Press Release
March 3, 2020

Transcript of Interview of Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III

On Senate Resolution 337

SP Sotto: (Unclear) the draft, I am sending copies to Sen. Drilon, Sen. Lacson, Sen. Gordon, and in fact I am also giving a copy to (unclear) for their comments and together with the resolution that the Senate passed yesterday, we are hoping that by Thursday, we are ready to file it.

Q: Ang petitioners, Senate as a body or individual?

SP Sotto: Yes. With that resolution, (unclear) Senate as a body.

Q: How do you feel about the division yesterday, medyo close ang boto tapos (unclear)?

SP Sotto: Hindi naman. I don't think it was close because there were twelve senators who voted and there was no negative vote. There's no negative votes. As a matter of fact, if everyone was present we could have had sixteen votes I think.

Q: (We were able to interview Sen. Bato kanina, he was saying he admits na medyo nandoon yung ill feelings (unclear) what happened last night and he said that they are the "new minority" because their voices cannot be heard.

SP Sotto: That is his perspective, pero hindi pwedeng maging totoo yun. Paano magiging minority or feeling minority, kung lahat ng mga major committees hawak (unclear)? There is no such thing. Siguro, baka ano lang, baka hindi pa niya nafefeel yung mga tamang kabihasnan, o kagawian sa Senado. Hindi pwedeng all the time, porke majority ka, pag member ka ng majority, hindi pwedeng all the time ay lahat ng gusto mo, pagbobotohan mo, mananalo, hindi ganoon. This is the Senate, the Philippine Senate. It's a different story. It's not like any other institution in the Philippines. May ganoon talaga. That is why we are open to free debate. You debate on your position, kumbinsihin mo yung mga kasama mo doon sa position mo. Ganoon siguro, hindi pwedeng bulong-pulungan lang tayo, pagkatapos, boboto tayo at pag hindi nagwagi ang boto natin ay sumasama ang loob natin. Hindi ganoon. Even in the old congresses, tatlo ang pinanggalingan ko, nagsisigawan pa kami sa debate, nagkakabulyawan sa debate, pero pagkatapos noon, tapos na yun. Kasama sa trabaho yun.

Q: You were supposed to represent the majority, so you were supposed to represent the sentiment of the administration, yun ang sinasabi niya.

SP Sotto: Then the thinking perhaps is that it is not an independent Senate, and that is the reason we are in the Senate, because we are supposed to have an independent Senate. When I was first elected, that was initially what I already said, this will be an independent Senate. It cannot be a Senate of the administration.

Q: Hindi ibig sabihin na porke majority, kailangan palagi mag side sa administration?

SP Sotto: Hindi. You should always side on what is good for the people. You should always side in what is the good for the Senate.

Q: (Unclear) sabi niya kung si Sen. Drilon masaya, parang nasunod yung gusto ng minority? Parang why are you siding with the minority?

SP Sotto: Pagka ganoon ang thinking, lahat ng bills na hindi member ng majority ay dapat hindi ma-ano. Lahat ng resolutions ng hindi member ng majority, hindi dapat manalo? Hindi naman tamang thinking yun. Perhaps, later on he will realize that being a Senator is different than being just a follower of the administration.

Q: Is this a normal thinking process of a neophyte?

SP Sotto: Medyo. Minsan kasi, pagka you are a fledgling senator, you will probably have, you will need more time to get the ins and outs (unclear).

Q: (Unclear)

SP Sotto: Hindi pa.

Q: Hindi ba sila na-orient? Wala ba kayong orientation na nabigay with respect to how a senator should really act?

SP Sotto: Hindi naiseseminar yun, natututunan lang yun. Mas madali nga lang kung ikaw ay nanggaling sa let's say sa isang local government legislative body, or nanggaling ka sa House of Representatives, pagdating sa Senate, alam mo na lahat yan. Pero siyempre, pag galing ka sa Executive department, medyo iba ang dating sa iyo.

Q: (Unclear) na dati silang Cabinet members, (unclear) the president kaya they think that way?

