FULL TEXT: INQ&A with vice presidential candidate Alan Cayetano

KS: This is a related question from Honey Princess Vanessa from Facebook, can you campaign without using the name of Digong?

AC: Yeah. I’ve been a councilor, a vice mayor, 3 terms congressman and also my second term as the senate. I have my own public record. If you attend our rallies, some of them are live streamed. Unfortunately, the TV doesn’t cover huge rallies that we have, maybe because it’s later at night, I don’t know why. And you would hear the platform to say having said that we’re a tandem, we’re the only group that really believes in each other, the other tandems, seen on the debate last night some were timid. I didn’t hear Chiz talked much about Grace. I didn’t hear Leni talked about Mar, mentioning once or twice, but my question is, why don’t they talk much more about their running mates?

READ: Dependent on Duterte? Cayetano says he can stand on own merits

You know, in the different format of the debate all of us vice presidents would sound as if we can solve the problems of the Philippines but we’re not running for the president eh. We’re running for vice president. And that’s why even the Duterte group has asked me, we have agreed, that we will talk about the tandem, even Mayor Duterte always says win or lose with Alan, vote for him because he knows that he’ll need all the support his platform is extraordinary, and he’s an ordinary man, but he has an extraordinary political will. So, it’s like saying that, you found the perfect CEO, ikaw ang vice president, you found the perfect editor in chief of Inquirer. I’m one of the editors, but never I’ll talk about my editor in chief. Bakit ko naman ikakahiya, if he’s the best guy for the job? Does he have faults? Of course, I mean, I’ve been here, with Tita Letty, it’s a little bit sentimental, my first time in here without her. I got band up a little up with his platforms, about his cursing, etcetera, but that’s the nature of discussion. John, you’ve not always been supportive of my hearings, but I’ve learn from your articles, sometimes you like it, sometimes you don’t. But that’s democracy at work eh, just because may negative kay Digong, or just because others want to support him not me, that doesn’t mean I don’t talk about him. But the question is do I have something to show? That’s why last night I try to contrast myself and ask them. Some of you were in some hearings, whether it’s anti-graft hearings, like the Binays and the Enrile, yung pork barrel scam, fertilizer scam. But some of them were issues like SSS, like Coco Levi. Congressman Leni couldn’t talk much about the SSS kasi siya sincere siya. But her party, if the president’s talking about SSS, we cannot give P2000, they stop finding solutions. Senator Chiz and Senator Poe cannot talk about recovering the funds of the coconut farmers, because may mga tao sa likod. Kidapawan, four vice presidentiables called for the hearing, I’m the only one who went, what did the other three do, instead of talking Kidapawan? Some were settled, some people were trying to hit me why I was at the hearing. Eh, apat nga kaming nagpatawad gutom ang mga tao. What did the Liberal Party do? They called a meeting and they stopped talking about it. So, can I campaign on my own merits? I shouldn’t even run if I cannot. But should I be timid or shy about talking about Mayor Duterte? He’s the one running for president, you can have the best vice-president, kung lousy nag president mo, you can’t have anything done.

JN: We’re running a bit long, so we’re going to ask one follow up question each, my fellow question has to do with mentioning that Mayor Duterte has his faults, you ask congressman Leni Robredo the last time – top three criticisms of the Aquino administration – in your case, can you give us top 3 faults of Mayor Digong?

AC: Can I answer not basing from my personal view but from the public’s view? Cursing, as cavalier about womanizing and also talking about patay,patay. But in all three, may we explain that this is his personal style. This is, for example cursing, he is not cursing the person and the generation of father and my grandfather, that’s how they curse. If you look into their Facebook now yung S word, or BS, or others words is cursing on this generation, the PI was the cursing of other generation. I don’t curse, I try not to. We’re also human, diba? But he does…womanizing. He’s separated from his wife. He admits that this is his lifestyle in the past, he’s 70 and it’s a different now. That patay-patay, he explains that and so he speaks, criminals speak, that’s why police is at that level’s peak, he will respect the law.

