GRACE POE AMBUSH INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT
March 3, 2015, 3 p.m.

Sister Mary John Mananzan: Magtatanong lang kami ng mga clarification na hindi namin naintindihan para maexplain niya sa amin.

Q: About sa Mamasapano?

Sr. Mananzan: Yes, di 'ba siya yung chair, siyempre siya ang the best person to ask kung mayroon kaming mga tanong, yun lang po. Magcaclarify lang kami.

Q: Sister, during the public hearing marami kayong nakita na medyo hindi maliwanag?

Sr. Mananzan: Mayroon pong mga nangyari after the closing of the hearing na gusto namin malaman kung ano o saan papasok yun.

Q: What in particular po ang concern niyo?

Sr. Mananzan: Yung video, gusto lang namin malaman kasi di ba closed na yung investigation? Gusto namin malaman kung saan papasok yun.

Q: Wala kayong request na i-reopen?

Sr. Mananzan: Titignan namin sa daloy ng paguusap.

Q: Ano sa tingin niyo ang weight o importance ng video na iyan?

Sr. Mananzan: Kasi baka pwedeng maipakita kung ano ang accountability. Kasi ang grupo namin ay truth and accountability kaya gusto naming makita kung ano ba yung nangyari, sino ba ang accountable para maklaro sa mga tao.

Sen. Grace Poe: Alam mo matagal na naman yung grupo ni sister. Kasama namin siya para sa pakikipaglaban para sa katotohanan at marami talagang grupo na gusto talagang klaruhin kung saan ba mapupunta ang aming committee report and I'd like to assure sister as I assured their other groups as well that we our endeavoring to create a just and truthful committee report. Now, if there are any clarifications, kung pwede kong ma-discuss, if this is something discussed during executive session, I will discuss it. Kung mayroon mang kulang, remember na marami pang investigating bodies. Basta kami, alam ko na yung sinasabi, about yung sa video, kung sino ang may command responsibility, lahat naman yun will be addressed in our committee report. Now when it comes to the text messages, I'm sure you will be asking about that also, we asked it to be subpoenaed. Now when it comes to privacy issues, this was already weighed when it was presented by Gen. Purisima when he said, "These are my texts." You just have to verify the veracity of the text messages and also the time gaps. I think, I know that you wouldn't have spoken without the go signal of Malacañang so in a way, we can remove all other messages that have nothing to do with it and in fact, we are still waiting for the reponse of the Telcos. We don't know if they will agree with it or not. If there are any privacy issues that might be raised, then they need to address it.

Q: Doon sa lumabas na video, wala nang necessity na mag-conduct ulit ng another hearing?

Poe: Sa ngayon, marami na kaming pwedeng ipakita sa aming committee report na sa tingin ko kung magcoconduct ng isa pang hearing, maaaring later on if there's another issue that has come up but I think the video raises the concern of who has the command responsibility, time on target, who had the authority to command the operations, these are the things that we will already address. Whether or not the video came out, I think we have enough information to be able to address it.

Q: So wala na siyang lugar, ma'am? Ihahabol niyo ba siya? Kasama pa ba siya sa committee report niyo o wala na yung video? It will not play a role?

Poe: Titignan natin kasi sa ngayon, hindi naman sa ayaw naming ilagay, titignan namin kung kinakailangan. Pwede din naman mabanggit, hindi din naman mapapalitan yung mga nakalap na namin na ebidensya.

Q: According to Senate President Drilon yung mga nasa video halos na-tackle na din

Poe: Oo nga eh, yun din ang sa akin. Kaya lang kasi this is the first time we've seen an actual confirmation na pinaalam kina Sec. Mar at kay Gen. Espina yung nangyari after the fact, diba? If ever it confirms it, na wala silang alam nung umpisa pa lamang nung operasyon.

Q: So wala siyang malaking pagbabago ma'am, kung ano man yung meron kayo in mind for the committee report?

Poe: Sa ngayon, wala akong nakikita na malaking pagbabago pero it just shows the importance of addressing your questions on who has the command responsibility. The issue of time and target, when was the president informed? How did the president react to it?

Q: And it does not require another hearing?

Poe: I don't see any reason why there should be another hearing with regard to that. But of course we will see, how, when we're putting the committee report. Remember, we also have to discuss with the Senate, with my colleagues in the Senate regarding executive session discussions that will be included in the committee report. Perhaps in my mind, it is already complete because with the executive sessions, there were a lot that were discussed there, in fact, that have not been discussed in the public hearing. So for me, I think, we have pretty much extensive information that at this point we don't think that we need another public hearing.

Q: Ma'am paano po masasama sa report ang mga pinag-usapan sa executive sessions?

Poe: Sa executive session diba, napagkasunduan naman namin, of course, we have to be able to uphold the power of the Senate to conduct such executive sessions and also to win the trust of our resource persons. But it is clear in the law, I mean, it is clear to them that if it is not for security or diplomatic purposes or it does not endanger the life of a person or an ongoing operation, military or criminal investigation, then we have the responsibility to divulge that to the public. So yun din yun, may mga bagay talaga na, hindi nababanggit sa public hearing na ma-coconfirm ng executive session. Yun nga lang, kailangan pagbotohan naman kung papayag ang committee na yun nga ay hindi sensitibo, baka sa akin hindi sensitibo, baka naman sa kanila nakikita nila ang ibang bagay dito.

Q: Ma'am concern po ba ng Smart yung privacy kasi nagrerequest po yata sa inyo ng audience report?

Poe: Wala akong natatanggap na meeting request from Smart. Pero on the other hand, of course, we will want to clarify that with them. Meron din silang mga corporate responsibilities nila, tsaka yung privacy agreement with their customers, so if they can explain that to us at length. Para ngang, hindi ko pa alam kung may capability sila na ilabas lahat ng conversations, how extensive it is. But we are asking just for the day itself, on the 25th. Kahit yun lang nung araw na yun kasi may time gap from 10 to about 5:30 or 6:00, wala na yung sagot ng pangulo, which is reasonable kasi nandoon na siya sa Zamboanga. Baka naman, iba na ang nag bi-briefing sa kanya but on the other hand we just want to be sure. Para hindi naman kami maakusahan na meron kaming pinagtatakpan dito.

Q: Considering na nagkaroon ng agreement ang House at Senate leadership na ipasa ang BBL by June, wala bang pressure sa inyo na agahan ang committee report kasi doon yata iba-base ni Sen. Bonbong Marcos yung resumption?

Poe: Alam mo bago pa magkaroon ng direktiba o request ng Malacañang na ipasa ang BBL, sa lalong madaling panahon, kami naman gusto naman din namin matapos ang committee report sapagkat malaki rin ang nakasalalay dito. So nagtatrabaho kami ng mabuti para maibigay yan, whether or not may directive from Malacañang na ipasa ang BBL. Pero, again, huwag natin kalilimutan, the version of the BBL that we should pass, should not just be for expediting the process diba? It should also be inclusive, it should be just, it should be constitutional and equitable. So para sa akin, it will depend on the number of committee hearings that will be held and how frequent it will be. But again, we shouldn't just rush it for the sake of passing the BBL, para lang maganda, para masabi na may accomplishment, diba? Kasi the accomplishment of this will last many lifetimes, it's a legacy that we should not really waste just for the sake of political expediency.