Full Transcript: Ricardo Penson on 'Kandidato 2013'

Business executive Ricardo Penson has two goals if he gets elected to the senate: one, to pass a law that will abolish political dynasties and two, to remove the pork barrel system in the Philippines.  The senatorial candidate also discussed his business’ existing contract with the government, his experience during the Marcos Administration, and his annulment with a movie actress in his interview with veteran anchor Arnold Clavio and PCIJ Executive Director Malou Mangahas on GMA News and Public Affairs’ special election series “Kandidato 2013.”
 
Below is the full transcript of his interview which aired on March 21, 2013.
 
-
 
ARNOLD CLAVIO (AC): Magandang gabi po. Ang makakasama naman nating kandidato ngayong gabi, si Ginoong Ricardo Penson. Magandang gabi po.
 
RICARDO PENSON (RP): Magandang gabi, Arnold. Magandang gabi.
 
On his advocacy against political dynasties
 
AC: ‘Yung bid niyo tungkol sa political dynasty, kontra. Napapanood ko yung kaliwa't kanan niyong ad din kontra dynasty. Pero ang tanong ko, ano po ba ang depinisyon niyo ng political dynasty? Kasi hindi rin ho kaila na kapatid niyo po si Margie Juico na nasa PCSO na appointed siya, ano. ‘Yung pamangkin niyo, si Vince Juico, Chief of Staff ng PCSO. Appointee rin siyempre. Pero ‘yung pamangkin niyo, anak ni Ma'am Margie, nasa District 1, si Joseph Juico, konsehal. ‘Yung isa ninyong pamangkin, si Lena Juico ay nagbabalak tumakbo na city councilor ng Quezon City. Sa Hiritan, naaalala ko, sinabi niyo na walang karapatan yung mga kandidato na tumakbo kung sila ay magkakamag-anak. Naiba ho ba ‘pag pamilya Penson na ang pinag-uusapan?
 
RP: Hindi. Si Margie Penson-Juico is my oldest sister. Gaya ng pamilya, malaki kaming pamilya, sampu kami. Adhikain ng aming pamilya itong kontra dynasty mula pa, mula pa '87 aming itinutulak itong sa mga delegation ng con-con, itong provision ng constitution now. Kaya ‘yang sa aming definition niyan, up to second degree of consanguinity and affinity kagaya na lang, we'll use Margie as an example. I haven't talked to her in two years. Juico na ang pamilya niya, may asawa na. Pwede kong sabihan ang kapatid ko pero hindi ko pwede sabihan ang pamangkin ko kung gusto nila tumakbo. Now ako, personally, hindi ko gusto ‘yun kasi it is against our advocacies. Pero siguro nakikita ng mga pamangkin ko ‘yung ama nila o ‘yung kanilang ina so hindi ko mapagsasabihan ‘yan. Margie is within the second degree, she's my sister pero appointed official siya and I don't think I have anything to ... so with her appointment, in fact, I don't have anything to do with them as far as politics is concerned, but the whole family is supporting me. My younger brother is the campaign manager, my oldest brother is the one who was one of those who launched the original anti-dynasty campaign in Las Piñas, ‘yung Laban Against Political Dynasty in Las Piñas so that’s what I can say about that.
 
AC: Hindi ho ba kontra sa kampanya niyo ‘yan?
 
RP: Hindi naman pero hindi rin siya, hindi rin namin dini-discuss. Hindi rin namin siya hinihingan ng tulong.
 
MALOU MANGAHAS (MM): Ano po ba sa pag-aaral ninyo ang hindi mabuti tungkol sa mga political dynasties?
 
