DILG Sec. Remulla holds press briefing on arrest of Estrada, Bonoan — June 1

[0:00] Ladies and gentlemen, let us all welcome the Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Juanito Victoria St. Ima Mula. [0:32] The Secretary will now deliver his competing statement. [0:36] Give me one minute, just let me prepare the documents. [0:54] Order of arrest, case number E-SV26-CRM-006 for plunder under RA 7080. [1:05] The following are enjoined to arrest Chief of Police, San Juan City, Provincial Director, Regional Director, NBI, NCRPO, and GPNP, and the CIDG. [1:22] You are hereby to command it to arrest Jose Gingoy Pimentel Estrada, Manuel Manligas Bonoan, Denril Cesar Sages Cortuna, Manny Bumagat Blusan, Artur Lobres Gonzalez, [1:38] who stand charge above stated crime and bring them therefore to the court to be dealt with the law and rule of court. [1:46] Direct, no bail. [1:49] In the name of San Juan City, Philippines, 1st day of June 26, signed, Honorable Zaldi V. Tres Peces, Chairperson, Associate Justice. [2:00] At approximately 3.30 p.m., I arrived at the Senate to implement the war of arrest. [2:09] Wala nang pong maganap na nangyari. [2:12] Sumama po si Jingoy. [2:13] Binasahan po siya ng miram the rights niya kasama ang kanyang abogado. [2:18] Naiintindihan niya, tinanong sa kanya kung naiintindihan niya kung anong ang charges laban sa kanya. [2:26] Sabi niya, naiintindihan niya. [2:28] Mapaya pa siyang sumama dito sa CIDG process and arrest. [2:32] Currently, two are already in the Sandigan Bayan. [2:39] Two are on their way to the Sandigan Bayan on the 5th Division. [2:44] Secretary Bonoan is on his way to the hospital because his hypertension was listed at 192 over 100. [2:52] He will be kept there for an indetermined amount of time before he stabilizes. [2:56] And when the doctor says that he is fit to stand trial, then he will be brought to the Sandigan Bayan. [3:01] Meanwhile, full security po siya. [3:04] Hindi po siya makakalabas at restricted access papunta sa kanya. [3:10] Senator Jingoy cooperated fully together with the other accused. [3:16] They were found to be in good health and are now on their way to face the courts. [3:22] Sir, nakunglan kayo ni South SP, alam ko pag kayo talo na parang medyo nagtatalo pa kayo. [3:28] Was he requesting for you not to arrest him? [3:31] No, no, no. [3:32] The question was whether yung separation of the executive and the judiciary and the legislative. [3:41] Sabi nila, merong sabi niya, even at the time of Salonga, he protected in Lile. [3:47] Ang sabi ko sa kanya, in a not very calm voice, kasi umakit na, [3:52] Sir, I'm sorry, you lost that privilege when Bato escaped. [3:57] So, yes, we will inform them, we will give them the courtesy, [4:07] but if there's an arrest to be made, we will make the arrest. [4:10] So, just for clarification, ang tamang term is you went there to arrest him, [4:16] you served the warrant, so it means he was arrested, or did he surrender? [4:21] We arrested him. I went there personally together with the CIDG. [4:25] He was read his Miranda rights, and from there, he was brought here the primary to be processed. [4:29] How about the four others? Did they personally surrender? [4:32] Secretary Bonoan went here, the one from DPH, I forgot his name. [4:38] He was here, sir, voluntarily surrendered. [4:39] All four? [4:40] The two others, voluntarily surrendered to the San Vigan Bayan. [4:43] Ah, okay. [4:47] Umalis na siya, as of five minutes ago, papunta na sila ng San Vigan. [4:50] Ano specifically ang ginawa sa kanya sa booking procedure? [4:53] Can you just walk us through? [4:53] There is the, he started with the fingerprint, then he went through the mugshot, [4:59] then he went through the medical clearance. [5:05] Tinapos muna silang tatlo. [5:08] Nung natapos yung tatlo, dineside na si Secretary Bonoan was not fit to go to the San Vigan. [5:13] Kaya dinireksyo po na siya sa hospital. [5:15] Senator Jinggoy Estrada requested, prior to this, for a knee replacement surgery. [5:20] Ano ka na to sa panin niyo? [5:22] It was a concern of his. [5:23] Pero sabi ko sa kanya, hindi ko wala akong kapangarihan diyan. [5:27] Ang San Vigan Bayan lang ang pwede magsabi kung pwede siya magpo-operahin. [5:31] Sir, si you said that President, bakit sumama ang ganda? [5:33] I think to show solidarity, Ibig Jinggoy, he said that sa samahan kita, pre, [5:38] and that's the exact word, sa samahan kita. [5:40] Wala naman siyang hundred