Transcript of Interview of Senate President Juan
Ponce Enrile On the Amnesty of Senator Trillanes

Q: Sir, dun sa proclamation, hindi niyo raw po muna i-tatackle kasi may amendments pa...

SP: Kinausap ko kanina si Executive Secretary Ochoa at tinanong ko kung na-amendahan na at nasa kanila pa. I think they will be amending it and then they'll probably submit it sometime on Wednesday to us again. At that point, we will have to check whether there is still a need to conduct another hearing before we tackle the concurring resolution.

Q: Was it a good move, sir, to recall the proclamation?

SP: I think it is good that they did it because you see, they have to be very clear on the effective date and the people who are included.

Q: 'Yung implication daw po kasi, according to Senator Arroyo, kailangan nilang mag-apologize para ma-classify sa amnesty, they will admit guilt...

SP: We will have to discuss that amongst ourselves whether we will impose that as a condition. If the President did not impose a condition, well, I think, we will have a problem.

Q: Unconditional amnesty to, sir?

SP: Hindi. May condition basta to be untitled. It's the President that sets the conditions.

Q: Sir, hindi ba dapat may lesson learned dito that they should be more careful next time circumspect para hindi kakailanganing i-amend pa nila 'yung ganitong proclamation?

SP: I think, you know, ang ginamit yata nila na model 'yung amnesty na pinirmahan ni Pres. Corazon Aquino. Maybe, they did not realize that when she issued that amnesty proclamation, she was both the Chief Executive and at the same time, the Legislator because that was issued under the Revolutionary Constitution. We have to accept the fact that the administration was young. They did not have enough time to go through the morale of administrative issuances that they deduced.

Q: Sir, hindi ba nag-commit na sila ng mistakes noon tulad ng Memorandum Order 1, they have to amend it...

SP: They are only human beings. We have to give some leeway. Nobody is perfect. If human being is perfect, then this world is a perfect world. Well, I think that's not the problem of the President. That's the problem of the staff. So, the staff has to be more careful next time.

Q: Sir, kelan niyo po nakausap si Secretary Ochoa?

SP: Kanina lang.

Q: He called you po?

SP: No, I called him to find out if indeed they are in the process of amending. He wanted to see me and I said if the proclamation is in Malacañang, or revisions, we have to consult them, so I consulted them.

Q: Sir, ano po 'yung particular provisions na aamyendahan?

SP: I don't know.

Q: Pero, sir, talagang naka-schedule po kayo ngayon na aprubahan 'yung resolution?

SP: Oo. We will approve the proclamation and interpret its effectivity in accordance with the normal situation effective upon concurrence of the Congress.

Q: Sir, hindi ba ito maiipit ng budget deliberations?

SP: Hindi naman. Priority 'yung budget. We will see to it that the budget will be passed.

On the Live Coverage of the Maguindanao Massacre Hearing

Q: Sir, are you in favor of the coverage ng Maguindanao Massacre hearing?

SP: I'm in favor. Why not? It's better that the whole thing is exposed to the public view and let the people know so that walang suspicion that there is a whitewash or any thing of the sort.

Q: Sir, tingin niyo magkakaroon po ng speedy resolution kapag may live coverage?

SP: Well, I guess so and not only that, the entire nation will know the nature of the evidence being presented. Especially in this particular case, it is a celebrated criminal case. There's none that I can remember that happened in the past where people were mowed down and killed just like that. There was a massacre in the old and divided North Cotabato. It happened in Barrio Manili in the town of Carmen where cadavers were piled up inside the mosque. I went there to see this particular event. But that was a result of a conflict between certain groups in Mindanao against certain Muslim elements.