Bakit pinayagan ng Supreme Court si Atty. Gigi Reyes, dating chief of staff, ni Juan Ponce Enrile na pansamantalang makalaya matapos ang 9 na taong pagkaka-detain dahil sa diumano’y pagkakasangkot sa pork barrel scam? Pag-usapan natin ang konsepto ng speedy trial na madalas mailap sa ordinaryong akusadong Pilipino.

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No lies. No distortions. Just the facts. And the truth about issues that matter.

Facts First with Christian Esguerra

Good evening guys, it's a Friday. Welcome po sa ating episode ngayong gabi sa Facts First

ako po si Christian Esguerra. As always maraming salamat po sa inyong patuloy na pagsuporta sa pagtangkilik po sa ating programa.

Malapit na tayo mag isang taon no? Kailan ba tayo nagstart ng mga live episodes natin?

Actually yung podcast natin matagal na naman. I've been podcasting since 2019. Nasa ANC pa ako.

Pero itong Facts First as a live program, sinimula natin ito I think early April last year.

So ilang buwan na lang. Mga isang taon na tayo. Pero ang pakiramdam ko parang tagal-tagal na natin dito magkakasama.

Okay, sa gabing ito pag-uusapan po natin itong desisyon ng Korte Suprema para po palayain po pansamantala,

yung dati pong aide or chief of staff ni dating senador at ngayon chief presidential legal counsel

ni President Bong Mo Marcos Jr. na si Juan Ponce Enrile.

Mga tagal na po siya nakulong daw tapos nagkaroon ng issue when it comes to the speedy disposition of cases.

Pero mamaya natin mag-uusapan yan. Darating ang guest natin maya-maya.

Meron tayong makakausap ng isa eksperto pagdating sa batas para po mas himayin ang naging desisyon ng Korte Suprema.

Pero bago po yan, meron po ako mga gusto pag-usapan dito sa ating programa ngayon.

Unang-una, di ba nasa nagpunta po sa World Economic Forum si President Ferdinand Bong Mo Marcos

at isa po rin sa mga events or mga functions na inattendan niya, nagkaroon po ng talastasan

at napag-usapan po yung bakit daw siya pumasok sa politika.

So may mga revealing lang siya mga sinabi base doon sa mga naiulat. Dahil inamin niya, lalagay natin yung title natin dito,

inacknowledge na yung pagpasok niya sa politika was a matter of political survival para sa kanilang pamilya

especially after nilang mapatalisik noong 1986 and then they went on exile sa Hawaii

tapos pagbalik dito, so they had to deal with a lot of complications.

So inamin din ni President Marcos na talaga raw, they joined politics because it was a matter of survival.

Tapos ito yung mga exact words niya. Sabi niya, we had to defend ourselves politically.

Somebody had to enter politics and be in the political arena.

So that at least not only the legacy of my father, but even our own survival required that somebody go into politics.

So pumasok daw sila sa politika. Although technically, yung influence sa Manila hindi naman nawala.

Kung maaalala nyo, after nilang mapatalisik noong 1986, actually yung emergence sa Manila

o re-emergence nila sa politics especially sa local level, naging mabilis.

So hindi naman talaga nawala yung kanilang base of loyal followers.

Although over the years, nag-dwindle yan. Tapos nagkaroon nga ng joining of forces with the Duterte support base.

Kaya nga nitong nakarang eleksyon, nakakuha silang 31 million votes.

Pero technically, nung mapatalisik man sila sa politika, yung influence nila sa Philippine politics

and Philippine political life, nandun pa rin.

So kung mapag-usapan dito, yung motivation ng pamilya na inamin na President Marcos kung bakit sila pumasok sa politika.

So matter of survival for their family.

Okay. So siguro pag sinabi nila ng survival, ang iniisip nila, ay ginigipit kasi sila.

Ang tanong, ginipit ba sila noong 1986?

Balikan nyo yung kasaysayan, hindi po yung mga pagbaluktot sa kasaysayan na ating nakikita over the past several years,

especially during the election campaign noong May 2022.

Ano ba talagang naging dahilan bakit sila napatalisik?

Nandun yung matinding pang-aabuso sa karapatan, civil and political rights ng iba't ibang mga Pilipino,

hindi maganda yung takbong ekonomiya for the longest time,

tapos inabuso, nagpakasasa yung D.D. de Father at yung kanya mga cronies habang nasa posisyon.

So pag iniisip mo kasi, yung ganitong sinabi ni President Marcos, parang nakakaawa sila.

They had to survive, that's why they joined politics.

In the first place, bakit bakit napatalisik?

Napatalisik yung inyong pamilya, yung inyong ama, kasi inabuso yung kapangyarihan.

Umabuso habang nandoon sa kapangyarihan.

