Press Release
May 14, 2008

INTERVIEW WITH SEN. ALAN PETER CAYETANO ON ZTE NBN

Q: SIR GAANO KATINDI YUNG BAGONG WITNESS

ASC:OK THIS IS NOT ONLY AN INDICATION OF THE PREVIOUS WITNESSES WHO RISKED A LOT TO COME FORWARD BUT ALSO TO THOSE WHO MISINTERPRETED MY STATEMENT THAT THERE'S NO TESTIMONY AGAINST THE PRESIDENT WHEREIN I CLEARLY SAID THAT THERE ARE WITNESSES OUT THERE THAT CAN GIVE DIRECT TESTIMONY REFERRING TO THE PARTICIPATION OF THE PRESIDENT IN THIS DEAL. SO MAGIGING KLARO KUNG ANO ANG ROLE NG PRESIDENTE. SO FAR, VICE GOVERNOR ROLEX SUPLICO TOGETHER WITH THE ALIAS "ALEX" CAME FORWARD AND ANG SINABI NGA NILA NAGPAKITA SILA NG 2 PICTURES AT SINABI NGA THAT THE PRESIDENT PLAYED GOLF AND THEN AFTERWARDS WENT TO THE HEADQUARTERS OF ZTE AND MET WITH THE ZTE OFFICIALS. HOW COME THEY'RE NOW SUDDENLY TELLING US WE SHOULD GO TO COURT? HOW COME WHEN THERE WERE PREVIOUS WITNESSES WHAT THEY WERE SAYING IS MAGPRESENTA KAYO NG EVIDENCE. SO EVEN IF TESTIMONY IS EVIDENCE, AND ANY LAWYER WILL TELL YOU THAT, THEY WERE LOOKING FOR DOCUMENTARY OR WHATEVER KIND OF EVIDENCE. NOW THAT THERE ARE PICTURES, SUDDENLY THEY'RE SAYING, "GO TO COURT" BECAUSE WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING PEOPLE IS THAT WHEN YOU GO TO COURT THE COURT WILL TELL YOU THAT YOU CANNOT SUE A SITTING PRESIDENT. BUT UNDER A REPUBLICAN AND PRESIDENTIAL FORM OF GOVERNMENT, PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO ASK THEIR PRESIDENT ABOUT ALLEGATIONS OF GRAFT AND CORRUPTION AND CONGRESS CAN HAVE AN INVESTIGATION. SO THE QUESTION IS, "MADAM PRESIDENT, WERE YOU THERE?", "DID YOU MEET WITH THE PUBLIC OFFICIALS?", "DID YOU MEET WITH THE ZTE OFFICIALS?" "WHAT DID YOU TALK ABOUT IF YOU DID MEET WITH THE ZTE OFFICIALS?" WHY IS IT SO HARD FOR THE PRESIDENT TO EITHER CATEGORICALLY DENY THAT SHE MET WITH THEM, OR DENY THAT SHE WAS THERE, OR CONFIRM THAT SHE WAS THERE? HOW COME THEY'RE NOW BEING VERY EVASIVE? SO I NOT ONLY CHALLENGE BUT I DEMAND THAT THE PRESIDENT ANSWER THE ALLEGATIONS. NOW THE WITNESS, KNOWING ABOUT YOU KNOW MORE OR LESS HIS TESTIMONY AND SEEING THE PICTURES. THAT IS WHY I SAID TWO WEEKS AGO, "DAPAT LUMABAS NA." AT HINDI NAMIN HIHINTAYIN FOREVER, PERO HIHINTAYIN NAMIN WITHIN REASONABLE TIME NA LUMABAS NA SILA. AND THAT'S WHY NANANAWAGAN DIN SILA BECAUSE HINDI LANG NAMAN SIYA MAG-ISA BUT THERE ARE OTHERS WHO CAN COME OUT AND DIRECTLY SAY WHAT ROLE THE PRESIDENT PLAYED IN THIS DEAL BETWEEN THE ZTE AND THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES TO THE DOTC.

Q: SO ANO ANG MAGIGING PAGKAKAIBA SA TIMETABLE NINYO SA COMMITTEE REPORTS NINYO?

