Press Release
November 21, 2011

Transcript of Interview of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile

On the Case against GMA

Q: Sir, pwede daw po bang pigilan ng Korteng maglabas ng mug shot ng dating Pangulong Arroyo sa media, sa publiko po?

SP: Hindi naman. Kung gusto ng media, walang makakapigil sa inyo. Ako din, kinunan din ako ng mga ganon. Nag-piano rin ako. Dalawang beses, nag-piano ako. Kinunan ako ng magagandang litrato. Ok lang 'yun. At saka kumakaway pa ako sa bintana sa Karingal.

Q: But, sir, considering na she's a former President, isn't it humiliating? At least para din sa bansa natin?

SP: Well anyway, in a way, it humiliates the subject. That depends on the media if they want to put it in the front pages of newspapers.

Q: Sir, house arrest or hospital arrest? Ano kaya ang maigi para sa kaniya, sir?

SP: That is addressed to the discretion of the administration and the reinforcing agents, specially the courts.

Q: Sir, sinasabing Sandigan Bayan daw ang dapat na may jurisdiction sa kaso against GMA?

SP: That seems to be the rule if you are in government and you are accused of a crime committed while you are in office. So, all of these issues will be decided by the Supreme Court, alone. No one else.

Q: Pero tama, sir, na sa Sandigan Bayan nga dapat? Hindi sa RTC?

SP: Yes, unless there is a special exception in the law.

Q: Sir, on your part, minadali daw ba? Sa tingin mo lang, sir, minadali ba yung pagsampa ng kaso at paglabas ng warrant considering ilang days lang after ilabas yung TRO?

SP: Well, kung pagbabatayan natin 'yung mga pangyayari, kanina, nakita ko, narinig ko kaninang umaga 'yung interview sa isang commissioner ng Comelec na hating gabi nag-meeting sila. Anong ibig sabihin noon? Di ba, minamadali? Ang impression ngayon ay ni-railroad 'yung pagsasampa ng kaso. Ako, sa kapanahunan ng Martial Law, ay marami kaming pinaratangan. Nagsampa kami ng kaso kontra sa mga lumalaban sa gobyerno. Wala akong natatandaan na nagkaroon ng special emergency meeting in the middle of the night just to file a case against somebody.

Q: Sir, palagay mo, na-deny ang Arroyo camp ng due process?

SP: Well, based on the claim of the camp of former President Arroyo, that seems to be their claim because they were denied their request to be given time to prepare their counter-affidavits, they were denied their motion for reconsideration. Karapatan 'yan ng isang nasasakdal. You exhaust judicial remedies, legal remedies.

Q: So, sir, may unusual na ba sa mga nangyayari? Tingin niyo ba may minamadali talaga?

SP: Well, I'm not saying this to criticize anybody, but we're dealing with facts. The impression created is that there was an unusual speed, expeditiousness, in the preparation and filing of the case against the former President. They have all the time to prepare it before and to file it. But all of a sudden, the speed was unusual to file the case and according to them, the excuse was because she was leaving and because there was a TRO issued by the Supreme Court. In other words, if that is the argument, then arguably it could be said that the purpose of the filing of the case was precisely to pre-empt the Supreme Court and that is the more delicate part of this whole thing because there is an erosion of the check and balance in the country. There is an erosion of the credence of the institutions of government that protect the liberty of the people. So, we do not know how this will play out but I hope that all of us will keep our heads together and be sober about dealing with the problem so that we will not exacerbate the already tense political situation.

Q: Sir, magpapatawag po ba kayo ng meeting between Legislative, Judiciary and Executive kapag tumagal pa po 'yung pagbabanggaan ng Judiciary at ng Executive?

SP: There's no need. The only one that can settle this whole thing is the Supreme Court. We must see to it that it will be in the interest of the country and in the interest of the people that we maintain the integrity and the respect on the Supreme Court because once we destroyed that, you are going to destroy the liberty and freedom of the people of this country.

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