FULL TEXT: INQ&A with Senator Dick Gordon
Best known for his work in the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Senator Richard “Dick” Gordon is back in public office as a senator.
Despite losing in the 2010 presidential elections, he has been visible as chairman of the Philippine Red Cross, which spearheads rescue and relief efforts during natural disasters.
During an hour-long INQ&A interview last August 16 with INQUIRER.net Editor in Chief John Nery and Chief of Reporters Kristine Sabillo, Gordon shared his thoughts on the success of Subic, important legislation and President Duterte’s war against drugs.
INQ&A is broadcast live every Tuesday, 8 to 9 p.m. through INQ 990 Television (available via ABS-CBN’s TV Plus, RCA and Godan digital TV boxes), Radyo Inquirer 990AM, and INQUIRER.net’s Facebook and Youtube accounts.
Every week, INQ&A will feature an important political figure. This week’s guest is Senator Grace Poe.
Below is the full transcript of the interview with Gordon.
Kristine Sabillo, INQUIRER.net Chief of Reporters: Good evening and welcome to INQ&A. The Inquirer question and answer program comes every Tuesday. Every week we sit down with the leading newsmaker to discuss the issues of today. And tonight we have a very special guest. We are live on Radyo Inquirer. Magandang gabi po sa inyong mga nakikinig. We are also live on Facebook. Good evening to our viewers. And we are live on Inquirer 990 television on digital TV and on Inquirer.net’s social media accounts. Maayong gabii sa inyong tanan. I’m Kristine Sabillo, Chief of Reporters of Inquirer.net and with me is John Nery, our Editor in Chief.
John Nery, INQUIRER.net Editor in Chief: Good evening, Kristine. Good evening everyone. We have indeed a very special guest and we’ll introduce him the INQ&A way. Three things you might not know about our guest. First at the age of 20, he became a brand manager of Proctor and Gamble; second, at the age of 25 he became the youngest member of the 1971 Constitutional Convention o ConCon, and number three, and actually this is very serious, he knows violent crime up close, unlike many other political leaders, he knows what it means because he’s own father in 1967 was assassinated. Mayor James Gordon of Olongapo City. Ladies and gentlemen, we’re very happy to introduce to you our guest of honor, Senator Richard “Dick” Gordon.
Senator Dick Gordon: John, thank you very much, Kristine.
ON PRESIDENTIAL RUN
Sabillo: We’ll be sharing some questions from social media. We don’t usually start the question from Facebook. But this one from Glen Medale is quite interesting. Glen asked, would you run for president again in the future? Everybody knows you ran as president in 2010 as one of the transformers so would you consider doing that again?
Gordon: Well nothing is cast in stone. God is my co-pilot and that is my answer.
Nery: How does God send His messages to you?
Gordon: I always have my prayers every day and so far as God is concerned, I go where I will make a difference. I cannot say yes, I cannot say no. I have no agenda except the Senate right now and my Red Cross duties, as well of course my family.
ON SENATE DYNAMICS
Nery: Okay thank you very much Senator. I have a series of questions here about the Senate dynamics, very interesting itong Senate of the 17thCongress and already only on its first month you’re fitting up to be a key player in the Senate dynamics. Can you tell us paano po nabuo yung the new majority in the Senate?
Gordon: Would you believe, John, I deliberately walked away from it. I even went to Geneva… At that time I had no special relationship with anybody, Franklin Drilon called and I said hold up a little while there’s a new president I want to make sure that he knows where he’s going and I have another friends in the cabinet, and I said I’d like to give the president a chance to be able to do his agenda if he needs my help I would be glad to help him, and so I never got a call from Koko Pimentel until the last moment. But Alan Peter Cayetano came over and maybe two or three guys something and I said I don’t wanna be, I’m not saying no that it’s gotta be him. There’s another one who say that it is gotta be, Koko who’s gotta be supported. I have nothing against the gentleman. Senate presidency is a title, such to do with a title that matters. So, sabi ko sige para hindi na magulo since I was getting clear signals that is was the other guy, namely Alan Peter Cayetano who’s gonna do it. And he went to my house, he was asking, he needed my signature very very badly so he can come against the others.
But I did sign it and I said okay, once I signed diyan na ako, hindi na ako palipat-lipat. I don’t want any transactions from you. I’m not asking anything. They were promising me, there’s committee, sabi ko whatever committee is given to me I will do it. Eventually both senators, later on, noong pumasok na si Koko that’s very clear, I have to call Alan Peter, I have to call my friends out there ano ba talaga wala na ba kayong kuwan, o sige magpapaalam ako ng maayos. Sabi ko kay Koko magpapaalam muna ako kay Alan Peter bago ako pumirma sa’yo. So pagbigyan mo na muna ako hindi muna ako pipirma. I called up Alan Peter, and I said sige senator, go ahead because naunahan na nga siya ng sa majority so sabi ko. Actually the first question was Loren Legarda, ako I’m not much for this yung bloc bloc sa may… Let’s get it on, let’s get the job done. So noong sinabi na yon nagpaalam muna ako kay Alan Peter. Nagpaalam pa ako kay Senator Recto because Senator Recto wanted me to go with the Senate minority. Sabi ko sige pag-iisipan ko but then before I went to Koko sabi ko papaalam ako sa inyo malinaw ah. Pinakita ko kay Koko na I’m a man of my word.
Nery: Sir, when did you decide to join the Majority? Only the weekend before?
Gordon: Only the weekend before. Sabi niya we’ll give you two committees sabi niya, wala akong hinihingi. Everybody thinks it’s good to be Blue Ribbon committee.
Nery: Black to the Blue Ribbon.
Gordon: Sabi ko I don’t know why. Sabi ko everybody who took that committee did not fare well in the last elections. But I’ve done that before. I am not afraid of the challenge and it is a very formidable position. It’s perhaps one of the most important positions there so I took it and then I’ve been lying kung bibigay nila and said I’m not really interested. So they’re asking me, sabi ko sige kung ano ang kuwan diyan. And then later on they asked me anong preference mo. It was the choice between electoral reforms and government corporations. I mean I had other things in mind like why government corporations were not doing what they are supposed to do. Why SSS cannot provide the pensions that are necessary, why Subic Clark’s airport why Clark cannot be operated on. These were government corporations that we wanted to make it work. So yun ang sinubmit ko na second choice.
ON DUTERTE ADMINISTRATION
Nery: Senator, there’s a picture going around Twitter. This particular picture I got it from the reporter Christina Mendez. So you have seven senators, there’s Joel. You have Senator JV, Senator Cynthia, Senator Alan, Senator Ralph, Senator Migz and you, with the president and finance secretary.