ASC: WELL WE WILL CONTINUE WITH THE DRAFT AS SO FAR AS TALKING ABOUT THE REFORMS NEEDED, BUT AS TO THE TIMEFRAME, AND THE FACTUAL FINDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE, OF COURSE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE HEARING FIRST. AS I'VE SAID, WE'VE NEVER REALLY STOPPED IT BUT WE'RE REALLY WAITING ON SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO CONTINUE. AND I'M HOPING THAT THE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS NOW WILL ATTEND, DESPITE PENDING SA SUPREME COURT YUNG AMING MOTION FOR RECONSIDERATION TO ANSWER THE ALLEGATIONS OF THIS WITNESS AND AS I SAID, IT'S BETTER MARINIG NATIN MISMO. BUT I HAVE KNOWN ABOUT HIS TESTIMONY AND I KNOW THAT IT'S SUBSTANTIAL, AND I KNOW THAT IT'S DIRECT TESTIMONY AND I KNOW IT TALKS ABOUT THE ROLE OF THE PRESIDENT AND THAT'S WHY I WANT PEOPLE TO HEAR IT FROM HIMSELF, FROM THE WITNESS HIMSELF OR THEMSELVES, SO THAT EVERY SINGLE PERSON CAN JUDGE DIRECTLY.

Q: SIR, DID MR. SUPLICO ASSURE YOU THAT HE CAN BRING THE WITNESS?

SEN.ASC: I CALLED HIM THIS MORNING AND HE ASSURED ME THAT THE WITNESS WILL BE BROUGHT. HE ASKED ME FOR ASSISTANCE TO HELP PROTECT THE WITNESS. I ASKED HIM IF HE'S WILLING TO GIVE AN AFFIDAVIT IN ADVANCE, AS WE HAVE DISCUSSED IN THE PAST, AND HE SAID THAT THE AFFIDAVIT WILL ACTUALLY REVEAL HIS IDENTITY WHICH THEY CANNOT DO RIGHT NOW TO MAKE SURE THAT HE IS SAFE. THEY ARE PREPARING OTHER DOCUMENTS THAT THEY MAY NEED OR OTHER TESTIMONY. AND HE HAS SAID, IN FACT, UNLIKE LEO SAN MIGUEL WHERE IN LUMAKI ANG EXPECTATIONS BECAUSE SENATOR PING WAS SAYING WHAT HE WAS GONNA SAY. WALA NAMANG INTERVIEW NUN. NOTHING ON RECORD. AT LEAST HERE, EVEN IT WAS SET ON A PRESS CON. OR A HEARING, THE WITNESS HAS ALREADY TALKED BEFORE MEDIA, SO IF HE SAY SOMETHING DIFFERENT HERE, WE ALREADY HAVE THE PICTURES AND WE ALREADY HAVE HIS INITIAL TESTIMONY. BUT I'M CONFIDENT THAT WITH THE PROPER SECURITY MEASURES, HE WILL NOT SAY SOMETHING DIFFERENT FROM WHAT HE HAS ALREADY TOLD SELECTED NEWS OUTLETS.

Q: BUT WILL THE COMMITTEE NOT REQUIRE IT TO SUBMIT THE PREPARED STATEMENTS?

SEN.ASC: EVEN THE COMMITTEE ON RULES HAS DECIDED THAT IT IS TOO CUMBERSOME TO REQUIRE WITNESSES SOMETHING IN WRITING, RIGHT AWAY. I MEAN IT'S PREFERRED BY US; IT'S OPTIONAL FOR THE WITNESS. BUT, TO DO THAT, WE'D REALLY PREVENT A LOT OF WITNESS FROM COMING FORTH AND FOR ME I'M SATISFIED AT THIS POINT IN TIME THAT HE HAS COME FORWARD. AND AS I SAID, I HAVE SEEN THE PICTURES. I HAVE KNOWN OF THE TESTIMONY. IT IS CONSISTENT SO FAR. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THE COMMITTEE WILL GAIN BY HAVING HIM HERE. WE ARE STILL WORKING WITH THE COMMITTEE ON RULES, WHETHER THERE ARE SOME CHANGES IN THE RULES OF THE COMMITTEE OR NOT. WE ALL AGREE THAT THERE SHOULDN'T BE SURPRISE AND WE ALL AGREE THAT WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT IS THAT PEOLE HEAR THE WITNESS. ANG PROBLEMA KASI, 'PAG LUMABAS YUNG IDENTITY, KASI OF A, OF PROCEDURAL RULES LIKE HAVING AFFIDAVIT, TAPOS NAPIGILAN NAMAN SIYA, NA-KIDNAPPED, NATAKOT NAMAN YUNG PAMILYA, WORSE OFF ANG COMMITTEE. BETWEEN TWO EVILS, OF NOT GETTING AN AFFIDAVIT AND NOT GETTING HIM HERE, DUN MUNA KAMI SA WALA KAMING SECURITY BLANKET NA AFFIDAVIT BUT AT LEAST, WE GET HIM HERE.

