TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW PART 3
PRESS CONFERENCE AFTER FILING OF CANDIDACY
OCTOBER 5, 2012

Cayetano says there should be standards in dealing with cases against government officials

Topic discussed:

• Palace posting bail for Padaca

• Arrest Warrant on Padaca

• Being critical of the government despite being in admin slate

• Endorsement powers and campaign strategies

Reporter: Sir, other issues po yung kay Padaca. Tama ba na ang nagbayad pa ng bill ay si Presidente?

ASC: Well, there are two ways of looking at it and I think I'll reserve my comments for the CA hearing. It could be that this person is really clean and that by paying for her bail, the Palace is showing that they are backing her up. Kailangan mong panindigan ang pag-appoint.

On the other hand, some may say that they are sending a message to the court saying that "Kakampi namin to." Again, by appointing someone who has a case its not saying that she's innocent until proven guilty, it's saying we believe in her.

All those questions, believe me, will surface during the confirmation hearing.

Reporter: Sa arrest warrant, bakit may double standard...

ASC: Pag dating sa arrest warrant kasi dapat talaga walang discretion. We are talking about why they bailed her out for as long as its not the DOJ or Ombudsman who posted the bail. Because if it were them, its like saying that no one will prosecute her.

Doon sa sinasabi mong pagarrest, I agree with you that it has to be the same standard. In the same manner na hinahanap yung Reyes brothers. That's a legitimate question.

Reporter: Hindi ba kakaiba yun? Hindi nga DOJ ang nagbail kundu presidente naman.

ASC: Doon muna sa arrest warrant. Sa arrest warrant, that's a legitimate question. The DILG should be asked what are the standards. They should be the same standards for everyone. Why do we have rewards for the Reyes brothers and other fugitives like them and why do we have outstanding arrest warrants that haven't been implemented even if the people were in plain sight.

Let me clarify. This has nothing to do with the integrity or the merits of the case against Commissioner Grace Padaca.

Reporter: Hindi ba pwedeng gamitin yan ng mga Arroyo kung ikumpara nila sa pagserve ng warrant laban sa kanya?

ASC: Yung hindi patas lagi yang magandang statement and lagi yang political criticism. But we have a lot of cases that she can use to bolster her case kung bakit hindi agad inimplement. Yan ang ginamit dati ni Mayor... ng Palawan nung kinasuhan siya sa kanyang SALN. Ang sabi niya, "Bakit ako lang?" Sabi ng korte, hindi obligado ang gobyerno na lahat. Pero ang pwede doon sabihin mo sa gobyerno na gawin yung iba.

But in terms of tuwid na daan, that's a question. Bakit iba may wang wang, ang iba wala?

Reporter: Diba may liability within...

ASC: Depende sa reason. Kasi kung sasabihin na hindi mahanap, katangahan is not a criminal offense. I don't believe anyone is stupid. Gross negligence, criminal intent are penalized. But simple negligence is not. So let the people in charge do the explaining. Kung sasabihin lang na di mahanap, edi hanapin. Bakit hindi siya mahanap? I don't want to speculate but as I said, it's a legitimate question.

Reporter: Sir parang tamang timing. Kahapon yung bail at arrest warrant pareho.

ASC: Remember, Grace Padaca is a reformist. So this means kaya siya kinasuhan because of the reform. She was willing to go to jail and ayaw niyang bayaran ang bail. But because of her appointment, she needed to post bail.

Reporter:...Tinatanong kanina... can you still criticize the administration given that you are part of the slate?

ASC: I joined the coalition, not the LP, because the agreement was as part of the tuwid na daan, I can fiscalize, criticize, launch investigations against members of the coalition, the LP, or the coalition. Ang agreement lang is walang personalan. Pero kung issue pwede.

Reporter: Pero you can still do these things pag nasa UNA kayo?

ASC: Yes you can. But the rest of my party is with the administration. So you have the best of two worlds. The ability of working with the administration but also the ability to criticize. Lahat kasi ng political parties, you want your program to become a reality. You can't do that in the opposition but you can do that with the administration. But if the direction of the administration is wrong, like GMA's, I thought it was better for me to be in the opposition.

Reporter: Are you confident sa endorsing power of the president vis a vis nila Erap?

ASC: Ang problema sa endorsing power ay kapag inadd mo lampas lampas. Sa survey, endorsing power ng pari, 70%; endorsing power ng barangay captain, 60%; si VP Binay, 85%; si Presidente, 81%. Kapag inaadd mo yun, 41% lalampas ako ng number 1 kapag inendorse nila akong lahat.

Pero may natatalo din. That's my power with endorsement power. It's not like a product that you only choose one endorser. Namimili ka kung si X o si Y ang mageendorse. Sa pulitika kasi, you are free to endorse everyone so I think you should stand on your own merit. Having said that, I don't take people's strategies against them.