Press Release
January 31, 2011

ranscript of interview with Senator Santiago on allegations
of corruption vs three former AFP Chiefs of Staff

On allegations of corruption against three former AFP Chiefs of Staff

Kung alam ko lang na ganito pala ang lakas at ang lawak ng pagnanakaw sa ating bansa nagsuicide na ako nang ipanganak ako ng nanay ko. Oras na lumitaw ako sa nanay ko dapat diyan hinugot ko na ang umbilical cord at itinali ko sa leeg ko at nagpakamatay na lang ako. Ganito pala kalaki ang ninanakaw nila. Akala ko noon when I delivered my privilege speech on the corruption on the military, I already knew of these monthly pay-offs about the "pabaon" and the "pasalubong", pero hindi ako naniniwala sa mga halaga. Akala ko mga 1 million, 2 million, 5 million. Hindi ko alam na ang sinasabi palang pasalubong 50 million. At ang pabaon naman 50 million din. And in the meanwhile, katulad nitong si Gen. Reyes, bawat buwan pala 5 milyon ang tinatanggap niya. Hindi ako naniniwala niyan noon.

Fortunately we now have an eyewitness. Ngayon, kailangan magdemanda na agad ang justice department. You can finish you preliminary investigation in 24 hours if you have a piece of direct evidence and an eyewitness testimony is direct evidence--it does not need to be corroborated. As late as September 2010, the Supreme Court's ruling in Lumanog v People said it is not necessary to corroborate the testimony of an eyewitness for as long as he is credible. What is the meaning of credible or sincere? The Supreme Court in another case said maniniwala kami na totoo ang kanyang sinasabi maski iisa lang ang testigo basta nakita niya ng sariling mata niya. The eyewitness provided, number one, that he is unhesitating. Wala siyang kaduda-duda, sige lang siya ng sige magsalita. [Pangalawa,]Ang kanyang testimony ay straightforward, dere-derecho siyang magsalita at [pangatlo] nagbibigay siya ng mga detalye. All of these criteria are met by the lone eyewitness Rabusa.

That is why there is no longer any need to wait for the Senate Blue Ribbon committee to finish its investigation. Ngayon pa lang ipadala na ang transcript niyan sa Department of Justice, magpreliminary investigation na sila, sampahan na agad sa korte, and of course immediately issue a petition for a writ of attachment para hindi na magalaw ang mga pera sa bangko nitong tatlong heneral na ito. Ang problema dito ay ganito: kung matagal pa ang pag-imbestiga, itong pera ng tatlo na sinabi ni Rabusa ay nagtanggap ng mga kickback sa militar, malaking-malaking pera na sa bangko. Kung nandidito sa Pilipinas, pwede nilang i-withdraw iyon, even through the internet only. Mamaya na magdemanda tayo, wala na tayong makukuha pa. Kaya ngayon pa lang dapat tapusin na. May eyewitness tayo. Kaya ang kaso laban sa tatlong chief of staff--si Reyes, Villanueva, Cimatu--dapat i-file na agad, and the prosecutors file a petition for a writ of attachment para hindi na magalaw ang pera.

Ngayon, sasabihin mong si Rabusa ay mag-isa lang na testigo, di ba dapat ay meron namang ibang testigo? No. The Supreme Court said an eyewitness if he has testified does not need to be corroborated for as long as, as I've said, he's honest, sincere in the sense that his testimony is unhesitating, straightforward, and gives details. Eto namang si Rabusa ay puwedeng mag-apply as state witness kasi he complies with the requirements for a state witness. The requirements are, number one, his testimony is absolutely necessary. Number two, there is no other direct evidence. Number three, he has to comply with the criteria that he is not the most guilty. And he also should not have been convicted of any crime of moral turpitude. Kaya viral na itong kurapsyon sa military. Problema ni Reyes masyado siyang sclerotic.

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