Transcript of interview of Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III

Q: Una SP, bakit nga po kayo nandito SP?

SP Sotto: Ah, well that's the work of the Senate President eh. Kahit na adjourned at kahit na walang trabaho, the Senate President has to do his job. Maraming documents, maraming papeles, mga pang sweldo ng mga empleyado, pang sweldo ng mga senador at yung mga gastusin ng Senado. Lahat eh, ang Senate President ang nananagot nun. So, I have to be here. So, I will be in office until June 29 and then by June 29, we have already elected Sen. Migz Zubiri as President Pro-Temp effective June 29 and he will be carried over as Senate President Pro-Temp because he was re-elected, so by June 30 he will be the President Pro-Temp and automatically he will be the acting Senate President by July 1. Iyon ang sitwasyon. So he will take over from July 1 to July 25, ay siya ang gagawa nitong lahat ng trabahong ginagawa ko ngayon na hanggang June 30.

Q: SP kayo po, ano po ang plans after June 29?

SP Sotto: Ay marami eh. As a matter of fact, siguro maasikaso ko yung mga hindi ko dati naaasikaso mabuti ano. This gives me the chance to re-establish my recording studio, for one, and then I will beef it up into a top recording studio again just like before when I had (unclear) studios. This time I'll make sure that it will be the best in Asia like the one I had before kaya lang mas moderno na ngayon, mas hi-tech na eh. So ayun isa. Then I could probably concentrate on the corporation that I am a member of, isa yun sa puwedeng asikasuhin na rin, baka if they elect me as chairman now tatanggapin ko na, dati ine-elect akong chairman eh hindi ko tinatanggap eh, so baka puwedeng tanggapin ko na. And of course, I'll have more time for the family dahil yung studio naman eh free-willing ang oras ko duon. Iyon muna, in the meantime ganoon muna ang naiisip ko. And of course, trying my best to (unclear) my (unclear) again in golf. Ang (unclear) tuwang tuwa yung mga barkada ko eh, like yesterday I had a - I had a round of golf with my brothers and my friends my golfing group, so masayang masaya sila anytime pwede kami.

Q: SP how about continuing to work for the government?

SP Sotto: Well depende kung may pangangailangan sa akin at kung tingin ko naman ay kailangan ng tulong, otherwise kaya na nila iyon ang tatagal na nila diyan siguro naman natuto na sila. So, well as far- that's the Senate 'no. Sa gobyerno itself, President elect Bong Bong Marcos when we met last 28th of May, bale ano iyon the first Saturday after his proclamation he was asking me about my plans were and what I was thinking of, ano ang gusto mo gawin that was his question. As I said sabi ko magrelax muna sabi ko and then he was asking me if I would want to come back to government (unclear) want to come back to Senate, I said depende kung kailangan ninyo ng tulong, sabi ko, kung pakikinabangan ako sa tulong, depende sabi ko. Nothing concrete.

Q: How about sir sa executive position? Alam ko po gusto ninyo yung sa drug advocacy ninyo.

SP Sotto: Well kung kami ni Senator Lacson ang nanalo, then I will be all out for that ano but now that hindi, mayroon naman ibang nakapuwesto at nanalo, we'll just help if they need- if they want to consult on help, I'll make myself available, just in case. Ganoon nalang pero let's leave it up to them.

Q: SP, for the past several years, iyon nga po sabi ninyo under your leadership walang mga nangyaring agawan ng powers, ganiyan ganiyan. SP, looking at the landscape of the next congress, ano po yung ma-aadvise ninyo especially kay Senator Migz who's looking to be the next SP?

SP Sotto: Well, Sen. Migz, pretty much like what I've had as an experience, 'no, nakita na rin niya. Siguro marami na siyang natutunan sa akin, kay Sen. Pimentel, kay Sen. Drilon, kay Sen. Koko -- 'yong mga naging Senate President na nakasama niya -- palagay ko, he will have a very good pulse of how to run the Senate. Kaya he was a good choice, he was the best choice as far as the members of the majority are concerned, because of his vast experience being a majority also, aside from the fact that na marami siyang experience sa amin, kaming mga naging Senate presidents. So, I expect him to do well.

Q: SP, nabanggit po ninyo 'yong recording studio, part po ba ng reason kung bakit niyo po mineet si Ms. Sharon Cuneta the other day?

SP Sotto: Well, we were pleasantly suprised that, my duaghters and I, we were pleasantly surprised, my wife surprised that suddenly, she came over. She was calling 15 minutes before she was arriving. Ganoon ang tawag niya sa mga anak ko na 'I'm arriving in 15 minutes'. So kumbaga sa ano, biglaan lang. As I said, pleasantly surprised na my daughters and my wife would not want to talk about what transpired but all's well that ends well. She's family, so okay lang.

Q: SP, regarding doon sa issue na local government saka ng national government. Right now, kasi si Gov. Gwen, doon sa issue niya about sa face masks na pinapayagan na nila sa Cebu 'yong hindi pagsusuot ng face mask sa open spaces, na kino-contradict naman ng DILG. Parang medyo ma-confuse kaya 'yong tao sa ganoong policy nila?