Gordon: That was an offshoot. Sonny Dominguez asked me if I could attend the finance briefing and it was calling twice, so finally Alan said “O, matagal na tayong gustong kausapin ng presidente. Tumayming na tayo diyan, so Migz Zubiri had attended the oath taking of his father I don’t know for what.
Nery: I think his brother also
Gordon: Oo, so when I went there it was straight… They served a little, humble dinner and they came up said we would like to get your support on tax reforms. We’d just like to make… They didn’t just even ask us, “O sige tulungan niyo kami diyan.” They gave a fantastic presentation of tax reforms.
Nery: This is Sonny Dominguez?
Gordon: This is Sonny Dominguez and staff. Sonny is a friend from way back college. We’re both dorm mates. I always have high respect for him and the president sat quietly. And then we made some comments; I made some comments on tax amnesty, paano kayo magbibigay niyan. I made some comments on property taxes and the other things. Migz did the same thing. And then afterwards we talked about other items, like there were certain exposes that we made. Sabi niya you cannot shut my mouth it’s my duty to protect the Filipino people. So, he mentioned some names and so that was it. We talked about how we can solve traffic. There were all kinds of suggestions. And I kind of like the mood of the president last night. He was kind of relaxed. I think he remembers our days when we were both mayors. And he would call me Dick and etcetera. And then later on he would switch to senator/sir. Sabi ko nanibago namanako sayo bakit mo ako tinawag biglang senator or sir. He said it was fine you know, kami na lang yon. We did talk about everything else. We ended up early. In fact I arrived there, if im not mistaken, mga 9:30 or 10. I left the Senate very late and then it I thought I was already late and I guess we started mga 9:30 and we finished at 11.
Nery: Mayroong nag-share nito. Is it fair to call this the Duterte 7?
Gordon: No, remember that there was nothing requested from us except for the tax reforms. But the president is there, you take advantage of his (time). I kind of watched his transition from being a local mayor way out there in the Mindanao and I kinda liked the transition. I mean, if I were there, what would I do. So, I’m happy, I’m happy.
Nery: Marami rin kaming nag-iisip, what woud you do if you’re in his position.
Gordon: Rody Duterte won because he said the things and he expressed the concerns that every Filipino wanted in a very very direct, sometimes course language that many people understand in this country, the insecure ones especially. The ones who ride the jeepneys and are afraid tututukan ka ng kutsilyo. O yung mga tao na, kapitbahay ko nagtutulak ng drugs, walang magawa yung gobyerno. The ones who felt helpless and he gave the right message. Politics is about the messages and a track record. And so, he was elected with one of the largest majorities I suppose…
Nery: Well he got 38 percent of the votes.
Gordon: He won by six million votes
Nery: yeah, about the same margin as Erap and Noynoy
Gordon: he was not a celebrity like Erap. His mother and father did not die
Nery: it was a real and impressive landslide
Gordon: And seo, he’s going by that mandate and is in many ways when I was mayor, I would say some of the things that he says. You know sometimes when you talk to (inaudible) and the bourgeoisie they speak in different languages. Even he wants to use the dialectics, the proletariat, iba yung lenggwahe niya dapat maintindihan nila.
Pag kinakausap yung mga pulis dapat alam nila siga ka gagawin mo talaga yung gagawin mo dahil hindi ka natatakot sa kanila at saka doon sa maton sa kalye yung mga durugista, yung mga nagtutulak, you have to take the language that they understand.
Nanakot ako nung araw sa Olongapo. First day, I arrested a policeman eye to eye tumatanggap. Nandon ako sa isang kotse, hinabol ko yung jeepney hindi ko hinabol yung pulis, sumakay yung pulis I remember his name. His name is Borgonia. And then, nakasakay siya pagdating sa kanto bumaba kaagad nagbubulsa so hindi ko siya pinansin talagang hinabol ko yung jeepney, sabi ko nagbigay ka no. “Hindi Sir.” Nagbigay ka. “Sir, pangkape lang iyon.” Nagbigay ka, kailangan ko yun sabihin mo sakin kung bakit ka nagbibigay. Kasi ang tawag namin doon may porma nakakauna yung jeepney, kaya nagkakatraffic. So tinawag ko yung pulis, umamin ka kung hindi ka aamin idedemanda kita. Yung mga trial lawyer…sigurado ako tatanggalin kita.
So, umamin siya nag-apologize. “O sige, volunteer ka to go to jail.”So naka uniporme siya, nakakulong siya and that started the whole shebang and I would tell everybody na kung nakukulong ko ang pulis, matakot kayo didiretsohin kayo. And I also said the same thing to many people. Alam ko, my father was assassinated eh. There were three times involved pa ang pulis, yung chief of police. And there were three hand grenades thrown at my father. Galit ako when I took over. Sabi ko huwag niyo na akong hintayin pang i-expose ko kayo. Eh di yon, nangyayari diyan natatakot yung pulis. SIyempre palagay ko, may namamatay sa kalye natatakot sila baka ibubulgar sila ng mga alaga nila. Yung mga snatcher.
Nery: Is that’s what happening now?
Gordon: To a certain extent, to me one of the fantastic things that the president did was sinabi niya doon sa aking reaction don sa speeches, hindi nagpa-interpellate si Leila de Lima. I found that strange, secretary of justice ka pag may privilege speech ka bakit hindi ka magpapa-interpellate. So on the other hand, nagsalita si Alan, nagtanungan kami and then sabi ko hindi ba kayo nagtataka ang tao tumitingin sa kabila, hindi nila tinitingnan yung nangyayari across dahil nga alam nila yung nangyayari eh dapat walang nangyayari kahit isumbong mo walang nangyayari lumalabas yun eh. So, siya ba nagpapatay? Hindi ko alam. Sinabi niya bang papatayin ko, yes. Sinabi niyang papatayin kita? Iba na yun kapag sinabing papatayin kita mismo. And, I’m not looking at one. Killing is killing and I am not going to (justify) it. Sabi ko nga don, sabi ko kay Sen. Leila de Lima may smoking gun eh, kung may smoking gun. Halimbawa yung pulis nakaposas, binaril ng tao, mayroon kang smoking gun. May testigo nakaposas walang kalaban laban binaril, nang-aagaw ng baril eh aba pwede mong kasuhan yan. Kakasuhan ka bas a bule ribbon? Hindi, may proseso eh. May internal affairs. Ginawa natin yung batas na yan. Yung internal affairs kailangan imbestigahan ng pulis yung kapwa nila pulis kaagad at magbigay ng report.