Of course, we have to be fair to President Marcos now, dahil ating kanilang pangalawang pagkakataon.

Imagine, hindi naman everyday na yung anak nagiging presidente.

Parang si Nay Nay Aki, hindi naman everyday na yung anak ka ng dating presidente, ikaw din magiging presidente.

So we hope that he would make the most out of this opportunity.

Ang gusto ko lang sanang tutukan talaga rito, yung motivation ng pamilya.

Kayo ba? Bakit nyo ba binuboto ang isang kandidato?

Bakit nyo ba sila ine-elect for a particular position?

Does it matter sa inyo kung mukha bang gigil sa kapangyarihan yung ating mga politiko?

Kasi honestly, sa aking karanasan, dahil matagal na rin naman tayong nagre-report,

nagko-cover ng mga issues kaugnay sa politika, siguro mabibilang sa daliri yung mga nakilala kong politiko na talagang ang kanilang motivation for joining politics was really to serve.

Iman, di kong gusto ko talagang tumulong eh. Awang-awa ko sa mga tao gusto kong tumulong.

Ako, sa aking karanasan, mabibilang sa mga daliri kung yung mga ganon klaseng politiko na akin nakilala in the course of my career as a journalist.

Karamihan, yun ang sasabihin nila. We want to serve kasi pinilit kami ng mga tao eh. Merong clamor for us to run.

Ganon ang sinasabi nila ang dahilan. Pero palusot yun eh.

Actually, ang pinaka-motivation naman talaga ng marami sa ating mga politiko, based na rin sa mga nakilala ko, yung overwhelming ambition.

Yung kapangyarihan. Gusto nila talaga yung kapangyarihan.

At gusto nila yung pakiramdam na lumalapit sa kanila yung mga tao. Kinakailangan sila. Nagkakaroon ng debt of gratitude o unang utang na loob.

At nakakapagbigay sila na manghinihingi ng mga nakangailangan.

Yun po ibig sabihin ang patronage. Parang marami sa mga nakilala kong politiko gusto nila yung sila yung patron tapos nakatanghod sa kanila yung mga Pilipino.

That's why many of our politicians don't really bother to fix the system or the structure.

Wala silang pakialam diba? Mas gusto nila may pork barrel. Mas gusto nila na hindi masyadong malakas yung mga institusyon.

Kasi technicality ninyo, kung ba tinong ang ating mga namumunong sa atin, ang ating mga politiko, hindi nyo kailangan lumapit sa politiko para makakuha ng referral sa isang public hospital para mapagamot yung inyong kamag-anak o yung sarili nyo.

Technically kung gumagana ang ating mga institusyons, ang institutions, gumagana ang ating sistema, let's say sa healthcare, pagpunta mo sa public hospital, mayroong sistema, hindi kailangan ng palakasan.

Pero sa atin, deeply ingrained yung padrino. So kailangan, like ko sinasabi ito sa mga estudyante namin, kayo ba pag may kailangan sa City Hall o barangay hall, minsan ang unang tinatanong natin, kakilala mo ba si barangay captain, kakilala mo ba si mayor?

So yun pa lang, that's a manifestation of the kind of political culture that we have. So dito, revealing yung sinabi ni President Marcos. Bakit siya sumama? Bakit siya pumasok sa politika? For survival.

E hindi po magandang motivation nyo kasi napakaself-serving nun pag inisip nyo. Tumakbo siya sa politika para sa sarili. At ramdam natin yan during the campaign. Siyempre marami sa atin nagbulag-bulagan, talagang sinasamban natin yung mga politiko, tingin nila tumakbo yung isang Marcos to actually save the Philippines, to help them.

Pero pag inisip nyo, nang galing na mismo sa bibig niya, well gusto niya maging gusto niya lang mag-survive as a family politically. And they were able to succeed, diba? Despite all the baggage, despite the corruption issues, despite the ill-gotten wealth, naging presidente.

Yan ang nag-i-resulta ng ating demokrasya however fractured our democracy is. Pero yan ang resulta and we have to respect that. Ngayon, gusto ko na isipin nyo. Mag-isipin siya kayo mabuti pag ang politiko natin, personal ang kanilang motivation in joining politics.

Nakikita natin ngayon, diba, binibuild up yung anak niya, si Representative Sandro Marcos. For all you know, he's very qualified, hindi natin kinekwestion yan. Ang tanong natin dito, obvious na obvious naman, talagang ginugroom siya. Siguro in the future para maging presidente.

Hindi siya magandang tingnan technically. Kasi ginagawa ng mga tao, under the guise of public service, kinakarir yung pagiging politiko. Siyempre sabihin nila, may nagawa namang maganda eh. Well dapat lang, diba? Kasi pag wala kang nagawa ng kahit isang maganda, nandoon ka sa pwesto, wala kang kakwenta-kwentang politiko.