SP Sotto: Sa akin ganito, whatever policy, government -- whether national or local -- would want to pursue, it should be science-based and data-driven. So, I do not know the data and the basis of the Cebu provincial government in its policy. But then again, the national government, the IATF, will not be there forever. I don't think it will be there forever, so they should strike a balance between local autonomy and the national implication. Siguro, iyon ang kailangan talagang pinag-uusapan. Hindi pwedeng dadaanin sa tigas ng ulo 'yan o biglang pipilitin ng Cebu province na sumunod, or sasabihin ng Cebu province na magtitigas-tigasan ng ulo. They should talk. As I've said, it should be science-based, data-driven decisions should be made.

Q: Dito naman sa NCR, SP, ang sinasabi ng DOH possible na tumaas 'yong alert level because medyo may spike na sa numbers.

SP Sotto: Well, that's what I mean. You know, if the Department of Health has data to that effect, then syempre dapat mag ingat yung ating local government units in opening up or changing policies at the moment. The way it is working now, mukhang ayos naman, so let's leave it at that. Siguro, kung ano muna ang nangyayari ngayon, Mabuti naman, hindi naman lumalala. Maintain na muna siguro.

Q: SP, nagkausap kayo ni President-elect Marcos, other than the plans ninyo, may mga natanong ba siya sa inyo na mga personalities na ano ang masasabi ninyo, or baka may initial recommendations siya sa inyo na kug pwedeng ipuwesto, or matulungan siya sa government (unclear)?

SP Sotto: Well, siguro bigyan ko na lang kayo in gist, kasi hindi naman maganda for me na kung ano yung mga napagusapan namin ay ilalahad ko sa publiko, sapagkat I will leave it up to him. I would rather let President Marcos talk about it, if he wants to disclose what we discussed. Pero sa akin, what I can say is that yes, I mentioned findings of the Senate Committee of the Whole, I mentioned to him the problem in the Department of Agriculture, I told him about the problems of the Bureau of Customs and the people involved in both departments and bureau. Napagusapan din namin ng kaunti yung issue nung tungkol sa illegal drugs, and then... medyo matagal na, hindi ko matandaan... mas lengthy yung usapan namin kasi ng chitchat. The usual, kasi matagal naman kaming magkaibigan, and we both served in Congress. Six years kaming nagsama, and we are family friends as far as the members of the family are concerned. So, maraming kwento, pero kwentuhan lang. Merong mga national government issues na as I said, I'd rather that he disclose what we discussed.

Q: Dito sa Senate, kung na-settle na technically yung issue ng leadership, meron bang ikino-consult sa inyo para sa guidance ninyo sa committee chairmanship, lalo sa Blue Ribbon, parang may dalawang may gusto?

SP Sotto: Ang pagkakaalam ko, si Sen. Tolentino was offered by Sen. Zubiri. Kung hindi ako nagkakamali, napagusapan namin ni Sen. Zubiri yan at nabanggit nga na bagay kay Sen. Tolentino. Three years ago, Sen. Tolention was eyeing that particular committee, if I recall it right. So, ngayon na may pagkakataon i-offer sa kanya, I am sure tatanggapin niya at tinanggap na, ano. The problem is, if that is the same committee that Sen. Cayetano is interested in to join the majority...you know, things sometimes in the Senate settle on its own. Tingnan natin. I am sure Sen. Zubiri would know what to do. I have said it before...the Senate kasi, and I have been here since 1992, is like water. It seeks its own level. Napupunta siya sa tamang flow, ganun eh. So, I think it will resolve. The problem will resolve itself.

Q: ... about the SUV driver? May we get your opinion?

SP Sotto: Kasi nagulat ako doon sa nabasa ko sa (unclear), nakita ko na tatlong bese nang ini-invite nila or may call sila for attendance... bakit tatlong beses? Kitang-kita na merong violation na ginawa, very dangerous. I t could even lead to frustrated murder, hindi ba? Hindi lang homicide kung namatay. So, dapat yun, inaaresto, hindi iniimbita. Identified na nila eh, so what's wrong? Yan ang sinasabi ko rito, di ba? Instead of inviting, instead of asking attendance, or expecting them to attend, there should be an order of arrest. Ganun ang thinking ko. Blatant, kitang-kita, sobra. A good driver will not do that. Yun lang aso o kaya pusa, iiwasan mo, di ba? Ito, tao eh. Anong klase yun? Why are we using kid's gloves pagka ganun, that's my point.

Q: ...sinuspend yung lisensiya niya, do you think sa ganung instances, dapat revocation yun?

SP Sotto: Magda-drive pa rin yun kahit walang lisensiya, yung klase na yun.

Q: At habang nasa labas siya, dangerous.

SP Sotto: Yes, maaaring madala, pero then again, it is a bad sign to the people. It is a bad sign to other drivers na okay lang pala eh, di ba? Kaya hindi maganda, kailangan niyan talaga kumilos ang otoridad. People might think that they are incompetent.