SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:00:00) Magandang magandang hapon sa inyo. I thank God for you being here today. I only have a few minutes because we have to prepare for [a] session. Actually, sinabi ko no media. I just wanted to see [kung] kumusta yung mga pulis sa labas kasi napaka init and just assure them that we appreciate their work. But I should have known better. There’s media everywhere. So that’s why I’m here. So siguro three or four questions.
(0:00:27) Transparency is part of the new majority. So I’ll try to answer the questions to the best of my ability then need na magsession.
REPORTER:
(0:00:35) Sir there is a resolution coming from the minority, seeking Senator Bato to voluntarily surrender to the proper authorities.
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:00:44) Yes. May konting kabastusan yung resolution because I saw assuming correct, I don’t like making assumptions, pero assuming correct yung sinabi ni Senator Lacson that he will clarify, ang point niya kapag na exhaust na lahat ng legal remedies.
(0:01:02) First and foremost, we’ve said that paulit, ulit, ulit. Para na kaming sirang plaka, ‘di ba? Na paulit-ulit, that senators just like any individual can exhaust and should be given the ability to exhaust all legal remedies. And then, kapag na-exhaust lahat, then, of course, we will surrender them. Usually, the senators themselves surrender themselves, and we will assist. Put it like this. Kung meron tayong hearing, pinipilit namin kayong ilagay yung source niyo. And then we held you in contempt, tapos kayo’y cinustody ng editor niyo.
(0:01:44) At sinabi ng editor, hindi, meron karapatan ang reporter, huwag sabihin kung sino source niya. What will you do? You’ll go to court. Pero pag umabot hanggang Supreme Court yan, at dumating sa inyo na may warrant na legal, legitimate from a Philippine court at wala nang ibang usapan pa, ang editor mismo magsasabi sa inyo, we will protect your rights, dadalhin ka, we’ll make sure you’re safe, but kailangan mo nang sumama.
(0:02:11) So, walang difference dito. Sila ang nagpapalaki ng issue. So, kahapon, nagsalita si Sen. Pangilinan kung pwedeng hindi na pag-usapan yun, hindi pwede. In fact, baka malipat ito from the Committee on Rules and Public Order to the Committee on Ethics kasi so far lumalabas, it was really a plot to stop him from coming here. Even the NBI, may statement ngayon na dun sa former majority, maayos sana yung aresto. Hindi yan ang tradition sa Senado.
(0:02:38) So, although the Senate President said his piece yesterday, so far, yung sinasabi ng dating Sergeant at Arms and the NBI Director is that nakita niya yung warrant at coordinated sa kaniya, kaya makikita niyo po [na] nakakalat ang mga agents all over the Senate yesterday. This is the first time that [has] happened. Hindi po excuse yung akala mo hindi darating, pwede ba yun? Akala mo hindi darating?
(0:03:08) Pag may dumating dito, may dalang warrant. Kung may dumating dito, may dalang warrant for Senator Sotto, for my sister, for Senator Jinggoy. I will tell them, we will assist you. You can serve it. If the senator claims that he was denied due process, we’ll allow him to file whatever support. Pag na exhaust na yon, at hindi, at meron pa rin na warrant of arrest, this is a foreign warrant of arrest. We don’t even know if it’s valid or hindi.
REPORTER:
(0:03:36) How will you be treating this sir from the opposition, is it up for debates later? Will you be voting sir?
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:03:42) We’re the majority, sorry, the new majority, I’m so used to calling ourselves the minority, we’ll meet on it. But even if 24 signed, that doesn’t mean we will agenda it right away. ‘Di ba? But sa akin yun, ang pakiusap ko lang, ako, I tried my best. ‘Di ba? Nakita nyo naman speech ko, yung pakiusap ko yesterday. This is not the first attempt na hulihin siya or first attempt to take over the majority. Pero parating may foul na ginagawa eh. Hindi na statesmans like eh ‘di ba?
(0:04:12) They could have asked us, they could have saw us, the five, and asked, ano bang plano. They could talk to us. They could talk to Senator Bato. Nandiyan siya. Hanggang gabi, nandito kami. Hindi nga natutulog yung tao. Magfa-file ka ng resolution. ‘Di ba? Pang-politika. Yung ginagalit nila base nila.
REPORTER:
(0:04:34) Sir you mentioned na pupunta ito sa ethics?
