Press Release
September 22, 2011

Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter S. Cayetano
Kapihan sa Senado Transcipt 5

Re: CA confirmation of Chairman Brillantes

'Where are the promised reforms if Scalawags are the implementers?'

Sinasabi ni Brillantes na tahimik daw siyang gumawa or marami daw siyang reforms na nagawa sa Comelec. Kaya sa susunod na hearing, number one, we will give him all the chances to explain the reform. But for the record, we've been asking him about these reforms but he hasn't released any substantial proof of these reforms.

Number two, hindi makuha ni Chairman Brillantes na hindi pwedeng may reform ka sa papel or may reporma ka sa order niya pero panay mandurugas, mandaraya, scalawags ang gagawin mong implementers.

90 to 95% of Comelec are good people. Bakit yung 5% na involved sa Megapacific, sa 2004, Hello Garci, sa Folder Scam ang pinopromote? Yun ang hindi niya maintindihan at doon namin siya hindi titigilan.

'We hope that groups concerned in promoting clean elections will come out'

We're hoping that during the postponement - dapat yesterday ang hearing then napostpone to October 5 - two things will happen. Number one, the chairman will address directly these issues and make a stand. And number two, all of the groups concerned with clean and honest election will come out and be heard.

Yun ang sinabi kong problema ng ad interim appointment. Ang hirap na nakaupo yung chairman dahil pati yung mga advocacy groups hindi basta't babanggain ang nakaupo. Paano kung banggain mo tapos hindi ka i-accredit or ikaw ang balikan?

Pati yung ibang mga pulitiko na medyo hindi tingin na magiging fair at magkakaroon ng conflict of interest , hindi siya mabangga dahil nakaupo siyang chairman.

Pero kung ginawa mo yung appointment na hindi pa siya nakaupo until maconfirm, lalabas lahat ng objection. But I'm glad that through God's grace I am used as an instrument to ask him these questions kasi parami ng parami ang issues na kailangan maliwanagan ang tao.

'I'm not passing judgment that Rafanan's allegations are right or wrong, but they should be taken seriously'

Hindi ko sinasabing tama si Director Rafanan o mali siya. Ang sinasabi ko ay serious at tunay issues na binring up ni Director Rafanan at dapat sagutin ito at magkaharap sila.

But yung last hearing, diba narinig niyo na tinanong ko siya kung pinapaareglo niya si Director Rafanan at yung kinasuhan niya at may handwritten na sinabi niya na "hindi lang sila ang pinapaareglo ko pati yung ibang mga lawyers".

Ang tingin pa rin niya ang criminal case, ang tingin pa rin niya ay para siyang baranggay na lupon. Ang lupon limitado lang ang pwedeng aregluhin. Ang pandaraya sa eleksyon hindi mo pwedeng aregluhin. Ang violation of election code hindi mo pwedeng aregluhin. Kasi lalaki ang ulo at gagawin pa ito.

So I do understand that maraming issues regarding Director Rafanan. I do understand that the commission has issues. But for me, that's beside the point. The point is kung ang Ombudsman ay nag-all out ang gobyerno para linisin ang anomalya, bakit hindi tayo magkaroon ng chairman ng comelec na talagang all out na maglilinis?

If Brillantes is the man (to reform Comelec), okay. But show us why.

Q: Will Senate invite Abalos in the Poll Fraud Probe next week?

Definitely, everyone and anyone involved including the Comelec in 2004, including the commissioner Garcillano should appear and should answer questions.

Chairman Abalos played a role. Because if you look at the issue closely, siya ang naglagay kay commissioner garcillano as head of personnel and allowed him to place his own people all around the country. And yun ang sinasabi namin na Garci boys. Yun ang sinasabi naming na nakapwesto ngayon.

Q: Do you think there is redundancy in the Senate poll fraud probe and the DOJ-Comelec probe?

