Transcript of interview of Senator Serge Osmeña

On the Pag-IBIG-Globe Asiatique housing mess

Serge: Magkakaroon tayo ng second hearing Thursday next week. Hiniling ni Senate President Enrile na huwag muna akong mag-hearing hanggang wala siya kasi gusto niyang sumali. So we will be holding a second hearing by next Thursday.

Q: Anong agenda sa susunod na hearing?

Serge: Marami pang hindi natapos, we were only able to conduct a hearing for 2 � hours the first time. Maraming nagtanong. So we are going to have to dot our I's and cross our T's. Sino ba talaga ang responsible dun sa falsification of buyers, dun sa pag-rehistro ng mga bagong miyembro, sinong nagbayad ng Pag-IBIG fees, ano pong nangyari nung natanggap ng Globe Asiatique iyong notice of default, bakit hindi nila kinorek, bakit sinabi nila iba-buy-back nila iyong mga units na ibinenta nila dun sa mga hindi nagbabayad ng monthly. Pero hindi naman nila ginawa kaya umabot na sa P1.3 billion. We want to know who's responsible for that. Of course, Globe Asiatique is responsible for that. But sa loob-loob ko, siguradong may kasabwat sa loob ito ng Pag-IBIG fund.

Q: Kung may kasabwat, up to what level kaya?

Serge: Up to the highest level. But I would refuse to name names at this time until we get more solid evidence and testimonies.

Q: Posibleng nagkaroon ng cover-up or inside job?

Serge: Oo, maraming cover-up diyan.

Q: Documented ito, di ba?

Serge: Yes, documented kasi inamin na ng Pag-IBIG na maraming default, nakita nila na may mga fake buyers or non-existent buyers. Binabayaran pala ng Globe Asiatique itong mga non-existent buyers para makuha ang mga cash kaagad.

Q: Ito iyong mga binabayaran para pumirma?

Serge: Yes. Bina-bribe sila para pumirma. In other words, these are not valid and willing buyers. Basta meron silang nilalapitan at sinasabihan sila, basta pumirma ka lang dito at gagawin ka naming miyembro ng Pag-IBIG at bibigyan kita ng signing fee na P3,000 to P5,000. Makikita po natin na these people are not valid because they were bribed to sign papers. Pagkatapos kokolekta ang Globe Asiatique ng P700,000, tapos monthly binabayaran ng GA iyong P5,000 a month. Well, I wouldn't mind paying P5,000 a month if I already got my P700,000. At the same time, Globe Asiatique also gave them a guarantee na if kapag merong hindi nagbayad or nagkaroon ng kapalpakan diyan, bibilhin ko uli iyan, babayaran kita, ire-refund ko sa inyo iyong P700,000 na nakuha ko. Pero hindi iyan ginawa ng Globe Asiatique. So this is a GIANT SCAM.

Q: Will you invite the same resource persons?

Serge: Yes, because we are not through with them yet. Hindi natin matatato pos ito in 2 ½ hours. Siguro it will take about 2 to 3 hearings to determine exactly what happened, who is to blame at kung ano po ang mga kailangan natin sa batas, amend the existing charter of Pag-IBIG para ma-minimize ang ganitong scam in the future.

Q: SI VP Binay kasama pa rin?

Serge: VP Binay is the chairman of Pag-IBIG. Of course he was not there when this scam was perpetrated. But he has been cooperating, he has been very helpful.

Q: What about the former vice president, Noli de Castro?

Serge: The former vice president was invited during the first hearing, he will be invited again in the next.

Q: Do you think aabot sa level ni former vice president ang level ng liability nito?

Serge: Aabot iyan kasi the policy was approved by the Board of Trustees. I intend to question the Board of Trustees on why they allowed such a dangerous policy.

Q: What they were saying, ang trabaho lang daw ng Board of Trustees is all about policy-making?

Serge: Yes, policy-making. Where is the policy here? Pinayagang ilabas ang pera kahit hindi pa nava-validate na talagang may buyer. In the banking industry, that is known as a MORAL HAZARD. You don't open yourself up to moral hazard kasi malamangm, even in the United States, magkakaroon ng scam iyan.

Q: Imposibleng nagkaroon ng ganito ng hindi nila nakita?

Serge: Imposibleng lumampas ng ganito ng hindi nila alam na mangyayari ito. I will give them the benefit of the doubt today but it's pretty stupid to allow that kind of policy. Moral hazard ang tawag diyan sa business. Moral hazard means, wala kang check and balance.

