Press Release
January 10, 2019

Transcript of Interview of Kapihan sa Senado

On the Senate's priority measures

SP Sotto: On Monday right after the roll-call I am calling for an all senators' caucus and we will be discussing in the agenda, firstly, the timetable for the budget. It will be the budget on top of the agenda. The list of agencies that are still pending in the period of interpellations of the GAB are the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Department of Tourism, the Department of National Defense, Dangerous Drugs Board, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the PLLO, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, the Department of Health, the Bureau of immigration, it was left out from the Department of Justice's budget which was already submitted for plenary, and the Commission on Elections. Itong sampung agencies na ito ang natitira and we will be discussing the timetable in the caucus. It will be number one in the agenda.

Q: Morning and afternoon session pa rin for the budget?

SP Sotto: Most probably, that is why we will be starting at 10AM, but it depends on how long the interpellations on these agencies will take if we will need to extend all the way to Thursday morning and afternoon. I hope not, but if we have to, we will.

Aside from that, the next item on the agenda will be the diskarte ng Senate on the Road Board because as far as the Senate is concerned, technically, we have adopted th House version so there is no need for a Bicam. Our Majority Leader is of course coordinating and cooperating with the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, and their request is for us to go into a Bicam. So Senator Zubiri told me, but then again, there is the other half of the Senate who believes there is no need for a Bicam because we have adopted the House version. There are no disagreeing positions in other words, so there is no need for a Bicam. Again, that will be (unclear) on Monday in the caucus. We have to resolve that and those issues na to be resolved by the Senate and not by the Senate President alone.

Q: So on Monday sa all senators' caucus you will decide kung there is a necessity na mag-Bicam pa sa Road Board abolition?

SP Sotto: Ako personally as I said we have adopted the House version. We have to be technical about it, we have adopted it. If we go into a Bicam that would mean that we will have to pass again a motion on the floor recalling our previous motion which was already approved.

Q: What do you think is the intention of the House of Representatives? Bakit gusto pa nila mag-Bicam considering na inadopt na ninyo yung House version?

SP Sotto: I really don't know. Your guess is as good as mine. If I will venture into a guess, it would probably be they want an amendment; they want to introduce an amendment sa version nila. The problem is if it is not contained in the Senate version, and it is not contained in the original House version, we cannot legally take it up in the Bicam. Yun ang SOP, we cannot introduce anything new into the Bicam. Q: So dapat enrolled bill na yung inadopt ninyo na House version? SP Sotto: Dapat intransmit na sa Palace for the President's signature.

Q: Pa-clarify lang po, sa last interview natin you said transmit a copy to the Palace, natuloy po ba yun?

SP Sotto: I transmitted a copy of the Resolution of the Senate re the Road Board. We transmitted it. The Bill that we adopted, I attempted to, but I was informed by legal that it has to emanated from the House because it was the House...

Q: So technically hindi pwede?

SP Sotto: Technically hindi. I could have, actually I did but it was just a copy, it was not official.

Q: To remedy the situation and para po ma-polish yung bill, kasi hurried yung bill, pwede ba yun na bawiin ng Senate yung approval ng third reading?

SP Sotto: We have to erase the notion that minadali ito. Hindi ito minadali. The Road Baord abolition was passed by the House of Representatives before the time of this leadership in the House. This was passed during the time of then Speaker Bebot Alvarez and Majority Leader Rudy Fariñas so matagal na sa kanila yun, matagal ng napasa yun. Matagal na rin sa amin yan, pero yung amin, nagfile kasi si Senator Pacquiao ng separate na abolition ng Road Board na Senate version. Yun ang tinake-up namin.

