Transcript of Interview of Senator Teofisto "TG" Guingona

STLG: Ngayon araw nakita natin na maganda ang nangyari .Isang hearing lang, maliwanag na yung plea bargaining agreement na pinasukan ni General Garcia at ng Ombudsman mukhang walang katarungan para sa mamayang Pilipino. Isang agreement na hindi kasunduan pero mukhang may ayusan. Isang plea bargain pero mukhang bargain sale sapagkat nalugi ang ammayang Pilipino at naisahan ang mamayang Pilipino. Nakita natin na ang plea bargain ay sana mag plead guilty sa isang lesser offense na ang parusa ay mas mababa. Nakita natin kaninang umaga na sinabi ng ombudsman na malakasa ang ebidensiya pero at the same time sinabi nila sa plea bargain, hindi sapat ang ebidensiya. Low and behold lumabas si Col. Rabusa at sinabi na kasabwat sa kickback, pagbigay ng lagay sa mga opisyales sa AFP .Kasama po sila sa korupsiyon. Dahil diyan, ano ang sinabi ng ombudsman? Sabi nila magmeeting sila at willing sila baguhin ang kanilang plea bargain agreement. Isang hearing lang po iyan pero napakaganda ng nangyari. Mukhang ang ombudsman mismo ngayon ay wala ng basehan kung bakit i-withdraw dapat nila yung plea bagain agreement.

Q: Nagulat ba kayo sa bagong animal na tinatawag na PCDA?

STLG: Iyang PCDA ngayon lang naming narinig iyan at iyon pala iyan ang tinatawag na pondo para sa pagbigay ng payola at sa pagbigay ng pabaon sa mga officers ng AFP. Klaro na kailangan talaga ng reporma ditto.

Q: So iyang PCDA na iyan ay illegal at hindi nakikita sa Budget deliberation?

STLG: Wala po iyan sa General Appropriations Act at kung wala pos a budget, illegal po iyan PCDA.

Q: Paano po iyana? Ano po ang gagawin para hindi na magamit ang PCDA?

STLG: I'm sure mag reassess ang AFP . I'm sure andiyan pa yang PCDA na iyan at kailangang pag-aralan kung ano ba ang gagawin at itigil muna yang practice na iyan sapagkat klaro na andiyan yung malaking buwaya na gumagalaw diyan sa PCDA na iyan.

Q: Kakasuhan ba si Sec. Reyes?

STLG: Kung kakasuhan man mabuti andito lahat. Maganda ngayon hearing dahil andito lahat, Andito iyong solicitor general at mga ombudsman . Kung mayroon man ikakaso kay secretary reyes yung team ng Ombudsman. Sila mismo ay saksi sa testigo ni Col. Rabusa. By the way , yung kaso ni General Garcia hindi pa tapos , so puwede pa ipasok na testigo si Col. Rabusa sa plunder case ni Gen. Garcia. I hope the ombudsman takes notice of that. I also hope the ombudsman will reaccess their positions sapagkat ngayon dehado ang mga mamayang Pilipino at naisahan ditto sa tinatawag na plea bargain agreement between the government and General Garcia.

Q: inaudible

STLG: We are giving Col. Rabusa security . I don't think we will give him custody unless he asked for it. Protective custody ofcourse. I heard what the senate president say it would be for just to provide him security.

Q: Kailan next hearing?

STLG: Some time next week.

Q: Invited ba si auditor heidi Mendoza?

STLG: Auditor Heidi Mendoza was suppose to be invited but due to some security arrangement that have not yet been finalized. We thought to postpone it to next hearing. Once the security arrangement has been finalized then we will invite her.

Q: Delikado ba buhay niya?

STLG: We would like to be sure that nothing will happen to Heidi Mendoza.

Q: Hindi maalala ni General Ligot.

STLG: Obvious alam niya pero ayaw niya aminin. Ginagamit lang niya na hindi niya maalala. The point has been made. Kahit tayo ditto alam natin na binobola lang tayo.