Q: And with this magnitude, sir?

Serge: Ah, oo, with this magnitude. Grabe ang laki. Usually, nili-limit nila P500,000 per developer, but in this case biglang binigyan ng P5 billion.

Q: Everybody's considered a suspect?

Serge: Put it this way: Nobody is going to be cleared unless they are able to prove that they did not participate willingly. Magiging argument nila, hindi, maganda ito eh, napapabilis ang proseso, but that's not an excuse. You still don't open yourself up to moral hazard.

Q: Former VP De Castro says this could be an inside job. If this is so, isang tao lang ito o several involved?

Serge: Ah, several people. It has to be several people involved. But first, the problem here is policy. Policy here is the biggest mistake. Mali ang policy na ganyan. Second, the implementation of the policy was even worse. So, pag sinabi nilang okay, pwede ang post-validation, release muna and approve bago ang validate. Aba, they were supposed to validate within 30 days but it took them 60 days, 90 days, ang tagal. Dumami ang mga fake buyers. Sana nahuli kaagad (kung within 30 days ang naging validation). Hindi eh. Tumagal ng tumagal eh.

Q: Kung ganun, mali lang ang policy natin. Ano ang accountability nila?

Serge: There are two types of accountability. The first is administrative, and it's very clear if somebody is at fault. The other is criminal. If you took a bribe, we still have to prove that.

Q: Paano pa natin i-sanction kung wala na sa board?

Serge: Kung wala na sa position, at walang criminal liability, wala na tayong magagawa siguro. That's the whole problem with this government, makikita po natin na ngayon, ini-impeach na nga ang Ombudsman because she does not do anything. Kinakasuhan natin ng kinakasuhan natin iyong mga opisyales ni Gloria Arroyo, tapos inuupuan lang ng Ombuds-woman.

We will have to take a look at that. What kind of penalties can be imposed on them. Tingnan niyo iyong mga directors ng mga LWUA, ng mga MWSS... iniimbestigahan natin pero wala pa rin namang nangyayari.

Q: Hindi natin mapapatawan ng kahit anong sanctions?

Serge: We have to tighten up the law. Kaya nga nagpapasa kami ngayon ng GOCC Directorship law, sponsored and authored by Senator Drilon, in order to get rid of all these super huge allowances na kinokolekta nila kasi sila daw ay may authority kaya nakakapagbigay sila ng bonuses sa sarili nila.

On the CCT issue

Serge: I am supportive of the CCT. That is a program that has not been implemented yet. But that has been used and in effect in Brazil and other Latin American countries because that has been an effective program in keeping kids in school and allowing them to finish. Atsaka ang mga nanay, may requirement lang iyan na they have to see the doctor every week or every two weeks. Mas maganda ang tsansa na magiging healthy ang bata, hindi ba? So, it has been an effective program.

When I first heard about it 10 years ago, naisip ko sayang lang ang pera diyan. Pero hindi eh. Naging effective eh. Nasa implementation lang iyan eh.

Q: Your comment on proposals to cut the CCT to P15 billion from P21 billion?

Serge: It's a judgement call of the administration. And I am willing to support President Noynoy about that one.

Q: About the budget cut?

Serge: Okay na sakin iyong P21 billion. Tingnan po natin kung anong mangyayari diyan. Mapupunta naman iyan sa poorest of the poor. It's a way of distributing wealth. Tingnan po natin iyan. Instead of giving them rice or giving them medicine, why don't we give them cash. Ibigay mo sa kanila pero may kondisyon: araw-araw dapat papasok ang anak mo sa iskuwelahan ha. Every week, kung pregnant ka, you have to visit a doctor.

Q: Iyong ibang proposal ang sinasabi pagbigyan muna ng isang taon, tapos saka na gawan ng paraan...

Serge: Actually, it has been effective. It was first implemented during Gloria's time. Marami ng nakinabang. We have more poor than what Gloria had. And even this P21 billion, kapag nakita natin ang poverty line, the P21 billion is not enough. The poorest of the poor is about 35% of the population.

Q: Some say we are still experimenting...

Serge: We are not experimenting. This is an on-going program. It was just expanded. Gloria started it two or three years ago. It's an on-going project and the other countries that have implemented it are successful. And we are quite sure that it will be successful here in alleviating poverty and keeping kids in school. Iyan ang gusto ko eh, keeping kids in school.