Kapihan sa Senado Interview

On India and Thailand incidents

Q: Do you think what happened in India and Thailand can also happen here?

Gordon: Yes. In fact, the Thais are merely taking a cue from us from EDSA 1 and 2. But they're more aggressive, they have taken over the airports, that's very serious. And the army is still not doing anything about it. I hope that for the sake of Thailand, I really don't want a situation where the army always comes in and interferes in political action like this. It's a very bad precedent.

Q: What could possibly trigger that? Could it be Cha-cha?

Gordon: Well, sometimes people remain quiet and docile and then something breaks. The unabashed attempt to try and change the Constitution ... I'm glad it's dead. I hear it's dead. Many congressmen are taking heed, they're withdrawing their signatures in Congress on the Cha-Cha bid. It really is untenable. It cannot be, to have the Congress act jointly and vote jointly is an impossibility because the Constitution has really delineated the time when Congress can act jointly and vote jointly, and that is only in the case of lifting Martial Law or habeas corpus.

On Bolante

Q: What do we expect tomorrow?

Gordon: Tomorrow we're going to have the hearing. We have invited the regional directors that were not able to come simply because they have been replaced. So now the actual directors who are no longer the regional directors but were the regional directors during the time of the distribution will now be called, so they are expected to shed more light especially to sustain what Dir. Chio has stated that directions were taken from Mr. Bolante and at the same time to sustain the statement made by Dir. Oblena of the fact that Bolante commanded to change the NGO concerned. We will also get the AMLC to come down, Vicent Aquino, to make that report. As you know we have also ordered that Ms. Aytona be brought here. Right now we have the lawyers say that they are going to bring her here, we're not quite sure whether that is going to happen. But tomorrow also we expect more breakthroughs in the matter because of the fact that the AMLC will shed light on the deposits. In the meantime, I have written a letter to the Ombudsman, asking for the action that she has taken on Task Force Abono, something that was given to her almost three years ago. And now it's important that we get her actions especially since we don't want her losing again in the Sandiganbayan for being slow and violating the rights of the people that she hails in court for a very slow process of justice. Tomorrow's going to be, we will really accelerate the pace of the investigation. And hopefully, depending on Mr. Bolante, I already warned him. I just want you all to know that there are about 10 signatures already, I expect it to have 11 by today, they signed it that Mr. Bolante be detained by the Senate and brought either to the Senate or the Pasay detention center.

Q: When are you going to decide on that motion?

Gordon: Tomorrow. Depending on the committee, I'm preparing the instances when Mr. Bolante had been caught lying or had been practically evasive.

We have not issued a warrant of arrest yet on Mr. Bolante. There's a motion.

Before the court is a habeas corpus petition for Mr. Bolante. A habeas corpus petition says, produce the body. I want to make it clear here to all, that Mr. Bolante is not under arrest, he's not under house arrest. He's in his house, he is escorted by the Senate principally because he has said that he fears for his life. He's under protective custody of the Senate. The Court of Appeals, I'm sure, will throw out that proposition because he can go out freely, nakakpasyal sya. I'm told by the Sergeant-at-Arms that he is able to go wherever he wants.

Q: Where will he be detained?

Gordon: That's for me to know, and for him to find out. We can detain him in any detention center that we see fit. We detained Sabio here, and he said he was sick so I had doctors and an ambulance ready.

Q: Most likely he will be detained?

Gordon: We have the votes. That's why he should prepare himself very well. Be frank and candid and not evasive tomorrow. I mean, this is a big hint. We're gonna have 11 signatures already. Seventeen lang yung members, we only need nine.

On shame-on-you sanction

Gordon: Let me tell you what I intend to do later on with the case of Mr. Bolante or other people who will be there. The blue ribbon committee cannot put him to jail. That's clear. We can recommend that a case be filed against them. But the Ombudsman, we cannot push the Ombudsman. We can call her but if she says I'm not ready, wala din mangyayari. So, you and I can either impeach him. And you know impeachment is a political exercise. It's the number of votes. So kung ganun, it's time we come out with a sanction, a "shame-on-you" sanction. With a recommendation that these people should never be allowed to enter into government office at any time in the future. Hindi natin ginagamit yung hiya eh. Yung hiya ginagamit natin na hindi pagiging assertive. Pero yung hiya gamitin natin ngayon para ang tao talagang they will ostracize them.