NAGDAOS ng press conference si Senator Risa Hontiveros hinggil sa ilang isyu na tinatalakay sa Senado nitong Hunyo 28, 2024. Narito ang excerpt o sipi ng transcript ng naturang press conference mula sa website ng Senate of the Philippines.
Usaping Mayor Alice Guo
Q: Good morning, Senator. Question ko lang, Senator. Is there and what is the extent, if any, of cooperation with the Chinese Embassy? Because obviously these are Chinese nationals, records may come from China. Meron ba kayong cooperation with them to an extent?
Senator Risa Hontiveros (SRH): Wala pang direct cooperation sa pagitan ng Committee on Women at saka yung Chinese Embassy. Pero aware ako na may limited or may certain degree of cooperation between our law enforcement agencies at yung Chinese Embassy.
The example I know of is pagkatapos ng successful raid ng PAOCC-TF (Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission-Task Force) dun sa POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator) hub sa Bamban, ay kung saan, naka-aresto nga sila ng anim na Chinese fugitives. But there was one, yung sinasabing pinaka-Chinese boss na nakatakas, si Huang Zhiyang, who’s also, by the way, the only one that Mayor Alice Guo admitted to knowing and dealing with personally.
Apparently, may request or standing request through the Chinese Embassy in Manila na mapasakamay nila or mapasa-jurisdiction nila because he is wanted, di umano, sa China for various offenses.
Q: So even though limited, positive naman. So they’re open to communicating with our law enforcement?
SRH: Well, they have communicated with our law enforcement. Yes.
Q: Ma’am, hindi naman na tayo sa stolen identity. Parang kinlaim nyo na ito nung isang araw bale. Ma’am, may we know anong charges yung pwedeng i-file, na pwedeng harapin? Na mukhang mas malakas po yung ebidensya na may stolen identity sa pagkakataong ito.
SRH: Right, right. Well, dagdag dun sa nakahain na nakaso for qualified trafficking in persons na napakabigat na yan kasi it’s a non-bailable offense. Based sa input sa mga resource persons from the different agencies, especially the Philippine Statistics Authority, even before being charged with any particular offense, yung pinaka-grave na consequence na pwedeng harapin at hinaharap ni Mayor Alice Guo ay yung cancellation nung kanyang deemed irregular na birth certificate.
And we heard it from the PSA na finorward na nila sa OSG, yung kanyang rekomendasyon nila na OSG, as it is mandated, can be the one to cancel the birth certificate.
At parang domino effect na yun sa ibang mabibigat na consequences na maaaring hinaharap o hinaharap na ni Mayor Alice Guo. All the way to, well, yung earlier raise na na possibility of a quo warrant of case. At hinihiling ko sa Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) na bilisan din nila yung prosesong iyon, that will affect her standing as a mayor right now.
Dahil kung irregular yung naging birth certificate niya, walang isang esensyal na dokumento para nakapag-file siya ng certificate of candidacy in the first place. So, kumbaga, the rug will be pulled out from under the campaign she conducted, the electoral victory she posted, at yung pag-upo niya ngayon bilang mayor.
Q: Mas mabigat ba yung consequence, ma’am, dahil nga tumakbo pa siya from public office after, kung totoo man, stealing an identity?
SRH: Yes. Because if she’s proven to have stolen an identity and used that to run for public office, in effect, kung ang kaso na hinaharap natin ay isang Chinese national, who posed as a Filipino, para makakuha ng isang elective office. At kasabay pa niyan, nag-identity theft ng isang Pilipina para mabigyan ng cover ang mga POGO sa kanilang iba’t ibang mga criminal activities. So, mabibigat na usapin iyan.
So that whatever be the outcome of any of these charges and actual cases, kung ma-convict siya, she will have to serve time here in the Philippines.
Q: Ma’am, yun lang yung liwanagin namin. Nung hearing kasi medyo may nalilito lang. Pag naging successful po yung quo warranto, sabi po ninyo, or ni Senator Win ba, may deportation, paano po yung kaso niya and yung conviction niya, tatapusin niya po ba muna dito bago siya ma-deport? Or doon niya tatapusin sa kung saang bansa siya?
SRH: Yun yung sinigurado ko sa DoJ (Department of Justice), in particular kay Usec. Ty, na head ng Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, na kahit magkaroon ng penalty of deportation sa kanya, kapag na-convict siya on any of those cases, she will first have to serve her sentence here in the Philippines.
So, kumbaga, hindi lang free pass na made-deport at doon na lang niya harapin yung consequences sa kung saang bansa siya idedeport, but she will have to face the consequences kapag mapatunayan ng mga korte natin na nilabag niya, ang mga batas ng ating Republika.
Q: Ma’am, gaano po kahalagan na dumalo na siya sa susunod na pagdinig? And kailan na po yung susunod na hearing, ma’am?
