Kapihan sa Senado Excerpts
Guests: Sen. Aquilino Pimentel and Atty. Howard Calleja (PPCRV)
July 12, 2007



On the action/reaction of PPCRV after filing all the related-complaints, violation and election irregularities before the Comelec:

Atty. Calleja: … as far as the PPCRV is concerned, we are not here to say that in the scale of 1-10, ganito ang performance ng Comelec, ganito ang performance ng election, but we leave it up to the people. What we are saying is what defines the election is not whether the opposition, or whether or not the administration, or whether or not Koko or Migz would win. What would define the election is the process. What the PPCRV is concerned is that the defining moment is that the process of the elections, is kung papano po nangyari yung proseso. As far as we are concerned, we are glad that the comelec conducted the elections. It was successful in holding the election. Now, whether or not it was clean, honest, accurate, meaningful and peaceful, we leave that up to the Filipino to decide. What we are saying is that there are a lot of election irregularities that we have seen. There are a lot of violations that we have seen. And after this 2007 election, we would like now focus to electoral reforms towards 2010, and that the incoming vacancy, there is one vacancy in the comelec, and incoming vacancy by next year, I think it would be four vacancies that hopefully the ones to be placed in the position, would be people of competence, intelligence, honesty and credibility. So, dun po muna po ang PPCRV, at saka we have also made a call to hopefully respect the decision of the supreme court. At yun na nga ang ginawa ng comelec, at kami po ay masaya n asana nga sabi naming bago magkaroon ng decision dito sa 2007 elections, magkaroon muna ng tuldok dito sa Maguindanao issue. Kasi yun na lang ang question natin. So, I think sa magiging discussion sa korte suprema bukas, sana tingnan natin kung ito’y matuldukan kung ano ang magiging decision doon. So yung development na yun, kami po ay masaya at siguro that would thresh out a lot of issues by tomorrow.


On the position of PPCRV when complaints and reports not acted upon by the Comelec:

Atty. Calleja: …we have made a decision a long time ago that we would not file any protests. Because once we file a protest, we would take out our non-partisanship because we might be favoring one party or one individual or one candidate from the other. That’s why, what we are concerned as I said is the process of the elections. And as far as we are concerned, maybe what we can do, for example if there are election violations, or election offenses. What we have given recommendation for example, yung ke bidol we have already given our recommendation for the charges to be filed by the comelec for his election violation.


On expected outcome of the oral argument that will be held in Supreme Court tomorrow, and fatherly and legal advises given to Koko Pimentel:

Sen. Pimentel: na banatan na pati yung referee. Hindi pupwede na pasikut-sikot na usapin, para bagang hindi kasali ang comelec. Kasali ang comelec dito sa mga anomalya sa maguindanao. Hindi mangyari yung anomalya sa mindanao without the complicity of the comelec. And so when the talk about disenfranchisement of the vote, the answer to that is disenfranchising the vote would be, you might say unfair if the votes were really validly counted and cast. The truth of the matter is that, there are many circumstances which appear to be isolated. But when put together, would constitute a web of circumstantial evidence to demonstrate irrefutable proof of wrongdoing and anomalies in Mindanao...


On the contribution of automation to electoral reforms:

Atty. Calleja: unang-una, dun sa proseso ng computerization, hindi po kami naniniwala na ito po yung cure-all sa lahat ng problema ng ating eleksyon. Although, it would be a major step towards the right direction. Maganda po na maging proseso po ng computerization, pero, sabi ko nga, kasama sa ating pag-move forward mula sa 2007 to 2010, is in addition to computerization, dapat yung electoral reforms natin. kasama na dito sa electoral reforms na sinasabi natin yung mga election spending, yung pagbigay sa mas mabigat na parusa o pangil sa election law violations...in addition to the automation, electoral reform is important…

On seeing the electoral battle between Migs and Koko reaching the Senate Electoral Tribune:

Sen. Pimentel: that really depends on the party who might not be proclaimed by the comelec. That’s an option that is left. But having gone through that route myself, and for so many of people who had been unjustly victimized by the anomalous electoral processes followed by the comelec, usually, they would wind up, if they are proclaimed at all, a day or two before the adjournment, the final adjournment to the term of office to which they had been elected. ..in most of the cases the resolution does not even come at all until …by circumstances beyond the control of the parties in interest. Incidentally, the battle is not bitter between migz and koko. It is only exciting.

