Press Release
July 24, 2018

Transcript of Ambush Interview of Senate President Vicente Sotto III

On the change of leadership in the House of Representatives

SPVS: What is there to say? We have to know what the agenda of the new leadership, if eventually talagang confirmed na yung leadership nila Speaker. We have to know what the agenda is. Ano ba ang dahilan kung bakit nagkaroon ng bagong leadership? Kasi dito sa amin, maliwanag, who is going to run for reelection, kailangan maging busy siya doon sa kanyang pagkakampanya at pagtrabaho, kaya the leadership was turned over to me by our colleagues and I included Senator Pimentel himself. Maliwanag. Doon, hindi natin alam kung ano ang dahilan, so we don't know the agenda. If it will vibe with the agenda of the Senate and that of the Executive department so what is there to say? Hintayin muna namin.

Q: Was it a good timing na kahapon ginawa yung pagpalit ng leadership?

SPVS: Hindi. I sensed the displeasure with the President when that was happening. As soon as he arrived, he already uttered words that I do not want to divulge and he was displeased with what was happening, that is what I gathered from him. He gave a threat to that effect. Walk-out na lang ako pag hindi nila inayos yan, something to that effect.

Q: Ibig sabihin talagang hindi niya alam?

SPVS: Siguro hindi niya alam kung bakit. Ang sabi naman namin sa kanya, kung mag-walkout kayo, wala na yung SONA pero pinoint out lang ni Congressman Rudy Fariñas sa kanya na it is his Constitutional mandate (unclear) kasi ang sagot ko sana ay kung mag-walkout kayo ay susunod na ang Senate contingent.

Q: What are the...

SPVS: Pinagusapan namin more or less yung stand ng majority. I will now be conducting a caucus with the entire Senate, that will include the minority and we will try to get the sense of kung ano more or less ang ramdam nila sa Consultative Commission report, and then the issues now from the House, parang pakikiramdaman muna namin. As I said kanina earlier I do not know what the agenda is.

Q: Do you recognize the Speakership of Arroyo?

SPVS: I have not received any transmission from the House of any change of leadership.

Q: Sino po yung kinikilala mong Speaker?

SPVS: It is not our business. It is none of our business at this point. Let them settle their issues first.

Q: (Unclear)

SPVS: Yes. About six or seven of the priorities that the President mentioned, fortunately around four or five of them are already in the works. Yung ibang binanggit niya, katulad nung land use, napasa ng House pero naka-pending sa amin. Pero meron din siyang binanggit na napasa na sa amin, naka-pending naman sa House, doon sa six or seven.

Q: Ano po ang stand ng Senate sa draft federal constitution?

SPVS: Ang Majority? We have to study muna the study of the Consultative Commission. Ang stand namin more or less is yung Constitution ay medyo gusto muna namin bigyan ng linaw muna kung ano yung gusto nilang baguhin sa Constitution. Ganun ang stand ng Majority. Hindi kami nagsasabi na agree kami pero hindi rin kami nagsasabing disagree kami.

Q: (Unclear)

SPVS: Pareho lang kasi ang laman kasi more or less kung ano yung laman ng gusto niyang sabihin nakuha naman namin. Siguro lang yung demeanor niya medyo parang hindi lang siya upbeat katulad nung nakaraang dalawang SONA sapagkat nagkaroon nga naghigit ibang oars na delay, na merong prolema sa House. He would have wished na ito ginawa nila ngayon. You know, bakit hindi ginawa bikes, because yesterday was the President's day, di ba?

Q: Sir updates ulit sa priority bills?

SPVS: Wala naman akong narinig na hindi namin gustong narinig. Perhaps the word would be contented. We were contented with what we heard.

Q: (Unclear)

SPVS: Napagusapan din namin yun pero more or less meron kaming mga bills na pinag-uusapan makakatulong doon, imbes na directly yung TRAIN ang aming pag-usapan, ay meron kaming mga bills na nakapending na maaachieve ng TRAIN 2 yan. Hindi magiging offensive specially where (unclear) and inflation are concerned.

Q: (Unclear)

SPVS: That question, we need to elucidate more on that point. Perhaps the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means would be able to give you a better answer na napag-usapan namin. Pinasa ko na sa kanya kung ano ang pinaguusapan.

Q: Paki ulit yung updates sa Land Use Law?

SPVS: Nakapending sa amin yun, meron kaming dalawang bills na pinaguusapan na tungkol doon. Ang gusto ng Senate, more or less the majority of the members of the Senate, ang gusto ay ibigay yung pagdedefine nito sa LGUs. Lahat sila (unclear) kesa ise-centralize sa isang commission, na (unclear). Ganun ang issue. We are ready to tackle it.

On whether Senate President Sotto is concerned about Arroyo being Speaker of the House.

SPVS: Kaya nga we wanted to know. We are just concerned to be very polite about it, that we want to (unclear) muna.

Q: Pero may na-raise bang ganung concerns about GMA and Cha-Cha?

SPVS: Meron. Merong nagbanggit nun. (Unclear) sinabi niya prioritize yung universal health care package namin kaya bukas isosponsor na namin yun.

Q: Ano yung mga sentiments after niraise yung mga concerns?

SPVS: Quizzical. Bakit? Maraming factors na pinaguusapan pero may kanya-kanyang thinking yan, I sum it all up by wait and see, let's see what the agenda is of the new leadership.

Q: (Unclear)

SPVS: Again it is none of our business.

Q: Ano ang magiging approach ninyo?

SPVS: Hindi pwede sa akin yun. Maliwanag ang ating Constitution at kung narinig ninyo yung speech ko kahapon, parang pinangunahan ko yung magiging intention niya. Whether sinadya o hindi, God permitting, ganun yung mensahe namin.

Q: (Unclear)

SPVS: Definitely not the Senate. We do our best to follow parliamentary rules and procedures.

Q: (Unclear)

SPVS: I think it would be ungentlemanly of me to comment on something like that at this point. We do not know what is in store for the future.

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