Interview with Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano Re : Ethics Committee

Sen. Alan : Two general principles that the senate opposition would demand. No. 1, no one is above the law and no. 2 no one should take the law into his own hands. So definitely everyone should be open and everyone should submit himself to be accountable. But the investigation has to be fair, independent, open and credible. We are still observing the committee and we will look at the rules that they will pass . So in the same manner that we want to make sure that there is fairness to our members we also want to make sure we are not accused of being unfair that's why we are not participating in the drafting of the rules. So if they can come up with fair rules then that's something we should consider. However, until now personally, I'm wondering why certain person is insisting in becoming the accuser, the judge and the executioner at the same time. So that's something that they should address. We deeply appreciate the concerns of Sen. Honasan that the presidentiables should not be a part of the Ethics Committee because it should not be a venue for political maneuverings and it should not be a venue to damage the institution. The Ethics Committee is here to strengthen the Senate and not to weaken it. So kung gagamitin ito sa politika o political demolition hindi naman iisang tao lang ang magsasuffer ditto kung di yung buong institution. I think the key word there is fairness and independence. Even sa Rules, this early nagpapakita ng napakaraming dokumento etc. but we should ask ourselves ano ba ang sakop ng Ethics Committee at ano yung hindi sdakop nito. These questions ang rules ang sasagot niyan. We're taking that view right now, we will observe yung ipapasa nilang rules.

Q: there are four presidentiables na kasama ngayon sa Ethics, what does that mean?...

Sen. Alan: You know being in the Senate is an opportunity for the presidentiables to show what they will be doing once they are in the Senate. All of us who are in the opposition complain about the sense of justice of Malacanang. But if they are going to do that in the Ethics Committee, walang fairness na pagtutulungtulungan ang isang presidentiable just because mas mataas siya sa rating e anong kaibahan nila sa nakaupo ngayon. We don't want to prejudge them also, we want to give them the opportunity kung sino talaga ang magiging members.

An investigation yung pagiging open or transparent is only one aspect . Sino ba ang nagiimbestiga? Ibig bang sabihin porke open ang investigation...e kung yung nagiimbestiga e yung accuser din what would you expect yung lalabas dyan , and secondly what are the allegations? Kung yung allegations ay hindi naman sakop ng Ethics Committee, anong power ng Ethics Committee na buuin ito. In the end ang pinaguusapan natin lokohan ba itong ethics Committee o totoo ba ito na isang fair investigation. Kung isang fair na investigation bakit kami hindi sasali, pero kung lokohan ito e sila na lang ang maglokohan. Bakit pa kami sasali sa isang lokohan .

Q: Who are you referring to na sya na ang accuser, sya pa ang judge...

Sen. Alan: Well didn't Sen. Lacson inhibit himself as a member at sinabi niya ito sa floor, because he is the one who accussed Sen. Villar na may anomalya sa C5... e ngayon siya ang chairman . So during the days na pulis pa siya at sanay siya during those days na siya na ang accuser, judge at executioner at the same time iba ditto sa senado, you have to pick your role...you're either just an accuser or just the judge and then the executioner ay may ganyang ding role. Hindi pwedeng all in one.