Transcript of Ambush Interview with Senate President Franklin M. Drilon

Q: Anong pong mangyayari sa TIMTA? Ano-ano pa bo ang matatapos ng Senado?

SPFMD: We will finish a lot. We will be working on the TIMTA, to review the tax incentives being offered. The House will be working on a number of economic bills that we have passed like the Cabotage Law and the Fair Competition Act. These are major bills.

Q: Yung UNIFAST na tinatackle, paano po?

SPFMD: Yes, we will try to finish to finish the debates on that.

Q: How about the bill on emergency powers?

SPFMD: We have passed that, it's already in bicam. We have finished the Cabotage Law, it's in the House. We have also finished the Fair Competition Act which is also in the House now, and we are working on the TIMTA, and the UNIFAST. I haven't been briefed yet on the exact status of the bicam on the emergency powers. We will try hard to finish them.

Q: Yung kay Purisima, sabi ng BOI hindi po siya nakipag-coordinate, he did not give his cellphone records, kahit din po yung sa Senate. May waiver po sa mga tellcos, hindi siya pumirma.

SPFMD: He produced the text messages here. Well the tellcos said that they did not have the capacity to record the text messages. So even if he signed a waiver, the telcos did not, and to my understanding, and were not able to capture the text messages.

Q: Pwede daw po yung phone calls, sabi ng telcos, kaso ayaw magbigay ng waiver ni Purisima.

SPFMD: That is his privilege. Personally though, we do not need them, what we have is already sufficient for the purpose of making the report and arriving at the real conclusions.

Q: What is your opinion of Purisima's refusal to be interviewed by the BOI?

SPFMD: Maybe he has something to hide. I do not really know.

Q: Reaction on the speech of the President yesterday?

SPFMD: The President was involved here, I can understand his speech. But if we will wait for the report, it will be more comprehensive.