RP: Well ang political dynasties kasi, ‘yung succession of one family to hold the political power. So since Arnold has raised the issue of my nephew and niece, ako, kung tinanong nila ako, I would have stopped them. Hindi maganda ‘yun na sila pa ang papalit sa isa't isa, although council ‘yun so it's not actually called a clear and obvious dynasty because there's what, 30 councilors in Quezon City. But that can still be construed as dynasty so hindi maganda. Now ang hindi kagandahan dito is that 70% na ng ating Kamara at Senado belong to political dynasty and of this 70 percent, over 60 percent have political relations up to second degree in the local government units so they control both the national political power in that area, pati yung kaban ng bayan sa national at sa lalawigan lalo na sa probinsya. Mali ito kaya ang nangyayari tuloy, sila ang may hawak ng kuryente, tubig, lahat ng basic services and also doon sa lugar na yun. Hindi na nagbago ‘yung mga ideas sa lugar na ‘yun. Nag-stagnant na dahil palit-palitan lang sa isang pamilya. ‘Yun sana ang gusto naming ipaabot sa ating mga mamamayan -- itong umiiral na kamalian na nakasanayan natin. What is wrong has become the norm. Kailangan intindihin na ng taumbayan at kung ito man lang ay maibigay ko sa taumbayan, itong issue na ito, okay na ‘yun. Sapat na ‘yun para sana sa 2016 wala na talagang dynasties.
 
AC: Pero sa mga kasabay niyong kandidato ngayon, may mga lumalabag ba sa intensyon laban sa political dynasty? ‘Yung mga tumatakbong anak ngayon ng mga dating senador?
 
RP: Sa tingin ko morally, they are committing injustice or disservice to the people dahil number one, the provision of the constitution states that there should be equal access to public service for everybody, for every deserving Filipino. Number two, nakalagay d’yan na we will not tolerate political dynasties. It is state policy. It is inserted in the constitution. Nakalagay ‘yan sa saligang batas bakit mo pa hahanapan ng... bakit paiikutin mo pa ang isipan ng tao? This was approved by plebiscite in 1987. It was known as the biggest plebiscite ever held in the country so bakit mo hahanapin? If you may not be against the letter of the provision but you are definitely against the spirit of the constitution.
 
MM: Sabi po nila meron namang good and bad political dynasties, dynasties of service, dynasties of performance. Ano po ang opinyon niyo doon?
 
RP: Sabi nila. Lahat na nga ng palusot ginawa nila pero kung titingnan niyo, paano mo masasabi na may good or bad dynasty? The mere fact na nag-create ka ng dynasty, ang intensyon mo, mali na. Nasa constitution natin ‘yan. Bakit mo pa lalabagin ang mga moral obligation mo sa constitution that you swore to uphold and defend?
 
AC: Pero nakalagay po sa Saligang Batas, kailangan may enabling law. Hindi ho maipasa ‘yung batas na yun.
 
RP: Alam mo Arnold, ‘yang enabling law na ‘yan, palusot din. It's really skirting the issue dahil ang Supreme Court on many of its decisions already defined what a political dynasty is. Kaya nung nag-file kami ng petition for mandamus against congress to compel congress to start hearing the anti-political dynasty bill before, ayokong sabihing mali ang ating Korte Suprema ngunit sa tingin ko, sa palagay ko kinakailangan na nating magkaroon ng Constitutional Court dito sa ating bansa. Kasi ang pulitiko natin, masyado nang pilosopo. Ang pulitiko natin masyado nang mayayabang. Ang pulitiko natin masyado nang mayayaman. At kung sa bansa na karamihan ay mahihirap, umiiral lagi ang mga kagustuhan ng mayayaman, kung ilang pamilya lang ang pipiliin mo para mamahala sa ating bansa at hindi sila sang-ayon sa kagustuhan ng karamihan ng mga tao, wala ka nang pupuntahan.
 
MM: ‘Yung iba pong tao sabi nila, “Better the devil you know than the devil you don't know.” So parang 'yung nakagisnan nilang dating politiko, 'yun ang paulit-ulit na ibinoboto. Hindi ho kaya ang problema ay tayo ring mga botante?
 
RP: Pareho na ‘yan. Naging problema na rin ang botante kasi wala na silang pagpipilian at kahit anong sabihin ng mga kasama ko sa kandidato sa senado, kahit sabihin nila  na matatalino naman ang ating mga botante, isa na namang palusot. Kahit na anong talino ng isang tao kung wala ka, kung hindi mo alam kung saan manggagaling ang susunod mong hapunan, hindi ka na makakapag-isip kung sino ang dapat mong iboto. Kung abutan ka, alam mong mabibigyan mo ng hapunan ang pamilya mo, okay na siguro ‘yun. ‘Yun sigurong kakailangananin natin pati tulong ng mga media organizations na ‘wag natin ipagpalit naman ‘yung isang masarap na hapunan sa tatlong taon natin na kinabukasan.
 
