Video Transcript: And I would like to call on Congress na hindi naman ako nakikiusap. Ang ano ko lang diretso na salita na do not tinker with the PSG. I’m telling you as President it’s a matter of self-preservation.
So hanggang diyan na lang ako. I will not elaborate on it but do not force my hand to meddle into this affair because maybe I will not — I am not so keen about allowing Durante and the rest of the PSG to testify.
Ginawa ito nila as I understand para sa kapakanan ng buhay nila. So if they will be called — if they will be called to testify in Congress, my — as a lawyer, I will just tell them because they are now being accused and with the accompanying statement of prosecution and things like that.
And if that is the case, then I would ask the PSG to just shut up. Do not answer. Invoke the right against self-incrimination at wala kayong makukuha. And do not force my soldiers to testify against their will. At huwag ninyong i-contempt-contempt na i-detain ninyo. I do not think it will be good for you and for me. It would not be healthy for everybody.
Just so… Sa kanila ‘yan eh. So kung tingin nila na ikakabuti sa buhay nila eh hayaan mo. And do not threaten them with ano prosecution and things like that. They have every right to live and to invoke self-preservation.
Kumbaga sa criminal law ‘yan, that is the right to self-defense. The enemy, COVID. Alam mo ganito ‘yan, lahat na matamaan ng COVID ay talagang possibility na may mamatay ka na diyan. So if you do not want to go out there and mix with the people because that is your job, eh kawawa naman ang sundalo; and they cannot also be near me because of the social distancing.
So there has to be a solution for this. Ako ‘yung Presidente, I hate to say this, pero kailangan ako ng security na close-in. Puro sundalo ‘yan, pati ‘yang mga babae sundalo. Oh how do you now propose that they can guard me and my life kung social distancing por metro? Kayo na mag-intindi diyan.
And I said I — wala akong tinanong kay Durante, wala lahat. And if it’s a — on their own volition that they… Sabi ko sa kanila tanungin mo sabihin mo wala. Istorya lang ‘yan. And if they ask you questions, ah sabihin ko talaga sa kanila do not answer and maybe even I would not allow them to appear in Congress.
Magkakaroon tayo ng ano dito — not really a crisis but there will be a nasty thing that will transpire. Alam mo wala pang bakuna. ‘Pag tinamaan ka ngayon, there is a possibility na you will die. Iyan nga eh. And when I go out, itong mga security, they mix with the crowd ‘no. Nakikihalo ‘yan sila guarding me. Of course, ako hindi ko kailangan kung ako. But that is the law.
Ayaw ko nga silang — gusto kong lumabas, pinipigilan nila ako. Sabi ko you are dictating the events of my life. Ito sabi nila, “Sir, huwag kang magalit. Ang trabaho namin hindi galing sa iyo. It’s by law. Ang tinitignan namin ‘yung batas hindi ikaw.” Ang batas nagsabi lang to protect so that you will live — you will be alive.
Now, how can I survive if wala akong close-in to guard me and the people that would mix in the crowd to guard — to prevent untoward inci — you know, incidents? Iyan ang — iyan ang problema diyan. They are caught in a bind. Mabuti kayo kasi opisina, de-kotse kayo, aircon, may mask kayo and everything, and you are even divided with a glass para hindi kayo magkahawaan. How can they do that if they have to guard me? Hindi naman ako magpipigil because there are things kagaya ng magpunta ako ng Jolo, magpunta ako ng kampo, may puntahan ako na ganito, anything that affects the country, the republic.
Walang — since March, wala tayong vaccine. So since March until now, we are in danger of getting the COVID-19. And when you get the COVID-19, be you a soldier, civilian, nandiyan ka sa garbage collector, or minister ka ng relihiyon ninyo, walang ano protection except that you have to wear the mask. But the mask — I cannot talk also if the thing is covering my mouth. I cannot seem to express what I want to say in my heart.