KS: Something related to that, I watched you campaign since 2013, and I noticed that you always quote the bible, for example, during your rallies, or even during the debate. I was surprised when you decided to run with Mayor Duterte. How do you reconcile that image pa lang. How is it different on how you speak, for example, the way he is?

AC: When I was much younger, my lolo ko, and lola were in their 80’s. German na American siya. We didn’t know that my grandmother was a closet Christian, and then of course, pagpunta niya dito, Katoliko sa radio lahat. She enjoyed going to Church, but new sa kanya. You know when I was watching the TV, it was the time that John Jimmy Swaggart…Hindi ba tayo magsing-edad? He really hit hard, “You are a sinner.” Ganyan. And then there was this other yung ano Hubbard Family, if you remember, he was like the lolo Santa Claus, that you always look for, diba na, so loving. Hug people. “God loves you, no matter what you do.” So I ask my mom, not looking at a religion, sect. Sabi niya, “The reality is some people need to be slapped in the face to realize that they are doing a mistake. And some people they’ve been slapped their whole life and they need to be hugged. That’s why, you have two kinds of evangelists and that’s what I saw in Mayor Duterte.

We have the same core values. He has a deep believe in God. He does not boast about it, but years ago, when I was investigated, he was in my sister’s office, and he clearly saw it, “Alam mo, Alan, Senator, how I keep Davao safe is between me and God. Now, what is between me and Davao City and my constituents is that I’m true to them, and I keep them safe.” Why did he have to say between me and God? There’s a lot of stories behind, but I don’t want to kasi mahaba. In his heart, he knows why we are here on earth eh. What we’re supposed to do. Put it this way, pwede namang magsama sa isang simbahan ang Opus Dei and Jesuit eh. They believe in the same God. Yung isa conservative, yung isa mejo liberal. I’m not saying na pareho kami ng belief Mayor Duterte. I’m not saying that I’m a better Chrisitian, but that’s not for us to judge core values and how we want to save the country. Nagkakaisa kami and I’m comfortable with that.

JN: Thank you. That’s an image to conjure with. Mayor Digong as the Jimmy Swaggart of politics. Let’s move on to the second round. Let’s cut down the number of questions from the audience, but I’d like to thank 9,000 live viewers on Facebook. Senator, we’re breaking the record here. At this point in time, there are 9,000. But over that there are tens of thousands. 9,000 from Facebook, also 2,500 from online.

AC: And if we have better internet connectivity nationwide, mas marami pa ‘yan, that’s the usual complain by everyone.

JN: My question has to do with Mayor Duterte and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Sabi niya nilabanan niya si Arroyo, and that’s a fact. Pero bakit siya payag na palayain siya kung si Duterte ay manalo? Nasa ano ang pinaglaban niya? This is from Baby Bony thru Facebook. Babaliwalain na lang ba niya ito?

AC: Hindi po. Hindi ako umaatras sa kahit na anong prinsipyo, hindi ko po kinakain ang prinsipyo ko. Corruption is corruption. again why am I comfortable, in the two instances that Mayor Duterte was mentioned, it was Bong Revilla, and then it was GMA. He was asked questions directly, and si Mayor is not the politically right type of politician that will see to the question and see how it will come out to people. He just answered it directly and tinanong siya ni Bong Revilla, if the evidence is weak, should he be out on bail, eh. If the evidence is strong, and the case is punishable by reclusion perpetua or higher, no bail. So pag weak, pakawalan mo. But since it’s a Napoles-Bong Revilla ano, it came out a long way. Gano’n din kay Jim eh.

Sir, the present cases against GMA now,  and even the staunchest against the Anti-GMA critics, all of us were together. We criticized in 2010, 2011, 2012. Look into the records. Google niyo. In criticizing the government, bakit yung mga strong cases – Hello Garci, fertilizer scam, etc. Hindi niyo kinaso kay PGMA? Ang kinaso niyo yung mahina. Yung PCSO kasi intelligence fund. Bubuksan yan ng COA kasi that’s the law. And it can be used for certain things. I don’t want to forego or weaken the case pero. He was just saying, sa kaso na yan, mapapakawalan. But I was in many events, hearing na, hindi nareport, where he said, hindi ako makikialam sa kaso, yan ay nasa Ombudsman at nasa korte. Let them do it, but give them justice. Huwag matagal huwag ganyan. That’s why I’m comfortable. At one point in time, he was even asking eh, “Would Alan be a good DOJ?” Ako  nagsasabing ayoko nung mga ganong position gusto sa platform.

