Press Release
October 12, 2010

Transcript of Interview of SP Enrile

On the President's signing of amnesty for Trillanes

SP Mabuti at 'yun nga ay pinagsisikapan namin na mai-transfer ang kanyang place of custody dito sa Senado para makapag-trabaho. Ngayon, mabuti naman at it is a welcome development na 'yung kahilingan namin na bigyan ng amnestiya ay dininig ng Pangulo at balita ko binigyan na nga, pinirmahan niya. Sa amin magandang balita 'yun sapagkat kailangan namin ng katulong dito.

Q Ano po ang magiging proseso after mapirmahan na ni President Noynoy?

SP Hindi ko alam. Meron pang mga requirements 'yun, but at least, maybe, they can now allow Senator Trillanes to come and work with us here in the Senate.

Q Immediately, kahit na wala pang concurrence ng Congress?

SP Meron nang explanation sa Senado except sa House. I think shortly he will be allowed.

Q Na-receive ninyo na sir?

SP Hindi pa. Ngayon ko lang narinig.

Q Ipa-prioritize sir ng Senate 'yung adoption ng proclamation?

SP Oo. Meron na kaming almost unanimous resolution asking for amnesty.

Q May public hearing pa po ba 'yun sa Senate kahit meron na kayong resolution for the amnesty?

SP Siguro wala na. Hindi na kailangan. Unanimous na 'yung request dito, may consensus 'yun.

Q Sir, kailan ninyo inaasahang makakasama na si Trillanes?

SP In the next opening siguro.

Q By November?

SP Sa Nobyembre.

Q Sir, 'yung intent ninyo na makipag-usap sana sa Court, hindi n'yo na itutuloy 'yun?

SP Hindi. Hinihintay ko pa 'yung information from the Court if they will accept my request to talk to the judge so that I can explain why we wanted Senator Trillanes to stay here as a place for custody, but if there is an amnesty, there will be no need for a Court order for that purpose. He is no longer confined. He will be free to perform his job as a Senator.

Q Mae-erase po 'yung criminal offense charge sa kanya?

SP 'Yun ang effect ng amnesty.

Q How about the articles of war hearings?

SP Kasama na rin 'yun. Magiging moot and academic na lahat 'yun.

Q Ipu-pursue pa rin ninyo ang appointment ninyo sa judge kahit na may amnesty proclamation na po?

SP Siguro baka hindi na, kung Lalabas ngayon 'yun. Kung may schedule, I will have to give due respect to the judge, just meet him and say thank you and goodbye.

Q Most likely the Senate may take hold of the petition, the concurrence of the amnesty by November?

SP I will have to wait for the House. We cannot anticipate the position of the House. On Thursday, the House will still have a session. They can pass the concurrent resolution on Thursday. If we get information today, formally, then tomorrow we can pass the concurrent resolution.

Q The Senate can do it independently?

SP We can say that we passed a resolution to concur with the grant of amnesty by Malacañang. They can do the same in the House.

On how the amnesty proclamation will affect the morale of the AFP

SP Explanation na 'yun. It is just a question of explaining to the members of the Corps: which is better, to put in jail all these people and render them inutile, given the fact that they still have the youth and energy to perform something better for the country, learning a lesson from their experience and their past, or waste them, or make use of them? Hindi naman sila ordinary criminal elements. They did it out of idealism or perhaps frustration, and because they also wanted to pursue their notion of good governance in the country. Iba 'yung mag-mutiny ka because you just want to commit a crime for the sake of committing a crime.

Q Sa tingin ninyo, hindi ito makaka-demoralize sa AFP?

SP Hindi naman siguro. Siyempre, some people will disagree but you have to consider the fact that he is not just a few people. He represents a very big bulk of officers and men.

Q You are confident that Congress will concur with the amnesty?

SP I cannot speak for Congress. It will be impolitic and improper for me to say that they have to concur. As far as we are concerned here, we have expressed our sense already.

Q It seems to be a tradition of new presidents to free political prisoners?

SP Well, nasa Saligang Batas natin 'yan. It is not a tradition. The sovereign people adopted the Constitution and they tell the Executive, use your judgment to pardon, to exercise clemency, to issue reprieve of sentences, of commutation of sentences, and to grant amnesty, if in your opinion it will be in the interest of the country.

On reports that Senator Lacson has been signing financial documents of his office

SP I do not know. I have not seen that. That is a factual matter so we will have to see. I cannot make a conclusion, conclusion 'yun. You have to study the facts.

On the result of the review of the IIRC Report

SP That is addressed to the wise discretion and assessment of the President. He is the Chief Executive, he has all the power. The powers to punish. The powers to exercise compassion. These are granted to him by the people and we should not question that unless we can say that there is an abuse by him of his exercise of power. It is difficult to prove that, and the only penalty for him if there is an abuse is something else. I would not want the President to question my discretion, the exercise of my discretion as Senate President. That is a prerogative that is addressed to my better judgment as a President of this House. We have to respect each other.

Q Based on the investigation na ginawa ninyo, satisfied po ba kayo sa over-all recommendation?

SP Hindi namin tinalakay 'yung IIRC. We had a different tendency in our investigation. Our investigation was to find out if there were lapses that must be corrected by legislation.

Q Hindi pa po closed book as far as the Senate is concerned?

SP I do not know the extent of the investigation of the committees.

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