Dapat yun ang minimum requirement natin. Isa pa yun sa mga mentality na dapat tinaiyos natin. Anyway, so yun ang gusto kong sabihin dahil medyo ako na-bother ako, although I was not surprised nung sinabi ni President Marcos na talagang it was a matter of survival, the decision of the family to return to politics.

At saka alam naman natin ang ambition. Nakita naman natin ng campaign, meron ba kinadinig sa kanya na kongkretong programa? Wala naman, unity lang. Pero nandyan na tayo. Kasi sinasabi ko, pag-isipan nyo mabuti minsan dahil nasa huli ang pagsisise.

Anyway, nandito na po ang ating special na panauhin para ngayong gabi para pupag-usapan itong decision ng SC. I'd like to welcome to our program si Dean Tony Lavinia. Dati po siya ang Dean ng Ateneo School of Government.

May hasa po siyang abogado, bar top nurture, andahin sa pinagtuturuan. Hindi ko na maaalala, nakikita ko lang sa Facebook ka kanya. Buta may oras pa kayo. Dean, good evening. Thank you for joining us.

Ano doon ng Christian is ano? He has been saying that for 30 years. So walang ano yan, hindi yan tinago at tinanggap pa. Parang ok lang pala sa mga tao maging secondary yung public service. Parang ok lang, gusto kong tulungan pero that's not the primary reason.

Well, ganoon eh. Anyway Dean, pag-usapan natin itong development coming from the SC. Ano bang pinakadahilan talaga bakit nag-decision ng SC na i-grant yung petition for habeas corpus ni Gigi Reyes, yung dating chief of staff ni Juan Ponce Enrile?

Walang una paki-explain po ano ba yung petition for the writ of habeas corpus?

Okay good. And to start the discussion, dalawang introductory points sasabihin ko. Una, actually ano ito? This is really just implementing the law on speedy trial, constitutional principle of speedy trial, nothing new at all.

On the other hand, yung paggamit ng habeas corpus, kaya maganda yung first question, what is habeas corpus, is actually quite unique at bago at sana maraming makikinabang. Many people will be able to benefit from this new rule. I would call it the interim habeas corpus principle.

Okay. Ano bang habeas corpus? Very simple. Writ of habeas corpus is an order by the court, any court, pwedeng Supreme Court, pwedeng RTC, pwedeng Court of Appeals, depending where you filed the petition, ordering the government, usually the police, the military,

to show cause why a person under the custody of the government should not be released for reasons of legality. Ganun siya kasimple lang. It's an order. Dalhin mo yung tao dito. It's a habeas corpus. Bring the body.

Bring the body of the person to the court and justify why you have detained that person.

Okay. Dean, hindi ba unusual yung paggamit ito ng petition for the writ of habeas corpus in the case of G.G. Reyes? Ito po si G.G. Reyes, dating chief of staff ni Enrique. Alam naman kung bakit siya nakakulong. Kinasuhan siya, kaugnay sa pork barrel scam. So unusual ba yung paggamit ng writ in this case?

Unusual. Innovative. Sana hindi unusual because I think everyone should benefit from this in the same situation. Although extreme si G.G. kasi nine years na siya nakakulong na hindi nag-advance yung trial.

Unusual kasi usual yung habeas corpus is when you are in fact illegally detained. Alimbawa walang kaso, walang search warrant o walang arrest warrant, illegal at void yung arrest warrant or let's say na-convict ka na, na-serve mo na yung sentence mo, bakit ka pa nahuli.

So without arrest warrant or invalid arrest warrant or na-acquit ka pero nandiyan ka pa rin sa jail or na-convict ka but you've served sentence. So illegal yung detention mo.

Dito sabi ng court hindi illegal ang detention ni G.G. Reyes. Kasi si G.G. Reyes was arrested properly for plunder, detained properly for plunder kasi that's a life imprisonment case if you're convicted.

So tama yung lahat ng iyong tama na yun but dahil ang tagal niyang naka-detain. In fact sabi pa ng court Samovitz siya ang dahilan kung bakit profile siya ng mga motion, mga ganoon.

But overall napakita ni Atty. Reyes na yung prosecution, maraming pagkakamali sa prosecution kaya nag-delay further.

And para bang lumabas is 9 years in prison wala pang end in sight. Wala pang end in sight para the trial has hardly begun. Unacceptable yan sabi ng SC.

Because that is already unjust and ang ginagamit ng term vexatious na akin already to being illegally detained. So that's what makes it unique and innovative.

Kasi properly detained but because of the length of time, violating the right of speedy trial, she should be released.