Let me ask you a question, if she was bent on releasing some people, why even think of Alan or a staunch critic being in the DOJ. Ako, John at Tine, I’m confident that there, he will do the right thing. And I can make a commitment to you now. That’s an ongoing commitment, pagmali mali, pagtama tama. We’re not going to compromise on that. Having said that many supporters of GMA are the backbone of the Bongbong (Marcos) campaign. And some of them are the one throwing that to me. Di ba bumaliktad ka? Pero kung titignan mo, I don’t mind with the anti or Liberal Party kasi it’s a fair question to me. But, some of them, sa Facebook that trinace, kasi you can press on it, diba? You’ll see their account nakataas kamay si Bongbong, Bongbong for Vice, tapos sila ang nagki-criticize sakin about GMA. Eh, sila nga ang magkakasama. Remember, Governor Imee, when she was congressman, the last minute sa impeachment nawala. And ang usap-usapan nga sa Congress they made a deal with GMA to not impeach her because there are so many cases regarding the Marcos wealth still with PCGG and at the court.

KS: Last night you stood out, during the debate, especially yung confrontations niyo with Senator Marcos. A lot of people, his supporters, didn’t like that, but there are also some people who took notice of what you did. This question is from Enrico’s Mac from Facebook. He was asking, “ang tanong ko lang kay Cayetano, kailangan ba talagang mang-away ka para thumbs up ang buhay ng mamamayan?”

AC: Yes, because, why is it that every voter will say “gusto ko ipaglaban mo ‘ko?” Pero ayaw nila, pag parang palaaway ka. Pero, for me, okay lang na palaaway ka. Things won’t change unless you fight. Something, somewhat. But you have to look at two things, tama bang pinaglalaban at sino yung pinaglalaban. If I went up against Bong Bong Marcos, because he was innocent, and I just want to be the vice president mali yon. If I went up against Bong Bong ‘cause it’s the first time I am to with anyone, sa graft and corruption, if I wanna win, mali yon. But I went up against Erap. I  went up against Arroyo. I went up against Enrile. I went up against FG (first gentlemen Arroyo). I went up against the fertilizer scam, swine scam, ZTE-NBN. might haven’t been perfect I’m still learning, the gift-giving in Malacañang, and even the SAF 44.

Do you think I gain anything from fighting people? You know, ‘yung threat sa buhay namin not being able to go where we want. I won’t go to the threats and details and everything. You know my low rates in some areas is because, yung kingpins ng areang yon ay nakalaban ko. Enrile has big following in Cagayan area. Despite na sinuka na ang Marcos, nilunok ulet, sinuka ulet, ngayon nilunok ulet. Ngayon si Bongbong Marcos na yun. That helps him. But me, Pampanga, the Pinedas are so close to the Arroyos. Why would they go for me? Nagulat lang ako, I thought they could for Bongbong pero but they went for Mar-Leni. But those are the things I give up for fighting for people. Rather na magpa-cute na lang ako don, to tell some good or bad stories, I can do that. But I cannot change the country in that way. That’s why I haven’t changed styles because my second goal is getting elected.

The first goal is always to change the country. So if I get elected, but it’s a different Alan, and Alan who won’t fight for you, Alan who won’t tell those to shape up, if not they’re gonna lose their licenses, and we’re gonna get the bigger ones to come. If I can’t tell the DOTC guys, you know. Maraming huli-dap sa Pilipinas, hindi lang sa pulis, kahit sa senate. Pwde kang mag-ingay ng konte paareglo ka, you get part of the contract, tahimik kana. I could have done all my life that and it would have benefited me. Aside from not being able to live by myself because you know as a Christian you have to choose who you serve. I won’t get the job done.