Q: Invited ba ulit sila General Reyes?

STLG: They are invited and if they don't appear we will subpoena them.

Q: inaudible

STLG: First we must establish what the hearing is all about. The hearing is all about the plea bargain ni General Garcia. Kung ipasok niya yung iba, kung saan-saan na pupunta ito. Kung hearing regarding sa reform ng military puwede siguro pero tapusin muna natin an gating layunin. Ang layunin natin ngayon ay kung makatarungan ba yung plea bargain at dahil sa testimony ni Col. Rabusa nakita natin na palpak talaga iyang plea bargain na iyan.

Q: inaudible

STLG: It's obvious that he also refused to answer but he did not use the loss of memory as an excuse.

Q: inaudible

STLG: First of all dapat mabalik yang plunder case at dapat iyang plea bargain ay mawala sapagkat kung matutuloy iyang plea bargain matutuloy na magiging indirect bribery ang plunder . Hindi dapat. Mabuti na lang lumabas si Col. Rabusa. Klaro na ngayon na si General Garcia dapat makasuhan for plunder.

Q: amount involved

STLG: yung total kc reckoning of time yan. So you don't know reckoning of time

Q: Ano yung 5M?

STLG: Yes, monthly yun. Yun yung personal allowance na 50 M pabaon. You cant force someone to testify against someone. It has to be voluntarily.

Q: inaudible

STLG: If it involves another 50. Para walang double jeopardy.

Q: Yung 50 M, upon retirement yun?

STLG: that was what I was made to understand from the testament of Col. Rabusa. In addition to the 5m Monthly allowance. Savings or they just cut down for example on the med expenses of th AFP

Q: Kelan kayo nasabihan re: Col. Rabusa

STLG: ahhh siguro a day ago.

Q: inaudible

STLG when in the testimony of Col. Rebusa he mentioned more than one chief-of-staff.

Q: How would you describe

STLG: Maganda yung sinabi ni Senate President na yung Slash fund, for the boys

Q: is it allowed?

TG: first of all if it's not in the budget it is not allowed. Second if you appropriate money for personal use, money of the people, it's obviously illegal.

Q: May committee na nag approve (inaudible)

STG: Oo nag approve, pero yung bubulsahin mo, di legal yun.. kahit anong committee gamitin nila

Q: Magkakaroon ng committee hearing about that?

STG: Reform of the PCDA and that issue. Yes there should be

Q: May nangyayari pa ba ngayon sa AFP yung 5M..monthly yung chief-of-staff? kc diba tradition nay un?

TG: speculative nay an pero would you be surprised? I don't know. What is important now is that ang layunin na mawala ang Plea bargain agreement sapagkat lugi ang govt lugi ang mamayang Pilipino. This is an injustice and insulto sa dignidad ng Pilipino. Hindi dapat yan mga ganyan pagbubulsa ng pera di dapat pagkawalan.

Q: inaudible

TG: we will wait and see what they will do

Q: Papa subpoena niyo sa gutierez?

STG: Yes we will invite them. However, we will, I suppose in a weeks time they will be able to reassess their position. Kc habang nagsasalita si col rabusa tinitignan ko mga mukha nila obviously apektado sila gulat na gulat sila at sila mismo nakita nila na kelangan nila magreassess yung kanilang position on the plea bargain agreement. So isang session lang ha nakuha na natin ang layunin na ipakita na ang plea bargain agreement ni gen. Garcia at ombudsman ay hindi magkatarungan.

Yes of course there is no reason to see him as a not credible

Na nagsumpa siya. No but truth to tell we were not sure he would appear today

Q: inaudible

TG: not sue kung nagsubmit siya.. but he will submit later on kung wala pa

Q inaudible

TG: Sen. Jingoy talaga contact niya

Q: inaudible

TG: they have to withdraw the plea bargain agreement. Clear injustice yan