Transcript of Interview On Garci Name-drop at Congress Hearing Today 7 December 2005

INTERVIEWER: Is it true that you called Garcillano during the 2004 campaign/ election period?

GORDON : The only time I met him was after the elections, in February 2005. He must be hallucinating because I never met him before that. I never spoke with him until February 2005 long after I was already elected and at that time he was lobbying kung pwede yung Commission on Appointment na posisyon niya ay ma-confirm. And I was also talking with him about the overseas elections. That was all we talked about. I did tell him na galit sa kanya si Sen. Pimentel so mahihirapan siya. I don’t even know the guy personally.

INTERVIEWER: February this year?

GORDON: Yes. That was the first time I met him and I never even knew of him before that.

INTERVIEWER: So siya ang tumawag, Sir?

GORDON: He called me and he asked my staff if he could see me and I saw him at the Diamond Hotel, it was a public place. I never met him before that.

INTERVIEWER: But you didn’t talk on the phone?

GORDON: No. During my campaign, I never talked to any COMELEC officials during the campaign.

INTERVIEWER: What do you think of this na parang strategy ni Mr.Garci ang mentioning of names without exactly saying what was talked about?

GORDON: I don’t know what he said. I was just pleasantly surprised in the sense that he is mentioning my name now. Thank you very much but I don’t know you. I never met you until after the elections. I don’t have a habit of calling the election commissioner.

INTERVIEWER: Are you taking any actions against him?

GORDON: I think, yung mga tumawag sa kanya has something to explain because tama lang iyon because magtatanong ang tao. Pero yung hindi naman tumawag sa kanya, ano pa ang ipapaliwanag ko.

INTERVIEWER: Pero binanggit ang pangalan ninyo sir at sinabi niyang tumawag kayo sa kanya?

GORDON: Siguro natataranta na siya dahil sa dami...but kung binabanggit ako dahil siguro medyo kritikal ako sa kanya noong mga nakaraan.

INTERVIEWER: Sir, yung binasa niya ay long list of callers?

GORDON: Well I never called him and I don’t even know his number. I only met him like I said in February 2005 in Diamond Hotel.

INTERVIEWER: So he is lying?

GORDON: I think he is hallucinating. Hindi niya alam kung sino ang nakausap niya at yung hindi niya nakausap. That makes his statement against other senators even incredible because I never really know him even if they put me in a lie detector test. I have never talked with him. I have never met him until after the elections.

INTERVIEWER: Sir, hindi ba malisyoso ang motibo niya na nagda-drop siya ng pangalan?

GORDON: Malisyoso iyon in the sense na kung ang pakay niya is to divert attention to others specially to names that he thinks could create a headline, then he is grossly mistaken. Mali iyon.

INTERVIEWER: Walang credibility?

GORDON: Walang credibility. Absolutely no credibility.

INTERVIEWER: Sir, ano ang ginawa ninyo sa Diamond?

GORDON: We just had a dinner and my staff was there. Sinasabi niya na kung pwede ko siyang matulungan sa COMELEC pero ang sabi ko mukhang nagagalit sa iyo si Sen. Pimentel dahil sa dagdag-bawas mo. Hindi naman daw totoo iyon, pinagbibintangan lang daw naman siya. But that was the only time I met him.

INTERVIEWER: So siya ang may kailangan sa iyo?

GORDON: Yes. Siya ang may kailangan, hindi ako ang may kailangan.

INTERVIEWER: Sir accidental po yung meeting ninyo?

GORDON: No. He asked for an appointment.

INTERVIEWER: Sir, ano ang palagay ninyong motibo ni Garci bakit binanggit ang name ninyo?

GORDON: Well, (1) he could have made an honest mistake or (2) it could be malicious. He could be saying this para smoke screen, get the publicity away from certain personalities perhaps. I am very comfortable with myself. I never talked with this guy, never met him, that’s it.

INTERVIEWER: Sir, sabi ni Sen. Miriam, yung mga papangalanan daw ni Garci ay isa-subject for Ethics Committee so more or less pagpapaliwanagin din kayo doon?

GORDON: I’m not worried. The truth is before me. It’s with me and I don’t have to worry about anything.

END