Press Release
June 21, 2022

Transcript of interview of Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III

Q: Sir, kailan kayo bumaba from Baguio?

SP Sotto: Kahapon.

Q: Si Ping pala sir nandoon din nung weekend.

SP Sotto: Si Ping? Yeah, yeah. I was told. Nagtext siya sa akin, nagkatext kami. Hindi ko na natanong kung ano ang ginagawa niya

Q: Nag-anak daw siya ng kasal.

SP Sotto: Ah okay.

Q: SP, your reaction lang on PBBM as the DA Secretary of (unclear)...

SP Sotto: I think it's an excellent decision.

Q: SP, sorry achievements muna.

SP Sotto: Alright. 18th Congress?

Q: Yes sir, under (unclear)...

SP Sotto: 17th and 18th Congress I have the records but I will give it to you later. But let's focus on the 18th Congress. Considering that in the 18th Congress, we have two years, almost two years of pandemic response and pandemic lockdowns. There were 197 laws- signed into laws ha. There was one veto but right now pending in the Office of the President are 182 bills passed by both houses of Congress. Yung mga adopted resolutions concurring in the ratification of treaties and international agreements, conventions, tatlo. (Unclear) to the convention of temporary admission, accession to the 1961 Convention on the reduction of statelessness, and the ratification of the Arms Trade Treaty. There were 45 simple resolutions and 11 concurrent resolutions. Doon sa signed into law, I think you're very well versed on the very important ones, national impact. Hindi ko sinama sa listahan yung mga local bills. The bills of local application, I did not include it in the 197, it could run into 500 plus kung isasama natin yung mga local bills so hindi iyon. We're talking of the bills only of national importance and then pending approval sa presidente at ito po'y sana magawan kaagad ng paraan ng presidente sapagkat kung hindi man it might lapse into law, okay na rin. There are very urgent matters there, for example, number one is the Separate Facility for Heinous Crimes Inmates Act, if ever it's not signed into law, I hope it will lapse into law or the next president might act on it. It is one of the issues that I discussed with the incoming president Bongbong Marcos. So hopefully, maano iyan- it will be signed. The National Transportation Board, yun ang mga nakapending eh. Special Protection Against Online Sexual Abuse, the Vaporized Nicotine Products, the Expanded Anti-trafficking Act, the Permanent Validity of Live Birth, Death, and Marriage Act, and then the- Strengthening the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel, and the Agriculture, Fisheries, and Rural Development Financing Enhancement Act. Alam naman natin kung gaano kaliit ang portfolio or loan portfolio na ibinibigay sa ating mga magsasaka, and the we will also- also pending is Increasing the Social Pension of Indigent Senior Citizens. More or less ganoon. Yung mga napasa na including the Creation of the Judiciary Marshals I'll give you a list of the 197 signed into law and then 182 still pending for approval of the president.

Q: Sir, saan- alin dito yung, sorry, yung talagang sana itatarget ninyo na at least makarating sa Office of the President pero you failed to pass up to the third reading which you hope the next congress will (unclear).

SP Sotto: Yung ano, ano nga ito yung-

Q: Sim card registration sir? Sim card registration?

SP Sotto: Hindi, hindi. Sim- na-veto iyon eh. Na-veto iyon, we expected to be refiled (unclear) the provision that the president or the palace did not agree to. Ano yung isa na napending? Na-

Q: Yung sa DTI sir? Sa DTI na (unclear).

SP Sotto: DTI? Hindi. The treaty.

Q: RCEP. RCEP.

SP Sotto: RCEP. The RCEP.

Q: Pabor na ba kayo doon sir?

SP Sotto: Sa isang banda, yes. Sa isang banda, no. Pagka kung ang- the proper safeguards will be done by the executive department, then it's okay, I think we should- we should accept agreed. That is the same ano eh iyon din yung aming original na pangamba doon sa (unclear) WTO na sabi namin kung hindi nakahanda, huwag. Lima kami out of twenty-four that voted no, and apparently after so many years, we were right. So dito sa RCEP, iyon din ang warning na sinasabi natin, paghandaan natin ito. Now, with the new- with the incoming president as secretary of agriculture, we might be ready for RCEP. In that case ano. Maganda. Magandang possibility na mapasa ang RCEP in the next congress.

Q: Sir, kahapon lang nakausap naming si Sen. Koko Pimentel, he said he's ready to be the minority leader or a minority member, sir nung itong time ninyo lang during (unclear) that you were the senator, you are still the Senate President, gaano ho kalaki yung tulong ng isang malakas na minority bloc?