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:04:37) No, I said possible if the investigation shows that senators plotted to keep another senator from attending the session. That’s a criminal offense. I agree with everyone who’s saying na mabigat ang hinaharap natin sa ekonomiya natin, the inflation is so high, farmers …inaudible, lahat ng transport, hindi lang sa tricycle [pati] taxi, jeepney, bus drivers… inaudible. Pati yung mga national na… it’s not easy to import and bring everything and get it to all the islands of the Philippines. Andito yung Covid, andito yung 36 prototypes, gasolina o krudo, or ano ba yung ginagamit ng mga barko. Tapos legal din yung gamit ng mga trucks. We want to pay for that… Inaudible.
REPORTER:
(0:05:24) Inaudible.
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:05:35) Inaudible… majority. But… inaudible… damdamin na nila yun… inaudible… kawawa naman yung pulis natin. Manning their bones, they should be at least not in expose sa araw [and] bringing those heavy gears. Pero, we are creating this kind of situation… inaudible.
REPORTER:
(0:06:02) But in your preliminary investigation sir, may lumalabas ba na may anti…inaudible… para arestuhin si Senator Bato? …Inaudible.
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
Inaudible…
REPORTER:
(0:06:14) Sir, were you aware… inaudible… apparently aware kaya andoon daw siya sa sasakyan niyo?
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:06:22) I think my sister will speak about that. Ako natural aware ako, nagsalita ako doon, at sinabi ko that he’s coming into the meeting… inaudible… Every time na magpapalit, gumagawa ng paraan na takutin siya, na wag pumunta dito. Saan kayo nakakita na mula dito, no work, no pay, nasaan ka, magpakita ka, magresign ka nalang, kung ayaw, wag na magpakita huhulihin… inaudible. Ngayong andidito na, gusto mo namang isuko.
REPORTER:
(0:06:49) Pero sir nakita niyo ba so far sa preliminary investigation niyo na may active plot… aware kayo… Inaudible.
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:06:37) I don’t want to go beyond what I said already because I’m going to meet the majority. I’m going to look at all the reports.
(0:07:04) Basically, inulit ko lang yung sinabi ko ngayon, yung sinabi ko sa podium yesterday, di ba? Nung nagsalita si Senator Sotto, sabi niya, ganito-ganyan, binasa ko yung sinabi ng Sergeant at Arms. Sabi ng Sergeant at Arms, hindi. Not only 7am, 2pm pinakita pa rin sa inyo.
(0:07:22) ‘Di ba? Sinabi po ng NBI, Sir, makakapasok ba lahat ng agents? Nandyan ba silang lahat kung hindi pa pumayag si SP? Pumayag si SP. So, hanggang dun lang muna ako, d’i ba? I’m just saying that we’re trying to shift to the bigger picture, which is the spiritual, financial, economic, social well-being of our country, not only the political. But what is the other side doing?
REPORTER:
(0:07:50) Sir meron po bang active threat ngayon sa leadership niyo considering na medyo magulo tayo dito… inaudible.
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:07:50) We will assume that, ‘di ba? Sabi nga nila, ano eh, manipis ang majority namin. Ang sagot ko lang doon, mas mabuting manipis kaso sa makapal. ‘Di ba? Majority nga kayo dati, makapal naman. Sabi niya, manipis ang majority namin. ‘Di ba? Okay. So…
(0:08:15) At the very least, at the very least, ha, yung pinaka respeto natin sa kapwa, Senador, ano? Makapasok, ha.
(0:08:23) You can use the facilities of the Senate, hindi ka sinusundan ng CCTV, hindi ka tine-threathen, hindi nag-iimbento ng mga accusations sa kapwa, hindi tinatakot yung kasama mo sa majority. That’s why I said nga, statesman’s like sana, nagpalit, let’s move on. Pero sa ginagawa nila ngayon, parang pinipilit nilang magsalita kami kung bakit tumagal ang palitan ng leadership. So, kung papalitan nila kami, all they have to do is go upstairs. Nung natalo ako kay Sen. Pimentel ng 2016, nag-dinner pa kami kasama si PRRD with Sen. Sotto, Sen. Lacson. I think Sen. Pimentel was there. Nagkamayan pa kami sa Malacanang bago. Then I didn’t go to the SONA. I didn’t go here, sa SONA na ako pumunta. Nung nagpalit at naging Sen. President si Sen. Zubiri, wala namang problema eh.
