Transcript of Interview with Senator Teofisto "TG" Guingona III

Jueteng Issue

Joel: Magandang umaga po, si Joel Reyes Zobel po ito live kayo sa DZBB!

TG: Ah magandang umaga Joel! Kamusta ka? Mabuhay ka!

Joel: Mabuti po! Senador, ah tinawagan po namin kayo dahil kahapon merong statement si archbishop Oscar Cruz na magmula daw ho ng mailabas po yung kanyang listahan doon po sa blue ribbon committee hearing eh nangamba na ho siya sa kanyang seguridad. Ah hindi ko alam, meron ho ba tayong ini-extend na pagbabantay? Tutulong ba, although hindi siya nag-request noh. Meron ba tayong magagawa doon sa security concerns ni archbishop Cruz, ah senador?

TG: Well, yes narinig ko rin yan. Pero number 1 nga Joel, hindi siya nag-request at number 2 ayaw rin niya. Ah sinabi rin niya na although nangangamba siya pero he will go ahead with his daily routine.

Joel: Yun nga lang problema, eh this is the most important jueteng witness that we have! Eh alam n'yo yun, kung ganung ka-seryoso yung concern po ninyo sa kanyang seguridad eh masyado ho yatang delikado ho naman yata yun.

TG: Yes, we will ask him one more time if ah, we will ask him one more time if the bishop will ah will wants ah some security. Pero kung tanggihan niya kahit na kailangan na kailangan niya kung tanggihan niya

Joel: Wala ho tayong magagawa ron

TG: Oo, wala tayong magagawa

Joel: Alright! Kailan ba ulit ang ano, ang resumption ng hearing n'yo sa senador?

TG: Sa Tuesday po

Joel: Sa Tuesday

TG: Oo, tatawagin natin si DILG secretary Robredo,

Joel: Okay

TG: ah si former PNP chief ah Verzosa, si Bacalzo nandoon din, present PNP chief at saka si Usec. Puno.

Joel: Ah si Usec. Puno? Hindi pa tayo tapos kay Usec. Puno?

TG: Hindi pa tayo tapos. Well, actually tapos na pero just for sake keeping baka may mga tanong pa. I just thought that �.its good for him to be around.

Joel: Alright! Medyo may mga pahayag na po siya kahapon na he will tender his courtesy resignation as soon as the president arrives ah doon sa kanyang US trip. Kapag ba in the event na tanggapin ng presidente yung kanyang pagbibitiw eh compelled pa rin ba siyang sumipot inyo at ah ipatatawag pa rin ba natin siya sa hearing?

TG: Well, compelled pa rin sya, I think this should be the last time na siguro that we will fall in, more or less yung information na nakuha whatever the information that he wants to reveal has already been said.

Joel: Tinanggi na rin po ni�tinanggi na rin ni Toy Boy Cojuangco na inaabogado nya si Usec. Puno kay Bishop Cruz

TG: Oo.

Joel: Kasama ba si Tony Boy sa mga inimbitahan n'yo sa Tuesday?

TG: Kasama, pero he sent words na he still abroad

Joel: Okay, pero kasama ata sa delegation ni Presidente, sa pagbabalik ni P-Noy kasama na rin ba s'ya sa pagbalik?

TG: Oo, pero ang ginawa ko na lang, I'm asking him to submit a letter na lang so that he could explain. Because I am sure na kung ano man ang nasa letter yun na rin ang nasa newspaper ngayon nilabas na.

Joel: What do you think of the gesture of Usec. Puno na magbitiw?

TG: Well, it's a gesture in the right direction, in order to give the chief executive si presidente a freehand in investigating the matter. Malaking hamon ito sa present administration sapagkat s'yempre ang in-charge sa investigation and prosecution nasa executive department, ang DILG, ang Department of Justice ang kapulisan, pero sila mismo ang, they are the ones, they are the very ones being accused of collusion with the jueteng lords. So this is a big test, malaking hamon sa administrasyon. And the resignation of, the courtesy resignation of Usec. Puno will give the president a more, a free hand in dealing with the matter.

Joel: Merong privilege speech kahapon si Senator Santiago, marami ring binanggit na pangalan doon, madadagdagan pa ba ang ipapatawag n'yo sa senate hearing na yan

TG: as far as the list is concern no, baka ang mangyari n'yan malunod tayo sa mga listahan

Joel: Oo nga ho eh.