MM: Mr. Penson, kayo po ay very successful na businessman na masasabi at sportsman at very well-traveled.  Bakit niyo po nais pang tumakbo pa? Parang hindi naman ninyo kailangan itong posisyong ito para mabuhay ng medyo may kulay ang inyong mundo.
 
RP: Alam mo Malou, doon sa sagot ko d’yan, noong 2010, I was ready to give up on the Philippines but because of my training and because of what I've been used to in my life, I wanted to give it one last try.  So nung nanalo si PNoy, I wanted to believe what victory it was for the people but sa mga nakikita ko, sa mga pangyayaring nalalaman ko, hindi matutupad ‘yung kagustuhan natin para sa nakararami. Yun ‘yung 99 percent na unrepresented. Kung ‘yung mga kagaya ko ay basta na lang babalewalain na lang at sabihin ko, “Ayoko na, sawa na ako, I give up on the Philippines.” So I decided to launch ‘yung Krusada Kontra Dynasty at nung in-announce naman ng administrasyon at nung oposisyon ‘yung kanilang mga kandidato na parehong kulang, hindi sila makabuo ng isang dosenang magigiting at matatalinong Pilipino, at for the first time in electoral history, they share three common candidates. Parang sandali, mali yata ito. So nung nag-usap kami nina Eddie Roces, nung oldest brother ko, “Dick subukan mong tumakbo. Kailangan natin siguro na ipakita na mayroong tao na susundin ‘yung spirit ng ating saligang batas.” So tinuloy naming at napunta ako dito pero bago ako mapunta dito, ipinangako ko sa brother ko ‘yung family business will support me at hinayaan kong humarap ang sarili ko sa Comelec scrutiny. I was named as one of the 57 hopefuls na kailangan magpatunay na may capacity to run. They asked for three of my latest ITR, audited statements of the companies I represent, so hinayaan ko. Sige, we submitted it and the Comelec approved our candidacy, so eto na. We'll give it a fight. We're in to win.
 
On what he plans to do if he gets elected
 
AC: Doon po sa political dynasty, ano po ba yung ma-o-offer niyo pa kung kayo ay pinalad sa senado? Hindi tayo matatapos sa isang issue lang po, Ginoong Penson.
 
RP: Hindi talaga. Ang sumusunod d’yan, ‘yung aming legislative agenda for our returning contract workers, mga ofw natin. Kailangan sa umpisa pa lang bigyan natin sila ng one-stop-shop. Puro pangako ang nangyayari sa kanila, na bibigyan sila ng one-stop-shop after what, 12 years, wala pa ring nabubuong one-stop-shop para hindi sila naloloko. Hindi pa sila umaalis at kung nakabalik na sila after two-three years of service overseas, marami na silang natutunan doon. Nagamit na nila ‘yung kagalingan nila. Napaunlad nila kahit paapano ‘yung bansang pinagmulan nila. Bigyan naman sana sila ng OWWA o ng pamahalaan ng puhunan sa mababang interes. Bigyan sila ng puhunan na makapagsimula sila ng kalakal o hanapbuhay para naman mabuo ulit ang kanilang pamilya. The biggest error in society now is that we are proud to have millions, about 7 million now, of contract workers which amounts to about also 7 million families with single parent homes. That is a bigger disaster sa cost benefit issues. It is the biggest disaster for us.
 
Tapos sa small and medium enterprise, the top ten banks in the country lend out almost 60 percent of their loan portfolio to the top 100 corporations of the Philippines.  Kinakailangan i-revisit ‘yan, baguhin ‘yan para naman … we cannot survive as a nation if we only have three conglomerates working on industries in the Philippines. We cannot stay competitive that way.
 