To the other portion of your question, concerning kung pwede naming irecall, we will have to look into the matter because it might have gone beyond the three-day rule for a motion for reconsideration. I will have to look into the records, kelan namin pinasa at kelan ba pwedeng bawiin kasi ang sa amin dito, let me set the records straight, February 12, 2018, the Senate approved on third reading the bill abolishing the Road Board. Nauna pala kami. February 14, sent to the House of Representatives for concurrence. May 15, the House of Representatives approved on third reading the bill abolishing the Road Board. They did not adopt the Senate version. The Senate accepted the request of the House of Representatives for a Bicameral Conference May 29. September 12, the Senate adopted the House version as amended to the Senate version. September 12, 2018, after the Senate adopted the House version, the House of Representatives, during its session, withdrew its approval on third reading of House Bill 7436. They withdrew their approval four months after. I don't know what their rules provide but in the Senate rules, there is a three-day rule on motions for reconsideration. On the same day, binawi nila yung approval nila sa House na inadopt na namin. December 18, the President declared his support to the abolition of the Road Board and by December 23, we were informed, and stated in a report that the House of representatives supports the abolition of the Road Board, kaso this week, the first week of 2019, the House Majority Leader Andaya was quoted to have said that the contingent of the House of Representatives for the Bicam committee will be ready to sit down with the Senators when session resumes to discuss the directive of the President to abolish. It's abolished as far as we are concerned. Baka it's just ministerial kung tutuusin. Anyway, that is the situation right now so that is why it will be second in our agenda. Do we agree? If we agree we have to come up with a mechanism in the Senate to be able to resume consideration and recall the adoption of the House version. Medyo baka maging monkey wrench yan.

Q: So kung magba-bicam, ang iba-bicam ninyo, Senate version at House version? To reconcile the disagreeing provisions?

SP Sotto: Yun na nga ang question namin, paano namin gagawin yun? Yan ang sinasabi ng karamihan ng mga Senador namin na paano namin gagawin yun eh inadopt namin yung House version? Wala ngang disagreeing provision na.

Q: Technicality sa rules ang difficulty (unclear) ipitin lang sa House kasi after all ayaw nila talaga yan? SP

Sotto: Ang gandang tanong yun, kasi that is a possibility. There is always a possibility once it is taken back, marami ng pwedeng mangyari. Remember there was an instance na I recall, a nuber of instances pero I recall vividly one instance were a bicam report was already agreed and it was approved, ratified by both Houses, the Senate President then signed it, the House Speaker then, did not sign it, yet , ang sabi, teka, nirereview ko lang. Inabot ng adjourned in sine die. What are we talking about here? We are talking about January 14 to February 12 and then after February 12, last week of May na ang resumption and after the last week of May, there will only be two weeks, adjourned sine die. Eh kung wala ng tinta yung ballpen ng dapat pumirma? It can still happen again. We can avoid that by going through the motion, going through the ritual wherein the Senate adopted the House version, it should be now considered an enrolled bill, and sent to the President. Again, that is my own opinion and some of the members of the Senate. As I said, our Majority Leader is cooperating with the Majority Leader of the House and he will take it up with us on what the possibilities are on January 14 when we meet in caucus.

Q: Kahit yung pagbabago ng stand ng House dahil clinarify ng Presidente yung stand niya sa abolition of the Road Board, possible pa rin na ipitin yan ng House?

SP Sotto: Alam mo naman dito sa atin, anything is possible. It's not over till the fat lady sings.

Q: Kapag nangyari yun it means na hindi majority ang hawak ng Presidente?

SP Sotto: I think you should answer that. As far as the Senate is concerned, we act independently and that is what we always want to preserve, the independence of the Senate.

Q: Sabi ninyo before the year ends, ipapadala po ninyo yung copy ng Senate sa Malacañang?

SP Sotto: Pinadala namin pero hindi nga yun. The Resolution was officially sent, the copy of the bill was not officially sent. It was sent but it was not official because it was not enrolled.

Q: Would you call on Speaker Arroyo to just sign the Road Board abolition bill and encourage them na (unclear) sa next Congress yung amendment to remedy the defect in the Road Board abolition bill?

SP Sotto: I'd rather not say anything to that effect kasi I would not want the Speaker to tell me what I should do so I will not tell her that.

Q: Basically wala naman issue kung iabolish o hindi, ang issue ay yung perang involved?

SP Sotto: At the moment it will no longer be an issue sapagkat kahit hindi iabolish, sinabi na ng Presidente, napaliwanag na rin sa amin and we are going to take up the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways on Monday.

Let me give you a breakdown: based on the 2019 GAB, the Road Board has P69.23 million allocation for administrative and overhead expenses. It is provided for in the law that created the Board, RA 8794, an Act imposing the motor vehicle users charge. Ngayon, the Board is authorized to allocate not more than one percent of the special road funds or the annual administrative overhead expenses of the Board, and its secretariat. Under DPWH, there is a P10.3 billion allocation from the motor vehicles users charge to be spent on supposed to be the following programs: special road support fund, P8.4 billion, special road safety fund, P909 million, special local road fund, P1.039 billion. Tapos doon sa DOTR, there is a P201 million allocation from the motor vehicles users chard to be spent on special vehicle pollution control, seatbelt use promotion fund. Ngayon, itong lahat ng ito, nakaprogram naman yan. Nakaprogram na yan na hindi na hawak ng Road Board. Whether it is abolished or not, pag hindi naman siya naabolish, kung ang pondo ay hindi irerelease din sa kanila, wala din. At the moment, ito lang ang nakaprogram sa GAB. Ang pinaguusapan na lang dito technically yung P69.23 million doon sa Road Board na personnel services. Botom line, yun lang ang natitira doon.