Okay. Actually tama naman, tanggalin natin yung personality. Assuming na it's an ordinary Filipino, hindi siya si Atty. Reyes. Tama naman kasi bakit ang tagal-tagal ng trial.

That's why I said hindi naman siya bago. Sabi ng SC a long time ago pa, again and again, when your right to a speedy trial is violated, you should be ordered released.

So it's unique kasi the trial will continue but outside na siya. In some cases, dismiss ang case. In some cases, dismiss ang case.

Dahil niya na-violate yung right to speedy trial.

Because it lost its right. The general rule Christian is hindi kadapat ang dahilan. Hindi dapat ang dahilan ng delay yung accused. Kasi for example, if you file motion after motion, appeal after appeal to stop the trial,

then you are the one causing the delay. But if the government is the cause of the delay or the court is the cause of the delay, actually the case should be dismissed.

Dito the court did not do that. The case will continue but sobra naman yung 9 years imprisonment without conviction.

Next question dito, yung kataga ng mga kabataan ngayon. Hindi ba dapat sana all? Pwede ba itong makatulong sa ibang similar cases dahil hindi lang naman siya yung kawawang naghihimas ng rehas kahit continuous pa yung trial pero napakatagal.

Pwede ba itong gamitin ng ibang mga nakaditine in similar situations?

Yes. I expect that. In fact, nakita ko isang quotation from Secretary Remullo. Sabi niya the case should be applied to the Lima.

In this case, sabi naman ang court, titignan mo yung circumstances, length of time, participation of the accused in the delay, et cetera, et cetera.

Titignan mo siya lahat. In this particular, so tanong dyan, ano yung time na unusual na yung delay? Sa tingin ko, one year is enough.

Because you should not be punished. Detention before conviction is not a punishment. Huwag natin kalimutan yan. The reason why we detained them is not so they will come to court.

It's not about... They cannot be punished. They're not yet convicted. Senator Laila de Lima has been in prison now for six years in February.

Dapat one year pa lang na-release na yan. I have a client, Miles Albacen, a political detainee in Negros. She should have been released years ago pa.

In the case of Miles, nakakalungkot niya kasi she wanted to study law. Kung na-release siya after one year of case pending, nag-bar exam na siya.

Senator Laila, she's lost so much in the six years that she's there. She's been there. Sana all.

I want to remind you of another case, Kristiana, which I hope the court should have applied this then. Yung case of Almonte.

Ito yung may sakit na mga political detainees during the early days of COVID who asked also to be released on humanitarian grounds following the Enrile ruling.

Many of them have also been in jail for five years, 10 years even. The other thing of course dito is alam naman natin na most of those detainees will actually be found innocent.

Ganoon yan. Yan ang nature. Statistically, they end up being acquitted.

Dito ba din pag ginamit sa iyo ng isang ordinaryong akusado, itong petition for the writ of habeas corpus in connection with the right to speedy trial,

meron ba itong maliwanag na threshold or parameters? Sabi niyo kanina sa time siguro reasonable yung one year.

Pero meron ba nilay down ng corte mismo na ito yung gusto niyang makita to be able to apply this?

Well una, yung time. But they did not say how much. But as I say, one year sa tingin ko. Kasi if you're not guilty, why should you be in jail for more than a year?

You shouldn't even be in jail for days. I mean to be honest. Let's give it a benefit na okay one year.

Pangalawa, you are not the cause of the delay. Importante yan na you did not cause the delay by whatever legal actions that you took.

Pangatlo dito is yung commitment mo to... yan ang condition niya kay... to report, to go to court, to be... which is already a condition for people who are accused.

You cannot travel without the permission of the court. So clear naman, actually clear, much clearer than humanitarian considerations.

So you can really... pwede mo mag-justify si Enrique lang yan. Over 90 years old, Senate president, all of those things that... it was a special pleading in my view.

At the same time, masasabi naman naman, sino ba namang 90-year-old diba? So generally...

Di nyo mention nyo kay Enrique kaya siya temporarily nakakalaya dahil ongoing pa yung kaso sa pork barrel dahil humanitarian, dahil matanda na.

Di ba yun parang violative ng equal protection clause? Tama ba yun?

Ito yung violation ng equal protection clause when the others were denied diba?

Ito special case, parang reverse.

Ito naman, iba naman ito. This is about a speedy trial diba?

Yung kay Enrique mismo.

Yung kay Enrique...

Di ba unfair yun sa ibang matatanda?

Humanitarian considerations yun. For me the denial of Almonte by the Supreme Court, yun yung mga political prisoners na marami doon matatanda, for me seemed to be a violation of equal protection diba?

So dito magkikita natin very quickly now. I can't say kasi although I'm one of her lawyers I'm not privy to the strategy ng per case.