Nery: Nabanggit nga ni Senate Majority floor leader Tito Sotto yan. That was one of the inventions nga dapat yung internal affairs yung…
Gordon: Marami ngang nagtanong niyan pati si Senator Cayetano, meron bang ganon? Oo. Kailangang gawin yan and so we’re not just going to investigate anybody because we want to investigate. Let the process work. Yan, imbestigahin yan. Kung anong nagyrai diyan at mayroong magcocomplain na talagang nakita natin na there’s defect in the system. Then we go ahead, but you know when you start talking about extrajudicial killings. Come on, andaming pinapatay. Noong panahon ng tatay ko binaril si Laurel, Congressman Amante, binaril si Crisologo habang nagkokomunyon. There are people being killed. Andaming pinapatay noong araw. Before that noong panahon ni Diosdado Macapagal mayroong massacre and before that sabi ni Julio Nalundasan, my name is Julio Nalundasan, I personally believe President Ferdinand Marcos killed my father, on radio. And this has been going on and on and on. Walang nangyayari.
Nag-away kami ni President Marcos. Bakit ka bumabato sa ban, Marcos, because there were three of them who saw my father died. Bawal mag-extend. Nag-aral ako ng law. nobody can extend himself. Pangalawa, mukhang hindi niya naman pinapansin yung hinaing ng mga tao katulad ko na ang tatay ko pinatay hindi nangyari…Sabi niya pa rescind the commitment you made (unintelligible) eh hindi naman ako ganoong ka-committed na. You know ano ang justice even in the Aquinos. Bakit nagtataka ako may presidente tayo; Cory forgive me. I ask for the forgiveness of Tita Cory and Ninoy. Presidente na kayo eh you have all the powers in your command bakit hindi natin mahuli yung mga taong nagpapatay. Kung ako yun hahanapin ko yun gagawin ko ang lahat para nandiyan pa yung mga naghatid kay Ninoy sa tarmac e. Abay bitbitin natin maraming question pero bakit walang lumalabas. So we are all in the same boat na walang nangyayari.
People are killed left and right walang nangyayari. Eh ano one time may binaril yung judge dyan alam nyo yan hindi ko nalang. Taga-Aklan yung judge na yon yung babae no. Ateneo law school graduate iyon. Pagkatapos yung kaniyang asawa judge binaril sa Batangas. Pinaimbestiga ko yan, sinabihan ko si Janet anong say mo? E di nahuli drug lord doon sa loob ng muntinlupa nakakulong nakakapagpa-order. My father pinalabas sa Muntinlupa pinalabas sa preso ng Subic jail yung mga nagtatapon ng granada sa kaniya yung bumabaril sa kaniya. At ang intention pag napatay babalik doon sa jail. Kaya nung nag-mayor ako learning from that kapag may dumadating na mga barko malinis na yung bayan ko pag may dumadating na barko bilangin ninyo yung preso diyan walang makalabas wala ng isnatser walang nandudukot because systemic ang problema. Systemic. So unless we do something about it unless somebody comes in at sasabihin ayan nangyari yan.
Ako nasasaktan ako. I dont want to be the dead horse. Sa Mamasapano nakikita mo yung mga tao binabaril. Aba teka muna tanungin mo ako kung ako presidente ano gagawin ko? Sasabihin ko uy kayo yung mga kaibigan ko sa MILF tigilan ninyo nyan papadala ko lahat ng helicopter ko papadala ko lahat ng amphibian ko riyan. Papadala ko lahat ng sundalo lulusubin namin kayo because pinapatay ninyo yung mga tao hindi ninyo dapat pinapatay yan. Police action yan walang nangyari! Si purisima opted to go to States. Paano siya nakakalusot ng ganon na nakakalabas siya na siya pa ang kinokonsulta samantala may kaso siya?
There is a broken system in our society ayaw ko nang tumakbo eh. Napilitan ako nag-usap kami ni Senate President kasi sabi ko sa totoo lang ayaw ko na tumakbo mapipilitan lang ako sa mga ganiyan. Kaya sabi ko Blue Ribbon nag-aalangan ako pag nag-umpisa ako.
Mabait ka ngayon. Hindi kako. I’m just taking my time because pag nagsimula ako riyan hindi ko titigalan iyan. And that’s what it is. So if we have a government whatever government we have we are all products of that government. That’s why ngayon may Con-Con may Con-Ass bakit hindi naman nagwowork do you think mag-change ang ating bayan pag nag-federal tayo? You (have) the same people. Ang kailangan natin inner change. Ang sinabi ko noong March 3, 1980, what this country needs is not just change of government but change in men. Baguhin natin ang attitude natin. Unahin muna natin yung duty first, sense of common good. Yun muna. Kasi hindi mangyayari kung ayaw magbago.
Nery: Si Kristine ata may tanong tungkol sa Con-Ass.
ON CHARTER CHANGE
Sabillo: Mainit ngayon yung usapan I think. Babalikan natin after commercial break yung issue ng drug killings but nabanggit na ni senator yung tungkol sa Con-Ass. If Im not mistaken the first time you became a senator you were pro Con-Ass but recently you expressed support you are pro Con-Con and you are the youngest delegate but now you express your support for Con-Ass
Gordon: I was always for Con-Ass. Sinabi ko iyan sa senado sabi ko kung magCon-Con tayo magbabayad tayo ng election na naman. Yung bata bata diyan eh kami noon non-partisan convention I was a student leader noon. I was for non-partisan ano nangyari. Partisan! Marcos etc.
Nery: Your own experience of Con-Con
Gordon: Papasukin yan at papasukin. Don’t think we are living in a world na people are good there are good and there are bad and it becomes good only when the good strives to change it. If you say Con-Con, it’s not a magic formula papasukin yan. Delegate Quintero, I remember, pinasok yan. May mga envelopes yan whatever that was may envelope na binigay para bumoto. Well that’s part of the system boss wala kaming pera dito ang sweldo namin dito 100 pesos a day. Hinarang ko pa yan 3 thousand na dinagdag eh. Natalo ako sa korte suprema ang usapan dito 100 piso lang binigyan tayo ng tatlong libo…I went to the Supreme Court, natalo kami. So nagbibigay ng envelope noong araw sa mga delegates from Leyte, Samar, non-urbanized. Ni-raid si Delegate Quintero sa bahay nya the guy got sick old man retired diplomat hindi niya nakuha yung benefits nya talagang bakbakan noong araw. Talagang pinapakailaman yan at pinapakailaman din ng opposition. I was with Lapuz at that time and hindi nila kami mapigil talo kami palagi.
Sabillo: So from your experience do you think Con-Con will not work and Con-Ass is a better one?
