Transcript of Interview of Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III on September 4, 2019

On the letter sent by Presidential Spokesperson Sal Panelo

SP Sotto: I saw a copy of the letter and it was a referral, really what you call subjective. I think it is subjective, you can brush it aside as just a mere referral. Once a letter gets to you, you refer it to the proper authorities. Or you can take it as an endorsement. Implied (unclear) kasi you are close to the President, you are sending a letter on the request of another person. So very subjective.

Q: And he being the former lawyer of Sanchez?

SP Sotto: Yun, that is the other factor that puts it into a different light. It could have been just brushed aside if he were not a former lawyer. Being the former lawyer, siyempre, hindi natin maaalis na merong mag-isip ng iba. So as far as I am concerned, I don't think it will matter as far as the investigation of the Senate is concerned. As I said, very subjective, so I'd rather not take any side.

Q: Sa cellphone po ni Mrs. Sanchez, ano ang balak ninyong gawin doon?

SP Sotto: I was told by our source that we will be receiving a report before the hearing tomorrow, and my source is very reliable. Secretary lang naman ng DICT.

Q: What do you except, kung sino yung number na nagtext?

SP Sotto: Oo. Bakit alam niya na, maaga pa? Bakit alam niya na lalabas na? If in case the number that is traced that sent the text or called the number of Mrs. Sanchez on August 20, in the early hours of August 20, is a prepaid number, still we will be able to find out where it emanated from. Did it emanate from the Bilibid Prison, or outside? We will know dahil may cell site sila doon.

Q: In the event that you will be able to narrow down the identity of the holder or the owner of the number, will you be inviting that person to tell the committee why he or she informed the Sanchez family about it?

SP Sotto: Unless he or she is already part of the group of the resource persons. Yes, we might invite him or her, whoever that person is. And then, kasi yung timeline. I think the timeline will be very important. Pati yung sinasabi na yun daw Presidente ay tumawag sometime thereafter saying that it should be stopped but according to Usec. Faeldon, he stopped it one hour after. But the timeline is different from the timeline he is saying. I support what Senator Lacson said na pagtawag sa iyo ng Presidente para sabihin sa iyong itigil, ang tendency mo dapat ipagyabang sa Presidente na boss, tinigil ko na, hindi ko pinalusot ito. Di ba? Yun dapat.

Q: Gano kahalaga yung (unclear) maestablish kung sino ang nag-inform sa family na lalabas si Sanchez?

SP Sotto: Ibig sabihin, talagang may release na, di ba? That is what is going to be established there, narelease na. Ngayon, if the phone came from an inmate, another violation. Bakit may cellphone na naman sila, or sino man siya na nandoon sa loob, kung siya ay inmate o hindi siya official ng NBP. I am told that the President is really not taking anything lightly.

Q: (Unclear) na nanawagan for the resignation of Faeldon?

SP Sotto: I will venture a guess. The way I know the President, I will venture a guess that he will revamp the whole official (unclear). He will not leave anyone behind. I will support what Senator Bong Go said that heads will roll. Heads with the letter S.

Q: Do you think there was prior arrangement between the Sanchez family and Faeldon?

SP Sotto: In the absence of any concrete evidence to that fact muna, I'd rather not say yes, but I cannot say no. But then again, look back, the Chiong sisters convicts where released August 16, and the signatories were officials of the NBP and not Usec. Faeldon. So medyo mapapagisip ka rin na bakit ganoon?

Q: Tingin ninyo napapaikot si Faeldon ng mga tao? Kasi panay ang tingin niya kahapon sa abogado?

SP Sotto: That is a possibility pero it does not absolve you from responsibility.

Q: What do you think is his liability or accountability (unclear)?

SP Sotto: Violation of the Omnibus Election Code, violation of RA 10592, and then again, allow me to reiterate, the law, principally authored and sponsored by Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago I think, is very important and very valid at that time that we passed it because the reason for the law according to Miriam, was it would benefit those who are aging, the ailing convicts in the National Bilibid Prison, and it will decongest the NBP. Yun ang intention talaga noon. Naka-enumerate naman doon kung alin ang hindi qualified, di ba? Ang heinous crime, nakalagay na hindi qualified. Ang masama at nagpasama nito, nagbigay ng pagkakataon na abusuhin ito, ng ibang tao, ay yung IRR. Yung IRR na ginawa nung dating DOJ at DILG na grupo, or na heads. Yun ang diperensiya. So at this point, I have been discussing it with the members of the Senate, most probably what will happen is that after the hearings, we will either amend or the law may be repealed, maybe come up with a new law, or maybe suspend the IRR, ask that the IRR be suspended, which I already endorsed. Pero on second thought, there are good amendments that are being proposed, kaya pwedeng amyendahan na namin kaagad yung batas ng mabilisan at linawin, at siguruhin, doon sa after the repealing clause and all that, ilagay namin na ang IRR ay kailangan ang approval ng Congress, with the approval of Congress para hindi nababago yung intention ng batas. Kung maaari nga lang, kung ako ang masusunod, walang IRR. Enumerate na natin lahat kung ano ang pwede at hindi.