The two cases that are left against, malapit naman siya magkukonclude.

But if you want her to be free now, ako expect Senator Laila to be released actually in a few months on the merit.

She doesn't have to file a similar rate petition?

Well I hope she files but I will not second-guess the principal lawyers.

Kasi it will still be three to four, six months diba? Malaking pang difference yun. Being freed tomorrow compared to being freed six months from now is still a big thing.

Sana naman hindi siya umabot ng six year.

There's a quick way of doing this, which is that the government simply withdraws its objection or even gives a motion na sige na, the case can continue but you can have her released.

If the government does that, then ma-release na siya mismo sa linggong ito mismo.

But as I said, I will respect the final decision of the handling lawyers in the cases whether they'll do that.

I know that she certainly doesn't want to negotiate a settlement as if siya may kasalanan siya diba?

In fact, we know that she refused the furlough na mahaba after nagkasakit siya, after inattack siya. She had a chance to actually go out, even transfer to a more comfortable place.

Pero ayaw niya. Ayaw niya na mabigyan siya ng special advantage for political reasons.

But this one, clearly ito, if she's released early, maninaw na yung principle. You cannot have someone in jail for six years na walang conviction. Di naman talaga tama yan.

At saka din, early on may judges na nag-inhibit diba? Ayaw hawakan yung kaso niya. Hindi naman kasalanan yan diba kung talagang ayaw hawakan?

Walang kasalanan si Laila sa delay. Alam natin anong cause ng delay. The main thing is maraming mga nag-inhibit na judges for their own reasons.

Again, the usual... Right now it seems to me the two judges handling it are very good judges. Pero parang they're still handling it as an ordinary case.

Once a month ang hearing. Yung ganoon klase na... So talagang tatagal ka kung ganoon.

So what I wish will be done here is, yung sinabi ni Sec. Remullo, if that's confirmed, sinabi niya na it's on ABS-CBN, tweet about it na sinabi niya na this should apply to Laila Delima as well. It should.

Q1. Going back sa pagpapalayapan samantala kay Atty. G.G. Reyes, yung decision ba ng SC, does it have any effect whatsoever sa lakas o hina ng kaso sa kanya?

Kasi diba sa ibang mga kaso pag sinabing pinakawalang you were granted bail, parang indicative yun sa lakas o hina ng evidence against you. Dito walang ganoon?

And the court made it very clear that this is not about the plunder case. This is about being in jail nine years. Actually hindi ko naisip na nine years. Grabe naman.

Napakatagal nga actually. But there are people who have been there also for 10 years or more, lalo na political prisoners na cases have not advanced to where they should. But still, nine years is really long.

I've been saying that six years of Delima, that's very long.

Q1. Kasi marami mga cases na hindi naman natin alam dahil very ordinary Filipinos mahihirap, ang tagal na kadetine tapos ang bagal ng takbo ng kaso. Mayroon ba pwedeng gawin yung SC proactively?

Kasi baka wala silang wherewithal to actually file a similar petition. Hindi na tututukan yung kaso nila. Di sila kasing yaman ni G.G. Reyes. Walang mga batikang abogado. Anong pwedeng gawin ng SC proactively?

Yes. And Christian, you have to just grant also. Estelito Mendoza has thought again of a novel remedy, a new remedy. Some form or another we've asked of these things but procedurally, binigyan niya yung court ng way to get this done.

He is brilliant. I will not take that away from him.

Pero sanang magamit sa iba. Meron bang proactive way for the court to do this?

Yes. Importante yan. Ang proactive na gagawin ng SC diyan is to instruct judges. If they have inventories of cases like that, then they should either rush yung weekly trial or daily. Yung ginawa kay anak ni Sec. Remullio, daily ata yung trial na yan.

They should start doing those things for those kind of cases. But I'm sure many lawyers will now file the same thing. And lower court judges will be emboldened by what the SC did.

So yan ang ating pag-asa. Yan ang hindi ko gusto sa system natin na adversarial. Sa adversarial system natin, yung mga judges are like bystanders. Passive.

They wait for a motion. They wait for a petition instead of being proactive in finding these cases in their inventory and then letting them go.

Pero di ba Dean, pwede naman yan. Alam naman ng judges kung may inventory sila ito. Itong kaso na ito, 15 years na nakakulong ito. Ang bagal ng takbo ng trial.

Yes. Yes. Especially if they're new judges. Yung nag-inherit lang sila ng maraming cases, titina nila yan, mag-inventory sila and then get it done.

Once in the DNR when I was a government undersecretary, legal, doing quasi-judicial decisions, ginawa ko yan. Thousands and thousands of cases ay tinapos ko ng mabilisan with very clear decisions.