(0:09:22) Nung umakyat kami ni Sen. Escudero, pinakita sa kanya, mga boss, may pirmahan. Yakapan pa kami. Siyempre may konting sinong bumaliktad, sinong ganon. But private lang yun. ‘Di ba? So, nung pumalit si Sen. Sotto, ang umakyat, napaka-close pa sa amin. Umakyat kay Sen. Chiz. O siya pa nag-oath. So, a few, before the break, alam nila may hawak akong 14. Hindi dapat ako. It was someone else. Anong ginawa nila? May ginawa sila. Para hindi kami umabot ng 14.
(0:10:00) So ngayon, choice nila kasi hindi namin sila aatrasan eh. Pero sana isipin nila yung mga pulis na sa labas. Sana isipin nila yung oras niyo sa news. Would you rather be reporting on inflation, on tourism, on gas prices, on education, on the super El Niño? Or would you rather keep talking about Bato?
(0:10:22) ‘Di ba? Wala naman sine si Bato eh. Hindi naman box office yung kay Bato. So may legal issue. So let the court decide, can’t we move on from that? ‘Di ba?
REPORTER:
(0:10:31) Sir, categorical, can you do with the resolution ng minority, will you allow it to be taken up later?
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:10:35) We’re meeting right after with the acting majority leader.
REPORTER:
(0:10:39) Sir meron po bang threat sa leadership ninyo?
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:10:43) There’s always a threat. Lalong ito na mainit ang politika. And I’m ready at any time. I didn’t ask for this.
(0:10:49) If natuloy yung ating palit ng leadership nung bago nung break, hindi ako ang Senate President. Kung hindi ako tumulong kay Senator Chiz, hindi din. I don’t want to discuss na yung each and every member nga. Kasi nga, let’s face it, ‘di ba? 24 lang kami. We have to work with each other. And the problems facing our country doesn’t have political colors. Yung 7% inflation ba, kulay green ba yun? Or kulay yellow? Or kulay red? Hindi.
(0:11:17) Pag yung tao walang mabiling gamot, yung DOH, siguro yun, trabaho muna. Mag-resign na si Secretary Herbosa. Nangako siya dito during the budget hearings, wala nang delay. Ang City of Taguig nakabili ng flu vaccines. Binabakunahan na mahigit isang daan libo ang aming senior citizens. Bakit ang DOH? Huli na naman.
(0:11:41) ‘Di ba, may southern at northern hemisphere pagdating sa flu shots, patapos na yung isang hemisphere, papunta na dun sa kabila. Hindi pa tayo nakakabili. Masasabi mo ba sa senior citizen na nagka-flu, tapos nagka-pneumonia, namatayan, namatay. Masasabi mo ba, sorry kasi we failed sa bidding. ‘Di ba, guys?
REPORTER:
(0:12:00) Sir, sa process lang, kapag nakita sa investigation na some of your colleagues are involved in the plan or plot to arrest Senator Dela a Rosa, you will… inaudible.
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:12:11) Two things, two things. One, that’s up to Senator Bato dahil siya naman ang involved. Ako, I’m more talking about the institution. Sometimes, if it’s more political action, it’s better just to let it go and to be statesmen and stateswomen. ‘Di ba? Yung parang okay, that’s part of the game. Medyo, medyo may pagka, may konti kang siko, konti kasi pa. Sige, pero no harm, no foul. No blood, no foul. ‘Di ba? So we want to move there. We want to talk about real issues. ‘Di ba? So let me stop there, guys, kasi I’m sure I’ll brief you then by the end of the day. Yeah, last question.
REPORTER:
(0:12:45) Inaudible… kayo po ang kumausap kay Senator Bato na magpunta dito… inaudible.
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:12:45) Many people have been talking to him for the longest time. And as of Sunday evening, ang alam namin hindi siya dadating, pero nagkausap kami ng Sunday morning, Monday morning, then he told me that he’s around.
(0:13:05) And then we made the arrangement for him to get here. And that’s obvious because nung nagsalita ako, sabi ko, we have 13 and Senator Dela Rosa will come in. That’s why nagulat ako nung pumasok na humihingal, tumatakbo. Kasi sabi ko, you don’t have to come in dramatically. Yun pala, hinahabol na ng mga ahente ng NBI. Let’s stop there guys, I just have to do some work.
REPORTER:
(0:13:26) Sir yung van na sinakyan ni Sen. Bato, sa inyo po?
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:13:29) Sen. Pia will speak about it but I will tell you everything because there is no crime. Ang mag hitch ba ng ride, ngayon bawal na?
REPORTER:
(0:13:36) Is the van is yours?
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:13:38) I don’t want to preempt yung speech ni Sen. Pia but later on, we’ll answer all the questions.
