Press Release
July 15, 2013

Transcript of Interview of Sen. Franklin M. Drilon

Q: Sir, pabor ka raw na tanggalin ang pork barrel?

DRILON: Sa akin, pabor ako diyan. Taun-taon na lang iyan yung pinanggagalingan ng reklamo ng taumbayan. Ngunit, bigyan ko ng diin, na hindi naman lahat na pinaggagamitan ng PDAF ay masama. The reality is, there would be some who legitimately need PDAF. I think, the reality is let us limit the use of the PDAF to certain activities. Halimbawa, pwede lang gamitin ang PDAF for medical purposes o para sa edukasyon. Kung dito lang natin i-limit, baka dalawang areas, baka maiwasan ang ganitong mga reports. Hindi ko sinasabing totoo ang mga reports; ang sinasabi ko lang ay para maiwasan ang report tungkol ditto. Kung hindi natin ma-abolish - the reality is hindi natin ma-abolish iyan - but there are still congressmen who us PDAF properly. Let us limit the use. There are difficult to check like livelihood na mahirap i-audit. Maraming senador ang gumagawa nito: you place money for indigents in government hospitals. Then the use will be limited to your constituent who really enter the hospital and make use of its facilities, then you charge the expenses of that particular indigent to the funds you deposited to the hospital.

DRILON: Kung hindi natin ma-abolish ang PDAF, i-limit natin sa kung saan lang pwedeng gamiting like sa government hospitals, classrooms. Halimbawa, sa bawat distrito ng congressmen, mayroon namang district hospitals, pwedeng ilagay doon dahil marami naman talagang humihingi. That's why we have a public assistance center here in the Senate. Ang ginagawa niyan, mag-refer ng mga humihingi ng tulong sa mga government hospitals kung saan may pondo ang mga senador.

Q: Paano maiwasan ang mga bogus na NGO?

DRILON: Ang alam ko ay yung pork barrel ay dumadaan sa mga ahensya ng gobyerno and from there, the implementation is...there is where the questions arise. Bakit ang implementasyon ay napunta doon sa NGOs. Hindi ko alam ang proseso nila. Sa akin, dumadaan sa aking yung mga request ng senador as Committee on Finance chair, ang nakikita ko ang kanilang request for assignment of the PDAF to agencies of government.

Q: Hindi direktang from Office of Senator to an NGO?

DRILON: No. ganito ang proseso niyan. Once the General Appropriations Act is signed, there is an item for PDAF. Then, the senators will make a request for the releases of the PDAF - this will pass through me as Finance Committee chair - and the request if for the release of funds to the different departments and agencies. After that, hindi ko na alam. What I monitor is the requests are within appropriation of the senator.

Q: Is there a way to check the PDAF?

DRILON: Ako, yung mga proyekto ko. For example, my hard infrastructure will go to the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and I require the federation to submit a report kung sino ba itong nabigyan ng classrooms. Yung sa mga hospital, they report to us.

Q: Yung call ni Sen. Miriam na mag-leave of absence muna yung mga senador?

DRILON: Well, that is addressed to the Senators and there is nothing in our rule which would compel them to go on leave. Remember these are just media reports at this stage.

Sa akin po, mas mabuti po na ipaubaya natin sa NBI, sa DOJ dahil may conflict of interest pos a aming mga senador. Hindi po natin pwedeng imbestigahan ang ating mga sarili. Baka naman anumang resulta noon ay hindi maniniwala ang taumbayan dahil may conflict.

Q: Sinasabi rin ni Sen. Miriam na hindi right agency ang DOJ kasi hindi pa na-confirm ng Senate si Sec. De Lima.

DRILON: I have confidence to Sec. De Lima. Even is she is not confirmed, she continues to hold office and what is more critical to me is the confidence of the President. The continued stay of a Cabinet member, regardless of whether she is confirmed or not, depends on the confidence of the President.

Q: Were you approached by the woman?

DRILON: No. I have no dealings with here, not a single transaction.

Q: For the record, where did you put your PDAF?

In government hospitals, NKTI, Heart Center, etc. My hard, principally, goes, for one, to my school building program and my projects in Iloilo.

Q: Paano ili-limit yung PDAF?

DRILON: Through a provision in the National Budget and/or limitation ng releases ng Presidente sa Secretary ng DBM.

Q: In the next Congress, will there be a mechanism to compel Senators to find out paano nagagamit yung pera?

DRILON: I suppose that's innate. It's the responsibility of each Senator to do that. You don't have to tell them.

On Committee Assignments

DRILON: Patuloy ang ating pakikipag-usap sa ating mga kasamahan in order that we can come up with working Senate, committee assignments which we believe will be serve our people and will be consistent with the advocacy of the advocacy and agenda of each senator.

DRILON: By tradition, the minority has committee chairmanships. We will observe the tradition. Each senator regardless of where you are affiliated with will be able to serve and contribute in the work of the Senate and in the nation building.

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