Because they have been there in my office, including my predecessors, some 30 years. Hindi yan tama. So you just have to decide that. I would call on the judges to also do that.

Very clear. Ang maganda dito, very clear ang message ng Supreme Court. Now there's another interesting thing dito na gusto ko banggit Christian. This also gives an opening to what might be a new writ.

Yung tinatawag ni Justice Leonen sa kaso ng Almonte, the writ of kalayaan. Writ of freedom. Kasi yun na nga, yung habeas corpus really strictly applies only when you have been illegally arrested and illegally detained.

But there are many other unjust situations where you are detained for years and there's a legal reason for it but it's still unjust or humanitarian in nature.

Dapat ang release mo kasi namamatay ka na, hindi pa rin tapos yung kaso mo, may sakit ka, may cancer ka, may gano'ng klase. I think very important we have a remedy for that. For now I'm okay with this interim writ of habeas corpus.

Ang issue ng interim while the case is going on, even if the person has been properly charged, properly arrested. Walang illegality sa kanyang detention from that point of view.

The legality is matagal na siyang detained na hindi pa siya convicted. Oo nga. Ang tagal. Nine years. Ito kay Sen. De Lima, six years. May tanong dito.

Will the government compensate Sen. De Lima for the duress, stress and unlawful incarceration? Normal na talong yan.

Yeah. Meron namang law that compensates. But siya has to prove that her prosecution was unwarranted, malicious, et cetera, et cetera.

We'll leave it up to her to decide later on. But theoretically speaking, may remedy siya against those who went after her without any basis. They should be held accountable to be honest.

Oo nga. Okay. Sige Dean, Tony Lavinia, maraming maraming salamat po for joining us para sa napakalito na pagkapaliwanag.

Thank you always. And thank you for, alam mo naman ikaw ang aking favorite interviewer, Chris Chanez. So thank you for inviting me.

Invite me again. Always.

Oo naman. Buto wala kayong klase ngayon?

Ngayon di pa nagsisimula ang klase. So most of my schools are still on vacation.

Oo nga. Okay. Sige. Pwede ko kayong kunin before the start of the classes. Nangyayari ko kanina kasi alam ko full ang schedule nyo, di ba?

Inabang law schools ang tinuturuan nyo ngayon?

Ngayon nililitan ko naman mga sampu siguro.

Ang dami ng dina.

Hindi. Abot ako ng 20 schools.

Sampu ha? Wow.

I'm trying to be healthy.

Dean, baka gusto nyo mag-shout out sa mga students nyo, no?

Yeah. Sa mga students ko, lalo na I have actually a class, one class already going on sa Davao, Rizal Memorial College.

Ninety of them. Marami doon, police officers.

Wow. Ninety?

Once in a row too. So ito yung subject namin. Subject namin yung bagay na ito, di ba?

This is what I meant to you na you have to love your rights, di ba?

And here, Gigi Reyes, ang sabi ng court, importante pala ito Christian ha, they have to assert their rights, di ba?

You have the right to speedy trial. But you cannot be passive. You have to assert it at every instance you have.

Dean, ang ganda ng punto nyo, assert your rights. Ang problema, hindi naman lahat kasi may worry talinga, di ba?

Kunwari, lawyer mo, public attorney, ang daming hinahawakan kaso. Hindi sila katulad ni Gigi Reyes na may matinding abogado. Paano yun?

Well yes. That's why importante yung teaching people about their rights. Importante yung encouraging people. Importante yung pro bono lawyering.

Law students, mga nagkiklap, yung legal aid ng mga clinical legal education ng mga students that are now all over the country, di ba?

Remember this case. Remember this case when you look at your... marami doon persons with detained liberties.

Actually bukas yung aking other school, sa kagayan ni Oro, they're actually having graduation ng klep nila, yung kanilang clinical legal education program.

And si Dean Olet Cabrera actually invited me to attend the graduation. Persons with PDLs yun, di ba? Persons deprived of liberty yun while their case is going on.

This is a very potent decision for them to use. So yun, I shout out to them as well. Thank you.

Ayun. Sige. Maraming salamat Dean Tony. Happy New Year sa inyo and nice to have you again.

Yes. Thank you.

Na-miss the interview ko sa inyo. Yan. Salamat sir.

Bye-bye.

Bye-bye pa.

Okay. Ito yung third and last topic natin. Gusto ko talagang diinan tong issue na to. Pag-usapan pa rin natin si Senator Leyla de Lima.

Six years na nakakulong sabi ni Dean Tony kanina. So marami na ako nadidinggan ng ganyan. Nadiningan ko na yan from other people na baka raw in a couple of months pakawalan siya.

Okay. Obvious naman po na politically motivated yung kaso against Senator Lima. Tulad ng layo ko pong sinasabing sa inyo, paulit-ulit, no?