Q: May plano si Presidente to use road users tax for the infra and flood control projects in Bicol region. Hindi ba yun violation doon sa law?

SP Sotto: Pagka-inabolish yung Road Board doon sa creation niya, well we have to look into that. We have to look into the... I am not sure if the menu that I mentioned are enumerated in RA 8794. Tingnan muna natin kung ano ang nakalagay doon because otherwise if not, then the Executive Secretary I'm sure will advise the President that we will proceed with that proposal. As of now it is merely a proposal. Tingnan natin, kung hindi covered ng RA 8794 or silent about it, pwede....

Q: Yung mga target na yun ma approve third reading, bicam, hanggang ratification ng bicam report?

 SP Sotto: Dapat sana. Kung hindi man, basta approval on third reading man lang, all these na binanggit ko kasi we have May and June to come back and ratify bicam reports.

Q: We all know we're busy with the budget and legislations that we're eyeing to pass, more or less more than a month na lang meron yung Senate, may chance pa ba na ma hear yung South China Sea or China bills? Yung resolutions po pending pa mga 2016? Kailan po sir?

SP Sotto: That will be in the hands of the chairmen of the different committees. As you well know, the Senate works through the committees. So it's still possible na medyo ano lang talaga, na double time pagdating sa work because we cannot hold committee hearings during sessions.

But there are gaps. After sessions in the evening, wag lang masyadong gagabihin, pwede namang tumawag pa rin eh. Like for example during the break, Sen. Gordon called for a hearing dun sa BLISTTDA authority in Mountain provinces.

Q: Masasabi ba na hindi na ito priority for the remaining months of the 17th Congress?

SP Sotto: Yung mga resolutions, mga hearings? I don't want to say na hindi siya priority but what I can say is that there are priorities and these priorities were as I mentioned them. Q: Parang inupuan na yata yan

SP Sotto: Hindi naman. Hindi naman. Eh nasa sa chairman ng mga committee yan kung masyadong importante yung nasa ibabaw ng agenda nya eh wala tayong magagawa.

Q: Hindi pa nakakapag hearing ang foreign relations committee on the South China Sea issue. Kasi dati defense committee, binigay sa foreign affairs committee...

SP Sotto: Hindi priority ni chairman.

Q: Sa qualifications ni Sen. Honasan, may mga nagre-raise na hindi ng possibility na hindi daw po siya pasok dun DICT law? Pero for you sir paano siya pasok dun sa seven-year requirement?

SP Sotto: Pinag-usapan namin nung isang araw yan, pasok na pasok. Si Sen. Lacson mismo nag point out eh nung mga background nya, yung technicalities ng secretary ng DICT. Meron. Ang akala nila kasi, ang akala ng karamihan nung bumasa ng batas, masyadong tight, focused dun sa sinasabi, laman. It's not necessarily na dapat may seven-year background sa telecommunication. Not exactly that. They could have seven years or 10 years background in intelligence communications di ba and different types of communication techniques. He will more than suffice as far as his qualifications are concerned.

Q: Under the Constitution, hindi daw pwedeng maupo ang isang lawmaker sa isang position na-create nung nandun ka. Like itong DICT, kasama nyo yata si Sen. Honasan sa nag approve ng creation ng DICT so parang under the law daw he's not allowed na maupo dun as secretary, tama po ba yun?

SP Sotto: Eh di sabihin nila sa Commission on Appointments when we hear his ano. Kung meron silang mga concern then dalhin nila sa Commission on Appointments when we hear his nomination.

Q: Which is when? Kalian po yung hearing ng confirmation?

SP Sotto: Baka sa August. I'm joking. We'll see. I don't know. The President still has to nominate him again because he was bypassed. He was bypassed Dec. 12 di ba? So that means he has to be nominated again. Eh malay mo he might be nominated to another post. Q: That's possible sir?

SP Sotto: Of course anything is possible.

