Press Release
October 23, 2013

TRANSCRIPT OF AMBUSH INTERVIEW OF SEN. SERGE OSMEÑA

On the proposed 2014 LTO budget

Q: Justified po ba 'yung budget ng LTO for the proposed Plates Standardization program?

Serge: No, we have not looked into the details of the Plates Standardization program. I think that will have to be done by the proper Senate committee. Wala tayong time ngayon kasi mabusisi iyon.

The Plates Standardization program just seems to be a new plate, tatanggalin iyong 'Matatag na Republika' because every president tends to use these car plates as a propaganda tool. This one is going to be a neutral plate, which we hope will be place forever. Sa mga ibang bansa, the moment they issue a plate for your car, that's it up to the time your car falls apart, the plate remains with your car. Here, we have the tendency to change the plates to reflect the propaganda thrust of whoever is in power.

Q: There's no need for a new plate?

Serge: Well, the move to neutrality is a good move, whether the cost is justified, I don't know. But it's only something like P450 per plate. And it's a 5-year replacement program.

Q: 'Yung issuance ng mga plates, stickers and plate numbers, binanggit ba nila kung may delay ba o on time sila?

Serge: Delayed na on time. In other words, sabi nila, by this month, they'll catch up with the big plates, and by the end of December, with the small plates. By small plates, I'm talking about the motorcycles , marami talagang motorsiklo eh, I think we register about 1 million a year eh, new ones.

Q: Approved na ang LTO budget?

Serge: Yes, I will submit it, it's not a complicated budget. Ang question ko lang dun, I would rather remove the Motor Vehicles Users Charge. Kasi isa pa iyong special account. Gaya ng mga kinekwestiyon na mga PDAF, 'yung mga Malampaya funds, those are all special funds. They have been created over the past decades. Noon meron COCAFM, may sugar fund, may tobacco fund, Philippine Virginia Leaves tobacco, ang dami. Ang hirap i-track ngayon nung mga funds na iyan. And because money tends to be fungible, the government can now borrow and say it is automatically appropriated, pero actually wala sa appropriations sa budget.

There seems to be a clause that says, 'these funds are deemed automatically appropriated for whatever the President decides.' Eh 'di pork barrel ng presidente.

Q: What is your suggestion?

Serge: Bring all these funds, eliminate all these funds, and bring it back to the General Fund, para magiging transparent sa taxpayer, transparent sa taumbayan. Makikita mo talaga na dito ginastos ito.

Alam mo, the other day kinwestiyon natin iyong P130 billion balance sa Malampaya funds, the answer was 'it's there but it's not there.' Anong ibig sabihin nun? Intact daw. Sabi ko, 'how did you book it, may accounts receivable ba iyon?' Kasi P130 billion, hiniram din iyan. Sabi mi intact pero wala naman ang cash dun. In other words, you used the funds. How did you use the funds? It's not in our budget. If it's in our budget, show us where did you use the funds. The people have a right to know that?

Q: Sabi po hindi naman daw ginalaw 'yung pera, violation ba iyon?

Serge: It's not a specific violation because if you will.... listen to me.

There's a presidential decree, 1234, which establishes the treatment and management of all such special accounts. So, bale, automatically appropriated na iyan. Tingnan mo anong missing nun, 'yung Armed Forces of the Philippines pa, 'yung pagbenta ng Fort Bonifacio, malaking pera iyon, P30 billion iyon, that was supposed to go to the Modernization program of the Armed Forces. Ang ginastos lang naman at that time was P5 billion...Yung balance, intact pa daw iyon. Anong intact?! Wala ng cash iyon kasi hiniram na...

On the abolition of PDAF

Q: Ano pong position niyo dun sa proposal and anong dapat gawin sa 2014 PDAF budget? Kailangan bang i-abolish o i-realign na lang muna?

Serge: No. I'd rather that it be COMPLETELY ABOLISHED because the people don't like it. Kasi ang sabi ng taumbayan ngayon, they don't like the PDAF because you're only stealing from it. The PDAF is okay if we give details, which we're not doing.

