TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW SENATOR RISA HONTIVEROS ON THE SOURCE, CNN PH

Q: Senator, you're among the first to visit former senator Leila de Lima after she was briefly taken hostage in her detention facility. What was your reaction when you first arrived there and what was the state that the former senator in when you first saw her, physically and mentally?

Senator Risa Hontiveros (SRH): We embraced as soon as I arrived there. Even after her harrowing experience, pagdating ko dun, si Sen. Leila, nasa gitna na ng pagsusulat ng kanyang salaysay. So though, she was hunched over in her chair, and of course, who can be unshaken by such an experience, she was already committing to paper her memories of that ordeal. Sabi niya, "habang sariwa pa."

With her typical strength of spirit, unbroken after half a decade in unjust detention. She was talking with me, with her staffer who was there, her lawyer who was there, sometimes even able to laugh if she heard or thought of anything funny. Parang pinapagpag niya noh. She also said that so many times the hostage taker pressed hard against her chest, with either a makeshift screwdriver or a makeshift ice pick. So siguro today nagpapasa na yung dibdib niya. She really went through something terrible.

In the national headquarters of our national police, supposedly the most secure of any camp or any custodial center, na-hostage pa siya. She was dragged out of her quarters then dragged back in again, pushed and she fell to the floor, mabuti daw hindi tumama yung ulo niya.

She was choked— that makeshift weapon pressed many times against her chest. Akala niya tutuluyan na siya, sasaksakin na siya. She was blindfolded. She was tied by her hands, by her legs to a chair. It was unbelievable what she went through.

Q: How long did this ordeal last?

SRH: By her recollection, it started past 6:30 in the morning. She estimated around 6:40. And then it was over by over 7:10 or 7:18. So within half an hour, all this happened. One of the would-be escapees ran to her quarters, took her hostage, and then by 7:18 as she estimates, she was finally rescued by that police officer. She was like a guardian angel to her, but even after the PNP investigates and the DOJ investigates this as they should, even if corrections are made to the mistakes and the inadequacies in security, actually lampas na ito sa PNP eh. Nasa kamay na ni Presidente as I called on him, as many have called on the administration since yesterday: Sen. Leila should not even have been in that situation na pwede siyang targetin ng hostage-taker. She should not have been in jail in the first place the past half decade.

So with greater urgency, I call upon the president to do the moral and the legal thing and to set her free. Almost all of the witnesses against her in the cases filed in the previous administration, halos lahat sila nag-recant na ng testimony nila. So the case against her is lost and it was not even ever alive from the start. Pero talagang falling by the wayside, I really call on the President to free her.

Q: Speaking of the President, PBBM offered at least a jail transfer but DILG Benhur Albalos said she declined this offer because she said she still feels safe in the detention facility.

SRH: Imagine the dignity of Sen. Leila. After her harrowing experience to still tell chief PNP when he came to visit her also that she still feels safe where she had already earlier been taken hostage and had to be rescued. The dignity of that person, hindi parin nawawala sa kanya ang pagiging former government official niya, former senator niya.

As to the offer of the president, I really believe that she should be transferred not to another detention center, but returned to freedom, which has been her right, based on truth, based on justice these past six years.

Q: You were there on the ground yesterday. How did authorities explain the way the hostage-taker was even able to access former Sen. de Lima's quarters? You said that going to the area where she is kept is like weaving through a maze?

SRH: Parang maze, it's deep in Camp Crame, deep in the PNP custodial detention center. Ang mga bisita nga sa kanya nahihirapan makapasok, as we experienced and witnessed during her last birthday. So paano itong taong di umano'y tumatakas ay kayang maging hostage-taker pa sa kanya.

When the DOJ and the PNP complete what should be a thorough investigation, unang-una dapat maging katanggap-tanggap o kapanipaniwala ito kay Sen. Leila mismo. And even if and when they make their findings and recommendations and they actually implement any improvements in security.. this should never have happened to her or for that matter any person deprived of liberty. Lampas na yun doon eh. She should not have even been the subject of improved security arrangements kasi hindi naman talaga siya dapat bihag in the first place. At yun nga, dapat siyang palayain, kahapon pa.

Q: In your view, how should the government speed up the process if they do indeed want to free Sen. de Lima?

SRH: Today, she has another hearing for one of her cases. I really hope not just her defense lawyers but the court itself and the whole justice system will take the step or steps forward to see na walang basehan talaga itong mga kaso laban sa kanya, ang mga paratang, pati yung mga testigo sa kanya, who I mentioned earlier, more and more have been recanting their testimony. So I really hope the day of justice, of the recognition of the truth she has been speaking since day 1, the recognition of her right to be restored to freedom is moving closer.

Q: Some critics say this was a ploy to have herself freed. What's your reaction to that?

SRH: Wow. That is the height of insensitivity at gumigising lang sakin ang height of incredulity. How could a person who was just going through her daily forced routines as a detainee the past more than half decade, who was actually praying the rosary, her daily morning rosary, nung biglang pumasok yung escapee, yung naging hostage-taker niya. How could she even think, let alone be enabled to concoct such a thing?