Q: May kino-consider na other position for Sen. Honasan?

SP Sotto: Ewan ko. Tanungin nyo si Sen. Lacson. Wala akong sinabi huh.

Q: Yan ba yung reason bakit hindi natuloy na January uupo na siya sa DICT? Dapat ma approve siya ng CA before mag end ang year and then Jan. upo na siya sa DICT. That is the original plan sir di po ba? SP

Sotto: I refuse to answer it. Well in a way sana yun ang plano eh kaso eh, some things...

Q: So may kino-consider na other positions for Sen. Honasan?

SP Sotto: I don't know. I really don't know. As I said, ask Sen. Lacson. On politics, what can you say on the latest Pulse Asia survey. Pasok po ba lahat ng candidates ng NPC dun sa magic 12?

SP Sotto: We don't look at the rankings. We look at the percentages. And as far as the percentages are concerned, from 75% to around 29%, those are very good figures for those candidates. Now those below 27% all the way to 19% are what we call striking distance. Below 19% at this point January na, you're not in the striking distance you have to work triple time, not double time. Now, the NPC official candidates which are Grace Poe, Lito Lapid and JV Ejercito are all in the winning figures. I'm not pertaining to rankings. Iba rankings nung Pulse Asia, iba rankings ng SWS. Pero we look at the percentages. That's how to win the senatorial elections. I've been involved in this since 1987. Actually even though I ran in 1992, I was involved in the 1987 senatorial elections already in the private sector. But anyway, that's how you win a seat. Go for the percentages, don't go for the ranking. The rankings are not important.

Q: Can we say na preview na itong mga results ng survey sa maaaring resulta ng elections sa May or it's too early pa to say that?

SP Sotto: Well it depends. If you will look at the previous surveys from two or three of the more reliable survey groups, there are about three of them. Meron mga consistent na figures talaga yung ibang mga candidates eh. Those candidates with those kind of consistent figure, pwede natin masabi na malapit na or yun na yun. Almost sure. Barring unforeseen circumstances, of course it has happened before. Pero other than that, yung mga sinabi kong ranking ng below 27% all the way to about 19%, striking distance lahat yan. Anything can happen. From now, it's too early to say. Now, pagdating nung April na survey, wag lang merong maglilikot. Yung April na survey could be very, very close to the winning circle na. Yun na yun.

Q: Among reelectionist senators, meron bang sa tingin nyo nasa alanganin na makapasok?

SP Sotto: I'd rather answer that by saying na look at figures. Go at the figures.

Q: May official list na ba ang NPC aside from...?

SP Sotto: Yung mga reelectionists, sa tingin ko kasi, if you will look at the figures, most of them if not all of them are in striking distance.

Q: May official list na po ba yung NPC aside from Sen. Poe, Lito Lapid, JV Ejercito? Ilan lahat yung candidates ng NPC sa senatorial?

SP Sotto: Meron pero hindi official eh that's why I'd rather not mention them all kasi meron pang ibang kino consider na gustong tulungan din ng aming mga kasama. Eh yung ibang kasama namin ang gustong tulungan si ganun, si ganyan eh hindi pa nakapasok dun sa sinasabi naming gusto namin sanang ilabas na listahan so might as well come up with a...ang ginawa namin is consultation muna and then, I'm waiting our chairman to be back from abroad. He's in California right now. As soon as he comes back, we'll take it up. Malayo pa naman yung campaign period kung tutuusin.

Q: What do you expect after elections? Do you think there will be changes sa Senate leadership or you're hoping na sana ma-retain kayo dahil marami pa kayong gustong gawin dito sa Senate?

SP Sotto: It only depends on the majority of those who are presently in the Senate and those who will be elected. It's all up to them. A senator like myself could work as a senator, not necessarily be a majority leader or Senate president or minority leader. You can work. Pare-pareho lang kami. One to 24, pare-pareho ng sweldo yan. Pare-pareho ng trabaho yan kung tutuusin. So it's just a matter of how you work saka kung papaano mong ginagampanan yung trabaho mo. You do not have to be a Senate president to be effective.

Q: Naalala nyo yung Senate inimbestigahan yung sa RCBC, yung money laundering, na convict na yung branch manager Maia Dequito. Reaction lang saka pa remind lang sa amin sir ano na yung nagawa ng Senate as a result of the Senate hearing.

SP Sotto: Yeah I heard this morning. The way I recall it, there were others who should have been charged eh as far as the Senate committee report was concerned. Nagtataka lang ako bat hindi kasama sa mga nacha-charge yung mga yun.

