Press Release
August 11, 2010

Transcript of SP Enrile's Interview before the Senate session

About Senator Trillanes

I don't think Senator Trillanes will escape. It will be foolish of him to do that. I think he is willing to stay in the cell here in the Senate under the custody of the court, provided he can be allowed to perform his job in the Senate.

Kulungan din 'yung tutulugan niya dito, doon sa basement. Napunta na ako doon sa basement. It depends upon the Court kung overnight lang ang stay ni Senator Trillanes. If they want, we will fetch Senator Trillanes from his place of confinement, and under guard, bring him here and there so that he can attend to his job. He's being paid a salary. He has a budget. He's not doing anything. He was voted by the people to perform a job for them. To be fair with him, he has filed many bills here. Those bills are not moving because nobody is attending to them.

Wala pang final judgment on him by the Court.

About Senator Lacson

Hindi pwedeng matanggal ang isang senador. Basahin muna nila ang Saligang Batas bago sila magsalita.

It's not an issue in the Ethics Committee. He has not done anything to destroy the image of the Senate. As regards his refusal to surrender, it's a matter of survival for him.

On the imposition of VAT on toll fees

I beg off from joining the move through court action to stop the implementation of VAT on toll fees this coming Monday. There's already a case filed before the Supreme Court by able people. I'm confident that they can handle the case. I do not have to testify. It's not a question of fact. It's a question of law. The interpretation of the law is a function of the Supreme Court. There are no factual things that must be established by proof.

A tax must specify the person or things to be taxed. If you do not include something, that means it is not taxed. You have to specify it. Like a crime, you have to clearly define it. In this case, it is not specified in the original VAT nor in the amended VAT law.

Matagal ng pinag-aralan naming dalawa ni Congressman Diaz 'yan. He went already to the Court and filed a petition to stop the implementation of VAT on toll fees on Monday.

How can you impose a VAT on the road? If it is the government that constructs the road and use an appropriated money, and the government puts a toll, it will be foolish for the government also to VAT its own collection. . On the membership organization of the Committee on Appointments

Halos tapos na. It is the same with the membership of the Electoral Tribunal. It's by group representation for the Commission on Appointment. It is supposed to be by proportional representation of different political parties. But considering that our party representation is blurred, then we go by groupings, by alliances. For every seat of a senator in the Commission of Appointment, we need two senators. Each senator has a one- half right to be in the Commission. So, you need two senators combined to make up one seat.

On Senate Resolution 84 requesting the court to allow Senator Trillanes to perform his duties

We are not interfering. We are just appealing. We are coordinate parts of the same government. They are not isolated from us. We are just appealing to them so that he can work. We are only 21 senators working here. Sini-swelduhan 'yung tao, nakakulong walang ginagawa. Pinalalabas nila kung mag birthday. Bakit hindi nila mapayagan, under guard, na magpunta rito at magtrabaho para sa bayan. I cannot say whether I'm confident or not, considering that previous petitions of Senator Trillanes were not approved by the Court. But I will try. Ganyan ako. You have to know how I work. There's no precedence. I can blaze a new trail. I will do what I think is right. We will try again.

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