Q & A: Cayetano on Duterte's summary executions, talks with China, Federalism, EDCA

Political Columnist Mortz C. Ortigoza asked recently vice presidential aspirant Alan Peter Cayetano on Davao City’s Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, his presidential tandem, bravado on media in ordering the killings of suspected criminals, the mayor’s adherence for federalism, Duterte’s moist eye on bilateral talks with China on the Spratlys, and Cayetano’s stance on the Enhance Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) when he attended the reunion of his relatives, the mammoth Cayetanos Clan of Pangasinan held in San Carlos City. Excerpts:

KIN. Senator Alan Peter Cayetano (extreme left) reading the winners of the raffles he
sponsored early this month for the Cayetano's Clan Reunion in Pangasinan. His
father, a former senator, has roots in the vote rich province. Cayetano is assisted
by Duterte's dead ringer and program host Media Man Atong Remogat and Mortz
Ortigoza - the interviewer of this Q & A.

MORTZ: In case Duterte-Cayetano tandem wins, we know Duterte has the propensity to summary execute suspected criminals, do you foresee the backlash from human rights groups, United States, United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Congress, others? Would that backlash a problem in your government?

CAYETANO: Iyong takot sa batas na magiging equal ang tao sa ilalim ng batas at hindi lang ang mahirap ang takot sa alagad ng batas at sa batas kung hinde both mahirap at mayaman ay i-embrace ang batas.

So tama siguro ang word na ginamit mo Mortz na may impression o ang dating na magkakaroon ng massive na human rights abuses o summary killings pag si Mayor Duterte ang president. But actually ito iyong impression na binibigay na maikli lang ang panahon sa news e. Speeches ni Mayor Duterte one hour or one hour- and- a- half so kung pakikinggan mo hinde niya ini-espouse iyon ang sundin na batas. Hinde niya ini-espouse ang summary killings.

Iyong example na binibigay niya pinapatay niya o napatay niya personally pinatay ng Davao police ito iyong lumalaban. So hinde ito summary killing walang human rights abuse dito. And he never evaded ang investigation included din sa CHR (Commission on Human Rights).

Ako paniwala ko titibay ang rule of law under Mayor Duterte at hindi gigiba. Hindi ito magiging shoot out, o maging free-for-all na sabihin mo na criminals basta patayin mo. Hindi ganoon.

M: Supreme Court would be deciding anytime from now the EDCA, what if the Supreme Court dealt EDCA as unconstitutional? Kung ibalik ang EDCA sa Senado to be ratified by the August Body, are you in favour of EDCA?

C: First of all I don’t want to speculate kung ano ang sasabihin  ng Supreme Court. Pero sa akin mas pabor sana dinaan sa Senado. Number two, I’m in favour of EDCA but I do believe that we could not negotiate it much better na maraming lugar around the world na mas maganda ang term na nakuha tayo. Gusto ko rin maiklaro na sa mga lugar na may dispute especially with China, automatic na dapat, kasi ng bumisita si President Obama sa Japan klaro niyang sinabi na pagka kinalaban (ang Japan ng China), ang America ay papasok at lalaban. Sa atin generic ang sinabi. We will defend the Philippine ayaw na very specific. Samantala, meron tayong Mutual Defense Treaty. So, ako ay naniniwala na puwede pang i-strenghten at pagandahin ang EDCA at maging transparent.

M: Sir, Mayor Duterte recently has pronouncement that he wanted a bilateral talk with Mainland China if he becomes president, would you think it could intimidate the U.S, Japan and South East Asian countries that the bilateral talk with both Philippines and China would undermine the military cooperation of these countries among each other and prejudice the $5 trillion a year commercial lanes in the Spratlys? Besides, the U.S has been making fly-by and cruise-by of her jets and battle ships at the disputed islands while our country has been doing good on our law suit versus China at the international tribunal in the Hague.

Senator Cayetano exhorts in the clan reunion the Cayetanos about good governance.

C: Iyong problem with China iyong aggressiveness wala sa ngayon ay malaki problem hindi lang para sa Asia at sa buong mundo. At iba ibang tulong ang magiging approach niya.

But what I can see sa lahat ng presidentiable natin, ipaglalaban niya ay sovereignty natin. Duterte is saying na multi- faceted fights. This has to be both a willingness to fight but the willingness to talk. But kung gusto mo bilateral at hindi na lang tayo pipilitin bakit hindi subukan. But there will be different approaches and there will be a consensus among Asian countries because malakas ang China it is a reality, and tama lang naman ang sinabi ni Mayor Duterte ang U.S gusto tumulong ngayon. Pero alam ng U.S na mag de-deal sila doon bakit ngayon lang pumasok. So in the same way na marami ang may duda sa ibang bansa na you cannot rely on them on our national defense gaya din ang pinangagalingan ni Mayor Duterte, asahan natin ang iba, pero mas asahan natin ang sarili natin.

M: Ano ang maganda Federalism o Decentralization? Kasi Mayor Duterte gusto ng Federalism. Ang problema iyong national workers like the military, the police, others iyong suweldo nila mapupunta na sa mga regions or provinces na Federal States na, saan kukunin ang pasueldo sa AFP, sa PNP, sa mga national civil servants?

C: Ang Federalism siya ay pinaka goal, bago pa umabot doon sa regional development. Hinde mo talagang puweding gawin overnight, alam niya iyon. For example, iyong ilipat ang mga government departments sa labas ng Metro Manila...

M: Idea ninyo iyon, I heard you said that before...

C: Oo, payag siya doon sa DOTC (Department of Transportation Commission) sa Clark, DENR (Department of Environment & Natural Resources) sa Davao, DOT (Department of Tourism) sa Cebu, lagay mo (Department of ) Agriculture sa Norte, nandito naman ang rice granary sa Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya.  I’ll just give one by example pag iyang decentralization iyong Regional Development na ginawang airport lang ng Pangasinan ang Pangasinan isa sa pinaka malaking botante. Walang pumunta dito, bakit hinde ginawa? Ilan ang OFW from Pangasinan?

 (You can read my selected columns at http://mortzortigoza.blogspot.com and articles at Pangasinan News Aro. You can send comments too at totomortz@yahoo.com)