Transcript of Interview of Senate President Franklin M. Drilon

Q: On the results of the caucus

SPFMD: We have agreed that the BBL report will be filed on August 10, sponsored on August 11, and to give the senators time to study carefully all the proposals, the interpellation will start on August 17. That's the schedule of the BBL. We will not set any deadline on the interpellation, so everybody will be given a chance to review the report that will be submitted.

Second item, Senator Loren Legarda has been elected as chairman of the Finance Committee. We expect the DBCC (Development Budget Coordination Committee) to brief the committee on the 2016 national budget, probably by August 17 in the morning, so that's the start of the budget process. We are committed to pass the budget by the end of session in December. We can have the budget in place by 2016.

We have also agreed that each senator will suggest a pet bill, major bill they want to pass. Of course, we have this Senate's priority agenda, which we have also agreed upon. For the record, we have agreed as priority the 2015 national budget, BBL, the Public-Private Partnership Law or the amendments to the BOT (Built-Operate-Transfer) law, the amendments to the right-of-way, the Customs and Tariff Modernization Act, the DICT, the National Identification System, the PAG-ASA Modernization, TIMTA (Tax Incentives Management and Transparency Act), the prepaid Simcard registration system act, the Land Use Act, and the amendments to the PDIC charter. Those are some of the measures that we have agreed to pass as part of our legislative agenda. As I would repeat, some senators may have their own priority bills which we will put on the floor. As I repeat, there are senators who may have their own priority bill.

Q: Sir yung pagpili kay Senator Loren Legarda as chair of Senate Committee on Finance, talaga po bang non-re-electionist ang inyong pinili?

SPFMD: She is one of the best vice-chairs of the Finance Committee. She has sufficient exposure, so we can hit the ground running with Sen. Loren.

Q: She assumes the chairmanship immediately?

SPFMD: Right, that is correct. We will nominate her formally at the session this afternoon.

Q: May nagpush po ba sa anti-political dynasty law this caucus?

SPFMD: Not in this caucus, but that does not prevent any senator from making the anti-dynasty bill his or her priority.

Q: Sir yung anti-political dynasty bill, kasama na po sa agenda nitong caucus?

SPFMD: No hindi namin napag-usapan, but I repeat, any senator can make his or her own pet bill a priority. I might even make it my own priority. I am 100% in support of that. I will review it again.

Q: Was there assurance that these bills will be passed given the political season has already started?

SPFMD: We will work on it, that's why we had the caucus, so we could come on to an agreement. Simply because it's the political season doesn't mean we will abandon our work.

Q: Ongoing po ang "True State of the Nation" ni VP Jejomar Binay, sabi niya napulot lang daw ang mga datos na hinayag ni Pnoy para daw magbuhat ng bangko.

SPFMD: That is expected, this is already the political season.

Q: Sabi niya "Palpak, at manhid daw ang Aquino administration, sa DAP, sa BBL.."

SPFMD: That is expected of an opposition leader.

Q: Sabi niya, yung mga magnanakaw daw protected.

SPFMD: That is expected of an opposition leader.