That’s why nga I was attracted to Mayor Duterte. Kasi hindi beholden. As I said, diamond in the rough. But people focus on the rough rather than diamond. And I understand kasi iba nag thinking ng Tagalog sa Bisaya, pati dito sa Metro Manila. For people who, halimbawa, people are here in Metro. You don’t have to be that rough. But if you were in Davao, 30 years ago, na linggo-linggo may Alsa Masa, companies, police and military will be killed left and right. Kung anto-communist ka, bibigyan ka ng baril, no questions asked. Komunista naman would sometimes some would kill people. It’s a different perspective.

JN: A question from Edwin Roxas from facebook, mas mabilis pa bang paraan para maresolba ang kabagalan ng internet sa bansa?

ALAN: Yes.  Not to put all together sa Telcos, for example magtatayo ng towers, grabe ang corruption niyan eh. From the barangay going up. But that shouldn’t also be an excuse, so what happens from the bottom to the top panay corrupt. Pati sa pagdistribute ng – we used to bid out sa…when we started sa 2G then 3G, we used to bid it out, then we took out. Ngayon halos NTC na lang ang maga-allot diyan. And then pagnag-allot, Smart bought Sun. Under the franchise there should be a congressional approval. Pati yun, huwag na daw. Just by having someone sincere, at the presidency then yung NTC, to be fair naman sa NTC, kahit tinalaga ng telco ang NTC, pero alam niya na ang bossing niya hindi yung president, kundi siya. Kasi I don’t judge people eh. Halimbawa nilagay  ng Smart, ang Globe ang kanilang CEO. Pero sinabi nung presidente, ngayon tao ang boss mo, hindi sila. Pero kung halimbawa, pinenalize niya, sa atin walang penalty, look at the Bangladesh 81  million, sa US nangyayari yun. Pero grabe nag-penalty ng bangko, billion dollars, 300 billion dollars. So sa telco sa America, minsan nangyayari yan. Pero grabe ang fines. Sa atin wala eh, kase magsyota eh, magsyota and pulitiko at tsaka founder eh.

We have to change that model. It’s not easy but we’ll get there. And to be fair, the oligarchs, they just want a level plain field. Halimbawa, sa train, just to connect, with faster internet and the IT, sa train, kung mag-aaway kasi sa admin na ito, nandito sa kanya, tapos dito, dito. Paano na to sasagutin ng gobyerno? We’ll connect you but yung babagsakan, gubyerno may-ari, dito kikita. papayag naman ang mga yan eh. But no one really is standing just to say na, “I won’t take your money guys.” And I am a witness. I’ve seen, I’ve heard a lot. People giving Mayor Duterte so much money, I don’t want to be with them.

KS: There are a couple of people asking on Twitter and on Facebook on the crime rate in Taguig. They said you always talk about Davao. What’s it like?

AC: We’re one of the fastest growing central business districts. In Maharlika village, we are very proud of our Muslim Village. A long time ago, pahatid ka sa taxi, hindi ka dadalhin dun. Now the roads are wide and the parks, right in front of mosques. It’s a beautiful place.

The Ayala group invested in FTI. They’ve bought land for P36,500. They sold out at 220,000 per square, three years to pay and I think people will pay that much. What we’re saying despite NCRPO and Southern police being in Taguig there  are still problems like drugs. Every time na may huhulihin may pumapalit agad. So if you look, we don’t have legal or illegal gambling in Taguig. That was one of my wife’s advocacy. Pati sabungan, wala kami nun. Nag aapply nung bingo, nung lotto. We’re not judging but we’d rather let you do it somewhere else and the first time, first week yung wife ko kala siguro babae, bata kasi galing siya ng probinsiya on Bicol or in Bulacan, they had like 15 video kareras. Hindi nila inexpect, my wife came over right before nila sunugin, nakabuhos na yung gasolina. She opened it walang laman. Sobrang pahiya ng chief of police. They had to go around at nahuli. My brother was barangay captain and he started pinpointing places. May dumating na colonel. I don’t blame him for being corrupt, I blame him for being a little kulang-kulang dito (points at his head). Isipin mo ang sinabi sa administrator, Pakisabi kay kapitan, kay colonel yang mga video karera. Sabi ko nga nung kinuwento ng brother ko, sabi ko, ang corruption ay normal talaga yan, hindi man lang nagresearch yung colonel na kapatid nung brother-in-law nung mayor yung kapitan and yung mayor was anti-jueteng.