Q: So lahat ng batas na mapapasa, lahat ng IRR (unclear)?

SP Sotto: Dapat. Lahat ng kakailanganin ng IRR, magkaroon tayo ng approval ng Congress.

Q: Incorporated sa main law?

SP Sotto: Itong batas na ito na aamyendahan namin, ilalagay namin yun. Ngayon, pagaralan namin kung paano lalahatin lahat ng mga IRR. Well, of course, this will be prospective.

Q: As of now the DOJ suspended the processing of these releases? How soon can you think the amendments, if the amendments can come out, because I am sure there are a lot of inmates waiting to be released?

SP Sotto: You are absolutely right. Maraming sumasama ang loob na sila ay qualified, na hindi mapoprocess sila ngayon, sila na yung napapagiwanan. So, talagang bibilisan namin ito, fast-break ito and I will be coordinating with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, former Senator Alan, nai-fast-break din nila yung kanila, para mabilis yung amendments. I am sure the President will sign it right away.

Q: Kaya yun this year?

SP Sotto: Oh yes. Yang mga ganyang emergency measures, kailangan yan apurahin kasi kawawa naman yung those languishing in jail na talaga namang qualified lalo na kung hindi heinous crimes.

Q: Pano yun, pinarecall yung (unclear)

SP Sotto: Hindi. Nasa kamay ngayon ng DOJ yan, ang paggrereview niyan kung alin doon ang talagang qualified o hindi. We cannot say that outright all 1,900 are unqualified. Ang uunahin diyan tiyak, yung mga heinous crimes because they did not qualify. And then another one na siguradong dapat unahin, ay lahat ng pumatak sa period ng elections or the campaign period dahil bawal.

Q: Tingin ninyo dapat automatic na irearrest yung inilabas nung sa panahon ng campaign period?

SP Sotto: Oo, automatic yun.

Q: Yung binabanggit ni Sec. Guevarra, opinion ng SC regarding that?

SP Sotto: Hindi kailangan yun because they were illegally released. They were illegally released in the first place, kung baga sa ano, parang tumakas yun. Ngayon, ito ang maganda, parang tip ko na ito sa mga convicts na nakinabang diyan, magkusa silang bumalik agad. Baka sila pwedeng magqualify ngayon sa STAL Special Time Allowance on Loyalty, di ba? Bigla kang qualified doon. Bumalik ka na agad, mali pala yung pagkakarelease sa akin, teka, di ba? Unless nagbayad ka at nanghihinayang ka sa binayad mo. Yun ang kasunod na tsismis doon, napakarami daw pera ang umikot.

Q: Tingin ninyo magkano?

SP Sotto: Milyones daw, yun ang kwento.

Q: Ang isa?

SP Sotto: Oo. We have intelligence reports already that I already shared with Senator Lacson, so in the hearings tomorrow, we will see if we have to uncover them or not.

Q: Are you convinced na yung kay (Unclear) yung killing niya ay related doon sa...?

SP Sotto: According to intel reports that we gathered from inside, they are related to the releases. It is related to the releases.

Q: Sino ang makikinabang doon sa bayaran?

SP Sotto: Your guess is as good as mine. I am sure the President by now has a very good idea what has happened, what's going on, and what he plans to do.

Q: Tomorrow, lalabas doon sa hearing...?

SP Sotto: Depende, tingnan natin. May mga validation period din naman kasi dapat yan.

Q: Hanggang sa pinakataas, sa BuCor?

SP Sotto: We will see. Sa kuwento kasi, nilalahat. Sa kuwento, nilalahat. Tingnan natin hanggang saan.

Q: Yung heads will roll, who will be in the first batch?

SP Sotto: Better ask the President.

Q: Hindi ba mahirap patunayan yun?

SP Sotto: Kung hindi aamin yung nagbigay, hindi aamin yung binigyan, eh kung may umamin na nagbigay na hindi nakalabas? Kung merong umamin na nakita niyang nagpalitan?

Q: Merong witness?

SP Sotto: I refuse to say. I am not denying, but I am not... we are validating.

Q: You have confidence in the report (unclear)?

SP Sotto: Medyo mabigat.

Q: (Unclear) as early as what year?

SP Sotto: Wala pa kami doon. Wala pa yung mga intelligence information namin, wala pa doon.

Q: Yung mga conduits or agents...

SP Sotto: Oo, may mga in-between according to the report. Kaya ko hinahawaang mabuti yung cellphone ko, baka may makasilip.