Gordon: Ang sinasabi ko go start from the bottom line. Naiintindihan ba ng tao yung 1917 constitution? Taas ang kamay nang nagugutom. That’s the exaggerated thing. Yung iba boboto ako riyan gusto ko iyan. Yun bang ginagawa sinasabi nila unfair to Cory constitution. This is our constitution. It’s not Cory constitution hindi naman siya kasama roon eh. I dont think she quite fully understand all the issues there like most of us did. Like yung sinabi roon. Oh bumoto ka na riyan pag di ka bumoto riyan revolutionary government tayo. Is that a choice? Talagang pinag-aralan ba isa-isa iyan? I campaigned against it I went all over the place to campaign against the Cory Constitution if you call that for the lack of a better term.
Nery: Let’s just call it the 1987 constitution.
Gordon: 1987 pinosasan natin yung sarili natin doon sa bases. Foreign military bases, troops and facilities will not be allowed. Sinasabi mo on your own parang sinabi ni Duterte. Against ako roon sa unilateral ceasefire. Kailangan sabay baba ninyo muna yung armas ninyo baba yung armas namin. Eh dito sa constitution natin, foreign military bases, and troops and facilities will not be allowed in our territory unless it is ratified and ratified by the other treaty and ratified by plebiscite baka teka muna pag sinugod ba tayo ng China, time out, i-amend muna namin yung constitution muna namin? Mag-treaty muna tayo, mag-ayos muna tayo. To me tinalian mo na yung sarili mo you cannot call your allies to come in right away and you see now may truce sabi ng supreme court legal ang tagal pa umabot sa Korte Suprema. Ayaw ko yung maraming inayawan ko riyan yung mga provision na makakahadlang sa negosyo ano at ayaw ko yung reactionary masyado yung constitution na tinatalian natin yung sarili natin but did it change our country? But I think it didn’t.
Nery: Pero yung sa usaping constitutional change whether it’s through a Con-Con or a Con-Ass, yung sinasabi ninyong nagiging partisan lalabas din yun whether it’s Con-Con or Con-Ass?
Gordon: Kaya ang bottom line ko riyan, tatanungin mo yung tao bibigay mo ba yung constitution mo or gusto mo ba naiintindihan niya. Ang gusto ko Con-Ass. Oh magbago tayo, sa America first amendment free speech every American knows that.
Nery: Except for a certain Donald Trump.
Gordon: You’re being media mean (laughs). Tama iyon. I agree that, pero number five, fifth amendment I cannot incriminate myself. Alam nila lahat iyan because naiintindihan nila. Dito lahat ibibigay mo hindi naiintindihan ng tao. Parang Brexit to simplify it. And I don’t like simplifying it na pinakasimple yes or no. Remain or leave. Sabi nila leave by a hairline margin ngayon they are saying nagkamali tayo ulitin natin nagkamali tayo balik na tayo.
Sabillo: We need to take a break tuloy natin yung discussion natin. Before that we want to greet our viewers from Hong Kong, Saudi, Kuwait, Dubai, Qatar and Spain. Thank you to everyone watching INQ&A with Senator Dick Gordon. We will be back after few minutes.
[Commercial]
ON SUBIC
Sabillo: So welcome back to INQ&A with Senator Dick Gordon. Singit ko lang yung isang question from social media. From Roland Lugayan: Have you shared the master plan for SBMA with President Duterte?
Gordon: Last time I said that, ang sabi ko Mr. President on Monday I will be opening the Mindanao railway I was also offered the Mindanao Development Plan. Matagal ko nang gusto yung Mindanao railway dahil ang hirap-hirap mag-ship doon. Mas mahal pa rito kaysa sa America pag dinala mo sa America. But don’t forget sa Norte meron kang tatlong airport: Subic, Clark, Manila. Meron kang apat na seaport: Subic, Mariveles, Manila, and Batangas Seaport. Meron kang isang road ang tawag ko dyan 143 dati 321 “I love you”… bakit? Isang railroad kung gagawin mo yan napakaganda yan, kabit-kabit na yan railroads made America-grade in the 1860s and by the way, way the railroad even before Rizal was killed and even if we were with our first constitution, ginawa natin yan in four years. Eto di natin magawa, nawala pa.
Sinabi ko nga sa Dagupan, sa Bulacan kahapon, alam nyo ba nangyari [raw] rito, meron na tayong railroad hindi natin ginamit, ninakaw pa yung railroad na di natin alam kung saan napunta …literally nawala sa atin… so ngayon sinabi ko kay President Duterte kagabi, sabi ko “Mr. President, you have all this, all you have to do is bring in the investments, you can decongest Manila, ilipat mo yung mga good [shops], sabihin mo yung bigyan mo pa ng incentives, pero yung pinag-usapan namin kagabi ayaw nila ng incentives [no] ng mga tax works pero I think they have to do that [no], … pagka sinabi mo ilabas mo yang mga pabrika sa Maynila, at dapat kung saan nagtatrabaho yung tao, dun na sya maninirahan, may bahay ng kasama, dun na rin mag-aaral yung mga bata. So [pang] priming yung sa Central Luzon and for others, [pang] priming din sa Maynila, gigibain mo, [manguguha] ka ng employment diba. Pag naggawa ka ng panibagong design don, another [pang] priming. Pero ang maganda nyan, pupunta dyan ang Taiwan, may host south ngayon. Noon pa yan sa akin kaya nakuha ko yung Taiwan pero hindi natin naitigil dahil palit-palit tayo eh. So ngayon, bumabalik ang Taiwan Go South, ang Japan, ang Vietnam, kumukuha ang Vietnam sa China dapat makakuha tayo ang Japan gagawa rin ng railroad para sa atin. Eh di samantalahin natin, kunin natin lahat chance diyan. Hindi mo puwede sabihin saan mo ilalagay doon? Hindi. Dapat mayroon ka ng bawat lugar may subdivision ka dyan sa Pandi, Bulacan, sa Pulilan, sa Pampanga dapat mayroon ka na talagang industrial part diyan magkano ang lote diyan? Magkano ang renta? May kuryente ba? May tubig ba riyan? Mayroon kayong mga eskwela? para maibebenta mo may papasok. So pag pinagdikit mo lahat iyan hanap-buhay galore. Subic, Clark, Manila.
Nery: Yung 143: one railroad, four seaports, three airports.
Gordon: Tsaka may gastos ka pa riyan. NLEX ginawa ni Marcos noong araw. Mayroon pa tayong SCTEX. Meron ka pang TPLEX. Kapag gumastos ka ng infrastructure mayroon ka pang south super highway. Wag ninyo na akong paniwalaan, paniwalaan ninyo yung ginawa yung CALABARZON, nagawa yun dahil may south super highway magkabila nang highway yun ang pinapakita ko mayroong mga pabrika. Yun ang sinasabi ko. Yung Sta. Rosa naging Detroit of the Philippines.
Nery: Ano naman response ni President?