Tapos sa education, ‘yun ang pinakamahirap na lugar sa atin. Kailangan magkaroon ng interagency agreement para ‘yung mga bata, nabibigyan ng nourishment feeding program so they have enough food in their bellies, in their stomach to comprehend the schooling. Kami, as a family, nagtayo na kami. Since 2001, we put up 27 learning centers to prepare the poorest of the nation to prepare for K-12 para ‘yung kindergarten, meron na. We paid for the teachers, we paid for the school buildings and it’s operating but all of this we did because of my father. We all idolize our father and our father told us before na kung tumulong ka sa kapwa mo at tumayo ka sa kanto at ipinagsigawan mo ‘yung tulong na ginawa mo, sa mata ng Panginoon, bayad ka na. Siya nung 1974, sinimulan niya ‘yung Prison School for Applied Sciences dahil naniniwala siya na karamihan ng nakakulong dito sa Pilipinas ay gusto lamang bigyan ng konting kaligayahan ‘yung kanilang pamilya. He believes that in his heart. ‘Yung iba, ipinagmamalaki ‘yung tatay nila senador kaya sila senador din. Ganito, puro political dyansties na ‘yan. Ako, ipagmamalaki ko ang ama ko mas maraming natulungan kesa sa mga ama nila at hindi niya ipinagmamalaki ‘yun at wala siyang ginamit na kahit singkong pera ng pamahalaan.
 
On his business’ existing contract with the government
 
MM: Sir, pwede po bang pakiklaro lang ‘yung sa punto ng inyong business interest -- ‘yung negosyo ng pamilya na tutulong sa inyo, ‘yun hong pagiging president and CEO ninyo ng Ausphil Tollways Corporation. May kontrata po ba kayo sa gobyerno at anong status nito?
 
RP: Meron po. Meron kaming kontrata sa gobyerno. I'm glad you asked that, Malou. It's about time I give a public statement on this. Sinimulan namin ito panahon ni Pangulong Estrada. Gumawa kami ng letter under the DOT law. Unsolicited bid, unsolicited proposal to open up from Commonwealth Avenue to San Jose del Monte to Cabanatuan up to Tuguegarao. This is the North Luzon East Expressway. A MOA was signed in 2003 with the MWSS using their right of way. Then in 2007, we were given the notice of award for that project. It was approved by NEDA and the other agencies involved in 2010. It was declared by the Toll Regulatory Board as a toll road project and the Toll Road Concession Agreement was forwarded to the solicitor general for review. The president himself, Noynoy, in his first SONA, mentioned this project. In fact, a paragraph of his SONA said “Bakit kailangang abutin ng dekada ang isang proyektong walang kahit isang sentimong gastos ang gobyerno?” Ngayon ay 2013 na, wala pa rin kaming notice to proceed. ‘Yung aming Australian partners, nag-back out na. Nag-increase ‘yung capitalization namin. This is a form of corruption in itself. This is graft. When you delay the projections, the implementation of an awarded project, this is graft.
 
MM: Unsolicited bid po ito. Magkano po ‘yung total project cost?
 
RP: The total project cost is 13.6 billion pesos.
 
MM: Ano pong dahilan, bakit na-delay sa inyo pong pakiwari?
 
RP: Sa tingin ko dahil hindi nila ako kursunada as a person. Maybe. Or they don't like my partners before. They have not really given us an accurate statement as to why. Put it this way, in December 2011, I was invited to the World Infrastructure Summit. The project was given, the first transformational engineering award in that infrastructure summit. The other person who was supposed to go there was a representative of the government. Nung nalaman nila na ang bibigyan ng award Pilipinas, ‘di na dumating ang representative. So I received the award in behalf of the corporation without a government representative, not even our ambassador and this is the biggest infrastructure summit in the world.
 
MM: Meron ho bang humingi ng lagay sa inyo o meron ho bang nagpahiwatig kaya ayaw nila kayo kasi…
 
RP: Hindi ho ako marunong magbigay ng lagay kaya siguro inabot ng 13. Maraming humihingi.
 
MM: Sino po ‘yun?
 
RP: Mahirap ho sabihin dahil hindi naman sila nakatanggap. Baka lalo pang walang mangyari sa project naming, ang laki na ng nagagastos ng kompanya d’yan.
 
On his marriage and annulment with a Filipino actress
 
AC: Ginoong Penson, ‘pag in-offer mo ‘yung sarili mo sa publiko, walang dapat itago. ‘Pag tinitingnan ‘yung pangalan mo sa Internet, lumalabas ‘yung artikulo sa Manila Standard nung July 4, 1994. Nasa borderline daw po kayo ng psychological evaluation?
 
RP: Alam mo Arnold, well hindi ‘94 ‘yan. Siguro mga ‘98 dahil I was married to a movie actress and after a while, the marriage was simply not meant to be, let's put it that way. We've been seeing each other on and off for many years, but it was not meant to be. Ang mga ibinato sa akin, kesyo physical abuse, psychological incapacity…
 
AC: Sa annulment?
 
