Transcript of Interview of Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano to inhibit in ethics case of sister: "We want to show our people that while we are rule makers, we are also rule followers"

Reporter: May I know kung bakit kayo naginhibit sa ethics case kay Senator Pia?

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano (ASC): Yung committee na ito ay committee on ethics. Ang integridad ng Senado ang nakasalalay dito. I will not do anything that will affect or diminish the integrity of the Senate. Pero hindi ko rin pwedeng kalimutan ang duty ko na pangunahan ang committee na ito bilang Chairman.

Kung ganitong kaaga ay hindi ko ipapahayag o kaklaruhin na hindi ko ite-"take advantage" yung oportunidad na ito para husgahan ang Ate ko sa pamamagitan ng pagdinig ng kaso niya, anong integridad o ethics ang maipapakita ko sa taumbayan bilang Chairman ng Senate Committee on Ethics?

(Kahit pa na buong buhay ko ay gusto ko siyang husgahan bilang Ate ko siya at usually ako ang hinuhusgahan niya)

But the integrity of the Senate is no joking matter. Although I'm seemingly making light of this, the reality is that if I don't inhibit or announce that I will inhibit, or if I do nothing to prove the fairness of the committee, that will cause the people to lose faith in the Senate. Moreover, the net effect of this is that it may adversely affect the credibility of the committee in handling the other pending cases.

Ngayon pa lang ay nagsasabi na ang mga tao, "What will he do? Dalawa ang kaso." Nais ko klaruhin na wala na akong magagawa. Wala na akong impluwensiya on how her case will be handled (since I inhibited already). But I will handle the other cases the way it should be handled - with fairness and in a manner that is open to all.

It's not the case itself that I'm concerned about but rather the effect of that case on the others. Hindi ko naman pwedeng i-decide whether masama o hindi ang plagiarism just because may other case of plagiarism at nagkataon na kapatid ko ang accused. Ang masama, masama. Ang mabuti, mabuti.

Kung hihintayin ko pa na umabot doon sa case na yun at doon ko lang sasabihin na magiinhibit ako, marami nang speculation by that point in time. That's why I said, and I'm saying until now, that I ascribe good faith to those who filed the case.

May nababasa na kasi ako na finile yun para matigil naman yung isa pang plagiarism case. Pero hindi ako ganoon magtrabaho. Yung sister ko ay hindi rin ganoon. Kung ano ang tama, tama at kung ano ang mali ay mali.

Bato bato sa langit, tamaan wag magalit ang magiging general rule ng ethics committee.

That's why I announced awhile ago that first in, first out will be followed but that does not mean we'll tackle the cases one by one. Sabay sabay i-uphold ito as much as possible. I'm hoping for cooperation from all the members and that we'll have enough time to tackle all these.

We want to show our people that while we are rule makers, we are also rule followers.