SP Sotto: That's possible. That is aways a possibility. Kaya nga, if we would follow that line of thinking, mawawala yung independence ng Senado. We are all senators, whether we are in the majority or in the minority, we are an officer or not, pare-pareho kaming mga senators. Tigi-tig-isang boto kami, ganun yun.

Q: (Unclear) yung pito na minority.

SP Sotto: I don't see the need.

Q: Pero hindi naman ito yung...

SP Sotto: (Unclear). Siguro hindi lang din niya nakita pa o napag-aralan yung mga nakaraan. Tingnan nila muna ng mabuti yung nakaraan mula nung 9th Congress. Makikita nila na ang Senado ay hindi lagi sunod ng sunod sa Presidente. Nung 9th Congress, ang majority sa Senate, LDP. Ang presidente, si Ramos, Lakas. Pag dating nung 10th Congress, ganoon pa rin. Pag dating nung 11th Congress, o hindi ba natanggal si Erap?

Q: But that is not going against the President?

SP Sotto: No. You are protecting the institution. It must be an independent Senate, that is the reason that the Constitution made the Senate that way, ganoon yun, otherwise, mag unicameral na lang tayo. Alisin na natin yung Senado kung gusto mo lahat ng sasabihin ng Presidente, pwede. So, again, there must be check and balance. There is the reason why there is a (unclear) branches of the government.

Q: Sabi niya over-reaching daw yung kapag may Senate concurrence sa abrogation kasi trabaho lang daw yun ng Presidente?

SP Sotto: Walang nakalagay na ganoon, silent yun. If the Senate does not act on a treaty or an agreement, does it work? Hindi pwede. That power does not lie in the President, di ba? Kailangan yan, kailangan ang Senate. Ngayon, pagka mag-aabrogate, walang nakalagay sa Constitution na ang Presidente lang, wala ring nakalagay na dapat dumaan sa Senado. But the DOJ Secretary himself said when there is silence, equity fills the gap, di ba? Pero, pinakamaganda, dalhin na sa Supreme Court ang usapan. Tanungin na sa Supreme Court. If you will notice, hindi naman sila bumoto against, di ba? Sapagkat alam nilang tama na (unclear) tanungin sa Supreme Court once and for all kung tama ba yun?

Q: Nag-abstain sila because of their loyalty?

SP Sotto: Siguro, I don't know.

Q: Ano yung reading ninyo, bakit sila nag-abstain in the first place?

SP Sotto: Probably they did not want to offend the President. They thought they might offend the President by saying yes, no. I don't think so. That means they are not privy to some talks that they are having in the Executive department.

Q: Sabi nila most of the time nale-left out sila sa discussion ng majority?

SP Sotto: Paano nangyayari yun?

Q: Hindi sila natatanong, hindi sila pinapakinggan...

SP Sotto: (Unclear) plenary. Then you stand up, you debate, and you tell us what you think. Tell us what you want, di ba? And then you start convincing your colleagues. That is how it is.

Q: You think he was referring to the caucuses?

SP Sotto: Kahit sino nakakapagsalita sa caucus. I am surprised at that kind of statement.

Q: Yung pattern ng pagvote nung pito, may pattern sila sa mga important bills, hindi ba siya cause for concern considering na may solid group sila na possible eventual threat sa leadership ninyo?

SP Sotto: Why will I be concerned?

Q: Kasi kaunti na lang yun.

SP Sotto: So what?

Q: Kung may discontentment, dissatisfied sa the way you...

SP Sotto: Sa leadership? So what.

Q: So okay lang yun?

SP Sotto: I am fine with that, I serve at the pleasure of my colleagues. You can replace me anytime. I have no problem with that, the important thing is I will still do my job as a Senator and if I think it is right, I will vote for it. If I think it is not right, I will not. Ganoon lang kadali yun, di ba?

Q: May instance ba na parang may threat din na kakalas ang majority or...?