Gordon: Oo. Ganado siya. Sir, kako, kung gusto ninyo even as a senator I will lead the delegation sasama ako, utusan ninyo ako. Gagawin ko yung ginawa ko noon sa Subic at mag-iimbita ako hindi lang dito kundi mula sa Mindanao at iba pa. And I can do that. That’s one of the things I can do and as a Senator mas malakas ang dating pag masasabi ko we have the rule of law we will not change the rules in the middle of the game. Yun pa rin ang rule ko ano. To me these are great moments na dapat nating i-seize, nangyari na sa Subic nawala pa yung Fedex… kwarta na naging bato pa. 18 flights a day in that airport, umiyak ako diyan nung nakuha ko riyan nung nakuha ko yung fedex. Nagpunta pa ako para akong nakiapaglibing. Ang hirap-hirap namin kinuha yan bumili kami ng radar, pinautang ako ng World Bank. Bumili ako ng ILS kumpleto yan para sa APEC yung dating kuwan pagawaan ng eroplano ginawang airport. We have 18 flights a night of heavy laden aircraft. Dito sa Manila araw-araw bumababa lahat ang maraming eroplano sobra-sobra magtataka ka pa na masisira talaga yung pavement doon magkakaroon ng balat yan na lalabas.
Nery: Just to go back to the question from our social media partner, in a nutshell what’s the secret of Subic? Whats the plan of Subic?
Gordon: Yun ang plan. Para kung nakita mo yung ito yung Hong Kong araw noon, tumawid sa Kowloon tapos pumunta sa new territory tapos napunta sa Genzhen tapos napunta sa buong China. Ganiyan yan. Integrated.
Nery: Kung sa Mindanao saan magsisimula dapat?
Gordon: Davao is the principal port, Cagayan is the port. Tingnan mo kung iikot pa sa Mindanao, iikot ka pa along the peninsula going to Zamboanga iikot ka. Dapat nga may canal yan doon sa may Zamboanga del Norte sa isang bayan doon. Tiningnan ko noong araw yan. Pero matagal. Kung may railroad ka lahat ng goods products dadalhin mo doon sa Cagayan De Oro nandoon ang barko takbo na yan. Mayroon ka ng airport sa Davao, meron ka ng airport sa Cagayan de Oro, mayroon ka ng airport sa Zamboanga. Magkakaroon na ng hanap buhay. Ang nagpatalo sa America 1863 to 1868 yung railroad. It was the most corrupt project on earth. Congressman, senators lahat nagkaroon ng pera riyan pati media. Noong magawa iyon lahat ng mga tao kasi nag-civil war na-exploit yung south ng kapitbahay kaya ang ginawa dalhin natin lahat sa west. Nagpunta lahat ng bagong immigrants sa west doon. Kaya nga yung produkto nila ngayon napunta sa east. Kaya lumakas ngayon ang America.
Sabillo: Eto senator related din sa Subic. We have a follower from the chat hotline asking if the Disneyland project in the Philippines, possibly in Subic, will push through? Sabi nya dito sa Pinas para sa mga hindi nakakarating sa Orlando, Paris or Hong Kong. I think this rumor circulated when President Aquino visited executives of Walt Disney. Is there truth to this rumor?
Gordon: Alam mo natuto ako mahalin yan noong araw. Nagpunta ako roon. Hindi dahil nagpunta ka roon nag MOU ka mangyayari yan. Remember they are in China. They are in Japan. Malalaking operation na yan malalaki airport nila. So kailangan maganda ang airport natin. Kung tatlo ang airport mo hindi mangyayari na hindi magagamit yung Manila International Airport, baba ka sa Clark hindi ka makababa 6 to 9 hours maghintay. I have letters nagcocomplain, hindi mo magamit yung Subic. Perhaps because of our population, tumataas ang ating ekonomiya baka makuha mo ang Universal Studios, baka makuha moa ng Disneyland. Why not we make our own. Doon sa Subic ayan iadvertise ko rito kawawa naman yung nandon yung Tigerland. Mayroon sila doon dolphin show. Ayaw ko yung animals in captivity pero it’s an experience sa mga tao. Popular na popular yan. We don’t need a Disneyland. Konting advertising lang marami na importante magkaroon ng hanapbuhay from Bulacan to Pampanga to Tarlac hanggang Pangasinan hanggang La Union hanggang Norte patungo sa South doon sa Batan sa Mariveles, Zambales yung coastline nyan yung beaches hanggang sa Batangas. Mayroong another road that will bypass Manila going to Batangas seaport. Eh parang you have JFK, you have La Guardia New York. Parang New York, may tatlong airports sa New York, may tatlong sea ports sa New Jersey sea port. Canada and Japan. Lahat yan gamitin mong infrastructure. Ang infrastructure hindi ginawa yan para this is a project of senator buwaya or congressman pating. Yung infrastructure hindi pinagyayabang. Ang infrastructure ginawa yan para lumikha ng kabuhayan. Kung hindi lilikha ng kabuhayan. Zero yan. Nothing.
Nery: Senator while listening to you I understand your reluctance to run again in the Senate.
Gordon: I’m already a senator.
Nery: You really defer to the experience of that of an executive. So you are an adminsitrator CEO of Philippine Red Cross, Subic, Olongapo kasama mo resume ninyo tourism tapos sa Senate medyo iba ang trabaho ninyo you conduct hearings you conduct debates. Do you feel a fish out of water in the senate?
Gordon: No. Marami naman akong nagawang batas diba. Automated election nagawa natin. Pero tingin mo ah, nagawa ko na yung batas hindi papairalin ng executive. Ginawang batas yung automated election. Pinairal ba yung source code, dalawang election walang source code. Sabi ni chairman ngayon ng government meron daw source code hindi ko pa nakita yung source code na iyan. Walang electronic signatures tatlong election. That’s violation. Kaya nga abangan ang susunod sa Blue Ribbon. Meron doon sa tourism enterprise zone na ginawa ko. Para lumakas kulang ang hotel hindi binibigyan ang insentibo, walang nabibigyan ng insentibo dapat kailangan ng hotel. Ang dami-dami. Binibigyan mo lahat ng pesa pero tayo ang natural sa tourism – 50 million Filipinos sa Wow Philippines, 50 million ang nag-travel sa Wow Philippines domestic tourism pa lang iyan. Huwag mo mamaliitin yan malaki ang pera riyan marami ang yumaman diyan sa probinsya because of that. Lalo na kung marami kang pinapatayong tourist hotels, maayos ang iyong environment responsibility. Maganda iyan. Yayaman tayo riyan.
Nery: And you have younger people, millennials, travelling in groups yung mga barkada.