questions, sir? [5:42] Manipag mo siyang nakapit? [5:43] Wala naman, wala naman. [5:44] Sir, si Bonoan, saan hospital, kung di ko ba sa... [5:47] Di ko alam. [5:48] Sasabit ko kung saan, ano niya, kung saan yung... [5:50] PNPH. [5:51] PNPH. [5:52] PNPH. [5:53] PNPH, yes. [5:54] Say, si ko ba ba sa hospital ng PNPH? [5:56] I think so. [5:57] Dito ba ba si Badino? [5:58] Sato. [5:58] Dito rin. [5:59] Dito rin. [6:00] Hospital arrest, but he has not been indicted. So, iintayin natin yung indictment niya before he's formally charged. [6:10] So, he is arrested, but he is not remanded by the court to go to the hospital. [6:16] Ito sa our decision, kasi nga imminent na yung stroke niya at 192. [6:23] So, ito sa our decision na dalain muna siya ron bago siya i-transport papunta ng sandigan. [6:28] Sa kasyulats natin na walang special treatment po kay Sen. Jinkroy? [6:33] Wala. Wala talaga. Same as the others who have been co-accused. [6:39] Depende kung saan sasabihin ng sandigan, they will be dealt fairly equally. No special privileges. [6:47] You have no idea where exactly they'll be committed at the point? [6:50] Sandigan is the only authority to say that. [6:55] Again, sandigan is the only authority na pwede magsabi. [6:58] Depende sa doktor niya yan, but there is a baseline for good health. [7:11] Kasi nakalagay doon condition of reasonable health. [7:14] So, pagbubaba yung mag-stabilize ang blood pressure niya, [7:17] dada rin na siya, mag-return ng warrant na kami sa 50-50. [7:21] Sir, may explain lang po ba ang doktor niya nakoncenderin na arrest sa halip na surrender? [7:24] No, he is arrested, but not yet indicted. [7:27] Sir, but why it's not called surrender? Kasi yun yung naratif ng Jinkroy. [7:31] Okay, surrendered siya rito. [7:32] Surrender siya rito. [7:33] Okay, he surrendered siya. [7:34] He's already in the custody of the police, but he's not been formally charged in front of the judge. [7:39] No, but you arrested him. [7:41] He surrendered, again, okay, he surrendered, he will surrender his rights, okay, [7:45] but he is not yet in the custody of the court. [7:48] He's in the custody of the police. [7:49] So, kasi may process yan, di ba? [7:52] So, aharap muna siya sa judge, sa Sandigan, [7:55] then they will say guilty or not guilty, [7:58] and then after that, the process. [8:00] Yes, but the fact that you went there personally to serve the war, [8:03] it is serving the war of the police. [8:05] Are we talking about Jinkoy? [8:06] Yes, Jinkoy. [8:07] I was talking about, I was talking about Secretary Bunohan eh, di ba yun? [8:11] Jinkoy na siya saka niya. [8:13] Okay, okay, you didn't clarify. [8:15] Before that, we were talking about Secretary Bunohan. [8:17] Okay. [8:18] When you jumped, you didn't identify it as about Jinkoy. [8:20] I said Jinkoy. [8:21] Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't hear. [8:22] I'm sorry, I ain't hear. [8:23] Okay, let's go back, balik tayo. [8:26] Balik tayo. [8:27] Okay, we arrested him in the Senate. [8:30] He was read his rights in the Senate. [8:32] He acknowledged that having understood his rights [8:35] before he went to the restroom, [8:38] I warned him, [8:40] Sir, anything you say will be used against you. [8:43] Sabi niya, yes, I understand. [8:44] Sir, but just to follow up, [8:45] bakit mo siya hindi natin kinukonsider yung narrative niya na surrender? [8:48] Because liba he held the police? [8:48] Well, that's his, well, you can see, [8:50] makikita niya naman sa video [8:52] that he was read his rights in the Senate. [8:54] Okay, sir. [8:55] So that technically constitutes an arrest. [8:57] So, sir, it feels correct, [8:59] because ilabago ko siya humarap sa press mo [9:00] at sinabi niya na surrender siya. [9:02] He was already arrested. [9:03] Yes. [9:03] He was read his rights. [9:05] Sir, no, reaction niya sa sinabi niya na parang atag na atag kayong [9:08] ihulihin sila, isa-isahin kay, isa-isahin sila? [9:11] There is no right or wrong here. [9:13] The actual warrant arrived to my possession at 2.45. [9:21] At by 3.15, I was in the Senate. [9:27] There is no right or wrong answer in this. [9:30] As soon as I got the warrant, I acted in it. [9:32] So, sir, it's a matter of the Senate. [9:38] You know, with Senate President, [9:39] hindi mo natin tinitid na niya, sir, [9:40] hindi naman, hindi naman. [9:43] He was explaining his side that it's never happened before. [9:46] But my side was that, [9:49] nung nakawala si Bato, [9:50] you lost that