Q: Like who?

SP Sotto: Like yung Philrem. There are about 2 or 3 other personalities or companies or groups that were contained in the Senate committee report eh hindi na charge so I don't know.

 Q: Hanggang dun lang ba sa bank manager or meron pang mataas na opisyal ng RCBC noon na nag approve?

SP Sotto: Hindi ko na matandaan yung exact committee report eh basta ang naalala ko lang meron mga iba doon na sina suggest ng committee report na imbestigahan o i-charge pero hindi kasama dyan sa ngayon. Ewan ko baka may mga ibang kaso pa na nakapending.

Q: Sinama nyo yung casinos sa covered institutions ng AMLA as a result?

SP Sotto: Yes one result of that investigation was that we included the casinos in the anti-money laundering coverage.

On whether the conviction of ex-bank manager be a warning to others.

SP Sotto: Maging warning na din sa lahat, and then there after siguro pag-aralan natin mabuti ang safety ng cyberspace sapagkat sa cyberspace alam kong ginawa yang pag nanakaw nay an eh and as a matter of fact that is what a friend of mine from an international intelligence units told me that what the US really is afraid of now is a cyber-attack.

On whether he is confident that SC will uphold the constitutionality of the BOL

SP Sotto: Yes, because we looked onto it not only during the hearings of the BOL but also during the time when we were debating on it, and during the time that we passed it on the period of amendments before we passed it we made sure. And even in the bicam itself, if you will recall I was the one who introduced the amendment to change the title to make it the Bangsamoro Organic Law in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao because one constitutional issue then, that why I brought it up was sabi nila wala naman yung Bangsamoro sa Constitution. Wala nga eh nandun ang ARMM, kaya ko ipinasok yung amendment na iyun na gawin nating Bangsamoro Organic Law in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Nandun na agad safe na kaagad dun as far as constitutionality is concerned kasi wala daw Bangsamoro sa constitution wala ng pero may ARMM.

On whether there is no legal impediment on the ARMM plebiscite

SP Sotto: I don't think so.

On whether it will be a priority of the Senate the tobacco and alcohol tax hike, given that the President has agreed to certify the measure as urgent.

SP Sotto: Well, it was not contained in the technical working group from the LEDAC. It is not also contained in our agenda because we just recently received that, now the pronouncement of the President if he is going to certify that as urgent then I'm sure the senate committee that handles it will act on it. I just hope that we have enough time to be able to tackle it. I think and isa sa mga binabanggit nila is that the necessity para magkaroon ng budget ang Universal Health Care. Now kung hindi naming maipasa, in the event na hindi umabot because of the lateness of the hour there are sources for the Universal Health Care. It's already there not only in the present budget but also in the GAB, yung total increment ng Sin tax, and then 40 percent of the PCSO charity fund, the 50 percent total national government share on PAGCOR earnings, the PhilHealth premium contributions. Under the DOH budget it is there are also, and then the subsidy for PhilHealth under PhilHealth charter under special laws available ito so kung saka-sakaling ma-delay ay wag silang mag-alala may budget ang UHC.

On the possibility that the approval of the tobacco and alcohol tax increase will be done in the next congress SP

Sotto: Kung sakali baka naman umabot eh. Kung sakaling hindi umabot.

On whether the public should be concern on the UHD funding in case congress failed to pass the tobacco and alcohol tax increase.

SP Sotto: Wala, kung sinsabi yun ang problema. Huwag mabahala kung sakaling hindi maipasa.

On the threat of the President to kidnap and torture COA officials.

SP Sotto: You must remember... ako kasi ang thinking ko kaya iba ang pananaw ko sa ganyan. I will not agree I will not disagree, (inaudible) kase nanggaling ako sa local eh, you must remember the President was a mayor for a long, long time dun sa amin sa local politics at sa local governance may kasama talagang ganun, pag yung city treasurer naming nung araw sa QC pumapalag sa mga gusto naming, binbiro ko nga eh na gusto kong sikuhin kapag kasabay sa flag ceremony. Anyway he said he was joking so let's just take it as that.

On it was Atty. Panelo who said that it was only a joke and not the President

SP Sotto: Well, obvious naman yun body English nya, obvious yung body English nya. Syempre hindi din naman natin mai-aalis dun sa ibang mga kababayan natin yung mga conservative lalo na, ayaw nilang nakakarinig ng mga ganung lingo' I cannot blame them if they think the President is out of line. But if you ask me I'll say that my personal take is that neutral ako dyan sa mga ganun.

