MANILA, Philippines – The certainty of arrest is the best way to stop corruption, said Senator Alan Peter Cayetano in response to the first question during the vice-presidential debate held on Sunday, April 10, at the University of Santo Tomas.
He was asked by a student what would be the best penalty for the corrupt. Cayetano decided to take a different tact in his response.
“Lahat sa buong mundo, sa science ng criminology, it’s not the actual penalty but the certainty na mahuhuli ka,” said the senator.
(The whole world, in the science of criminology, it’s not the actual penalty but the certainty that you will be caught.)
Cayetano and his standard-bearer Rodrigo Duterte have promised to suppress corruption in government, aside from crime and drugs, in 3 to 6 months.
The no-holds-barred Cayetano who unleashed himself at the start of the vice-presidential debate hit the present administration and his rival candidates as he answered the question.
“Pag nagnakaw ka nang malaki, magiging congressman ka. 'Pag kabarkada mo si [Janet Lim] Napoles, magiging VP ka,” he said. Napoles was identified to be the alleged mastermind of the pork barrel scam. She has been indicted for plunder.
(If you steal a lot, you will be a congressman. If you are friends with [Janet] Napoles, you will be vice president.)
Two of his fellow vice-presidential candidates have been tagged as conspirators with Napoles in the files of whistleblower Benhur Luy. They are Gringo Honasan and Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Funny thing is, Cayetano’s name is also found in the damning files.
The senator from Taguig reminded the audience of his and Duterte’s promise to rid government of corruption.
“Only Duterte-Cayetano guarantees that in 6 months. Everyone else, takot mag-guarantee sa inyo (are scared to make guarantees),” he said.
Cayetano vs Marcos
Marcos interjected, taking up Cayetano on the subject of how corrupt people end up becoming congressmen or senators.
“Is that how he became senator?” asked Marcos who, in the previous part of the debate, was torn apart by Cayetano’s aggressive questioning on the ill-gotten wealth of his family.
Cayetano responded by saying he did not mean all lawmakers used corruption to get to their positions.
Then he was back on the offensive. “Nasaan ka pag corruption ang pinag-uusapan? Wala ka sa hearing (Where were you when corruption is being discussed? You are not in the hearings),” he asked Marcos.
Marcos responded by saying he refused to attend those hearings “dahil maliwanag na maliwanag sa akin na ang kanilang ginagawa ay hindi anti-corruption kundi pamumulitika (it was clear to me that what they are doing in the hearing is not anti-corruption but politicizing).”
Senator Antonio Trillanes IV joined the debate at this point, saying he took offense at Marcos saying the hearings were for political purposes only.
“Kung hindi namin ginawa yun, si Vice President [Jejomar] Binay na magiging presidente ng Pilipinas. Marami kaming ri-nisk, binastos kami, tinakot kami,” he said.
(If we did not do that, Vice President Binay would become president of the Philippines We risked a lot. People were rude to us, tried to scare us.) – Rappler.com