TRANSCRIPT OF INTERPELLATION
Senator Risa Hontiveros during the DILG budget deliberation
November 15, 2022

Senator Risa Hontiveros (SRH) : I just have a few questions abot the PNP, may I also make it of record that I appreciate the early policy statements of Chief PNP Azurin and the openness po nila to maintain lines of communication with us as legislators. So marami pong salamat para doon, Mr. Chair.

My first questions, Mr. President, Mr. Chairman, may we request an update from the Chief PNP on the investigation of the hostage taking incident of our former colleague, former Senator Leila de Lima in the custodial center of Camp Crame, marami pa pong mga tanong sa isipan ng publiko tulad ng how did the detainees manage to get hold of a dangerous weapon, paano sila nakalapit ng ganoong kalapit kay former Senator Leila at kahit nga na alam na ng publiko na meron po tayong PNP personnel na nasaksak sa insidenteng iyon, at sa huli isang PNP officer din ang nakarescue kay Sen. Leila, meron pa rin mga tanong. May mga lapses po ba na naganap sa seguridad ni dating Senator Leila, have these lapses been identified? Ultimo mga tanong sa isipan ng publiko na may inside job ba? May involved na mga bantay, Mr. President?

Sen. Sonny Angara (SSA) : Your Honor, just some brief points and then we'll go to the more specific questions. These are the actions taken on the hostage taking of our former colleague Senator Leila. The NAPOLCOM initiated the revalidation and investigation of the incident. They've required the PNP custodial unit, the PNP headquarters support service to submit pertinent documents to the internal affairs and the CIDG; and the internal affairs of the PNP conducted a motu proprio investigation; and the forensic group conducted a drug test to apply to all the custodial unit personnel; and the security inspection and threat assessment were done at the PNP custodial center; and personnel from the CHR conducted an interview with police corporal Roger Agustin. This was the policeman who rescued Senator Leila your Honor and of course it's public that they've tightened up the security for Sen. Leila your Honor. '

SRH: Thank you for Mr. President Mr Chairman, naappreciate ko po na bukod sa PNP mismo yung iba nating law enforcement agencies may kinalaman sa public safety ay nag weigh in din sa imbestigasyon, so narinig ko po yung naging papel ng NAPOLCOM, at pati yung mga unit sa loob ng PNP yung custodial center, yung internal affairs service ng PNP yung forensics group, pati yung nagconduct ng security inspection, and indeed Mr President, Mr Chairman pagalis ko po sa pagbisita kay Former Sen. Leila nagkasabay po kami ng pagbisita ni Chief PNP and I know that Sec. Abalos was one of the first, if not the first to visit her right after she was rescued from that hostage taking paglabas ko po nakita ko nga po yung mga personnel ng CHR na papasok din, naghihintay lang maadmit para mabisita si Sen. Leila and it is good to hear Mr. President na indeed hinigpitan na po yung security precautions o arrangements para kay Sen. Leila. Sa alinman sa imbestigasyon na ginawa, Mr. President na establish po ba kung paano napanghawakan yung sandatang iyon ng mga detainees at paano sila nakalapit kay Sen. Leila?

SSA: They're saying there was lapse in the sense that one of the improvised weapons was not found on the personnel, so it was able to, kumbaga napuslit, Your Honor. I'm trying to get more updates on that, but I'd also like to share that it's not strictly within the budget of the DILG family your Honor, but it was also mentioned by the when we were hearing the budget of the Office of the President, it was mentioned to me by the executive secretary and the Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Guevarra that they personally or the senior deputy executive secretary also went to Camp Crame to investigate to personally check on the arrangements of Sen. Leila, Your Honor.