On whether the President is sending some kind of message to those in COA

SP Sotto: Hindi rin. You ask any COA auditor kung natatakot sila sa ganyan, eh hindi, pero sa ARMM talagang natatakot sila dyan. I don't know about now hopefully the BOL will solve that problem but I know for a fact that auditor don't want to go to ARMM before. At pagnagpunta dun pagbalik hindi kumpleto report.

Q: As long as walang nakikidnap walang natotorture talagang joke ang siya?

SP Sotto: Wala naman hindi mangyayari yun pag may nangyaring ganun personal yun, hindi dahil... (inaudible) On election related violence, killings of local officials

SP Sotto: Dapat talaga harapin natin yan hanapan natin ng solution yan kasi ganyan na nung araw pa one of the reasons why Marcos declared martial law, that was one of the reason eh, pag dating ng elections bloody in many areas at hindi na nawala yan all the way. Nung nagkaroon ng martial law nawala, pero nawala din ang election eh. Ngayon nung nabalik eh ganun na naman eh.

On how to address election violence

SP Sotto: Una sa lahat nasa mga kababayan natin talaga yan eh huwag natin bigyan ng power yung mg alam natin hindi mabuti yung kalooban o hindi kumikilos na isang government official, huwag na natin suportahan, alam na nating hindi maganda ang trabaho, siga-siga sa lugar iboboto mo pa din diba? O matindi ang record sa corruption, iboboto mo pa din, nasa nation na eh, nasa mga kababayan natin yan eh. Siguro kung walang power ang mga yan hindi sila makakagawa ng ganun eh, hindi magiging kasing violent yan. Kaya lang sa ibaba din eh ang naalala ko during the barangay elections, barangay elections lang nagpapabaya din eh. Siguro baka ang kailangan talaga natin ng Pilipinas ay ibang klase ng Cha-cha... spelling ng Cha-Cha pero ang kailangan natin Cha-Cha (Ka-Cha) imbis na Charter Change, Character Change, yun ang kailangan natin.

On the inability to punish those responsible as the reason why election violence continues

SP Sotto: Marami naman napaparusahan pero marami din naman nakakalusot so hindi natin masabi kung ano. Well it's a good time as any now that I am not involve in the elections directly pagaralan na natin ito. Tingnan natin kung ano mga maaaring proposals for a solution to resolve the issue of violence during elections.

On the peace talks with CPP

SP Sotto: Hindi ko pwedeng sisihin ang gobyerno as far as that is concern kapag ayaw nila kase ayaw naman magbaba ng armas yung kabila eh ang sinsabi nila the other time nag ceasefire pero meron daw mga pulis at sundalo na may mga hinuli na ganyan... Pulis yun, we are the government diba, ikaw hindi ka pulis eh hindi ka gobyerno eh nakipag ceasefire ka ibaba mo armas mo. Pero sinasabi mo hindi, eh ano hindi manghuhuli? Eh kung involve sa common crime, dahil may ceasefire hindi kikilos ang pulis at ang armed forces? Hindi eh. Kung talagang gusto natin ng peace talks talaga lay down your arms than we can talk. I agree with the mentality of the President as far as that is concerned eh ano ang paguusapan natin ayaw nyo naman makipag ceasefire eh. Target I overthrow ang government eh paano tayo magkakasundo.

On whether he is aware of the UHC and the department human settlement bills not being transmitted to the office of the President

SP Sotto: Yung department of human settlements may typo error daw, oo nga pinapirmahan ulit sa akin yun the other day. So na delay lang yun papunta na siguro yun yung universal health care we don't know.

Q: It is being reviewed daw?

SP Sotto: Yun, mga ganun. Ang importante ratified na pareho yun matatransmit yun and there is really ample time kung transmittal lang at pirmahan ng presidente there is ample time for that. Ang danger is yung ipapasa namin on third reading. Ipapasa naming pa lang on third reading ngayon from January 14 tapos may mahabang election break, danger.

On whether he expects the election campaign will be bloody

SP Sotto: Hindi naman siguro, pinpointed na ng PNP at Armed Forces kung alin ang mga hotspots, so, basta double up lang dun sa mga hotspots hindi magiging kasing problema o bloody tulad nung mga ibang panahon.

News Latest News Feed