Our value system has been turned upside down, we have to fix it. Example lang diyan, you walk kung saan ang mga bahay ng mga heneral, militar o mga pulis. Pag nakita mo maliit na bahay tapos heneral, sasabihin ba ng mga bata o teenager, yan ay mabait, yan ay matino? Hindi. Sasabihin nilang ang hina naman nun. So on one side, all Filipinos galit na galit sa corruption kaya kami nahihirapan all of this province from corruption. Our value system: let’s join the police, maging congressman tayo para kumita. Let’s join this so we can do that diba? That’s why nga simplicity is like what the campaign of the Congresswoman Leni also picks up people because nga of the greed in public service. Again I go back to political will, how do we change all of this.

JN: Senator, let me try to connect the first two rounds with the following follow-up questions. You talked about regulatory car catcher. You also talked about the racket society. You talked about even in the senate, you paint a very bleak portrait of Philippine society and yet you yourself is a product of that same system of government. You spent 20 years in the government service. How did you stay clean, how will people believe you when you yourself came through that system?

AC: The first part is easy to answer, how did I stay clean? Prayer. Simply by God’s grace talaga always finding a way to do the right thing. The second part, how would people believe me. Look at my track record. We were the favorite of President Erap. Kami yung bright boys nung time na yun, we got any project or what we want but I joined the impeachment because the evidence I saw was wrong, set a bad example. GMA, my dad and the family was one of the closest. SI FG was my ninong sa kasal but when they couldn’t answer Hello Garci, when the fertilizer scam came in, when they saw them paying off through projects yung mga kasamahan ko sa Congress, I couldn’t take it.

Enrile was my dad’s mentor, I could’ve kept quiet yung kalokohan na mangyayari sa Congress, I couldn’t take it. SAF44, as I’ve said, I could’ve attended, eto tama, eto mali, I didn’t have to go all out but people in Visayas and Luzon didn’t know the other part of the MILF, the other part of the rebellion. Everyone was just thinking it’s just bandits — Abu Sayyaf and the idealistic Moro rebels. Ganun naman talaga but they didn’t see the people in the middle. Those who made gun-running, smuggling a business, manufacturing guns and— so that’s my guarantee.

Am I perfect? No. Am I a product of the system? Yes. That’s why nga sinasabi nila, halimbawa coco farmers, who failed them? I said, us. Part rin ako ng senado, so pag nagfail yung senado, part rin ako sa nagfail except that what I can say is I keep trying. Im not saying loko lahat yan and ako okay. Ang sinasabi ko ko lahat tayo naging loko sa sistemang ito. Ang titignan kami sa vice presidentiables, yung isa hawak sa leeg. It shows sin taxes. Danding at Lucio Tan yung sinunod. Sa Coco Levy fund, si Congresswoman Leni, very sincere, very trustworthy. But look her plans sa connectivity, sa telcos. She said government must lay the infrastructure. That would cost at least a hundred billion but maybe about 200 billion. Kanina sa show sa ABS, I was saying I’ll accompany Congresswoman Leni sa PGH or sa Vicente Sotto. Gabi pa lang pumipila na ang tao from all over. They have the best best doctors in those two hospitals. They have the best equipment. Bakit hindi pa rin kaya? You have Philhealth. P100 billion ang binayaran ng Philhealth for 2015. So if you spend P750 billion for infrastracture and ang kikita lang naman is Globe and Smart. Why not get them to invest and pay for it?

I could lay out a whole strategic plan. Singapore actually has a book how they became a smart city. Beijing and IBM they smart city concepts. The manual is there guys. The Political will is there. Guys you’re making a lot of money. Let’s work together in getting this, wag mo nang kunin yung 100 bilyon na pwede kong gamitin para sa hospital at sa education ng mga bata.