RP: So we asked for a Quezon City court to call for an executive session kasi ang daming nagpupuntang fans and all of that, pero since nagre-research na rin lang kayo, pwede na rin kayo humingi ng order ng court kung bakit, anong nangyari. Ayoko na rin namang magsabi ng masama, marahas tungkol dito sa ex-wife ko. She's happily married now. I have my own life. No need to dig it up. But to answer your question, ang isa-cite ko na lang, ‘yung sa order ng court. Number one, ang nagpatingin sa psychiatrist ay siya. Ang findings ng psychiatrist sira ulo ako? Hindi pupwede ‘yun. Ikaw in-examine, bakit ang sira ulo asawa mo? Number two, physical abuse. Abugado tatay niya, ang liit niya. Sa laki kong ito, kung ako nambugbog ng babae, siguradong medico-legal. Abugado tatay mo. Financial resources, siguro naman obvious naman sa financial resources, pinakita ko lahat ng cancelled checks na binayad sa kanya. Paano, mas marami naman yata kaming financial resources kesa sa kanya. So anyway, nandun sa findings ng court ‘yun. So I was not found psychologically incapacitated but there were basis. You can see for yourself why it was annulled.
 
MM: So mawalang galang na po, kasi ang sabi nila medyo sportsman-businessman, mahatak kayo sa kababaihan. Ano po ba ang tunay na record? Ilang beses na ba kayong kinasal at nag-divorce?
 
RP: Alam mo Malou, nung 1978, I left the Philippines because an exo was issued. I was heavily involved in the underground movement against Marcos. The president would know that because…
 
On being tortured during the Marcos regime
 
MM: Mr. Penson, kayo po ba ay naging biktima daw ng martial law? Ano po ba ang nangyari talaga?
 
RP: Well, nung 1978, dahil sa tumutulong ako doon sa kampanya ni Ninoy dahil nakakulong nga siya noon dahil sa batasang pambansa. Pati nga sa presinto namin noon doon sa Del Monte sa Quezon City, na-zero siya, [eh] buong pamilya namin doon, bumoto. Nalaman siguro ng mga… at that time Metrocom, kami ‘yung nagsimula ng motorcade, nung mga noise barrage and all that, so nasama ako sa mga tao na pinag-initan. One evening, they went to our house, disarmed the guards, went up to my room and kicked down the door. Basta sinabihan ako sumama ka sa amin. I was asked to put on my jeans and white t-shirt. Tapos sinama ako doon sa Camp Crame. I recognized two of the other guys there. Kasama ko sa undergound printing ng Laban na campaign materials.
 
AC: Tinorture po ba kayo?
 
RP: Oo. Nakatali kami sa rattan chairs and both hands and feet were bound to the rattan chairs and ‘yun. So ang nakatulong sa akin doon, si Colonel berroya because I've known him before. Tinulungan niya ako. Nilabas niya ako sa Camp Crame with a bleeding shirt.
 
MM: Anong ginawa sa inyo?
 
RP: Si Colonel Abadilla at that time, although nagkita kami ulit nung nakakulong na siya pero hindi na niya ako nakilala, sabi “Anong gagawin natin sa kanya? Hindi, baka hanapin ng pamilya yan.” So I guess that was my saving grace. Tinulak ‘yung ulo ko. We were blindfolded pero binukas ‘yung bibig ko, pinasok ‘yung hammer ng baril, pinaputok. ‘Pag putok ng baril siyempre tinamaan ‘yung ngipin ko from the inside. Nag-recoil yung hammer, hit me on the forehead. Putok ‘yung forehead ko. Tanggal ‘yung ngipin ko and that was the worse experience I’ve ever had.
 
MM: And then what happened after?
 
RP: My parents felt it was… nung nailabas na akong Camp Crame, diniretso na ako, sinakay ako ng eroplano papunta sa America.
 
MM: At doon po kayo mukhang nakatagpo ng relasyon… nung nandoon kayo.
 