TG: Number 1, ibibigay natin sa mga may katungkulan at kapangyarihan na mag-investigate sa bagay na mga listahan. The list is simply that if these are list they are a lead, but they are just a list. The main there, they stand accused but until proven guilty they just stand accused by the list. But what do we do with the list? We turn them over to the executive department, to the PNP, to the NBI whoever is in charge of investigating. Because the process should be number 1, you verify after you verified then number 2, you investigate, after you investigate you see there is evidence then number 3, you forward it to the fiscal or prosecutors under the Department Of justice. The prosecutors, the fiscals under the department of justice will evaluate the evidence and see if they can get more evidence. After weighing everything and they think there is sufficient evidence and then they will file a case in court and after the court hearings and if they are so determined that they really have, ah lumabag sa batas dun palang sila makukulong. Pero uulitin ko po, wala sa kapangyarihan at katungkulan ng senado yang mga steps na yan, nandyan yan sa executive department yang mga steps na yan. So iti-turnover natin yung mga list dun sa executive department. Tanong naman�you are turning it over to the very people who stand accused of collusion.

Joel: Oo

TG: Ang sagot ko naman, there is no where else to go, but to the executive department and this will be an acid test of their resolve that they want governance, this is a new government, this is a new ball game, they said they are for good governance and transparency and this is one of the acid test that will happen under the Aquino administration

Joel: Senador, kung ilang beses ng inimbestigahan ng senadora itong issue ng jueteng, papaano ho iba, gaano kaiba itong imbestigasyon sa isinasagawa ninyo? Ang sintimiyento ng nakakarami eh imbestigasyon ng imbestigasyon eh wala namin nangyayari, walang nakikitang resulta?

TG: Well, number 1 Joel, I understand, naiintindihan ko yan pati ako naiinis na rin, since time immemorial, pero remember yung previous investigation were under whose administration? Now we have a new administration, let's give the new administration a chance to show its mettle. Talaga bang eto na ang isa sa mga testing na ipakita nila na sila para sa good governance at ito na, ito na yun, that's one. Number 2, baka naman nga, kasi maraming option na pinag-aaralan di ba yung sa senado, ang number one layunin ng senado magkaroon ng sistema, ano yung option na inilabas ngayon, number 1 palakasin o i-overhaul yung STL sapagkat yung STL yung small town lottery, nilikha po yun para sugpuin ang jueteng. But instead jueteng became more stronger even using STL as a cover. The other one naman is to legalize jueteng, ibasura na lang yang STL na yan, i-legalize na lang natin ang jueteng sapagkat yung kapangyarihan na nasa kamay ng mga jueteng lords maililipat sa gobyerno at bukod dun, bukod sa kapangyarihan mawawala sa jueteng lords, pupunta ngayon, makikita ng gobyerno sapagkat mabubuwisan yung jueteng activities magkakaroon pa ng pera yung gobyerno. Number 3 may nagsasabi kalokohan lahat yan, wala ng STL hindi na kailangang i-legalize yan, may sapat na sistema, may sapat na batas na. Ang kailangan lang pagpapatupad ng batas. And I saw this, I heard this distinctly in the last senate hearing si senator Enrile ang nagsabi noong 1970, I don't know where you were in 1970

TG: Hello?

Joel: Bata pa po ako! (Laughter)

TG: (Laughter)

Joel: Hindi na nga ako kumibo, kaya pa ho,

TG: (Laughter)

Joel: hinello ninyo pa ako (laughter)

TG: Anyway, 1970 sabi ni senator Enrile, bilang secretary of national defense, ni presidente Marcos, using Philippine Constabulary at that time natanggal nila hindi lang jueteng kung hindi lahat ng illegal gambling. Now is the government of the Republic was able do that in 1970, I don't see any reason why they cannot do it now.

Joel: Tama

TG: Ah so yung lumalaban na ideas ngayon and we will evaluate each one of them number 1, overhaul STL , number 2, ibasura STL, illegalize yung gambling, or number 3, is not matter about of system , is not matter about laws, is matter about ah political will and implementing the law. Joel: Do you think the, that there must be a para bang categorical statement coming from president ayaw niya ng jueteng? Para once and for all masasabing talagang hindi, hindi tino-tolerate ng administrasyon ito ang jueteng.

TG: Well you must remember they took an old and I did too. That they will obey all the laws and implement the laws. And one of the laws is illegal gambling and this is not just illegal gambling per se, this is not Joel, this is not an ordinary illegal activity, this activity affect national security. Sapagkat alam natin in areas na kontrolado ng mga jueteng lords nawawala ang kalayaan at kapangyarihan ng mga mamamayan na pumili ng kanilang leader ang nagdidikta tuwing may elections sa mga lugar controlled ng jueteng lords, yung jueteng lords! Can you imagine it's the whole country was under jueteng lords and drugs lord I may add, all over the country. Imagine they have right to choose they have power to choose even the president in the future this most certainly affect national security and should be given is top most priority.

Joel: Alright, good morning senator TG, salamat sa oras at ahh tutukan namin itong ah itong isyu ito as this develop, salamat, salamat!

TG: Salamat din Joel!

Joel: Magandang umaga sa iyo!

TG: Salamat din sa DZBB, maganda umaga sa lahat!

Joel: Good morning senator TG Guingona!