No. 1, i-desribe na lang natin sa budget and approve it so that the people will know where we're going to spend it. Hindi pwede na turu-turuan, na pini-fingerpoint nila, 'akong bahala diyan sa P200 million.' Eh 'di wala ng magbubusisi diyan, eh dapat busisiin iyan. We have to be able to investigate and re-check if these were valid expenditures.

No. 2, hindi pwedeng ibigay iyan sa contractor mo or sa NGO mo. Ganun na ang nangyari, kaya nagkagulo ngayon.

So, it must be in the budget subject to the scrutiny of Congress.

No. 3, Congress as a whole must vote on it.

'Yung budget ng Republika ng Pilipinas, binoboto natin iyan as a whole. Hindi puwede na at the discretion of Senator A or Senator B, 'yung ako lang mag-a-approve, okay na iyan, hindi puwede.

Q: 'Yung resolution ninyo na P4.8 billion total, 'yung P200 million each, will be deducted from the total budget... Ibabawas, ide-delete na po ba iyon?

Serge: Yeah, it would look nice that way. But you know, there's always that special account called Unprogrammed Funds. But in actuality, we're not saving that, that will go to fund the unprogrammed items.

Q: Wala sa GAA iyon?

Serge: Nasa GAA pero nakalagay sa Lump Sum. So, if you say, we have extra money and these are the unprogrammed projects that will be funded, subject to the approval of the president.

Tatanggalin mo iyong P4.8 billion sa program, it goes to the unprogrammed. Maybe it's not good to do that. Maybe it's better to put it already specifically in the projects that are identified in the programmed funds. For example, P10,000 cash, dun ka classroom, kulang na kulang na kasi ng mga classrooms. Or in the ports...

Q: So you're saying PDAF should be scrapped by both chambers?

Serge: Yes, it should be voted upon and scrapped by both chambers. We need both chambers' approval.

Q: Pero sa House gusto nila i-realign na lang sa mga agencies...

Serge: Yes, from what I heard... But they did not name the projects, they just said, for example, P2 million under the Department of Public Works, P2 million under ... wala pang identified projects. They should already identify the highways, or the bridge, or name the specific project...

Q: Pina-submit daw po ang mga congressmen ng listahan ng mga specific projects.., papayag po ba ang Senate?

Serge: Kung meron, good. That's why I said I am not too sure about what I heard yesterday. It was by lumpsum na in-identify lang ng department. Pero 'yung specific project, wala pa.

Q: So iyan pa rin pork barrel na pinapatanggal ng taumbayan?

Serge: Yes, that's another way of disguising it, but it's still pork barrel.

Q: ???

Serge: Let me repeat: Identify projects if you want. But subject it to the approval of the total votes of all the congressmen and all the senators. Because that is the power of Congress, the power of the purse.

Ako puwede ko namang palitan iyong project ng presidente na inaprubahan ng peers ko, eh di ganun na ang mangyayari. Let's say sinabi ni PNOY sa submission niya sa National Expenditures Program, we're building a new airport (worth) P10 billion in Panglao. I move that the P10 billion will go to a new airport in Puerto Princesa, eh sinuportahan naman ako ng House at ng Senado, The president can veto it, but he cannot change it, because we have the power of the purse.

So, yes, we can rule that we identify our projects, but this has to be transparent. We are not allowed to steal the money. We are not allowed to give it to our contractors, or our NGOs. Diyan nagkakagulo eh. The shenanigans that go on to divert the real use of funds...

Q: ???

Serge: I hope we'll be the one to scrap it. But is everyone willing to do that? We will decide on that because that will be the subject of our caucus today, Huwag natin i-scrap, let's put it to specific agencies that really need the money, like the Deped for the construction ofclassrooms. Sabihin mo lang ang purpose, pero hindi namin i-ne-name, we'll leave it already to the department.

Q: Hindi kayo mag-a-identify ng projects, bahala na ang agencies?