On finding love overseas
 
RP: Doon sa America, I got married to an American. She was my first wife. Going to your question about wives, she was a very decent person. In fact, ‘yun lang siguro sa mga colorful events sa buhay ko, ‘yun lang, ang I still respect up to know. She retired recently as the highest ranking woman in Dow Chemicals. She was Chief CFO of their European operation. There was a time after my work and study in University of Pennsylvania, I was working in Illinois. She was working for Dow Chemicals in New York. ‘Yung long distance relationship was hard on the marriage so eventually, we were separated pero maganda rin ang experience ko doon because after the divorce, merong tinatawag sa Michigan Court na we have mutated alimony so kahit papaano, I paid that for two years. I was cornered by the court. At the end of the payment, at the end of my birthday, the second year payment, she sent me a check giving me everything back. She said she knows I can use that money because I was going back to the Philippines. This was after people power and she wished me luck.
 
On his stand on divorce in the Philippines
 
MM: So pabor ba kayo, ngayong mainit ang divorce law sa Pilipinas?
 
RP: Ako pabor. I guess because of my personal experience, kasi kawawa rin naman. There are marriages that just don’t work. People tend to, especially nowadays, people tend to outgrow each other. I think that should be given a chance to reconsider. Ang dami naman nating kakilala, kamag-anak na alam naman nating hiwalay pero married in paper.
 
MM: Sa ngayon po, kayo ay married or single?
 
RP: Single. I have one son so wala akong dinastiya. He’s eleven years old.
 
On his the Philippines’ economic growth under the Aquino administration
 
MM: ‘Yun hong ekonomiya, nito hong 2012 na nakalipas, 6.8 percent ang increase ng economic growth and whole year growth sa 6.6 percent. So may mga puna po kayo sa political dynasties natin pero it looks like under the Aquino government, something good is happening. Ano pong silip ninyo rito bilang negosyante?
 
RP: Kung tutuusin natin, ‘yung kanilang dineclare na 7.1 percent pa nga na last quarter growth average to about 6.6 for the year pero ito, repercussion na lang ito ng savings ng Aquino administration. The first two years, it was widely known that they did not spend a cent. They kept everything under wraps for infrastructure, for employment development. So lahat ‘yan, it was kept under wraps so when a country thus increases in remittance from our contract workers and we have such a big cash reserve and we have savings, government savings, of course we have created an artificial image na akala siguro ng mga nagre-rating “Aba, maraming pera ang Pilipinas.” It affects your growth projection so ‘yun ang nangyari sa atin because it is so obvious. Walang trickle own effect, unemployment is higher, incidence of poverty is higher so paano mo sasabihin na ang growth natin is 7.1? Hanggang hindi mo mapakita ‘yung reduction sa unemployment, up to now the UN rates the Philippines as 42 percent ng ating mga pamilya under the poverty line.
 
On funding his own campaign
 
MM: Pagdating sa resources, ano po ‘yung pondo na maaasahan ninyong pantulong sa inyong kampanya at ano po ang patakaran ng inyong grupo? Mula sa pera ng mga jueteng lords, drug lords o ano po ‘yung inyong kaban na pwedeng pang-pondo sa inyong kampanya?
 
RP: Sarili ko ang perang gagamitin ko. In fact, ‘yung mga kapatid ko ang nagsabi sa akin ng hindi tayo hihingi ng campaign contributions dahil karamihan ng nag-o-offer ng campaign contributions sa atin, may strings attached. We cannot afford to do this ‘pag tayo na mismo. Tatakbo tayong independent so we can represent 99 percent of Filipinos na walang kumakatawan sa kanila sa ating kongreso at kukuha pa akong pera ng ibang tao na pipilitin akong ipasa ‘yung mga batas na para sa kanila? Hindi ho ganyan. Karamihan po kasi sa mga batas na naipasa, ito ‘yung katotohanan sa atin ngayon, meron tayong kongreso, kamara at senado na gumawa ng batas na pinoproteksyunan sila laban sa atin. Walang pinasang batas na poproteksyunan tayo laban sa kanila. ‘Pagka ganyan na ang takbo ng ating pamahalaan, wala na tayong makikitang talagang klarong kinabukasan. Napakaganda ng sunset dito, napakaganda ng sunset ng Manila Bay. I can see it now, pero tingnan mo kung sa’n lumulubog ang araw, sa likod ng mga buildings, ng mga gusali na yan. Napakaraming Pilipino na ‘di nila alam kung saan sila kukuha ng oportunidad para maiahon ang kanilang mga kasama. Kailangan siguro talaga pag-aralang mabuti ‘yang mga drug money. Naniniwala ako talaga at talagang malapit na malapit sa puso ko na ang ugat ng kamalian sa ating bansa ngayon ay ang political dynasty.
 