KS: We just hit the 1-hour mark. And there are still a lot of questions. This one is from Nestor Corrales, our reporter covering the Duterte-Cayetano campaign. Do you think it will work in your favor the go-after Bongbong Marcos strategy and how would you assess your performance and the performance of the other candidates. And there were also yes or no questions and there were candidates who hesitated with their answers.

AC: Yeah. Napansin ko lang later on na nangongpya sila e. Kasi ako, I already know my stance so talaga inaano ko…Halimbawa dun sa LGBT community nakita ko nung tinanong ako nagtaas kagad. Yung iba nakatingin muna. The problem is yes or no lang so hindi namin naco- communicate. Like for example ako, well, if you ask that question I will go to that but to answer you directly but para hindi ako ma-awkward I waved to crowd and shook Chiz’s hand and waved to the crowd. Pero pinuntahan ako ni Bongbong. Naka-smile so kala ko sport lang, issue sa issue so kinamayan ko. Nagulat ako bigla ako binulungan, “It won’t work.” Gumanun siya. Ganito, “It won’t work. It won’t work.” So, binitaw ang kamay, hinabol ko. Sabi ko, “Who says it’s about that?,” and Nestor with all due respect, that same thing answer with you, if you think it’s just a strategy, you don’t know me that well. I would have gone like that whether I’m running or not, just given the opportunity, in the Senate there was never an opportunity to talk about Marcos wealth. If you look, if you Google, or you look at the files, I’ve talked about the Marcos’ regime all throughout my career. I’ve talked about how Singapore grew because Lee Kuan Yew was a tough leader, a strong leader. But he was never corrupt and he never, you know, affected the basic constitutional rights. So let me stop there but, how do I…

READ: Marcos to Cayetano: Criticizing me won’t work

JN: You could have also gone after Chiz, you could have been after Leni, but you spent more time…

AC: Well because the issue was corruption, and human rights. But for example kay Senator Chiz, if they have allowed me to speak, medyo, to be fair, sa dalawang hosts, andami ko nang beses nagsalita if they let me speak on the sin taxes, I was gonna say that sinong bobolahin ni Bongbong tsaka ni Chiz na, “I-tax natin ang mga eroplano, itax natin ang…” Malaki nang tax ng mga ‘yon. ‘Di ba ang pinaguusapan natin na 20 years hindi natin in-adjust yung taxes sa alak at tsaka sigarilyo na ang apektadong deretso talaga, ang kumikita dyan, dalawang tao — Lucio Tan and Danding Cojuangco, at least during that time. So if we would have gone there, we would framed them that way. Now kay Cong. Leni, I’m not going after her because you know she’s new, she’s inspiring, she’s trustworthy. But it’s the company that she keeps. So if you look, read between the lines saying, how can you stop jueteng, if the number one in jueteng is your supporter? How can you fix the airport when you cannot even tell Sec. Abaya, “You are wrong?”

Kung isa isahin ko nangyari: LTO, sticker, plaka, yong lisensya, tapos nanakaw pa yong plaka na nasa Customs, and then sa MRT, LRT. Everyone knows that it’s excuses. Ang tagal tagal ng MRT, LRT hindi nasisira yan, hindi naano, but during their administration, sa airport, remember noon, nasira yong aircon, tapos mag-hoholidays pa. Kaya grabe. Tapos sobra yung traffic ngayon. APEC was the best chance to use Clark, they didn’t do it. And then ngayon nung nag brown out, inexcusable, anong sabi nila, it’s not enough reason to fire Abaya, no. You know…

JN: so you’re saying that if you had more time, or if the questions were more pointed, you would have…

AC: If it was on those issues… I actually did, but not to that. And she didn’t debate back e. ‘Di ba? If she said, if she answered about Abaya, I don’t know if she agrees with me but…kasi yun naman ang challenge niya, ‘di ba. How does she get elected and gets to do what she wants but in the mean time these people electing her are the people who are the problem of the country.