On the unimportance of the immediacy of proclamation of the 12th winning senatorial candidate:

Atty. Calleja:...it is not who wins, whether migz of Koko. It doesn’t really matter. What we are concerned or what defines PPCRV is the process of the election. As we see the senate can function with or without the proclamation of the 12th senator, at this point, that would lead the senate with 22 members. One being vacated sen. Lim. So that would not in any way limit the actions of the senate. What we are concerned is a truthful election, and a truthful result comes out. We are not here for a quick count or a quick resolution. But an accurate resolution. Meaning , as you said a while ago, even if it would be proclaimed during the interim of the present congress, then that would not matter. What would matter is that the true will of the Filipino people comes out.


Sen. Pimentel:.. I support the PPCRV stand, regardless of my relationship to my son, what is important here is that the true expression of the will of the people is respected. Di pupwede na you twist the will of the people and favor one who should not sit, over one who should be there legitimately. So I support the ppcrv stand on this regard, because that is what free elections are all about in a democracy.



On the status of jockeying for senate presidency:

Sen. Pimentel:.. there is no change in the developments, as of now. Apparently manny villar has successfully enticed 2 GO senators, namely chiz escudero and alan cayetano. And if his alliance with the incumbent administration senators holds true, then he has the majority. And judging the statement of my colleagues from the opposition, we are going to stick it out as an opposition. Not only to the senate administration but to the government administration as well. Where we will continually bring the issues of corruption, extrajudicial killings and the rule of law before the bar of public opinion.


On the prospects of both the senate majority and minority coming from the opposition:

Sen. Pimentel:…I don’t know about the senate leadership whether they will stick it out with the opposition. I really don’t know ..(the fact that the Senate President ran under the GO??) ..but you know very well that changes take place from day to day in this set up. You wake up one morning, you are no longer with the opposition but with somebody else. So, that depends on what manny villar will do. Really. In all honesty. (and you will be the minority leader??) that’s what my block want me to consider to continue acting as the minority leader. (how many numbers do you have on your side??) as of today, the count is roughly 8 opposition block members…many things can happen, between now and the opening of the session. So, only the morning of july 23, will deliver the final message to our people , on how the leadership of the senate will shape up.


On the implementation of the Human Security Act:

Sen. Pimentel:..i think that it is folly on the part of the government to insist on implementing the anti-terror bill two months after the last elections. That’s what the law provides. The affectivity of the anti-terror bill two months after the elections, is conditioned on the happening of many things. One, publication in the print media of the entire bill, entire law, not only in the three major national newspapers, or newspapers of national circulation, but also in newspapers of regional circulation, using the dominant language of the communities concerned. Meaning to say, kung sa cebu yun, publication should be in cebuano. Kung sa Iloilo, hiligaynon. Kung sa waray, waray din. Etc. and so on, down south. As well, as up north in the ilocos region. Now, marami pang kailangan therefore, bago, maimplement yung batas na iyun. Secondly, there is also a requirement of the broadcasting the principal points of the law over national television and national radio stations as well as over local radio stations again using the vernacular, the common language of the community. The idea is to ensure that every aspect of the law is fully understood by our citizens. Then thirdly, there is another requirement. The actuations of the anti-terrorism council as well as the law enforcement agencies are subject to review by the appropriate division of the court of appeals designated by the supreme court to be the anti-terrorism courts supervising each implementation. And that division of courts of appeals has not yet been designated by the supreme court to my knowledge. These are the three possible roadblocks to the implementation of the law by july 15….and there is no need for an IRR. The IRR is not a requirement of the law. A law without IRR does not make the law invalid…

On moves to amend the HSA in the opening of 14th congress:

Sen. Pimentel:..i am not aware of that. But there are criticisms coming especially from NGOs, and the threatened sectors of the society, and this should be welcome. I don’t even mind if the law is totally scrapped. Who cares about this law. The thing is that the acts which are prescribed in the human security act are already punished in the revised penal code. So it is not true to say na kung wala yung human security act, hindi mapunish yung mga terorista natin.

(end)