Gordon: Tingnan mo Singapore. Ilan ang puwede mong ilagay na Singapore sa buong Pilipinas? Eh di 641. Pero ang isang Singapore? Talo ka sa Tourism, talo ka sa foreign direct investment. They’re number one in Asia. Diyan papasok ngayon yung sinasabi kong kaya importante kaya pumasok ako sa Senate. Gusto ko aysuin ang education, gusto ko yung suweldo ng teacher, talagang itaas muna, ibigay muna sa education. Iyon ang gusto ko. Because kapag marunong na yung tao natin, marunong na bumoto yan, may values yan, at makakakuha ka ngayon ng magaling na investors. Kaya ang Singapore, kaliit-liit. Five million lang ata yung population niyan (unclear) pero kalidad yung population, tinalo na yung mga doktor natin halos.
Nery: Pero some of the, they’re attracting our doctors. Some of the good doctors in Singapore are Filipinos.
Gordon: Correct. Our doctors, our planners, our architects, our nurses… nagpagamot ako diyan minsan, akala nila magh-heart attack ako. Nagpagamot ako ngipin, sabi nung blood test, “Sir ‘wag kayong lumipat, nandito na ako.” Patingin kayo dahil nakalagay dito mataas yung chemical niyo. Pumunta ako, akala ko. Sabi wala ho kayong heart attack Filipina, doctor, ang dami naming picture. Filipina nurses. So makita niyo, ginagawa nila. In fact, binibigyan pa ng citizenship yung mga tao natin. So why? Number one sila sa port operations, number one sila sa education, tinatalo nila lahat. Ang military nila, they have submarines, tayo wala. Marami silang C130, tayo two and a half. Sila marami…
Nery: Well before, they used to train here the pilots
Gordon: Hanggang ngayon gusto nila mag-train dito.
Nery: Hindi, nasa Guam na yata sila, mayroon silang, may arrangement. Senator, napag-usapan mo yung increase eh. Mayroon tayong Facebook reader, si Nikka Nikka. Sabi, “Sir may increase ba ang mga teachers ngayon?”
Gordon: Mayroon silang increase, naka-program yan under Executive Order sa SG11 – 19 thousand, 20 thousand next year. Ano ba yan? Tingnan mo nga yung Singapore, 133 thousand per month. Tingnan mo nga yung Malaysia, 90 thousand per month. Tingnan mo yung China, 50 thousand per month. Tayo, 19 thousand, increase ba yun? Kahit increase mo ng 25 thousand yan, talo ka pa rin. So ang gusto ko, kahit na papaano, hinahanap ako… pasensya na kayo, nagtatagal ako ng konti, finile ko na ‘yang bill na yan. Noon pang last time. Ang tawag ko diyan, Health Education Acceleration Program. Na gagamitin yung pera doon sa tax on text para lumakas. Ang daming nagagalit sa akin nung araw, ngayon wala na. Nakuha na ng ibang mga Viber, kung ano-ano na. Naghahanap ako ngayon kung san tayo kukuha ng pera. Kanina tinawag ko pa yung budget staff ng Senado para magtanong sa kaniya, “Paano natin hahanapin kung saan kukunin tong perang to?” Ang kailangan mo 219 billion para ma-extend para mabigyan mo ng suweldo yung teacher ng 35 thousand pesos. Kailangan mo rin ng scholarship para nag-aaral ka pa sa UP, paaralin kita ng last three years mo pero magttrabaho ka as teacher for the next three years.
Nery: If I’m not mistaken the budget that was presented yesterday, may increase sa DepEd budget of 30 percent. Abot ng 570 billion. Pero malaki diyan, maintenance, personal…
Gordon: Hindi, yung mga sweldo nandiyan na yan pero yung mga pagawa ng eskuwela…
Nery: Is that enough?
Gordon: No, hindi. Kaya dapat magdasal tayo na lahat ng Pilipino, ang pag-asa natin ay hindi yung binibigay sa inyo sa CCP. Ang pag-asa niyo makapag-aral. Sabi nga nung staff ko doon sa, ayun respetado ko yun, siya’y si… Nako, heto na naman ako. Nags-senior moments ako. Yung tinawag ko kanina… Si Yolly something. She’s been working for me for a long time, sabi niya, “Alam mo sir, alam ko po yung sinasabi niyo kasi kapag isa lang ang maka-college sa isang pamilya, malaki na ang maitutuling nun.” Kaya sabi ko, kaya dapat bigyan mo ng matinong teacher yan, walong oras ang bata sa teacher, dapat sila ang may hawak.
Madaling mag-file ng bill, taas ng suweldo, 39 thousand, saan mo kukunin? Hahanapin mo yun. Kaya yun ang pinaghihirapan ng isang legislator katulad ko. Kanina tinawagan ko yung LTO, kung babayaran ba yung may-ari ng mga kotse later ng another one thousand para sa bawat kotse. 8.8 million ang may kotse eh di 8 billion lang yun? Kulang, ang layo. Kung halimbawa, lahat ng may cellphone, magalit na kayo sakin, lahat ng cellphone—27 million—nagbayad ng isang libo, 27 billion lang yun. So ang layo natin eh. Hahanapin mo, hindi ko sinabing mangyayari yun no. Pero hahanapan ko ng paraan na mas madali pero dapat iintindihin niyo, pag nag-tax dapat may kapalit, ano ang kapalit? The best teachers in the world to make the best… ang gusto ko sinabi ko na ito ilang beses, ang aim ko is to make the Philippines—kung hindi tayo military power—the intellectual superpower of Asia. The creative country in the world. And we can do that pero may cost yan. Magbabayad tayo, tutulong tayo diyan.
Nery: Nangyari na po sa atin yan, for a short time in the late 19th century, our Asian neighbors were looking at us. For instance, yung Indonesia at the time, meron tayong mga doktor tulad ni Rizal, wala pa silang college graduate.
Gordon: We had the highest literacy rate in Asia. We were second only to Japan. Narinig niyo na yan. Pero masakit yung Singapore—kasinlaki lang ng Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, sinlaki lang ng Clark—tinatalo tayo. Tinatalo tayo ng Hong Kong. Why? They invested in education, good governance, mayroon na silang common good. Takot ang Singapore sa Indonesia, takot sa Malaysia, takot sa China. Kaya sila parang Israel ang dating nila. Tayo dapat, ganoon. Dapat ganoon dating natin. Kaya we need leaders na may vision.
ON BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE
Sabillo: Senator, binanggit mo na kanina yung Blue Ribbon. We’re curious ano yung priority niyo ngayon sa Blue Ribbon Committee?
