Press Release
July 16, 2009

Transcript of Interview of Sen. Rodolfo G. Biazon at Kapihan Sa Senado

Q: What can you say about the granting of amnesty to the Abu Sayyaf?

Sen Biazon: There's a massive support of not granting amnesty to the Abu Sayyaf, the terrorist group. Even the United States has jumped into the frey by saying that they're against the granting of amnesty to the Abu Sayyaf. And I've heard that the soldiers are also expressing their sentiments that if possible the Abu Sayyaf should not be granted amnesty. So I think the thought of pushing for the grant of this amnesty to the Abu Sayyaf is already dead.

Q: Sir, while the sentiment to be (grant amnesty) is all out now, now is the time to really crush the Abu Sayyaf. We seem to forget that there are still low profile hostages, nameless teachers and businessmen who are still under their custody. What about them?

Sen Biazon: That is the reason why my proposal is (for the ASG) to be confined in Jolo. Because those low profile personalities are somewhere else like in Basilan and in some parts of Central Mindanao. So the strongest base of the ASG is Jolo and I think this massive move is to stamp out the ASG in Jolo. But the care should be taken by the planners that this ASG is not able to escape from Jolo and go somewhere else. Q: Sir, who do you think should investigate the participation of the Vice-Governor? Sen Biazon: That is already a police matter. I think the Department of Interior and Local Government considering that Lady Anne is under the supervision and control of the department.

Q: Sir, na snob ba po kayo ni Vice- President Noli de Castro sa hindi pag attend ng hearing? And he's claiming na hindi naman nangyari yung auction during his watch dahil hindi pa siya yung Chairman ng Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC)noon.

Sen Biazon: It's a question of policy whether it happened during his watch or after his watch. The purpose of that hearing is to find remedial measures that must be put into place in so far as policy question is concern. Puro palugi kasi ang nangyayari sa National Home Mortgage Corporation because they have a very weak collection mechanism. While the SSS, GSIS and Pag-Ibig have a strong collection agency. And these three government financing institutions can enter into contracts with developers to produce the housing units. Pero ang ginawa diyan, pinadaan pa sa NHMC. At ang NHMC ang nagpagawa ng mga units at sila ang dapat maningil. And because of their failure to collect, we ended up with a lot of non-performing loans. Yesterday I was looking at a loss of seven billion plus more. Yung mga 3,000 units ay ipinagbili lamang at 25% of the value of the units sold. In other words, nalugi tayo ng 75%. So the question is should we still allow the NHMC to continue to exist? That is the policy question and I wanted to ask that from the chairman of HUDCC.

Q: Sir, wala ba po legal impediment to ask the Vice President to appear before the Senate hearing?

Sen Biazon: We are not looking at the Vice President as the vice president in this case. We are looking at him as chairman of the HUDCC. Senator Gordon announced it yesterday that we may have to send a subpoena to the chairman of HUDCC and not to the Vice President. You have to separate those two positions

Q: If indeed there is now a decision to launch an all-out war against them, back burner muna yung peace talks?

Sen Biazon: No. We are not talking with the Abu Sayyaf. We are talking with the MILF. But there is talk that pretty soon the peace process or peace talks with the MILF might be resumed. It is still my position that if it is resumed, it should not be the Malaysians that will be the conveners.

We have such a very serious conflict of interest with the Malaysians. There is for example the question of conflicting claims in the Spratlys. And it will not be credible to see that the Malaysians will be impartial in this. I would still ask that if we convene again, for another country, probably Indonesia, to be the convener of the peace talks.

I would advice the authorities that are looking over this peace process to remember that the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain has been declared by the supreme court as unconstitutional. So we will have to start at square one.

This reminds me there is also a mention that the peace talks between the CPP-NDF will also be resumed. I raise a question: Who will the government peace panel talking with the CPP-NDF, deal with? Considering that no less than Jose Maria Sison issued a statement that Jalandoni does not represent the NDF.

Even Jalandoni said he is here for a family matter. Jose Maria Sison said Jalandoni is here for a family matter, and his presence here does not represent the CPP-NPA-NDF peace talks. That must be clarified.

Q: Saan kumukuha ng weaponry ang Abu Sayyaf and MILF?

Sen Biazon: Definitely, their foreign support has dwindled. How do they get weapons? One is capture. Another is purchase. Where do they get the money? Why not the ransom being paid to them? Nobody can deny, that ransom has been paid, especially in the past.

Q: Wala na bang foreign supplier? Because it was common knowledge almost in the days of Misuari that the armaments come from Malaysia.

Sen Biazon: I think that the present arms that they have been there way back when they were still receiving support from outside.

Q: Sir, si Senator Trillanes po ba pwedeng entitled sa amnesty?

Sen Biazon: You know, there is a problem with the grant of amnesty. For each proclamation, there are specific target groups to be granted. And there are specific time frames. After a time, hindi pa sila binigyan, wala na 'yon. And the last one, in 1997, granting amnesty to the RAM SFP-YOU nag-expire na 'yun eh. Nag expire na yung amnesty na yun. If we are taking a look at say granting amnesty to Sen. Trillanes, Gen. Miranda, Col. Querubin, we need to issue another proclamation. To be concord in by Congress.

If that is proclaimed by the President, I will support the proclamation of amnesty to Generals Miranda, Lim, Col. Querubin, Sen. Trillanes, and others who are charged equally in courts.

Back in 1992, I talked to RAM. If they would agree to continue with the peace process, with the promise that all the cases filed in court against them, will be suspended. They agreed with me, and so I had to go to President Ramos, and proposed the suspension of all the cases in court. So that they could move around to consult with their constituencies while the peace process was being hammered out. They were given amnesty.

Q: This coming election 2010, will the Senate still be composed of 23? Because there is a senator sitting in jail?

Sen Biazon: Yes. We will only be 23, 24th will be Sen. Trillanes. Remember, he is in the middle of his term. And he has not been expelled by any means. His term will end in 2013. In effect, we will still have to elect 12 senators, to complete the number of 24 including Sen. Trillanes.

Q: Kaya pala mag-bigay ng discount sa mga gamot, bakit di nalang ibaba ang presyo para makinabang ang mga tao?

Sen Biazon: Alam mo yung si Flip, at saka si Flop, magkapitbahay 'yan. Nung isang Linggo, yung adminsitrasyon nandun sa bahay ni Flip. Ngayon nung nag hearing kami, lumipat kay Flop. Nung umaga, bumalik na naman kay Flip. So ang tanong ngayon, ano ang dahilan, bakit madaling lumipat from the house of Flip, to the house of Flop, back to the house of Flop, where we are now? There are speculations. And the speculations can only be, as it had been pronounced before, "is it the Sulit - as a compromise? Is it the suhol, as a mechanism? May mga nagsasabi ngayon, na baka yung pagpunta sa Washington DC, is partly because of (the Cheaper Medicines bill). So ngayon, the Flip- Flop is an issue. In the meantime, many patients, especially the sick people, who are poor, will have to remain untreated.

We still have not completed the hearing, and I hope that tomorrow, this matter will go back to the house of Flop. The only thing to do is for the bill to be signed.

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