SRH: Maraming salamat, Mr. President, Mr. Chairman sa ES din, at sa opisina nila para imbestigasyon na iyon, and in fact habang nandoon ako bumibisita kay Sen. Leila, siya rin po ay nagsabi na mismong si Presidente ay tumawag sa kanya at ikinamusta sila, so tayo po as legislators and as citizens we appreciate all of these expressions of concern and expressions lalo na sa pamamagitan ng mga imbestigasyon yung intent na malaman kung ano ang nangyari to prevent a repeat of such an unacceptable incident. Earlier Mr. President, Mr. Chairman, noong binanggit niyo yung CHR investigation I heard yung binanggit na pangalan sa huli yung nakarescue kay Sen. Leila, it's a different name from what I recall, or read also in the media, pero sa anuman, kung sinuman po talaga siya, nais ko pong ipahayag for the record na talagang lubos pong ina-appreciate yung ginawa nila. Dahil sa huling sandaling iyon, nung hostage taking incident, parang sila yung naging guardian angel kay Sen. Leila and saved her life. So para din sa kaalaman ni Chief PNP at lahat ng mga opisyal at kawani ng PNP, pakipaabot po muli sa sa kanya yung taus pusong pasasalamat at pagpapahalaga sa kanilang ginawa. In any of the investigations, Mr. President Mr. Chairman, na-establish po ba kung paano nakalapit in the first place yung ganung kalapit yung detainees kay former Sen. Leila?

SSA: Yes your Honor I was told by the PNP Chief that the compound is like a maze and at the time the exit was locked, so the suspects it so happened it was around 5:30 in the morning and it just so happened that Sen. Leila, that's the time she also walks and exercises so bukas po yung kanyang area, so yun nalang ang nakita nung suspect na pupuntahan because they had locked the exit so tamang tama I think I don't think it was a planned hostage taking your Honor in that sense, parang nadatnan na lang nila na bukas po yung kay Sen. Leila. Kaya in their desperation they took her hostage. Yun po ang nangyari.

SRH: Salamat po Mr. President, Mr. Chairman, Im sure that the PNP will take this and all the other details of the findings of their investigations into account sa pagsisiguro na kung ano pang paghihigpit na dapat sa security arrangements para kay Sen. Leila ipinatutupad na nila given their findings of how this unbelievable hostage taking was actually able to happen sa pinakasecure dapat na custodial center natin sa buong bansa. Kaya I really feel that it's important to be updated on the investigation Mr. President, Mr. Chairman, not only to clarify doubts in the public's mind but also to ensure that former Sen. Leila will not be compromised again. Sabi nga po ninyo Mr. President, Mr. Chairman, na such security is being tightened so any broad strokes update po most of all can Sen. Leila's safety be guaranteed moving forward?

SSA: Yes your Honor, they've increased the security presence. They have a buddy system between the security to ensure that there is someone always in the vicinity, they've also increased the CCTV coverage of the area. These are just some of the precautions that they, to borrow your language, they've learned their lesson and instituted safeguards additional safeguards.

SRH: Maraming salamat po. So ang sagot po ay yes that Sen. Leila's safety can be guaranteed moving forward.

SSA: Yes your Honor.

SRH: Bago ko po iwan itong paksang ito, I hope nagsurvive at gumaling ang PNP personnel na nasaksak.

SSA: He's recovered but he's resting because he obtained wounds to his abdomen area your Honor.

SRH: Salamat, Mr. President. it's good to hear nag survive sila at sana gumaling sila ng ganap at saka mabilis. Pakiabot din lamang po sa pamamagitan ng ating PNP leadership. Salamat. po.

Moving on to another question, noong November 3, 2022, pinaslang ang incumbent municipal environment resources officer (MENRO) ng Dumingag Zamboanga Del Sur, na si Butch Cabilan. And he was shot inside government premises in Dumingag in broad daylight, during a COA entrance conference, in which the muncipal mayor and vice mayor were also present. Wala mang lang nagresponde that day. At nabalitaan po namin na may mga banta na sa kanyang buhay na inireport niya sa municipal police station ng Dumingag ngunit walang ginawang hakbang ang mga authoridad sa Dumingag may I ask the PNP now if they have leads on the murder?

SSA: There is an ongoing investigation your Honor we will inquire if they have leads. They can furnish the details but they prefer that it not be made public, your Honor.