Serge: Yes. In other words, let's say highways... si Serge makaka-identify ng P2 million dito, P2 million doon. Anong kalye? Bahala na hindi naman in-identify na ni Serge. Ah, teka muna, walang ganyanan, in-identify mo na rin ang highway.

Q: So dapat, kung ire-align sa mga departments, dapat itemized pa rin?

Serge: Itemized. For example, 2 small classrooms in elementary school in Region so and so...

Q: Sa palagay niyo sino dapat...

Serge: Idi-discuss pa namin iyan kasi this is a fairly new idea among my colleagues. I think they're going to,,,

Alam mo, sa latest survey ito... the respondents identified 4 duties of a legislator, I think they referred more to the congressmen, but isama mo na din diyan ang senador.

No. 1, to bring projects and improvements to our place. Sabi ko tingan mo, pinapatanggal nila ang PDAF, but it's their number 1 duty, it's 40% of the respondents, it's the biggest and the most important thing: to bring projects to improve their lives.

Second is legislation. The third most important is investigation. And then there's a fourth one.

Tingnan niyo, tatanggalin niyo ang PDAF, eh di aangal ngayon ang ,mga congressmen, because... this is the latest survey of Pulse Asia, the most important task of a legislator is to bring projects to their communities. Pagkatapos may 'epal' complain na don't take credit, that's not your money. So paano malalaman ng botante na ikaw ang nagpagawa nun? So I can understand the predicament of congressmen.

Q: Among the senators, ang usapan scrap lang talaga? Wala iyong implication kung irealign lang sa mga agencies?

Serge: I don't know how we're going to do that. Alam mo, ako 2004 to 2007, wala naman akong PDAF, hindi naman ako binigyan ni Gloria, kami iyong mga kalaban niya eh. I can live without it. I've always said that as a senator, I don't need PDAF to win elections. But there might be a conflict between the interpretation of the House and the Senate on what constitutes a PDAF.

Q: Pwedeng magkaiba kayo, sa kanila realign, retain lang, sa inyo scrap?

Serge: There are some senators who are already making some 'angal', paano ang mangyayari scholarship program ko? Four years iyan, di ba? Sa medical assistance program ko? 'Yung medical assistance, madali lang naman iyan. Let the senators identify to which hospital...hindi naman mawawala iyan kasi hindi naman namin ginagalaw 'yung pera. Ako, every year I put P5 million at PGH, sa Philippine Heart Center. Ang dami ngang mga taong nagpupunta dun sa opisina ko eh, nasanay na.

Q: Ang stand niyo is: realign the PDAF, not abolish?

Serge: No, no. PDAF means discretion. Ang dapati-abolish 'yung discretion.

Q: But the amount will stay in the budget?

Serge: You can put the amount in the budget. For example, Sen. Serge Osmena: P200 million-University of the Philippines. Ako ang nag-identify. But everybody has to approve it. I-aprub ng House, i-aprub din ng Senate. But I don't consider that PDAF, that's identifying projects, and I don't have discretion during the year to change it...

Like for example, 2013, zero ako eh. Bakit? Hindi ko pa nagagamit. I have the discretion even not to use it.

Q: 'Yung sabi ni SP Drilon, kung ikakaltas iyong P4.8 billion niyo... for 2014...

Serge: We can do what Ping Lacson did, which was to ask that the entire amount be deducted. Or that the budget be lowered by P4.8 billion. That's fine. But the money will still be there, it will just go to the unprogrammed funds... Do we want that?

Q: Diretso na iyon sa unprogrammed funds?

Serge: Merong unprogrammed ang budget every year. Let's say, we are approving P2.68 trillion. The House approved yesterday, passed into law the General Appropriations bill. But actually, if you look well, the unprogrammed, will amount to P3 trillion. It's a contingent appropriation that says, okay since the DBM and the National Treasury will only warrant that we will be able to collect P2.6 trillion in 2014, we are creating a budget for only P2.6 trillion. But sometimes, we make more than that, we go beyond P2.6 trillion, and they say, here's another budget for P400 million, and this is where it would be spent. Iyan ang unprogrammed fund. Unprogrammed meaning there's no funds for it. But supposing we sell Fort Bonifacio for another P100 billion, eh di may in-expect tayong pera...