SRH: Ise-set namin soonest yung susunod na pagdinig at napaka-importanteng magpakita na siya doon. Dahil pagkatapos niyang dedmahin, in effect, yung imbitasyon namin sa nakaraang hearing, dahil hindi katanggap-tanggap yung mga dahilang ibinigay niya sa kanyang excuse letter, dahil sa tingin niya hindi siya fit maging resource person, for sure, in the mind of the committee, fit na fit siya. At isa siya sa pinaka-importanteng dapat humarap, lalo na sa mga issue ng identity at citizenship.
Kahit cinite niya na may other ongoing processes na ngayon sa BIR, sa Office of the Ombudsman, at sa isa pa, hiwalay pa at parallel na process yung Senate Committee hearings.
Dahil dinedma niya yung nakaraang imbitasyon, ay sinubpoena ko na siya at ang ilan pang mga tao, yung mga kinikilalang magulang niya at yung mga kapatid niya. Kapag hindi in honor ni Mayor Alice Guo, pati yung subpoena, and I warned her of this already, I will cite her in contempt.
Q: Ma’am, last on my part, ma’am, advocate din kayo numero uno ng mental health, and that’s one of the reasons that she cited. Yung anxiety niya from the malicious allegations. Paano if she will insist on it, ma’am, na may mental health issue on her part?
SRH: Definitely, the Mental Health Law is a landmark law. Alam din po natin sa ganitong mga Senate investigations, napakadaling at napakadalas i-cite ng mga resource persons kapag nahuhuli na sila sa kanilang mga kasinungalingan ang mental health.
I think Sen. Sherwin also said it very well, mas nakaka-stress yung pagsisinungaling, mas nakaka-stress yung pagsabi ng kasinungalingan. So I would very strongly advise Mayor Alice Guo, kung gusto niyang ngayon at in the long term i-address yung mga sina-cite niyang mental health concerns, the first and biggest step she can take, even for her own sake, ay humarap na at sa wakas magsabi ng totoo.
Q: With this picture presented in the last hearing, which includes some personalities, which include the former President and Commissioner Faeldon. Do you intend to call these people po, who might shed light on the possibility that, you know, she was saying before that there are people who helped her, eh, diba?
Baka naman po, I just don’t know kung paano po ang magiging treatment natin, kung possible po ba patawag natin tong mga taong to para makapagbigay ng konting idea, dahil na-mention niya po before na may mga tao po from the past administration na tumulong po sa kanya.
Because this issue is very big. Aside from the POGO criminal activities, medyo pinaikot po yung ating birth certificate and iba pang mga criminal activities.
SRH: Although, of course, I remember binabanggit ni Mayor Alice Guo, yung past administration, most often in relation to the previous municipal government sa Bamban. Pero talagang tawag pansin yung photo na iyan.
Pag-usapan pa namin kung itatawag yung mga ibang tao sa photo na iyan bilang resource persons. Pero ngayon pa lang, sapat na sa akin na ipinapakita ng photo na talagang may friends in high places si Mayor Alice Guo.
At hindi rin pwedeng sabihin na kuha lang niya yun. Dahil from what we can tell so far sa photo, eh yan po ay sa isang residence. So kumbaga, hindi public place na papapasukin lang ng mga public figures ang strangers or casual acquaintances, kundi mga kaibigan o mga taong mas malapit sa kanila. And mukhang ganun ang status ni Mayor Alice Guo sa kanila.
Q: Kasi po, in the previous, nag-comment si former spokesperson Harry Roque about the situation of Mayor Guo. And nakitaan po natin ng ilang mga dokumento kung saan nagsasabi na si Sir Harry Roque is one of the lawyers ng isa sa mga may-ari ng lupa doon sa Porac, Pampanga. Paano po natin iha-handle yung situation? Do we also intend to call Attorney Roque on this matter?
SRH: Pag-uusapan din po namin iyon, lalo na’t kasi simula pa lang namin halos na imbestigahan yung Porac raid and investigation. Pero ngayon pa lang, nung nakaraang hearing pa lang, actually, inimbita na rin namin dumalo si Mr. De la Serna.
Unfortunately, si Mr. De la Serna ay isa rin na hindi sumipot at nasama nga po sa aming subpoena para sa susunod na pagdinig. So, I expect him to make an appearance. At pati yung ibang mga inimbita na namin dati, pero dinedma yung imbitasyon ng komite. Yung ilan doon, mga resource persons dapat tungkol sa aming Porac investigation.
Iimbitahin din po namin yung mga magsasaka na ayon sa isang order ng Department of Agrarian Reform, ay agrarian reform beneficiaries na. Pero kung sa hindi pa malamang dahilan, napatayuan pa yung lupang iyan sa Porac ng POGO hub pa.