Si Sen. Leila ay bihag — the greatest injustice to her the past several years. Hinostage siya, halos saksakin siya. She had to be rescued by a police officer. Oh please, unfortunately, I think any people or any group that could say such a thing must probably be been behind this continued injustice against her the past several years. Lahat ng disinformation and fake news at trolling laban sa kanya, ngayon, sa kabila ng harrowing na karanasan niya kahapon, that is the best or the worst they can do? I hope that such terrible action on their part can only further impress upon the courts and upon the president himself that justice must be given Sen. Leila. Justice must be given to our country by setting her free.

Q: I'd like to talk now about veteran radio journalist Percy Lapid, who, as you know was laid to rest this weekend and the image of one of the persons of interest has been released with a 6.5 million peso bounty. What else can the government do to ensure that justice is served in this case?

SRH: They can honor the memory of Ka Percy Lapid, Percy Mabasa, not just by investigating his case and giving justice to his widow, Lisa, and their six children and all the colleagues, friends, and relatives of Ka Percy, but heeding his life's work, kasi si ka-Percy, as you know better than me, being his colleague in the media, devoted his life until point of death to speaking the truth as he saw it, speaking truth to power, hindi sya natakot, mula nakaraang administrasyon, hanggang sa administrasyon ngayon, to speak truthfully and fairly for justice. Sinuportahan siya doon ni Ma'am Lisa at mga anak, as a widow myself, I can only imagine what Lisa is going through now, sa paraan pa ng namatay ng kanyang asawa, she supported him all throughout his life's work, his children understand what their father was tring to do through his work, the least the government can do, that law enforicement can do is to uncover the truth behind his murder, and bring jstuice to him, and enable the wider community of journalists, human rights defenders and all the families who build a less violent society, a more humanse society, unmolested, incmluding in the most terrible way that this violence has visited on ka-Percy.

Q: His brother Roy Mabasa, also a journalist, told us here on CNN that obviously the family doesn't want his death to just be another statistic, on your end Senator, what can you propose to protect journalist media, welfare and safety.

SRH: As someone working in legislature and wanting to support from the legislative side, the professional work of speaking truth to justice, that are being done by journalists in our country, na terible, a few years isa sa pinaka mapanganib na bansa na maging mamahayag tulad ng ipinakita sa ginawa kay Perci Lapid, I can only continue to not just file resolutions, to investigate such terrible crimes, but to proactively file bills, pass these bills into law, to support and protect the work that you journalists do that is essential, you as the 4th estate, esensyal talaga sa pagpprotekta at pagpapalawak ng ating sabi ni Nathan Quimpo, ating contested democracy, lalo na sa panahon ngayon, ng disinformation, fake news, trolling, we your allies in government and in civil society, should stand behind you, behind truth seekers and truth tellers, kayong mga journalists to push back against these attacks against truth, against freedom of the press, freedom of speech.

Q: The debate on whether or POGOs should be permanently banned is raging on again, just last week PNP chief Rodolfo, close to 300 policemen have been providing security to POGO bosses and their extended families. What is you reaction to all this?

SRH: Really, wow. I'm really glad that Chief PNP Azurin revealed this, it really should immediately, or yesterday have been stopped, kasi kahit yung kababayan nating negosyante, mamumuhunan, ay hindi naman natin pinapasecure sa PNP, lalo na mga dayuhang negosyante, dahil sa napaka kontrobersyal at sasabihin ko na, negatibong negosyo pa tulad ng POGO, since a couple of years ago that the Senate on Women investigated on POGO related prostitution, illegal detention, sumabog yung pastillas scam, umabot sa human trafficking. Since then I have called on the banning of POGOs from Philippine territory. Kolektahin ang utang nilang buwis at that time 2 years ago already, 50 million pesos, and iban na sila, palayasin na sila sa ating bansa. These recent rounds of investigation on POGOs and their relationship to crimes not just against each other but against our citizens, hindi lan yung empleyado ng POGO, yung iba sa kanila biktima ng human trafficking, pero lalo na yung mga krimen na kagagawan ng may-ari, mga financier ng POGO dito sa atin, they have contributed so little financially na iyon yung binibida nila ibibigay nila sa ating ekonomiya, but the scale has tipped heavily on the side of the costs of the so-called benefits of POGOs, lalo na yung social cost lalo na sa ating mga kababayan, lalo na ang mga bata at kabataan, at ngayon pati yung ibang kababayan Pilipino natin at pati yung mga kababayan nila ng Tsinong employees so what is there to say for POGOs, they shouldve been banned a long time ago, and in this renewed round of calls and investigations, just get them out.

Q: The confidential funds, you want the 150 million funds proposed by the education department to be realigned, how do you want these to be realigned, which money do you want to see this money go to.

