Press Release
August 28, 2012

TRANSCRIPT : AMBUSH INTERVIEW (AUGUST 27, 2012)
WITH SENATOR ANGARA

1. On CJ Sereno's appointment..

Senator Angara (SEJA): She's in a culture shock right now because her appointment is really unique and unprecedented. She's a product of deep selection and her appointment came at a time when communication is instantaneous and social media is so active. Such never happened before. News spread so rapidly and so quickly, so the reaction is so instant as well.

So given that context, it's not surprising that there seems to be some disenchantment or what appears to be disenchantment even among her colleagues.

But I think depending on her efforts on winning their trust, this can just be a temporary, may technical units. It's just a temporary glitch because first of all she's a talented woman. She's a scholar, a good teacher and [has] a very pleasant personality. So it's really up to her to win the confidence of her colleagues by having program, program of reforms because you cannot win people's confidence by just extoltation, by just talking to one another. Well, talking to one another can, but you must present to your colleagues a program of reform that is bigger than any one of them and therefore they will believe in your ability, in your capacity for vision as well as for execution. And now with that and she's got all the opportunity to do that because she's got the support of the administration, the Judiciary is in a very good financial shape, all the elements are all there, so many vacancies, so many courts that have not been filled up, all funded, all funded by actual money. It's there in the treasury of the Supreme Court.

Given all that, she's got a very good opportunity to prove herself and thereby in the process win over her colleagues.

2. On how important it is (for Sereno) to win her colleagues..

SEJA: Very important, collegial body yun eh. That's by majority vote eh and in most cases by consensus and pag consensus isa lang ang mag- oppose eh di wala ka ng consensus. So it's very crucial.

3. On the issue of Sereno's psychological test..

SEJA: Ano ba naman yan. Who judges whether your psychological test is low or below the sanity level? Sino nag nag de-decide kung yung psychological test mo is not up to standard?

4. On why the psychological test is a requirement..

SEJA: Bakit nga requirement [ang] mga ganun? Eh kung i-require sa mga senador na mag-psychological test o sa mga media. Issue lang dyan palagay ko, of course temperament is important in a leader. An ordinary justice is already a leader justice, a leader of third branch of government so temperament is important. So what I'm saying is baka naman there is no benchmark naman kung ano ang acceptable psychiatrist threshold.

5. On Sereno's position on SC decision on Luisita Case..

SEJA: Debatable issue naman yun eh. Halimbawa, ang issue dun eh should you pay the land at the time. It was expropriated or brought under the current or should you pay the current value when you're actually taking it away. Debatable issue yan eh. Any justice should not be judged by her opinion because everyone has his own opinion dyan.

You've got to be a leader of ideas to be accepted and to be esteemed by your colleagues.

6. On Infrastructure funds..

SEJA: One classroom contract is already P26 billion. I agree that it ought to be awarded not to the private contractor para mapabilis but mahirap dun in-award nila sa 2. They should have broken it down so that it can be awarded to several contractors regionally para mas mabilis yung execution, para ma-spread naman. Coordinated nationally naman yan. P170 billion for infrastructure (for this year) yung leftover ng 2011 carry over to 2012 - yan ang infrastructure funding. Almost P170 billion.

7. On Abaya as new DILG chief..

SEJA:Speculation

8. On Abaya as DILG chief candidate..

SEJA: He's qualified. I think he's qualified. Annapolis graduate, engineer, disciplined, di ba? Navy man.

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