Gordon: Apat yan, kung talagang tutuusin, magagalit sakin. Bakit nawala yung radar, yung (unclear)? Paliwanag niyo sa akin, paano nawala a complete airport. It is the country’s ultimate airport during my time and even before my time. Nawala lahat yan, di magamit. Bakit hindi ginagamit yung Clark? Dalawang runway, ilagay mo na isa na lang yung runway kasi paradahan yung isang runway. Walang design na ganon.
Nery: Tsaka ang ganda ng quality nun.
Gordon: Maganda ang quality nun. Eh kung tatlo yan, hindi mahihirapan, wala tayong reputational damage worldwide. Imagine, yung kaibigan ko galing sa Qatar, 6 ½ hours, I was in the aircraft. They would not let me go. There was somebody suffering from asthma. (Unclear) Bumaba siya sa airport nung isang araw from Apayao. Alam mo kung saan siya nagalit? 6 ½ hours from Quezon City last Friday, from Manila from Airport to Quezon City. Unacceptable.
Nery: So that’s the first…
Gordon: Yes. Hindi puwedeng maghanap ng fault pero alamin natin paano natin paaandarin yan?
Nery: Three other issues?
Gordon: Bakit yung electoral reform, basic democratic right to vote. Bat hindi niya pinapairal? Electoral reform yan. Pero magagawa rin natin yan. Pangatlo, tourism. Bakit yung tourism enterprise yun, hindi kayo nagbibigay incentives na andun sa law. You are executive, you cannot say no. That is malfeasance, nonfeasance, misfeasance. Hindi mo ginagawa yung trabaho mo. Mali ang implementation. Dapat ang pinapairal mo yan. Sana marami na tayong hotel. Eh tanungin kita, ilan ang biyahe ng presidente? Oh, we got billions of dollars of investors, nasaan yun? Wala. Panay M.O.U., panay photograph, walang nangyayari. And then the fourth one is… mayroon pang isang. Babalik sakin yun. I’m having senior moments right now.
Nery: It’s been a long day for you. These are the things you’ve been working on before. Now you want to find out what happened or what did happen.
Gordon: That is how bad we have become. If we cannot implement the law… kaya ako doon sa aking desk palagi, mayroon aking oath of office ko. Tinitingnan ko yun pag di natin ginagawa, are we doing our oath? The president… to execute all laws, to enforce all laws. Lahat yan nakalagay doon. And pag hindi mo ginawa yan, you’re in violation of your oath. That’s what it is. Walang execution, walang enforcement.
ON DRUG-RELATED KILLINGS
Sabillo: Ano naman pong masasabi niyo doon sa upcoming na hearings on the killings related to the drug campaign?
Gordon: Well, they better have a good evidence because we are not policemen. The policemen do their job. Ang tanong ko, heto, dapat mag-investigate. I do not like killings, I am against the death penalty—di niyo pa ako tinatanong, I said it before. My father was assassinated but I am against the death penalty. Why? Mas maganda pagka-kinulong mo yun, nakikita ng mga tao, nakakulong siya. Pati pamilya niya nahihirapan, magdadala ng pagkain, ganiyan diba? Pero pag pinatay mo, pag nagkamali ka, hindi mo na maibabalik yung buhay. Marami pang iba. I will not use the Bible, chapter… it’s okay, I’m glad (Manny Pacquiao’s) doing his best to… well, noh. And I will not put it against him ‘cause he’s tried hard all his life.
Pangalawa, killing is killing. Kung mayroon kang (unclear), like I said, yung Del Rio, pinatay, aba imbestigahan natin yan. Pero andodoon yan. Bumaba ang crime ng 13 percent. Should we be happy about it? Yes. Should we be happy about the killings? No. I’m not happy about the killings, I don’t agree with it. But we have to learn to act as a nation, na kung tayo ay mage-elect ng mabubuting leader, hindi tayo aabot dito. Kaya nangyayari ito, sabi ko nga, kaya dumating tayo diyan, ngayon lang naglalabas ang presidente—limang tao, generals, tunay. Napatay pa nga yung nagsumbong doon sa isang general eh, sa Cebu. Ano pangalan, Kasaban ba pangalan nun? Napatay yun. Pinatay. Ngayon, kagabi, pinakita sa amin binabasa niya another hundred thirty-nine names of mayors and policemen. The man is serious about cleaning up on drugs pero pag nagkamali ka, kailangan mayroon kang explanation diyan. Kung magpapapatay ka, bawal yan, ipo-prosecute ka. Pero hindi naman siya, “patayin mo yang taong yan!” eh wala naman lumalabas pang ganun. Pero alam ko yan. Sabi ko nga dun sa (unclear) natatakot ang ibang pulis. Bakit ngayon niyo lang nalalaman? Bakit sinasabi niyong drug pusher yan, namamatay yan? Eh bat alam niyo naman pala dati, bat hindi niyo pa hinuhuli nung araw pa?
Nery: Will you be in hearing tomorrow? I think the first hearing is tomorrow?
Gordon: You know, I attended the other meeting the other day. Yun pala, hindi ako member niyan. Hindi pala ako tinanggap sa Judiciary Committee. Hindi rin ako tinaggap dun sa Peace and Order Committee. But I am a senator, I can attend but I cannot vote.
But anyway, to my mind, there’s gotta be another… So you know, I can investigate as Blue Ribbon, ako lang ang mayroong motu propio to investigate. Pero like I said, nangyayari yan. Natutuwa ang tao dahil nawawala. Siyempre nakikiramay tayo sa namamatay. Wala naman tayong nakikita yung lumalabas na, yung napatay nga sa Pieta, hindi natin alam kung sino pumatay, may cardboard, “Mali yan! Ayoko yan,” pero nakalagay din sinasabi nagtulak ng droga eh. So ano talaga ang dapat na solusyon natin? Create the job opportunities. Move the people out of depression. Because kahit ganito it will not be a solution magkakaroon pa rin ng droga diyan eventually because it’s just too lucrative. They will take the risk also but they are all in danger. And as well as our existence and the same eh paano pag nagkamali yung pulis kaya nga dapat yung pulis sisitahin mo apg nagkamali pukpukin mo ng husto. Pukpukin mo ng husto. Nagkamali eh. Para mag-iingat din sila, takot sila ngayon lumalabas ngayon yung pangalan mo. It never happened to the country.
Nery: Yun yung isang kinababahala ng mga tao na pati yung president mismo aminado na maraming mga pulis sangkot. And yet you are giving the police extra latitude with General Dela Rosa and so on. Parang kulang pa yung, na-rehabilitate, na-reorganize yung police.
