TRANSCRIPT OF AMBUSH INTERVIEW OF SEN. SERGE OSMEÑA

On Senate Leadership fiasco

Q: Bakit hindi po kayo nakaboto kahapon?

Serge: Hindi ako nakaboto kasi nasa taas ako, I was meeting with the Insurance Commissioner and representatives of the insurance industry kasi pina-fast-track nila 'yung Insurance Code nila.

Q: Kung nakaboto kayo, ano po ang boto niyo? Why?

Serge: I will vote for the retention of Senate President Juan Ponce Enriile. Because this is not the time anyway to change the leadership. No matter how you wish to take sides, this is not the time to mess the Senate and change leadership. Alam niyo, ang adjustment process dito mga 2 months. Bigyan mo ako ng bagong committee, maghahanap na naman ako ng bagong staff para diyan, mawawala lahat sa 3 weeks na lang natin. We only have 3 weeks left.

Q: Ibig sabihn hindi totoo na meron ng numbers 'yung opposition against Enrile?

Serge: No. Nobody has been approached. Kinausap ko 'yung mga kaibigan ko dito, 'Ano kinausap ka ba?' Wala, wala naman. Parang nagiging wishful thinking na magkakaroon na ng coup d' etat. Eh wala namang lumalapit sa kanila.

Q: Kung nilapitan kayo, would you still vote to retain him?

Serge: Yeah, definitely. I think Johnny has been doing a good job. By and large. Of course, not everybody would agree with you in this world. Pero hindi naman dapat na just because they don't agree, papalitan ka na. I respect the opinions of Sen. Trillanes, of Sen. Santiago. But for the sake of the institution and for the sake of the country, let's not change horses in the middle of the stream. Malapit na tayo sa end of the stream, February 8 wala na tayong session, ang dami pang bills na nakasalang dito, and we'd like to be able to pass most of them, if not all of them.

Q: Hindi possible 'yung change of leadership katulad ng sinasabi nila? Hindi mangyayari 'yun in the next 3 weeks?

Serge: Yes. I don't think there's any desire to rock the boat at a time when we have so many more important things to do. It's not fair to the Filipino people.

Q: San nanggagaling 'yung sinasabi ni Sen. Trillanes that they have the numbers?

Serge: Ask Sen. Trillanes that.

Q: Sa inyo po walang lumalapit?

Serge: Kung bibilangin po ninyo ang mga grupo dito sa Senado... maybe the so-called Malacanang group composed of Liberals, independents, they're about 7. The group of Sen. Trillanes, which is the Nacionalista group of Sen. Villar, it's also about 7. Then there about 5 independents, people like Sen. Chiz, Sen. Koko. And the group of Sen. Enrile, which has about 4 or 5. So, hindi naman nakakabuo ang maski isang grupo dito. You have to coalesce with other groups.

Q: Kung ulitin niya ang misyon nya?

Serge: You mean if he repeats today the same motion that he made yesterday? I will vote for his retention.

On Cebu politics

Q: Gov. Gwen Garcia has been holding up sa capitol? Pasayaw-sayaw pa nung weekend?

Serge: Well, actually, no harm, no foul din 'yan eh. Bakit? Kasi lahat ng mga department heads sinusunod naman ang utos ng Vice Governor eh. Useless din ang ginagawa niya.

Number 2, kandidato siya for Congress. Kung ayaw niya mangampanya, okay lang, di ba? Pero mahihirapan siya. She cannot stay in the Capitol and campaign for Congress.

Q: She should just follow the order?

Serge: The law is the law. Not all of us with the law, sometimes you would think that talagang, 'agrabyado yata ako dito', but still, you still obey the law. Kapag sinabing under arrest ka, eh di mag-post ka ng bail. But huwag mong sabihing, 'hindi, hindi, malil 'yan, I challenge that.' There is a process. People makes mistakes. The law enforcement agencies can make mistakes. But there is still a process to protect your rights.

Q: 'Yung claim niya na political harassment lang daw ito?

Serge: No, I don't think it's harassment. Ang daming kaso niya eh. That's not the only case, 'yung administrative case. Mahina nga 'yan eh, 'yung administrative case. Nagbayad siya ng P99 million to buy land that is under water. Ang tagal na niyan, siguro mga 2 years na 'yan eh. Pagkatapos 'yung overpricing ng Cebu Convention Center. Unang-una, P200 million, tapos naging P300 million, tapos P400 million, umabot ng P600 million. May evidence na over-priced. Those are the cases that they should have filed against her para at least, mas mabigat, in the eyes of the public, it would have been a heavy case of corruption.

Q: May majority support daw siya ng mga Cebuano?

Serge: Well, let's see. She said that PNOY would lose by 1 million votes in Cebu in the last elections. Well, PNOY won by 1 million votes in Cebu...