On his ratings on senatorial polls
 
AC: Papasok na tayo sa kampanya pero nalulungkot ka ba sa resulta ng mga political survey? Nasa pang ilang pwesto po kayo?
 
RP: 36?
 
AC: Sa tingin niyo ba makakaabot pa kayo sa Magic 12?
 
RP: Palagay ko siguro kung maibababa namin ang kampanya. Natutuwa ako ngayon na ang partido Lakas na mas nag-endorso sa amin. One vote, single vote sila sa senado. Sanlakas Kababaihan, Sanlakas Youth, I'm having those votes as well at marami sa ating mga nurse, sa ating mga guro, at malapit sa mga guro ang ama ko. Nagturo siya sa college, ako nagturo din ako sa University of Adelaide at sa Melbourne University. ‘Yun ang mga tamang sectoral representatives na dapat talaga matulungan, na kinakailangan ng tulong nila siguro. Kailangan kaya namin ibaba ito, i-represent 99 percent of the Filipino people talaga. At naniniwala ako na itong mga tumatakbo, meron silang pagkukunan ng pondo sapagkat kita naman nila ang nangyari sa nakaraan. A mere certification, you get 200 million. Talo mo pa ang may credit line.
 
On why he should be elected
 
AC: Mr. Penson, bakit kayo po ang karapat-dapat maging senador?
 
RP: Sapagkat sa tingin ko sa mga tumatakbo ngayon, galing oposisyon at sa administrasyon, walang kakampi ang taumbayan. Ako na lang ang natitira.
 
MM: Ano sa tingin ninyo ang kahinaan ninyong dapat ninyong maigtawan para maging mahusay na mambabatas? Ano po ‘yung weaknesses niyo para mas maging handa sa papel na gusto niyong gampanan bilang mambabatas?
 
RP: ‘Yung weaknesses ko siguro Malou, napag-aralan ko na for the last two years. Ako kasi hindi ako pumapasok sa hindi ko kayang tapusin. Hindi kami handa na maglunsad ng kampanya ngunit nung nakita ko ang suporta na nakuha ng Krusada Kontra Dynasty, nakita ko na kung kakayanin nila na lumabas at lumantad sa ating mga kababayan at sabihin nila kung ano ang dapat nilang gawin, kung kinakaya nila ‘yun, bakit di ko kakayanin ‘yun? Ang kinakailangan ko na lang siguro ay masusing bigyan ito ng hustong panahon. Siguro 4-7 ang kampanyang ito, at ibababa namin talaga sa mga taumbayan na pinupuntahan ng traditional politicians na bigyan ng boto. ‘Yun siguro ang kinakailangang mabago. ‘Pag nawala ‘yung bilihan ng boto siguradong lalabas ang mga independents for the first time in history.
 
MM: May pangako po kayo sa sarili ninyo na ‘pag kayo ay nahalal at hindi kayo nakapagpasa ng anti-dynasty bill within your term, kayo po ay bababa sa senado.
 
RP: Ang pangako ko doon sa pinirmahan naming covenant sa Krusada Kontra Dynasty ay number one, sisiguraduhin namin, either by people's initiative or by law by congressional act, ‘yung anti-political dynasty. Number two, kailangang alisin na yung pork barrel dahil ito, kaya siguro ng developed countries ‘yan, pero sa ating bansa, hindi pa matured ang ating mga politiko para bigyan mo ng ganyan kalaking pork barrel. ‘Yang dalawang ‘yan ang itutulak namin. Sa tingin ko kaya naming gawin ‘yan, sa tingin ko makakausap ko ‘yung mga matitino kung iilan man, kahit iilan man na mabubuting mahahalal at maluluklok. Kung magwagi tayo ng posisyon sa senado, kaya kong makausap ito.
 
AC: Maraming salamat po. ‘Yan po ang ating nakasama ngayong gabi, si Ginoong Ricardo Penson. Kandidato.
 
RP: Maraming salamat po. Magandang gabi. –Mia Enriquez/PF, GMA News