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:
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| 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.