Puntahan niya yung kaso. Tapos nakita niya, diba? Yung mga witnesses isa-isang nag-aatrasan. Pati nga si Sandra Cam, diba?

Na malipit ki President Duterte before. Nagpa-press con sinabi na gamit siya yung naging instrumento o kasangkapan para din sa pagpapakulong kay Senator Leyla de Lima.

Alam niya naman na kahit purely legal ang issue na yan dahil kaso, a big part of that talagang political, no? Politically motivated.

Hindi naman makukulongin ako hindi dahil kay former President Rodrigo Duterte. Ang tanong ngayon, gagawin kaya ni President Marcos yung tama at pakawalan na once and for all si Senator Leyla de Lima?

Sabihin ng iba, wala naman kinalaman niya yung executive dyan. Presidente yan. Bakit siya magpapakawala kay Senator de Lima? Totoo po yan pero alam niya po sa sistema natin dito sa Pilipinas, ang laki po ng suesyo ng Presidente na ekotibo doon po sa mga high-profile cases na ganyan.

So, Department of Justice, nasa ilalim nito ng executive branch yan. Pinapaliwanag nga. I-withdraw na yung mga objections. Mapapabilis yung magpapalaya dyan.

And actually, we're hearing, we're seeing some promising signals coming from the Department of Justice. Sana lang gawin nila yung tama.

Tignan nyo yung kaso ni Sen. de Lima. Napakahina. Mukhang sinusian yung mga witnesses kaya nag-aatrasan. Natakot sila, tinakot sila noong panahon ni Presidente Duterte kaya sila tumistigo.

E ngayon, bakit nakakulong pa rin si Sen. de Lima? Imagine yung injustice na yan. Dapat hindi siya magtagal dyan for another second or another minute pero nandyan pa rin siya.

So, yung mga tinatrabaho na yan. Isa pa rito, yung dynamics between former President Rodrigo Duterte and current President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr.

Alam naman natin na magkakaroon ng backlash siya. Ngayon pala nakikita niya sa social media. Nakahati na eh. Merong mga lawyerista ni President Marcos, yung mga lawyerista ni President Duterte.

They belong to the same universe supposedly. Hindi nila alam kung paano ang gagawin nila rito. Kasi parang merong mga ginagawa yung current President na tama. Isipin nila, naku, babanatan ba natin ito? Parang dilawan yung moves niya.

Eh hindi naman dilawan niya, President Marcos yan. In short, tama lang yung ginagawa niya. Ang question dito, baka kalaya kaya Sen. de Lima sa ilalim ni President Marcos?

Kasi ang tindi ng possible political backlash nito sa kanya coming from the Duterte supporters. Hindi matutuwa dito si President Duterte pag pinakawalan si Sen. de Lima sa ilalim ni President Marcos. Sampal sa kanya yan.

Pero nakikita naman natin dito na may effort yung current President actually perhaps rehabilitate his and his family's image before the international community. Perhaps that explains bakit lahat ng mga biyahe halos pinatula niya.

So madala siya sa abroad, nandun yung perspective na baka gusto niyang i-rehabilitate yung imahe ng pamilya ng pangalang Marcos before the international community. Kasi dito sa Pilipinas hindi niya na problema yun. He was elected on the strength of 31 million Filipinos.

Hindi niya na kailangan bulahin yung majority ng Filipinos kasi nandiyan eh. Inelect na siya. Baka nabulan na. Kailangan niya yung audience sa labas ng Pilipinas, international community. Ngayon, how would you rehabilitate your family's image given the baggage that your family has?

Gawin mo yung tama. Gawin sana niya yung tama. Alam mo namang napakatindi na injustice na ginawa dito sa dating senador, e di sana makawala. Total, hindi mo naman babalok tutoy yung justisya eh kasi mahina naman yung kaso, nagkaatrasan na.

Kalina may nakita akong comment, napakabastos. Pakakawalan daw si Sen. De Lima sa 2028. Tapos yung sinabi rito, ang kasalanan lang naman daw niya frailties of a woman. Yung quote na yun, naalala nyo diba? Yung frailties of a woman, kahinaan na isang babae.

Napakabastos na ng mga ganyang comment. Eto nga sana dapat singilin natin yung mga congressmen. In particular, yun yung congressmen. Kung yung say congressmen, yun yung mga nasa mababang kapulungan. Naalala nyo ba yung hearing before?

Nang mga congressista natin doon sa alleged drug trafficking involvement ni former justice secretary, then Sen. De Lima. Binaboy siya na gusto rin sa hearing niya. Sa katakot-takot na hearing ng mga lalaki. Yung mga pamatcho, yung mga misogynistic na mga remarks against Sen. De Lima.