SRH: I started that conversation already during the DepEd budget hearing at he Sneate noting for example that yung education para sa ating katutubong Pilipino, Ip educaiton, nawalan ng item sa proposed budget ng DepEd, at tinanong ko doon pa lang si Sec VP Duterte kung pwedeng irealign involuntarily realign ng DepEd ang kanila proposed confidential and intelligence funds doon sa IP educatio, bukod sa una naming napagusapan na SPED budget, sinabi naman nila na earlier na magrerealign na sila form their funds, hindi lang tinukoy kung sa confidential and intelligence, and overall sinabi ni Sec VP na iwan nila sa Kongreso yung amount and even the propriety of such confidential and intelligence funds. You know I'm not arguing against any confidential and intelligence funds to civil agencies katulad ng DepEd, pero kung para sa activities na sinagot ni Sec VP Duterte, nung tinanong ko what will that P150 million be for, binanggit niya kasi nila no mga trabaho katulad ng pag-rent ng safehouse, so maitatanong, bakit may idedetain ba na tao ba ang DepEd, sabi pa nila yung pagbili ng mga sasakyan para sa surveillance, yun ba ay trabaho ng DepEd, binanggit nila yung pagbayad sa mga informants, yun ba ay trabaho ng DepEd. Palagay ko lahat ng inenumerate ni Sec VP na pagkakagastusan ng P150 million intelligence and confidential funds ng DepEd are properly the work of our national defense, and interior and national police, anti-drugs, even women and children protection agencies and programs. Yung mga usaping national defense, atska national police, iwan natin sa mga esksperto. These are not the mandate of DepEd, madidistract lang sila, sa gitna pa naman ng isang malawak na at matinding education crisis natin, lalo't na nabanatan pa ng pandemic and recently we heard the findings about learning poverty, so I would rather see that P150 million confidential and intelligence funds be realigned sa mga totoong programa ng DepEd.

Q: For Albay Representative Edcel Lagman, he wants to purge some P9 billion worth of confidential and intelligence funds from the entire 2023 budget. IS this something you would support?

SRH: Well it's something that we should seriously consider, kasi yung budget unang tinatrabaho ng House tapos tinatransmit sa amin dito sa Senado, so I think Rep Edcel as minority in the House, at kami ni minority leader Sen. Koko sa Senate, as part of our houses, we are just doing our duties as part of Congress dahil hawak ng Congress ang power of the purse, so trabaho namin ilabas ang batas ng national budget taon-taon, and to be proactive, to make sure that the money lalo na galing sa buwis ng mamamayan, hawak ng gobyerno pero sa gitna pa ng napakasikip na fiscal space, to make sure that these are allocated properly. Atska din kasi ang confidential at intelligence funds, labas sa sakop o saklaw ng trabaho ng COA, so lalo't na ang mga pondo na hindi maaudit tulad ng ibang pondo ng gobyerno, lalo dapat namin siguraduhin that these are in the GAA appropriated properly so as to prevent graft and corruption.

Q: That would be the ideal. Now let's talk about the first 100 days of the administration. How would you assess the first 100 days of President Bongbong Marcos, you came out with a statement that you are not all that satisfied.

SRH: Yes, kasi dapat ang first 100 days are a time for a new President a new administration to show boldness and firm leadership lalo na sa multiple crises palabas pa lang sa pandemic na lugmok sa recession including a food crisis, un and underemployment. Pero parang hindi pa rin maramdaman ang firm grip n i Presidente on the reins of power or the wheel of the ship of state, of course hindi ko naman ineexpect, wala naman nageexpect massolve nila sa unang 100 days lahat ng problema natin, pero at least magpakita na yung leadership na kinakailangan sabihin sa atin pagkatapos ang kanilang inauguration speech at unang SONA sabihin sa atin yung general directions na dapat natin tahakin in the next 6 years, and to show that he is the person who will lead government and even lead society in implementing the solutions to those problems. And of course nobody can turn back the hands of time, ibalik tayo sa unang daang araw, pero ngayon let him put his shoulder to the wheel, let him put his back into the work that is needed.

Q: Can you comment on your view on his inability to complete his Cabinet with key posts still unfulfilled even after 3 months.

SRH: I'm waiting. Our country is waiting. Nasaan na yung DOH Sec, para talagang tuluyan tayong ilabas sa new and better health normal. Maganda ganda yung nabuo niyang economic team, pero nasaan din yung DA sec, para hindi na maulit yung sugar importation fiasco, wala na yung sinisisi yung ibang tao sa halip ng talagang nagkulang, at magkaroon siya ng katandem to address the our agriculture and food crisis na wag siya maging food catastrophe. Tulungan siya, ipartner siya sa long term at strategic na pagpapaunlad sa ating agricultural sector, and there's a fleas t a half dozen possible high government positions that need to be filled, para kasabay ng kanyang firm leadership dapat meron siyang malakas at magaling na Cabinet para tulungan siya mamuno sa susunod na 6 na taon. In a much better way than has been shown so far in these first 100 days.