Press Release
September 3, 2015

Transcript of Interview of Senate President Franklin M. Drilon

SPFMD: We have barely five weeks from today before we adjourn for October 10. Sa House of Representatives, for measures other than the budget, that's barely three weeks, because the 2016 budget comes on the floor of the House by September 28. At the Senate, we still have five weeks of about 15 session days.

In the next five weeks, we have agreed to give priority to the following measures:

1. 2016 Budget
2. BBL
3. SK Reform Law, which was already approved by both houses
4. DICT
5. TIMTA (Tax Incentives Management and Transparency Act), which is in the Bicam
6. Amendments to the Built-Operate-Transfer Law
7. Amendments to the CTMA (Customs and Tariff Modernization Act)
8. A review and amendments to the Revised Penal Code insofar as the monetary values are concerned.

There are measures which have been passed in the House or the Senate, and are now in various committees of both houses. What we have identified are measures that both houses have agreed to work on. There are other measures, that I would repeat, naipasa na House o kaya sa Senate, at titingnan naming kung ano yung pwedeng ihabol doon. By and large, iyon ang aming napag-usapan.

Q: With the five weeks, yung BBL kayang ipasa?

SPFMD: Yes, I have discussed this with the majority of the senators. We will exert every effort to pass it.

Q: May suggestion to hold special session for BBL?

We have not discussed that. Our objective is to pass this before we go on a break. That's our objective.

Q: Have you spoken with Senator Marcos because he has been telling us he doesn't think there should be a deadline for BBL?

SPFMD: I'm not imposing any deadline.

Q: But you have five weeks...

SPFMD: As I have said, we will exert every effort to pass it. I hope you will not misinterpret it as a deadline. We are not imposing any deadline. We have been open on this. We have talked to each senator and Senator Bongbong can attest to the fact that we have never set any deadline.

Q: On the LP-commissioned survey

SPFMD: Kung sinasabi ninyo na minaniobra namin inya, para kaming mga loko, pulling ourselves. The LP paid for the survey. We are saying that yes, it was commissioned by the party. But it does not mean that we manipulated the results. Niloloko mo lang ang sarili mo. It's a commissioned survey and this is what came out.

Q: Pinag-iisipan ninyo rin ba na magkaroon ng session ng Thursday at Friday?

No, because the budget does not come to the Senate until the first week of November. We still have time until October 9. The budget is not yet on the floor, it is still in the committee. So we are not contemplating on having a Thursday or Friday session.

News Latest News Feed