You don't have to be a fan of Sen. De Lima. Ako, I don't know her personally. I know her because she's a public official. Wala akong personal interaction sa kanya. Nababasa ko lang siya. Na-interview ko siguro once or twice in an ambush interview. Never ako nag-interview sa kanya.

Sa akin, tinitingnan ko lang. I'm not a fan of Sen. De Lima. Pero pag tinitingnan yung situation, grabe naman yung pambababoy na ginawa dito. Sana magkaroon din ang accountability sa mga bastos na mga congressista nambaboy sa kanya dun sa hearing na yun.

Ang problema iba dyan, mga nag-retire na iba dyan, nandyan pa rin. Alam nyo na may mga congressista natin, sunod-sunuran niya kung ano yung kumpas ng nasa Malacanang. So kung bastos yun nasa Malacanang, bastos din sila.

Ako nagugulat ako dyan kasi iba sa mga congressista yan, kilala ko na before dahil na-cover ko. Hindi ko akalain na ganoon silang kabastos. So something talaga, there's something with top leadership that could bring out the worst in certain people.

At nakikita natin yun during the previous administration. Again, just to wrap this up, ang punto ko lang po, kahit na most likely magkakaroon ng political backlash kay President Marcos on the part of President Duterte, former President Duterte and his supporters, if Sen. De Lima walks free under his term, under his watch, he should do the right thing. Gawin niya yung tama.

Iyan lang po. Okay, lalapit lang ako sa screen para makikita ko inyong mga comments.

Ayan, sabi ni Elodia, mga aso na Duterte pare-pareho silang bastos. Totoo yung sinasabi kay Google nyo, hanapin nyo sa YouTube yung hearing na yun sa congress. Ang babastos na mga hearing, di ba? May mga side comments pa yung mga congressmen dyan, di ba?

Ito kong sa mga saging, sa saba, et cetera, et cetera. Imagine nyo kung mahal nyo sa buhay yung binababoy ng gano'n. Dahil ang gusto nilang humimod sa nukoy, nakaupo sa gobyerno.

Ayan, hindi ko nabinasa yung nag-comment kanina dito na bastos. Kilala nyo naman yung bastos na nagko-comment dito lagi. Yung tuta dito, tuta ng mga kademonyohan meron dito.

Ay, si Miss Celia Lopena nandito nanonood. Ayan. Ay po Miss Celia. Ayan. Salamat dito sa nagpadala ng super sticker. Ayan. Ayan. Oo. Hanapin yung sinasabi ko kasi talagang iinit yung ulo nyo. Ang babastos.

Ako in fairness kasi kay current President Bongbong Marcos, hindi mo madidinig sa kanya yung mga ganong salita. Kumbaga, there are many other issues that you can raise against him.

Pero hindi mo naman madidinig sa kanyang bibig yung kababuyan. And ako personally I don't think he could cause the death of certain people. Ibi sabihin I don't think siya yung taong kayang magpapatay. Siya personally.

Hindi siya mamamatay taong. So ganun din, tingnan pa rin naman natin kasi nga part siya ng ating civic duty as a citizen. So kahit sino pa nakaupo dyan, binoto nyo man o hindi, dapat bantayan natin kung anong gagawin nila.

You have to make sure that they do the right thing para sa ating lahat. Kasi tayo yung sinaserbisyuhan nila. Hindi dapat yung sarili nila.

Okay, sige marami salamat. I hope you would enjoy your weekend. Pasensya na kayo napakadaldal ko ngayon. Kasi marami akong gusto sabihin. Pero alam nyo naman ang format ng ating programa, more interviews. Pero sinisingit ako ng mga truth bombs.

So pasensya na kayo kung medyo na iba yung ating programa ngayon, naparami yung ating truth bombs. Kasi hindi ko pa gusto mag-usapan yan.

Okay, salamat po Corky. Nagustan daw niya ating komentaryo. Si Ed, thank you. Si Edgar Dungo. Sino pa ba? Si Nieves Coloso. Thank you. O minununod sa atin from Houston, Texas. Si Marites Briggs. Yan ang mga pilida. Stateside.

So, ano pa ba? Ah pala pag may mga gusto pa kayong pag-usapan, next week, message siya lang ako. Yan. Binabasa ko naman personally yung mga mensahe sa Facebook, sa Instagram, dito sa YouTube. Binabasa ko lahat yan.

Hindi ko naman mabasa lahat ng sabay-sabay. Again, marami-marami salamat po for joining us. Kita-kita po tayo uli sa lunes. Meron tayong mga pag-uusapan next Monday. Again, enjoy your weekend sa mga nakikinig sa podcast. I hope you enjoyed this episode. Magandang gabi po sa inyo lahat.

Thank you for watching!