SP Sotto: Wala naman akong nararamdaman na ganoon pero I don't think they would like to be in the minority. Because (unclear) pag nasa minority ka, mapupunta sa iyo yung mga committee na ayaw naman ng majority.

Q: Aside from Sen. Bato na vocal kagabi, may iba pa ba kayo narinig na same sentiments from the seven?

SP Sotto: Wala. Wala naman, as a matter of fact, one or two of them came to me, and I will not name them anymore, sinasabi na nakikisama lang daw sila.

Q: After last night?

SP Sotto: Huwag ninyo ng alamin.

Q: Bakit kailangan niya mag-explain sa iyo?

SP Sotto: Siguro they know that the resolution is correct. I feel that about some of them know the resolution is correct. That is the reason why they abstained and did not vote against, because if you think the resolution is wrong, then vote against, di ba?

Q: May talks kayo with the Executive?

SP Sotto: I had a talk with members of the Executive department and they are amenable to the resolution.

Q: Malacañang galing?

SP Sotto: Oo.

Q: Kaya naging generic, walang VFA mentioned?

SP Sotto: Precisely.

Q: Alam yan ni Presidente?

SP Sotto: I don't know. Most probably.

Q: Supportive of the resolution?

SP Sotto: Yes, they also want to know. They also want to be clarified.

Q: Any idea why (unclear) doon sa dilemma na ganoon?

SP Sotto: I don't know, you better ask them.

Q: Pero na-appreciate ninyo si Sen. Pacquiao?

SP Sotto: Yes, sabi naman niya. Alam niyang tama, matagal ng senador yun, di ba? 2016 pa Senator.

Q: (Unclear) yung kay Sen. Drilon (unclear)?

SP Sotto: At saka nagtataka ako bakit sasabihin na minority, eh hindi ba yung Senate President, yung Majority Leader, yung Senate President Pro-Tempore, at yung Minority Leader, mga officials ng Senado, ang tingin nila, tama yung resolution? If you are a member of the majority of the Senate, you should follow the rules, di ba? It does not matter if (unclear) a member of the minority is involved or voting in favor, hindi porke ganoon, kailangan ang minority bumoto ng against or hindi sumunod. That's the intricacies. Probably this would be a learning curve for some of our colleagues in the Senate on how the Senate works.

Q: Hindi pa naaappreciate yung Senate as an institution?

SP Sotto: Hindi pa. Siguro ang ibig sabihin noon ay ano pa lang, 24 minus 7, 17. There are 17 republics pa lang, di ba? Kasi ganoon ang mga mentality ng mga antigong senador nung araw, there are 24 republics in the Senate, kanya-kanya yan. Ang (unclear) sa bawat isa, sarili niya, di ba?

Q: Ano ang tawag sa kanila?

SP Sotto: Hindi pa sila republic. (Unclear) sariling republic.

Q: Hindi pa sila (unclear)

SP Sotto: Hindi naman.

Q: Tingin ninyo walang kailangang idiscuss or linawin dito sa mga (unclear) and explain to them na ito talaga yung obligation ninyo?

SP Sotto: Hindi. No, when you are a Senator, you should know what your job is and what your work is. You don't need to vote in favor of everything. You don't need to vote against everything. You (unclear) the minority leader, he votes in favor of the majority oftentimes, di ba? Yung mga kasama niya sa minority, no na nga ang boto, pero yung minority leader votes in favor. Antigong senador yun. He knows how it is, he knows how it works.

Q: Sinabi mo na may 17 republics, ano yung natitira?

SP Sotto: Ang ibig ko lang sabihin noon, huwag mamasamain ng iba yun, ang ibig sabihin noon, yung 17, independent thinking, yun lang, kaya independent republic.

Q: Ano ang masasabi ninyo tungkol sa net satisfaction rating ninyo this quarter na very good?

SP Sotto: Hindi ko nakita. Ano ba? Saan?

Q: (Unclear)

SP Sotto: SWS? Ilang percent?

Q: That was before the voting last night...

SP Sotto: Baka tumaas.

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