Press Release
August 18, 2009

Transcript of interview Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile

Monte Oro coal mine project

Q: There is a suggestion by Senator Lacson for the Senate to have an inquiry into the Monte Oro Resources Energy, Inc. coal project.

SP: I just checked this morning and according to Mr. Ricky Razon, they have abandoned that project a long time ago because it was found to be unprofitable. I asked him this morning when I called him up. I said, "Ricky, what's this in the newspaper?" Ricky is very close to my family. When he was still a boy, he used to sleep in the house with my son, Jack. So I called him up and asked, what is this in the newspaper? Then he said, "That was a long time ago. We found the ore body to be limited and we did not pursue it anymore."

Q: Do you see any need for the Senate to look into it?

SP: What is the purpose of looking into it? To find out whether they applied properly or conducted the necessary exploration procedures. Mining in this country is governed by law. If you comply with the law, there's nothing wrong about it as long as you do not degrade the environment. Expenses on US Trip

Q: Sir, doon po sa issue ng mga expenses sa US trip, sino po ang nagbayad nung travel expenses ni Senator Lapid? Kasi sa House of Representatives, hindi pa din po nila alam kung sino ang magbabayad.

SP: I don't know who paid for that. Maybe the best thing is to find out.

LAKAS-KAMPI Merger

Q: Sir, ano po kaya ang implications sa administration candidates doon sa hindi pagtanggap ni former President Fidel V. Ramos sa supposed merger?

SP: Well, it will have a certain impact but we do not know how deep the impact will be. But I guess Mr. Fidel Ramos doesn't want to get involved with the squabbles among the KAMPI members and the LAKAS members in the municipal, provincial and district levels. In the top rank of the political pro-tempore, president and vice president, that is easy. But it's very difficult to handle two major parties, KAMPI and LAKAS, in the provincial cities and municipal levels.

Q: So hindi attainable talaga?

SP: Hindi. Mahirap. I doubt if they can settle all the controversies.

Q: Medyo tumbling na or starting to crumble?

SP: Hindi naman mag-crumble pero mag-aaway iyan sa ibaba. And it will weaken the party. You can merge them on the top but you can not merge them below. It's very dangerous.

Party-list Group

Q: Sir, yung mga grupo ng mga sabongero may karapatan bang mag apply for party list group?

SP: Ewan ko kung sila ay mga marginalized. Siguro pa yung mga kasambahay. 'Yun ang mga marginalized. Pero yung mga sabongero, mga maiimpluwensya sa mga bayan-bayan. Hindi ka magsasabong kung wala kang pera.

Q: Sir, so panloloko na ba or bastusan ang dating?

SP: Hindi naman. Gusto lang naman siguro nila magkaroon ng voice sa Kongreso.

Expenses on US Trip

Q: Sir, 'yung call po ni Speaker Nograles na mag-reimburse, bayaran na lang?

SP: Dapat lang binayaran nila 'yon sa sarili nila sa simula pa lamang. Kanya-kanya.

Q: Hindi nila alam daw po kung sino ang nagbayad nung bill.

SP: Si Martin Romualdez, hindi ba?

Q: Hindi lang po 'yung dinner but the entire stay sa States, 'yung hotel, airfare...

SP: Impossible na walang nagbayad doon. May magbabayad doon.

MILF Attack on Balabac Island

Q: Island niyo po ba sa Palawan 'yung nilusob ng MILF? 'Yung sa Balabac po?

SP: Wala akong island doon. Meron akong lupa doon sa Candaraman. Balabac is a town, a big island almost as big as Mindoro.

Monte Oro coal mine project

Q: Sir, yung sa Monte Oro coal mining sa Catanduanes...

SP: Ang sinabi sa akin ni Ricky (Enrique Razon, Jr.), kausap ko kaninang umaga, they did not find it profitable to continue. Matagal na raw nilang inabandon 'yun for more than a year na ata.

Q: Inamin niya na siya ay major stockholder.

SP: No, he is a member of the corporation. That is a part of the National Grid stockholders.

Q: So, wala ng basis sa mga sinusulong na investigations?

SP: Hindi ko alam. Kaya sabi ko sa kanya, kung gusto mo magmina, doon ka na lang sa aking lugar. Maraming coal doon. Biniro ko siya.

Q: Sir, to clarify...

SP: The project was abandoned because they found it uneconomical, unprofitable. At saka mababa na ngayon ang presyo ng uling. Sa Tsina, bumaba ang demand nila.

Q: Sir, so kahit nagkaroon ng deal noong 2005, hindi natuloy?

SP: Inexplore noong 2005. Alam mo, ieexplore mo muna 'yon. Titignan mo kung ano ang nandoon na reserba.

Q: Bakit nag-ooppose pa 'yung Church?

SP: Siguro hindi nila alam. I don't know if they know the mining laws. You know you get to apply for a mining crane. Then, you conduct exploration work. You determine your reserve, how long you can develop and exploit. So if you find enough reserve to put enough reserve so much as a power plant that will last for 100 years maybe or you can get enough to sell and recover your investment because when you start exploration, may pera na 'yon.

Q: So umabot lang hanggang exploration? Pero kahit exploration lang, gagastos ka pa rin?

SP: Parang nagsusugal ka lang. Siyempre, magdidrill ka diyan. Hindi mo alam kung ano ang makikita mo doon, kung tubig, ginto, buhangin o bato.

Q: Bakit nagrereklamo pa sila?

SP: Siguro hindi nila alam.

Q: So somehow sir parang natalo pa sila kasi when they explored...

SP: A lot of times you lose in mining ventures if you do not hit the ore body.

Q: Nakausap niyo siya kanina sir? Bakit niyo siya kinausap on that?

SP: I talked to him. Dahil nabasa ko. Para kong anak-anakan dahil kaibigan ni Jack 'yon. Natutulog 'yon sa bahay noong araw.

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