Since March until now walang vaccine. The earliest is March. So kung March that is one year. All the time the lives of the people are in jeopardy of danger of getting the COVID.
So anong magawa mo kung Pilipino ka? If you are pre… I am not saying that they got the vaccine or not that is their worry because they can always say well, I did not have it, I refuse to… Pero sila because sa trabaho nila eh kailangan talaga ng — hindi sila makalapit sa akin. So ang close-in security ko wala.
Now, kung ‘yan ang sitwasyon nila, I would not be surprised — I’m not saying that they had it — but I will not be surprised kung talagang nagpa-injection sila. But since there are a lot of speculations and threats about prosecution and investigation, kung sana tinanong lang ninyo ng anong mabuti without necessarily blurting out threat about “I’ll have them investigated…”
Ganoon ang Congress eh, ‘pag may mangyari diyan, “Ah imbestigahin natin ‘yan.” Tapos may mangyari dito, “Ah let’s investigate this.” Ganoon na lang palagi. Tutal sila lang naman. Wala naman kayong alam ‘yung iba. Let them be and let them suffer kung mayroong adverse effect ‘yung vaccine.
I don’t know really if they were injected with the vaccine, what brand, hindi ko alam. Hindi ko talaga — huwag kayong — do not presume na sabi kino-cover up. P***** i** kayo wala akong — hindi ako — hindi ako g*** na maglaro ng ganito.
If I say that I will allow them, I will allow them. But I did not because they had it on their own. Pero kung gusto kong sabihin na for emergency purposes you give the vaccines, wala ng istorya ‘yan. Wala akong i-cover-cover. Hindi ako t******** kagaya ninyo. Eh ‘yung utak ninyo mahina eh. I can order. So what would stop me by saying, “Sige pa-injection kayong lahat, all the Armed Forces?”
Lahat — alam mo sila, they have to mix. They have to go to the mountain, they have to fight. You just don’t know the life of a soldier.
Ako, kasi matagal ako sa Executive, I have always had security beside me noon pa matagal na for 23 years. Another add — another — add another five years. All the — alam ko ang buhay ng security.
So huwag mo silang pakialaman because they’re… Two things may happen: I will ask them to shut up and not to answer any question, and I’m not threatening, please do not cite them in contempt by detaining them, I will not allow it. Pupunta ako diyan sa Congress, kukunin ko sila.
Masyado kayong maa-ano eh. ‘Pag ginawa ninyo ‘yan, there will be a little crisis. Nasa inyo. Ako, I am prepared. I am preferred — preferred — prepared to defend my soldier. I will not allow them for all of their good intentions to be brutalized in a hearing tapos kung ano-ano.
Kaya ‘yan isa. The other one is I might just decide to not allow them, to ignore your summons. So mamili kayo diyan. It’s bad for you? Sorry, I don’t care. It is bad for the country? Maybe. Pagka — basta sabi ko huwag kayong pumunta doon.
Why do you — why do you threaten a person with investigation just because he had something to protect himself for after all until now it is March to March, March pa is the earliest. In the meantime, they have so many things for themselves. They have to mix and for their job, they have to surround me. And how can they perform that duty when they are in danger of getting the COVID? Pati ako mahawa nila. See?
So pinoprotektahan nila ako. Hindi naman ako papayag nagpoprotektar sila sa akin na ipakulong ninyo. Pakialam na… Hayaan mo silang mamatay kung mayroong masama na epekto ‘yung… I don’t know what kind of vaccine but I don’t care, bahala sila, buhay nila ‘yon.
But kung sabihin ng mga iba protecting because… Why would I? Why would not I wait for Domingo to come out? You know why? Hanggang ngayon, at this late day, Pfizer lang — Pfizer lang ang — Pfizer lang ang nag-submit sa FDA. Alam ba ninyo ‘yan na nagkakandahirap na ito si General Galvez looking for one and he has found a light at the end of the tunnel and he says that the earliest is March.