privilege already of having protected custody. [9:53] How many tinitinig yun, sir? [9:55] We're fine. [9:56] We're talking afterwards, and he understood. [9:59] Sir, what niya sa sabi yun? [10:00] Iti ba ang sinabi naman niya talaga from the very beginning? [10:02] If it's a local court that will issue the arrest warrant, [10:05] susundin nila? [10:06] Yes. [10:06] He was insisting that nobody could be arrested inside the Senate. [10:11] He was requesting that he be brought out of the Senate first. [10:13] But this is beyond six years that we're talking about. [10:16] Exactly. [10:17] And I said, [10:18] I'm sorry, sir. [10:19] There is no... [10:20] We do not... [10:22] You lost that privilege when Senator Bato escaped. [10:26] We will arrest him now on the spot. [10:27] Was it only because of the escape of Bato [10:30] or because there's also a six-year rule? [10:33] Both. [10:33] Beyond six years. [10:34] Both. [10:34] Usually, [10:35] meron kasing Senate and executive, [10:38] muna yan eh, [10:39] respect for the leadership. [10:41] Usually, [10:41] ilalapas muna yan eh. [10:43] But tama na, [10:43] di ba? [10:44] Tama na. [10:45] There's no more hiding behind the curtains of the Senate. [10:48] Sir, [10:48] sir, [10:48] pinayagan niyo pa na mag-press points yan? [10:51] And then... [10:51] It's within his rights. [10:53] I warned him. [10:54] I did warn him. [10:55] I told him, [10:55] whatever you say can be used against you. [10:57] And he said, [10:58] he understands. [10:59] So... [10:59] I know that you're saying [11:00] that they lost that right [11:04] after Senator Bato escaped. [11:06] Are you saying that he has also had... [11:08] It's not a right. [11:09] It's not a right. [11:09] In the escape of Senator Bato? [11:10] It's not a right. [11:11] It's a privilege. [11:12] Or... [11:12] It's a privilege. [11:14] It's a privilege. [11:14] It's a privilege. [11:15] No, [11:15] I am not implying anything other than [11:19] Senator Bato escaped [11:20] and that we revoke [11:22] that privilege of separation [11:24] in terms of arrest [11:25] that we can arrest anybody [11:26] inside the Senate building [11:27] if necessary. [11:28] Sir, [11:28] would that be a precedent [11:29] sa mga susunod na lawmakers [11:30] na ma-aarist? [11:31] If it is necessary, [11:33] we will always do what is necessary [11:34] according to the bounds of law. [11:36] Remember, [11:36] there is no such law [11:37] as you cannot arrest anyone [11:38] inside the Senate. [11:40] There's no such law. [11:41] It's a... [11:41] It's a... [11:42] It's a privilege granted [11:44] to the... [11:46] to the... [11:47] to the legislative. [11:48] So, [11:50] for the first time... [11:51] Because of courtesy? [11:52] Because of courtesy. [11:53] It is a courtesy. [11:54] But there's no such law [11:55] which prevents [11:55] and prevents us [11:56] from arresting anyone [11:57] in the Senate. [11:58] So, [11:58] even if it's not [11:59] beyond six years, [12:00] there's no such law? [12:01] Let me get this straight [12:02] and you can research it [12:03] for me. [12:03] But I think what is not allowed [12:05] is if they are in session. [12:08] But not in session. [12:10] Yes. [12:11] Yes. [12:11] All five are all [12:12] accounted for. [12:13] Sir, [12:13] we didn't entertain [12:14] any last two questions [12:16] from the media? [12:19] It's up to the Sandigan Bayan. [12:21] It's up to the... [12:22] But it's a possibility [12:22] you're welcome here, sir. [12:23] We have no... [12:24] The Sandigan Bayan determines [12:25] who where he'll be incarcerated. [12:27] But the custodial facility [12:29] is very livable. [12:35] But meaning puro daga, [12:37] puro... [12:37] It's... [12:38] It's about to be demolished [12:41] because for... [12:42] to build a new facility. [12:44] So... [12:44] I'm not familiar [12:46] if there... [12:47] There is a slight altercation [13:04] between me and the daughter. [13:06] She gave me the dirty finger [13:09] and cursed at me. [13:10] I said, [13:10] it's okay. [13:11] I understand your emotion. [13:12] I don't know which one. [13:14] But I said, [13:15] it was nothing personal. [13:16] Okay, thank you very much. [13:18] Can you please request for the long shots? [13:21] No, not yet, not yet. [13:23] We will release it on time. [13:25] They took the pictures five minutes ago. [13:27] So, we can't believe that. Thank you. [13:29] Thank you very much. [13:30] And that concludes our best briefing. Good afternoon.