Press Release
January 27, 2020

Transcript of Interview of Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III

On the Visiting Forces Agreement

Q: Do you see the need na dinggin ng Senate yung abrogation ng Visiting Forces Agreement?

SP Sotto: Perhaps ang kailangan ay pagusapan lang, I am not proposing anything other than to talk about it.

Q: In a caucus or a hearing?

SP Sotto: Pwedeng caucus, pwedeng hearing. Ang importante, mapagusapan para yung mga perspective or opinion ng mga iba't-ibang senador ay mapagusapan namin tungkol dito sapagkat kami naman yung nagratify. Bagamat yung pagra-ratify namin nuong araw nung VFA, wala pa doon yung bago naming ipinapasok dito sa mga bagong treaties at agreements na niraratify ng Senate. Itong mga bago, kung hindi ako nagkakamali, about a year already, ay nilalagyan namin doon ng provision na nagsasabi na pagka iaabrogate, or icacancel yung treaty or agreement, ay kailangang aksyunan namin. Nandoon na yun sa bagong resolution, lately, sa mga bagong treaties. Pero sa dati, wala yun.

Q: Malaki yung Kawalan natin kung sakaling matuloy yung abrogation ng VFA?

SP Sotto: Depende, as I said na kanina, sabi ko, (unclear). Meron akong sariling opinion diyan, pero I don't want to pre-empt the opinion of my colleagues first, and a unified Senate stance on the matter, or opinion on the matter. Hintayin ko na lang muna.

Q: Will there be a unified opinion?

SP Sotto: That is possible. Either we will say that we agree or not (unclear).

Q: You will say it just in a statement?

SP Sotto: Wala, walang bearing yun, it will just be a statement. It will just be a sense of the Senate.

Q: Pwedeng maka-influence sa Presidente?

SP Sotto: Pwedeng maging reso, pwedeng hindi, pwedeng makaimpluwensiya.

Q: Not to a point na itatransform ninyo into a petition?

SP Sotto: Hindi siguro, hindi na kakailanganin.

Q: Will you advise the President against it?

SP Sotto: Hindi sa ano, palagay ko hindi doon yung issue na whether we will advise the President or not. Hindi naman hinihingi yung opinion namin. Sa akin, mas maganda rin naman na sana maramdaman ng United States kung ano ang perspective ng Presidente, kung bakit siya nagkakaganon. Huwag nila ibintang doon sa visa. Ano lang yun, maaaring isa sa mga catalyst lang yun pero hindi yun ang trigger, maraming trigger. Di ba yung mga senador nila, bintang ng bintang sa atin? Yung justice system natin, hindi pinaniniwalaan, yung mga ganoon. Siyempre, napupuno yung Executive Department. Siguro maganda rin na alamin muna ng United States, ano ba talaga ang mga nasa likod ng issue na ito, di ba? Baka sakaling doon pa lang, magkaroon ng dialogue, magkaroon ng paguusap, para mapabuti ang usapan thereafter.

Q: But you think tama yung naging move ni Presidente to abrogate na lang the VFA?

SP Sotto: Opinion niya yan. Opinion niya yan. Diskarte niya yan, I would rather not, I will retain the ano, on this issue, I would want to retain yung pagkakahiwa-hiwalay naming tatlo, executive, legislative, at judiciary. Diskarte ng executive yan. As Senate President, I would rather not into saying what is right or what is wrong.

Q: At this point wala pa kayong nakikitang need for the Senate to assert its power?

SP Sotto: Walang ganoon. Executive ang nagpapadala sa amin ng mga treaties at saka ng mga agreements, wala kaming kinalaman doon. It never emanates from us. So, kung ayaw na nila, wala kaming magagawa doon.

Q: Yung move to give the Senate authority to agree or not to agree on the abrogation of a treaty, how will it come out?

SP Sotto: It has been included in our resolutions in the past year. Ngayon, it has never been tested. Hindi pa natin alam kung pwede yung resolution ng Senate na yun o hindi.

Q: Bakit hindi kailangan magsalita ng Senado at this point, considering na national policy...?

SP Sotto: Hindi sa hindi dapat magsalita, it's my own personal opinion lang. The other Senators, they have their own opinion about it pero there is no Senate stance on the matter as a body. As Senate President I would rather keep it to myself muna at this point.

Q: (Unclear) speak as one?

SP Sotto: I will consult them, depende. Tingnan muna namin, marami pang pwedeng mangyari in the next few days.

Q: Sa tingin ninyo kailangan din magpa-briefing sa military and foreign affairs, kung halimbawa mawala sa atin?

SP Sotto: Pwede, depende, pero alam lahat ng Presidente yan. Bottom line, the buck stops with him, he is the President, that is his decision.

Q: Magpapatawag kayo ng caucus tungkol dito?

SP Sotto: Depende. Siguro si Koko, baka magpatawag.

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