Yes and no. I do admit there's a little bit of overemphasis but I reason that I also say no is that ito ang mother ng lahat ng scam. Pagka-nandaya sa election ang kasunod noon babawiin yung ginastos at doon susunod yung anomalya ng graft and corruption.

Sinabi ko nga na lahat tayo may 'sacred cows' sabihin man nating hindi. Maging sa media groups, maging sa senador, maging sa simbahan. Kahit saan, tao lang tayo eh.

Tingin ko kung dalawang grupo ang sabay - ang senate at ang DOJ-comelec panel - tiyak na mamiminimize yung mga sacred cows at lalabas lahat.

Pagkatapos alisin si Director Rafanan doon sa comelec panel at matapos niya i-reveal na many of the senior directors ay involved sa scams, I don't really have faith that the Comelec panel will do a good job.

I don't know kung sino ang nilagay niya doon. Naiintindihan ko kung bakit siya tinanggal sa legal pero hind I ko naiintindihan kung bakit siya tinanggal doon sa comelec investigation.

Meron nang DOJ-Comelec hearing, Si Chairman Brillantes mismo ang nagsabi na may mga gag order sila sa mga nilagay nila sa investigation at sila lang dapat na mga commissioners o siya lang ang magsasalita.

Bakit? Yun ang maganda sa Senate investigation, bawal ang gag order. So lahat pwedeng magsalita, lahat pwedeng interviewhin.

Q: Should Brillantes resign if may delikadesa siya?

He already said na kung hindi siya ma-confirm ngayon, he will resign and ask the president not to appoint him. Actually, pwedeng totoo yun o pwedeng gamitin lang niya ang presidente at later on sasabihin niya na na ang presidente pinilit siya.There is such a thing as an irrevocable resignation.

For me, hindi naman ito choice ko, pero choice niya. Dalawa lang naman ang sa akin. Reform or get out. Kung seryoso ang mga reform, you'll have our support. Pero kung hindi mo kayang repormahan ang comelec, get out. The sooner you get out the better. Put someone else who can institute reform.

Let me make it very clear. I'll set the parameters. Pakita niya yung reporma. Habulin niya yung mga nagcommit ng anomalya comelec, No questions asked ako pa ang magmmove na i-confirm na siya.

No side issues, hindi ko na dadamihan ng issues. Ang question ko lang, mamili lang siya: 2004, 2007, folder scam. Pumili siya ng dalawa o tatlo then show us na may political will siyang linisin yon.

Alam niyo si Chairman Melo was very honest. Sabi ni Chairman Melo, I have two choices: "either I focus on the automation para walang dayaan or focus on habulin ang mga tao dahil marami ang involved dito sa anomalya. Ngayon kung gusto niyong matanggal ko yan at maisabay ko simple lang: give me a reorganization act."

Hanggang ngayon hindi hinihingi ni chairman brillantes ito. But maybe Malacanang should study that and maybe the Congress should study that. If it's gonna be too hard for either our investigation or the legal system to go after yung mga mandaraya na nasa loob pa rin ng comelec, let's help the 95% by removing the 5% through a reorganization act.

I don't know but I'm just saying right now na hindi tayong pwedeng pumayag na andoon. Kawawa naman din yung mga pangalan na nababanggit palagi na hindi naman talaga kasama sa scams. So I think even they want an investigation.

Q: Yung ARMM elections ba will be held as scheduled in 2013?

It's only a TRO, it's not a preliminary injunction or a mandatory injunction so comelec will also not know what to do. But that's one question I asked chairman Brillantes: "Bakit kayo binibigyan ng P7B for this year kung ang kailangan niyo is less than P2B to exercise the option of buying the machines from Smartmatic tapos pati sa ARMM magagamit niyo na?"

Kung yung comelec ay bibilhin nalang yung machines ng Smartmatic, P5B ang nasa budget na pwede nating ilipat sa SUCs. So hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit walang stand at hindi masagot ni Chairman Brillantes yun.

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