Q: HOW ABOUT, ON THE DAY ITSELF, DUN NA LANG I-SUBMIT YUNG AFFIDAVIT?

SEN. ASC: WELL, HE'LL BE SPEAKING NAMAN E. BUT I WILL SUGGEST THAT, BUT I THINK THEY'RE ALREADY ALSO DOING THAT.

Q: DID ROLEX ----- YOU WHAT THIS WITNESS...?

SEN. ASC: YES.WE'VE BEEN TALKING FOR SOMETIME...

Q: LIKE, DID HE WITNESS YUNG MISMONG DISCUSSIONS AND DID HE HEAR...?

SEN. ASC: HE TOLD ME THE CONTENT OF THE TESTIMONY OF NOT ONLY THAT PERSON, OF OTHER PROBABLE WITNESSES THAT'S WHY WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT. BUT I'M NOT AT LIBERTY AT THIS TIME TO DISCUSS WHAT AND IT'S REALLY BETTER FOR THE PUBLIC TO BE ABLE TO HEAR. BUT DEFINITELY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE. HINDI KA NAMAN PWEDENG KUMUHA NG PICTURE NA WALA KANG...

Q: HOW CLOSE WAS HE? ONE FOOT AWAY?

SEN. ASC: I CAN'T TALK ABOUT THE DETAILS.

Q: ...PICTURES? OR KINUHA LANG NIYA?

SEN. ASC: HE MAYBE... ONE, THAT WILL BE PRESENTED. IT REALLY DEPENDS. THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING THAT DAPAT LUMABAS NA SILA AND INE-ECHO NGAYON NUNG SI ALIAS ALEX IYON AT INE-ECHO NI VICE GOVERNOR SUPLICO IYON, NA NANANAWAGAN SA IBA NA LUMABAS NA. KASI JUST LIKE JUN, JUN DIDN'T WANT TO COME OUT UNTIL SECRETARY NERI CAME OUT. AT GUSTO NIYA SANA, PANG-CORROBORATE LANG SIYA. SO, MAY GANOONG WITNESSES DIN. MAY MAS MATAAS NA OPISYAL, MERONG IBA. SO WE'LL SEE, BUT I WAS ASSURED BY VICE GOVERNOR ROLEX THAT WE WILL HAVE A WITNESS AND OF COURSE WE'LL HAVE PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE AND DIRECT TEESTIMONY.

Q: SIR, PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE PRESENCE OF THE PERSON...?

SEN. ASC: OF WHAT HE SO FAR STATE. I HAVE TO GO BACK SA HEARING.

Q: SIR, ONE LANG. WHY ONLY NOW?

SEN. ASC: WELL, LET THEM EXPLAIN THAT. BUT DEFINITELY IT'S MOST DIFFICULT FOR WITNESSES TO COME OUT. WE'VE ALREADY SAW THE OTHER, YUNG SINABI KO DATING GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL KASAMA DIN SA GRUPO, ABOUT THIS TESTIMONY, KUNG SIYA MISMO O HINDI.

Q: MALAPIT BA SIYA...?

SEN. ASC: DEFINITELY MALAPIT. HINDI NAMAN MAKUKUNAN DOON SA GOLF COURSE KUNG HIND MALAPIT. HINDI NAMAN INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY KUMUHA NIYAN.

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