Usapang politikal
Q: Break lang po muna sa Pogo. I will just ask a political question because there are significant political developments in the past week.
My first question is, how do you feel about this proposal ni former Senator Trillanes for a unity tandem with the administration versus the Duterte camp? Are you concerned that if you join forces with the Palas versus the Dutertes, you would forfeit your opposition stature and join the administration by default?
Now, on the other hand, if you do not agree with Sen. Trillanes, what will you do as the opposition leader who is not running in the midterms?
SRH: As an opposition leader who’s not running in the midterms, actually, kumikilos na ako sa nakaraang dalawang taon, kasama ng iba pang mga opposition leaders pagkatapos na pagkatapos ng 2022 general elections para paghandaan namin yung midterm elections ngayong 2025, lalo na para magdagdag ng mga opposition senators sa minority sa Senado at sa opposition sa buong bansa natin.
I understand where former Senator Sonny Trillanes is coming from. At naiintindihan ko siya dahil, magkaalyado kami. At the same time, I treasure yung pagkakilanlan nga namin bilang, at ko rin, bilang oposisyon.
And I think na bagamat mahalaga mapigilan yung pagbalik sa ganap na kapangyarihan ng mga Duterte, at the same time, may mga unresolved issues sa ating kasaysayan ng mga human rights violations at plunder, panahon ng martial law dictatorship. And moving forward din, I think may unique offer ang oposisyon in terms of a vision at saka platform of governance, bukod pa sa administrasyon.
So for now ganoon yung appreciation ko sa proposal, hindi lang ni former Senator Sonny, aking kaalyado, pero yung proposals na binubuo din namin, sa oposisyon, hindi lang in distinction from the administration pero mga proposals, mga offers namin sa ating mga mamamayan at botante.
Q: Ma’am, do I take that as a no to the proposal?
SRH: Please take it as nagbubuo ng sariling offer ang oposisyon sa ating mga mamamayan distinct pa from that of the administration.
Q: So I understand na hindi kayo sasama kasi distinct, you used the word distinct, hindi kayo sasama dun sa administration.
SRH: Sa ngayon, I cannot as minority in the Senate and as an opposition member and a leader of the opposition. Mas ma-finalize pa namin ang lahat-lahat kasama ng ibang mga oposisyon leaders habang palapit yung October lalo na yung filing ng certificates of candidacy ng ilan sa hanay namin.
Q: Ma’am, sino na po ba? Kasi kung kahapon si Senator Bato floated a list of six names of course, including the three Dutertes. Kayo naman, sino naman po ang inyong mamanukin for the midterms for the Senate? I know you tweeted three. Yes. Can you please confirm that? Kung sino po yung tatlong yun?
SRH: Well, soon ifo-formal announcement namin pero hindi ko natiis eh. Kasi may pinost na tatlo yung isa. Kailangan kong sabihin, ah ganon ha. Ito naman yung tatlo ko. So we’ll see finally sino yung aming ia-anunsyo very soon. At if we’ll have what particular number we will have. A few more or yung number na iyon by October. Pero very soon iya-anunsyo namin yung aming mga kandidato para sa Senado.
Q: Pero ma’am, so for sure it’s not just going to be Attorney Chel. It won’t just be Senator Kiko and Senator Bam.
SRH: Ah, work in progress.
Q: Sila yung tatlong na-tweet nyo na po. Sila yung confirmed na. Na-tweet nyo na sila eh. But definitely, there’s more. Not just the three of them.
SRH: Ah, there could be more. Ah, there could be just a certain number. Basta soon, soon. Pina-finalize lang namin. Pero soon, iya-anunsyo namin kung sino-sino sila.
Q: Makakabuo ba kayo ng dose, ma’am?
SRH: Yun yung pangarap ko nung 2022. Magbuo kami ng dose, para sa midterm election. So tingnan natin how close we can get to that original wish ah, or dream.
Pero kung ilan man yung maging absolute number namin, finally, basta ilalaban namin sa midterms ah, next year.
Q: Ma’am, last question. If not the, ah, if not the administration, sino yung sa tingin ninyo pwede ninyong maka-unity? Ah, ah, or makaalyado? If you want to stand distinct from the administration, so medyo out na sila, obviously yung Duterte, that’s an obvious answer. So, if not the two of them, sino yung sa tingin ninyo you would be open to allying for the elections?
SRH: Actually, malawak-lawak pa yung opposition and oppositional groups na hindi pasok sa administrasyon at hindi rin aalyado sa mga Duterte. So, yun yung pangunahing trabaho namin since the last two years and going into the midterms next year na magbuo ng totoong unity, mas totoong unity sa kanila.
And, ah, pag inanunsyo namin publicly yung aming mga kandidato para sa Senado next year, magsasama-sama na kaming lahat. So, ah, tignan po natin. It’s part of the work in progress.
May karugtong