Q: Ganyan ang nangyari kay Sen. Lacson?

Serge: Basically, that's what happens. Kasi pinapababa niyo, pinapa-alis niyo, then these just go to the unprogrammed, that's extra income.

Q: That's more dangerous?

Serge: That leaves you to the discretion of the executive. 'Yung sinasabi kasi dito sa executive department, 'here's our P4.8 billion, use it the way you want to use it.'

ON Napoles testimony

Q: Ano pong impormasyon ang gusto ninyong marinig kay Napoles?

Serge: I want her to identify all the congressman and senators that she has been bribing.

Q: As blue ribbon committee vice chairman, ano pong masasabi niyo sa sinasabi na para makumpleto ang picture, kelangan din ipatawag ang mga staff ng senators na inaakusahan?

Serge: I doubt if the Senate will do that, because again, there's always this notions of courtesy where you don't like to subpoena or invite anybody from the House, though I have in the past, or anybody from the Senate. But it might get to that one of these days.Anyway, some staffers have been identified, and they are now missing. We will let the Ombudsman take care of that.

Q: Hindi po ba ang courtesy para lang sa senators, pati ba ang mga chief of staff?

Serge: Hindi ko alam, I have never tried it eh. Subukan natin?

Q: Pero valid ba ang argument na para makumpleto iyong information, kelangan...?

Serge: Yeah. To complete the information, you have to invite everybody who are involved, implicated, etc... down to the security guard...

Q: Based sa investigation, may nakikita ba kayong involved talaga ang mga legislators?

Serge: Ang alam ko lang 'yung nabasa ko, I don't have any private information given to me that has not come out in the newspaper reports or during the hearing, or both. I don't have anything new. What I am saying is, the whole nation is dying to hear Napoles, and they are dying to hear Napoles because they want to hear the truth...dito ako nagbigay, ganun. Mangyayari ba iyon? I don't think so. Unless we offer her to become State Witness, which means immunity from prosecution, she's not going to say anything. That's just my opinion.

Q: Senate ba ang dapat na magsabi nun?

Serge: We have authority to grant immunity. We have done that in the past, the helicopter scam, we have given immunity to the person who bought the helicopters for Mike Arroyo and sold the helicopters for Mike Arroyo.

Q: 'Yung immunity, even from criminal?

Serge: Yes. It's in the Witness Protection program law. Nandun... I was surprised when I read it, but yes, we gave ourselves that power to grant immunity.

Q: Iyon ang pwede niyong maging proposal in case she invokes her right against self-incrimination?

Serge: She will surely invoke it. Her lawyer will not allow her to talk unless we give that...

Q: So immunity is an option?

Serge: Yes, immunity is always an option. If in the judgment of the committee, or later on, in the judgment of the prosecution and the court, that she is not the most guilty... for example, a legislator or a government official is accused of taking P200 million, who is more guilty, Napoles or that government official?

Q: But as a whole siya ang sinasabing mastermind?

Serge: I don't know. That's what I call a subjective judgment.

You know, a government official has the heavier responsibility because he took an oath to serve the Filipino people. You know...if I am accused, for me, I have the heavier responsibility to prove my innocence because I am supposed to be above suspicion. I am not supposed to be fooling around. So if you're saying, one guy stole P50 million, and then a governor stole P10 million, to me, I'll go after the governor.

Q: Option po ang immunity, but do you think the senators will agree to that?

Serge: That's a $64 question. I cannot read their minds. I am hopeful they will insist on finding out what the truth is. And we will get at the greater truth if Napoles testifies, so be it.

Q: Paano siya makakapagsalita about the senators kung senators ang nag-iimbestiga sa kanya?

Serge: Iyan ang mahirap. She may not even do it here. She may do it at the Sandiganbayan.

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