SRH: I understand mr President, and I thank the PNP for the details that they will furnish this representation. Dahil gusto ko rin pong suportahan talaga, malaman ang katotohanan dito sa pagpatay kay MENRO kasamang Butch, kapwa kasapi sa partido kong Akbayan, at suportahan din na makakamit hustisya ang kanyang pamilya ang kanyang mga kasama sa municipal government ng Dumingag at kanyang mga kaibigan. Mr. President, I will also furnish a copy of the letter of Butch's wife para pa sa PNP authorities. Salamat. And last Mr. President, Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask the PNP to share their efforts in combating OSAEC. The new Anti-OSAEC law requires the PNP to act with dispatch in cases involving OSAEC at actually gives additional and new powers to our law enforcement agents. But I'd like to know if the PNP has the present capacity to match these new responsibilities.

SSA:Yes your Honor, for instance last August the PNP was granted two warrants by the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 24 which ordered social media platforms Facebook and Youtube to disclose information on an online account named Usapang Diskarte, which promotes the exploitation and sexual abuse of minors according to the PNP's Anti-Cybercrime Group Women and Children Cybercrime Protection Unit the account has over 250,000 followers and was created and promoting sexual abuse and exploitation of children. So they have taken action in that front your honor sabi din ng departamento na balak nila bumili ng forensic software for online investigations and to look into the provision of child friendly facilities in anti-cybercrime offices and to coordinate closely with the DOJ for international complaints your Honor. Tapos noong Setyembre po merong entrapment operation ang DILG at PNP sa Sampaloc against cybersex traffickers which led to the rescue of 15 children as young as 13 yrs old your Honor. They are the alleged victims of OSAEC and they have arrested two alleged sex traffickers, your Honor.

SRH: Maraming salamat Mr. President, it's always good to hear na ang bagong mga batas na pinapasa natin dito sa Kongreso ay ginagamit at nagagamit ng ating mga law enforcement authorities kudos also to the courts that granted the two warrants used by the PNP to compel the social media platforms na bingiyan din ng ating bagong Anti-OSAEC Law ng dagdag na responsibilidad to compel them to fulfill those responsibilities. Talagang yung binanggit ninyo Mr President Mr Chair na Usapang Diskarte eh notorious sa public imagination ng buwan ng Agosto, there was really online outcry against them umabot sa opisina nitong representation and that is why we also got in touch with our law enforcement authorities to request them to take action against this Usapang Diskarte.

And I'm glad that in particular the PNP anti cybercrime group was able to take action against usapang diskarte and we hope they continue to take action against similar groups. Mabuti po Mr President na binganggit ninyo yung pagbili ng 'forensic software' ito ay isang point of conversation ng opisina ko sa NBI na isa pa sa mga agencies natin na talagang minamaximize yung paggamit nitong Anti-OSAEC law and moving forward kahit sa mga susunod na taon nitong Kongreso I would be one of the members of the Senate who would look kindly on continuing to support sufficiently ang PNP at iba pang law enforcement agencies natin na kailangan talagang humabol sa pag-unlad ng teknolohiya at paggamit ng teknolohiyang ito para sa masama, at laban sa ating mga bata. I've taken note also of the ongoing efforts to establish child friendly facilities para protektahan at i-rehabilitate sa OSAEC at iba pang labag sa kanilang mga karapatan and I'm very glad to hear the continuing coordination of the PNP with the DOJ, marami pang beses sa mga nakaraang imbestigasyon natin dito sa Senado talagang malaking bagay na habang dinadaos pa lang natin ang mga imbestigasyon tungkol man sa POGO related prostitution or mga krimen din laban sa mga bata, eh kahit idinadaos ang imbestigasyon ay nagte-take na din ng action ang mga executive departments at agencies natin.

Last but not the least Mr. Chairman, I'm glad the good chairman recounted the entrapment operation naalala ko po isa ito sa mga unang mabuting balita na ibinahagi ni DILG Sec nung mga panahon iyon, rescuing 15 children and arresting 2 traffickers. I hope that the PNP and our other agencies and the department itself will continue to make use of the fruits of our legislative agenda alang ala sa ating mga vulnerable sectors.