So we started the lockdown March, magma-March na lang bago pa tayo magka-ano. In the meantime, the lives of these people, the lives of my soldiers are placed on jeopardy because a — walang choice eh, trabaho nila ‘yan. If the intelligence people would say, “Go to the crowd and mix with them and maybe look for any hostile attitude or hostile act.”
Ang akin naman nakapalibot, babae’t lalaki, hindi naman makalapit sa akin kasi, “Sir, social distancing.” Oh how can they protect me if they — social distancing? So that is the rule? Well, I’m sorry to say to you, there is always an exception. You can say all the rules in this world and there will always be an exception.
Kagaya ninyo, hindi kayo ma-aresto while in session. Kaya huwag niyong pilitin na magkaroon tayo ng ruckus dito. Anyway, specific ang grupo eh, PSG lang. Hindi naman lahat sibilyan. PSG has a good reason to have it. One is kailangan talaga nila sumiksik doon sa mga tao, mix with the crowd. Every time na nagharap ako it’s about — there are about 20 intelligence guys there in front of me mixing as if they are also part of the… Sa — kaya ganoon.
Maybe I will… Magkahiyaan tayo. I said it’s bad for the country? Maybe. And it is bad for the country and you entertain the idea of maybe getting it? Maybe. And if you — sabi ko huwag niyong i-contempt. Talagang huwag. If they — should they appear in Congress, be careful about threatening a guy forcing him to answer because the answer would really be something like this, “You know, Mr. Congressman, I refuse to answer your question because it might tend to incriminate me.” I will translate it sa bugoy, “Hindi kita sagutin kasi makukulong ako.” Intindihan mo?
And when you invoke a constitutional right, no adverse implication can be attached to the statement. “Ah, hindi ka magsabi. Kung hindi ka magsabi, silence means consent.” No. That is not applicable. When a person invokes a constitutional right, whatever it is, that right should be respected and no bad inference, hindi ka makasabi, “Ah ito, ganito.” Bakit? Kasi complete — by itself, it is a sacred one for a citizen of this republic.
Eh itong mga sundalong ito Pilipino ito. You — you force the issue? Well, I’m sorry. Magkagulo kasi ipahuli ninyo? P*****, huhulihin ko ‘yang inutusan ninyong maghuli. I am protecting what is — what is the — what is the foremost narrative here? Self-preservation. Ano ka man? Hanggang ngayon wala pang bakuna.
So kung mayroon mang magsabi, “Now, ito mayroon. Baka maayos — maayos ito.” And they go there and plunge into it. Ako, on my oath, kayong mga g*** diyan na making inferences, never knew about it. I never knew about it. And nobody told me until now, ‘yan binabasa ko lang sa ano. Ayaw kong magtanong.
Pero kung sabihin ko na — sinabi ko lang, “Shut up.” You destroy the careers of military men, it’s not easy as that. Dumating ‘yan sila diyan na bakbakan ilang beses ‘yan nasugatan, malapit mamatay tapos magkaganoon, gusto lang nila mabuhay. Huwag mo akong…
I hope you won’t force my hand into it. We are friends, magkakilala tayo, I respect the separation of powers and that you have the right to conduct congressional investigations in aid of legislation.
Tell me now what aid that you can legislate when there is no g**d*** vaccine until now? Sabihin mo na nga. About the only reason that you can really investigate is in aid of legislation. So what is there in a legislation that you can make that has something to do with vaccine? You cannot legislate vaccine.
And then you put the guy in a situation na pati ‘yung career niya masisira. I won’t allow it because that is unfair. I hope that we understand each other. Ayaw ko na talaga ng gulo. I am not the grandstanding type na mag-ano. But do not, I said, force me to do something which is not good. Kung gusto ninyo ng gulo, sige.
I think now I will tell Durante — he is here — Durante, do not obey the summons. I am ordering you to stay put in the barracks. Medyo klaro naman siguro ‘yan?