Gordon: I heard the president said that he was tortured. Napakasama ng bayan. Ang daming corrupt. He was at the local government. Tama ka Dick ang daming corrupt. And sabi niya, yung real property tax. Ang sabi ko teka muna sir bago kayo mag real property tax that’s a local government initiative pero sabi niya para hindi na hihingi ang local government sa kaniya, hindi inaadjust yung real property taxes eh sila na mag-aadjust para implement nila. Pero bago nila implement yan dapat papakita nila saan gagawin yan pwede ba dyan yung kalahati dyan lagay nyo sa teachers training. Sabi nya ang daming corrupt. Tumingin ka roon sa ibang lugar diyan ang lalaki ng bahay dambuhala ang bahay, ang city hall talo ang Senado, talo ang Kongreso. So, to me, iyan ang resulta na hindi natin maayos. Kaya yung frustration ngayon saan ka makakita lahat ng mga tao. Yung iba nga eh, nagagalit kapag tinitira mo. It doesn’t make it right it is wrong to kill but you have to find out – testigo siya ang pumatay. Huli. Gawin mo. Pag nangyari yun, you’re making the system work.
Nery: Tama. Senator, we have four minutes left. Let’s say hi first to our viewers on Facebook live from Singapore, from the United Kingdom and from Rome, Italy. Magandang gabi po sa inyong lahat.
Gordon: Good afternoon po. Thank you for all the sacrifices. One day dapat tutulong na kayo sa ating bayan.
ON RED CROSS
Nery: Baka ngayon pa lang nagpapadala na sila sa ating bayan, nagpapaaral. Senator, I wanted to use the last few minutes ah. If I can ask you to wear your Red Cross chairman hat ano, may habagat tayo the past several days ilang araw na, ganon ano, may buhawi pa nung isang araw. Tinamaan pa yung red cross ano. Can you give us an update?
Gordon: Bumaba na yung mga kuwan. I was hoping and to a certain extent na hindi naging katulad nung nakaraan yung malakas na malakas ano na babaha sa buong maynila. I think nakapag-alert tayo. Nalulungkot ako na mayroong nagibang wall. Nandoon yung red cross, nandon yung rescue truck. Sampung tao ang tinamaan doon. Ang namatay doon tatlo; dalawa ang na-save ng red cross nakuha namin sa ilalim ng rabble dahil may rescue truck; apat nadala sa hospital at yung dalawa nabuhay yung dalawa patay. Ah but maganda ang cooperation within the government and the Red Cross yung mga umalis doon sa Marikina and nag-evacuate mabuti yan sapagkat hindi na tayo masyado nahirapan. Ang iniingatan ko hanggang ngayon, yung baba ng tubig sa Cordilleras, sa Sierra Madre, pumupunta sa Bulacan yan. Pupunta sa Calumpit, doon sa Bocaue babaha dyan mageextend yan and I hope hindi na ulit mangyayari iyon. Binabantayan ko yan pero marami pang tinamaan. Yung buhawi akala namin tutuloy doon sa Tondo. Sinabihan naming, eh tumuloy sa Quezon City. So thank God, hindi ganoon karami ang namatay hindi ganoon karami ang pinsala pero nagpakain din tayo kahit papaano ng hot meals yung gobyerno natin tumutulong din so it’s important that we learn from this incident dapat tutulong tayo hindi lang tayo nanunuod. It’s a volunteer organization everybody should join. You should encourage your children para hindi sila mapunta sa droga they have self worth kapag tumutulong sila sa kapwa. Hindi sila magiging depressed na wala akong magawa sa buhay ko. To me that is important eh. Sa akin napakaimportante ng extracurricular activities sa eskwela.
Nery: Diba nakasama yan sa storya ng Subic yung mga volunteers?
Gordon: Yes. Yes. Yes. Nagbo-volunteer yung mga tao so they felt good about themselves. Ang problema pag nawala ka na at yung pumalit medyo nababawasan yung values, makakalimutan, babalik ulit yan. Kaya nga sinasabi ko diba noong panahon ni Marcos backsliding tapos hanggang nahulog na tayong lahat. Yun ang importante, yun bang leaders must come out, parents must come out, the school must come out. Hindi lang sinasabi kung ano ang ayaw natin pero kung ano yung dapat nating gawin. Kaya to me practice yan eh yung pakikipagkusang loob, yung pakikipagkapwa tao, yung magsasalita ka ng hindi ka matatakot pinag-aralan yung sasabihin mo. Hindi enough yung nakapag-investigate, dapat mayroon ka talagang ilalabas na may makakagat ka na may mahuhuli at matutuluyan. Yan ang importante.
ON MARCOS BURIAL
Nery: Speaking of Marcos, maybe last question, how do you think this burial will play out?
Gordon: Nakakapagod na yung issue na yan kasi hindi lang ito burial. How long do we tolerate the influence of Mr. Marcos here? To be fair, North express way. To be fair, San Juanico Bridge. To be fair… maraming infrastructure noong panahon niya. Yang mga hospital nating malalaki, but to be fair marami ring nangyari na accustations ng plunder. Marami ring nakuhang mga bagay-bagy mga jewelry. Ang issue ngayon dito eh na nag-occupy sa atin ililibing ba natin sa libingan ng mga bayani? Stop. He is the president may retrato siya sa Malacanan, pero kung gusto niya tanggalin natin yung retrato niya para i-erase siya sa history book erase sa lahat. But sa akin, to me, he has not proven that he is a hero. So namamangka ba ako? Hindi. Maglagay ka libingan ng mga pangulo. Mayroon naman na talaga doon eh. Doon ka sa libingan ng mga pangulo. Because you’re not a hero. You will stand out.
Nery: Sabi nga nila libingan ng mga bayani at isang diktador.
Gordon: Pag nag-umpisa tayo riyan babalik uli. Walang katapusan. Ang problema natin the prosecution fails. You’re having killings now. Pero ano ba mayroon bang prosecution success? Wala eh. Wala eh. Hindi mahuli wala talagang naikulong na nakapasok eh. Even dito sa sino ba talaga ang nagpapatay kay Ninoy wala eh. Hanggang ngayon it’s dada nang dada.
Nery: There are several strangers serving time, but guess people don’t believe. Unfortunately senator ang bilis ng takbo ng puso ko eh. Pag nagsasalita si senator naghahabol ako. So I will turn over the microphone to our anchor magpapaalam na po tayo.
Sabillo: Unfortunately senator we do not have enough time to discuss the other issues na maganda pa sana talakayin natin ngayong gabi. Pero nagpapasalamat kami for the one hour you spent with us and to all the other viewers who were watching INQ&A with Senator Dick Gordon. We like to have you in the future again. For the others who are watching right now if you didn’t catch the start of the interview you can still watch it on Facebook and you can find the link on Twitter. Follow our social media accounts so you would know who our next guest would be for next week. Thank you and Good night.
Gordon: Great show. Great show. This is something the people need yung information. Thank you, John. Thank you, Kristine.