Q: Yung family ni Sanchez, dineclare na, kasi sabi nila hindi kilala personally si Faeldon, so parang implied na hindi sila magkakilala...?

SP Sotto: Well, all that will be in the records of the committee. I'd rather not counter it right now in the absence of any concrete proof.

Q: As far as you are concerned, ano ang mangyayari kay Faeldon?

SP Sotto: Let's not focus on just one person. Sa nangyaring yan, parang sa ano, guess ko yan, di ba? My guess is that as I said earlier, the way I know the President, this will be a sweep of the NBP.

Q: May liability rin ba yung mga former officials?

SP Sotto: Kung may ebidensiya against them, at saka kung may mga heinous crimes na nakalusot na hindi qualified.

Q: Including Senator Bato?

SP Sotto: Well, kung may ebidensiya nga, pero you know, knowing Senator Bato, I doubt if he were involved.

Q: Based on what you have known, sindikato ba ito?

SP Sotto: We'll be able to answer that once we find out kailan naguumpisa ito. Kailan naguumpisa yung ganyang kalakaran. Dati naman meron talaga sa Board of Pardons and Parole na lumalabas ng natural, na tunay. And then meron ding mga executive clemency na wala namang scandal. Dito, may nadapa dito. Ang unang dapa dito, bakit namatay yung documents assistant (unclear), yun ang unang dapa doon. Pangalawa, advance nalaman ng Sanchez family na lalabas na si Sanchez, tapos advance, delayed, nalaman na yung convicts ng Chiong sisters massacre, nakalabas na. Ngayon pa lang natin nauuncover lahat yan, so we don't know when it started.

Q: With the assassination of at least one prison officer, parang organized crime.

SP Sotto: Mabigat. If it's really related, medyo mabigat, talagang...palagay ko konektado.

Q: Magkano?

SP Sotto: Hindi ko alam, but according to the reports it ran in the millions.

On the status of the SOGIE bill.

SP Sotto: Wala pa, hintayin ko sa floor.

Q: (Unclear)

SP Sotto: Hindi na, useless sa committee yun, yung gagawa ng committee report ay yung chairman. Hintayin na lang natin sa floor yan.

Q: What are the chances na makakalabas ng plenary?

SP Sotto: Lalabas ng committee yun sigurado. Sa plenary approval, very doubtful.

Q: Bakit?

SP Sotto: Maraming kontra as it is. The way it is written now, maraming kontra. Now if we will come up with a version na pareho ng version ni Senator Angara, which is anti-discrimination generally, yung wag magdidiscriminate sa matanda, sa edad, sa bata, o sa gender, or sa kapasidad, yung mga ganun, okay yun. Pero kung ang paguusapan katulad ng laman ng SOGIE bill ngayon, napaka controversial sapagkat Basahin ninyo, it is so concentrated on the G of the LGBT.

Q: Tingin ninyo class legislation?

SP Sotto: Yes, definitely. It is. It is class legislation.

Q: Sabi ninyo dati invite yung mga anti-LGBT, ngayong nandito na po sila, what can you say?

SP Sotto: I didn't hear what their resolutions or projections are, more or less I have an idea that they will be against the provisions there that hamper religious freedom, academic freedom, and women's rights. Pagka yun ang mga tatamaan, malabo yun. Oras na talagang anti-discrimination lang, pwede.

Q: Sabi kasi ni Senator Risa, normal lang naman na mafocus sa trans sector parang may magna carta for women, di ba? Ngayon, SOGIE naman daw.

SP Sotto: Wag nila dapat ikumpara ang women, the entirety of one half of the world to a certain group. Wag nila ikumpara yun. Women cannot be compared to a group na ganun sapagkat I hate to say this but I have to. If you are a man, you will never be a woman, no matter what you do, because you cannot reproduce. You cannot give birth, you do not have ovaries. You will never be a woman. So this, to me, the SOGIE bill is a bill against women's rights and it's giving transgender rights (unclear), so it's class legislation.

Q: Is the sentiment of the majority the same?

SP Sotto: I think so.

Q: Ano ang pinaka hindi acceptable?

SP Sotto: Yun na nga, yung trampling on women's rights, academic freedom, trampling on religious freedom, lalo na. And it is a class legislation.

Q: Which is unconstitutional?

SP Sotto: Definitely.

Q: Doon sa hearing tomorrow, hihingin ninyo kay Sec. Guevarra yung list ng mga pinalayas during the campaign period?

SP Sotto: Hiningi na namin. I don't know kung naibigay na. Pero tip ko nga doon sa mga convicts na nirelease, na ang tingin nila tagilid yung pagkarelease sa kanila, bumalik ka na agad imbis na makita ka pa ng tracking team. Bumalik ka, you qualify for the SPAL.