoo, may kalsada so might as well i-develop natin. Ang argument ng environmentalists, and me as I see it, ang dalawang proclamation natin, proclaiming Subic as a forest reserve watershed, is precisely to say na now, pabayaan mong maging full forest yan.

Q: Na-clear nila noong araw, buhayin naman natin ngayon...

SPSC: The proclamation came after umalis yung mga Americans, so for me, strictly speaking, we should interpret it strictly, yun ang objective. So hindi ganun ang basa nila. Ipagpalagay mo na may discretion sila to read it otherwise. Sabi nila, hindi naman sila nagclear ng additional, kung ano lang yung pinag-iwanan, yun lang ang idedevelop. So the next question is, ano bang klaseng development ang dapat diyan? From the land use plan, developed by SBMA, yung land use plan nila, kumbaga ito yung master plan nila, yung lugar na iyon ay supposed to be a part of Ilanin Forest East. If you look at their land use plan, Ilanin Forest East is pure forest reserve, no development. At sa documents nila, including the Environmental Clearance Certificate, which eventually they gave, it described as "in Ilanin Forest East," so no development. Then later on, sinasabi nila its part of Cubi-Triboa District. So ano ba talaga?

Q: Ano ba yung hawak nilang dokumento? Yun ba talaga yung dokumento o parang panliligaw ng dokumento? Dahil may pinakita din dito sa amin si Administrator [Armand Arrezza]...

SPSC: Speaking of yung nakakalito at nakakaligaw na dukumento, yung environment clearance certificate na panghahawakan ng kahit sinong developer na "eto may clearance kami magdevelop," was given in July 2007. Nut construction , and we have pictures to show, that as early as January 2007 eh tuluy-tuloy na yung construction. By March, ang lalim-lalim na ng butas, by March-April, two stories na yung building hanngang sa naging four storeys wala pang ECC.

Q: Ang problema ko, naputol na yung mga puno, naitayo na yung building, paano natin makakabawi sa binastos nating kalikasan?

SPSC: Its almost impossible na bawiin mo iyon

Q: So tuloy tuloy na iyon? Pwede nang gawing hotel nila?

SPSC: Doon sa committee report namin, we will strongly recommend that it was SBMA itself that committed grave violations of the law and dereliction of their duty in protecting the environment.

Q: Recommended for cases yan?

SPSC: I would think so, because if we have more time, iisa-isahin ko yung mga violations na nakita naming committed by SBMA. Kasi kung tutuusin mo yung investor, nagtatanong yan [sa SBMA] ng kung ano pwede naming gawin dito? Eh pinayagan mo eh. As a country, what do we do now?

Q: Ang problema yung mga proyektong naiimbistigahan yung proyekto sa Senado, laging may "cash advance," kaya baka hindi na rin. Baka hindi...

SPSC: Eto pa yung problema ko Igan, andami kong pending bills. All protected areas must have a PAMB. Ang PAMB is a Protected Area Management Board, it is composed of multi-sectoral representatives, national government, from DENR, yung tinatawag na regional director, local government all the way to the barangay officials, governor, mayor, represented iyan and then NGOs. In SBMA, because they are supposedly an independent freeport, ang SBMA ang umuupo na PAMB. Pero wala na silang kinuhang multi-sectoral representative. So yung tinatanong naming, when you approved this project, nag-present ba ang Ecology Department ninyo ng sitwasyon na it's in the middle of a forest land. Ang sagot eh, "it is assumed." Anong it is assumed? Apparently yung management presented it without describing the environmental impacts [of the project].

Q: Anong interpretation ni Sen. Gordon?

SPSC: He was with us in the hearing, he is all for the autonomy of the SBMA, and I can respect it. But my problem is, here is a clear case [where authority is abused], so ako ang ire-recommend ko, is that the [SBMA] board, would really have to include multi-sectoral representation. Because I have absolutely no assurance that they would be sitting as a PAMB, they would be sitting there always at SBMA. May innate conflict eh.