Poe unfazed by Drilon’s warning on unauthorized recording

Senator Grace Poe speaks to students during an open forum at Holy Name University in Tagbilaran City,Bohol. PHOTO BY ARNOLD ALMACEN/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Senator Grace Poe said she would not be crowed by Senate President Franklin Drilon’s warning that an unauthorized audio recording was unlawful and could not be used as evidence in the Senate’s investigation reopening on the Mamasapano incident.

Poe, who is leading the Senate probe as chair of the committee on public order, said the audio recording between a “ranking government official” and a “lawmaker” supposedly talking about an alleged attempt to cover up the real turn of events on the Mamasapano incident could be submitted to her committee and could be used as a basis in the investigation.

“Sinabi na Senator Drilon na ito daw ay illegal, na hindi daw pwede, na ako daw ay pwedeng maging liable kung ito daw ay ipapakinig ko sa Senado, ako naman, ano ba itong mga batas na ito?” she said in an interview over dzMM.

(Senator Drilon said that it is illegal and that I may be held liable if it will be heard in the Senate. And I think, “What are these laws for?”)

Drilon earlier warned his colleagues that the unauthorized recording was illegal and the possession of such recording, including senators listening to it, would be unlawful.

READ: Drilon on ‘Mamasapano cover-up’ audio: Unauthorized recording ‘unlawful’

However, Poe said: “Ang mga batas na ito ay para malaman natin ang katotohanan at magkaroon tayo ng hustisya. Itong mga anti-wiretapping or mga recording na ganito, kung hindi pwedeng ilabas sa publiko, pwede naming gawing basehan sa executive session.”

(These laws can be used to for us to know the truth and achieve justice. These anti-wiretapping or recordings like this, if not allowed to be heard in public, can be used as a basis in an executive session.)

“Pero definitely, hindi ako natatakot din sa mga bantang sinasabi nila na ito ay illegal, at hindi pwedeng gamitin e parang narinig na natin yan sa ‘Hello Garci’ noon eh. Hindi naman pwedeng ganun kung para lamang magtakipan ng katotohanan,” she added.

(But definitely, I am not coward by warnings that it is illegal and this cannot be used. It seems like we have heard the same in “Hello Garci” issue before. That should not be the case if only to cover up the truth.)

READ: Retired cop surfaces with audio recording on ‘Mamasapano cover-up’—report

The “Hello Garci” issue Poe was referring to was the alleged phone conversation purportedly between then President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and former Election Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano. In the said phone conversation, Arroyo allegedly asked Garcillano about the vote count during the 2004 elections.

Poe believes that many of her colleagues in the Senate would agree to her that the new audio recording about the Mamasapano incident could be used as a basis on the Mammasapano probe.

“Ako naman ay walang takot din na kung sa tingin kung ito’y makakadulot din ng kalinawan ay kailangang malaman ito o kung hindi man, pwedeng ireference at hindi pakinggan pero maririnig ng mga senador sa executive session,” she said.

(I am not afraid and if I think that it will shed light on (the incident), it should be heard. If it is not allowed (in public), it could be used as a reference and the senators will hear it in an executive session.)

“Pero ang executive session kasi ay ginagamit lang yan kung naniniwala kaming may national security threat o ano paman pero kung hindi naman threat ito sa national security, pwedeng i-reference, maybe not as a recording but just as a transcript.”

(But an executive session is only used if we believe that there is a national security threat or the like but if it is the case, it could be used as a reference, maybe not as a recording but just as a transcript.)

“It may not be a basis, it may not be used as evidence but it can still be used as basis also for the timeline so ito yung pwede nating gamitin (so we could use this),” she further said. RAM