SP Sotto: Malaking bagay. Kailangan ang minority, ang minority group and in this particular case the minority leader should be, should be a real fiscalizer. He makes sure that the bills that are passed are- have undergone scrutiny. Dapat ganoon. Hindi pwedeng basta lang napasa kaagad because you know it depends on the perspective kasi eh. Like for example, I have been here for many years, yung perspective ng gumagawa ng batas, mayroon kahit papaano perspective na hindi sang-ayon sa ilang mga probisyon niyan. Lagi iyan eh. Lagi iyan. Hindi 100% perfect. Bihirang bihira iyan eh. There is no perfect law as they say although there are some. I'd like to take. Eh iba yung mayroong tumitingin eh noong other side of the fence, iba yung mayroon two sides lagi, instead of just ramming through a bill. Kaya importante ang role ng minority- minority leader, the members of the minority. I have been there, and I have done that. I have been a member of the minority during the time of PGMA and I was minority leader during the time of PGMA kaya I know the (unclear) and what it entails tough, as a matter of fact, in the entire Senate, ang pinakamabigat ang trabaho diyan after the majority leader is the minority leader sapagkat kailangan pag-aralan niya lahat yung batas. Yung majority leader nga hindi nga kailangan pag-aralan lahat yung batas eh, sisiguraduhin lang niya na maayos ang dinadaanan eh. Pero yung minority leader, hindi ka pwedeng basta palabasin mo ng palabasin iyan. Mabigat ang trabaho ng staff- legislative staff nung minority leader. Kailangan nagpre-prepare kayo at binabalasa ninyo at binabalangkas ninyo mabuti bawat bill na pinapasa at sinasampa. Kailangan niyan naiinterpellate iyan, kailangan lumalabas kung ano mga good points niyan at lumalabas din yung mga bad points.

Q: What does it take to be a strong minority bloc, SP? Having then a minority leader, a minority member, what does it take to be a strong (unclear).

SP Sotto: Studying well, reviewing well, and participating in the debates.

Q: Sir (unclear) possibility na apat na lawyers yung maging member ng minority? Kasi sabi ni Senator Koko, siya, magkapatid na Cayetano, and then (unclear) si Chiz Escudero. So (unclear) na lawyer...

SP Sotto: Chiz and Risa. Risa will be in the minority.

Q: Pero yung lawyer sir?

SP Sotto: Ah yung lawyers.

Q: Yung nasa minority. Mas malakas ba iyon SP?

SP Sotto: Kasama si Chiz? Mag-ma-minority?

Q: Kung sakali.

SP Sotto: Kung sakali? Mabigat.

Q: Dream team daw iyon?

SP Sotto: I can agree.

Q: Bakit sir? Bakit SP? Why do you say it's a dream team?

SP Sotto: Eh sanay nag-aral yung mga iyon eh. Iba yung dumaan sa college of law. Sanay iyon sa more or less scrutiny of laws. So, they will be able to scrutinize well the bills that will be pending in the Senate. As a matter of fact, baka pati yung mga resolutions patulan. Depende eh, depende iyan. If you have four lawyers or not even four lawyers, if you have four well-versed and well-read minority members, they'll be good for the institution, it will be good for the country.

Q: What big shoes to fill in since the previous minority leader was Senator Drilon? I mean gaano ho kalaki ang pa- gaano kalaki iyong shoes to fill in for the next minority leader?

SP Sotto: Very tough. It will be very- well of course, si Ko- if Koko Pimentel will be minority leader or any of them, any of the four na lawyers na sinasabi ninyo, they will do well I am sure they will do well. Mabigat nga lang talagang very difficult to fill in the shoes of Senator Drilon given his track record.

Q: Exceptional ba yung pagiging minority leader ni Senator Drilon? Because we saw him na talagang tinatapos niya yung mga sessions up to the end, (unclear) almost all the bills...

SP Sotto: Oo mabigat talaga, mabigat. And I think it can also be done by the incoming minority leader. But that has to be done that way. As a matter of fact, hindi naman sa pagyayabang, gawa ko yun nung minority leader ako. Dun ko naugali yung first in, last out. Dun nagumpisa yung aking ugaling never late, never absent, first in, last out. Because when I was minority leader, kailangan mong bantayang mabuti yan especially during the budget, alas tres na ng madaling araw nandiyan pa rin ako, binabantayan ko kung paano ipapasa yung budget ng iba't ibang departamento.

Q: Sir yun bang pagiging minority let's say for example, lima sila or whether two or three, does it matter? Yung number ba does it matter?

SP Sotto: It matters if you are as close as what we got before that we were eleven. Then mabigat. Hirap na hirap yung majority sa amin nung eleven kami nina Nene Pimentel. There was a time kasi na eleven kami during the time of PGMA.

Q: Sir yun na yung biggest number of a minority bloc?

SP Sotto: Ever. That was the record. Later on, siyempre, may mga lumipat, merong tumanggap ng committee, I think naiwan kami mga seven. Six or seven, if I'm not mistaken. But the number is not really important if you know how to skin the cat. A single member of the Senate may filibuster the entire Senate, in so many ways. It's called parliamentary strategy and given the fact that in the Senate there is no cloture, unlike in the House of Representatives, there are time limits. In the Senate there is no time limit, there are no time limits. Therefore, in the Senate there is not cloture. If there is no cloture, kung talagang hindi mabuti ang gusto ninyong ipasa, isang senador lang kayang ipitin yan, pigilin yan or makumbinse yung mga kasama niya na hindi tama ang ating gagawin.

Q: Sir yung no cloture is more of a tradition rather than a rule di ba?

SP Sotto: It's a rule and a tradition at the same time.

Q: Sir anong info ninyo si Chiz majority?

SP Sotto: Hindi ko alam. I haven't talked to Senator Escudero from the time na nag-meet kami after elections up to now so hindi ko pa siya nakakausap, hindi ko alam ano ang naiisip niya. But during the time when we discussed it, when we discussed the leadership of the Senate, ang usapan naming, ang sabi ko sa kanya noon, ang aking advice, mag-usap sila ni Migz buohin muna nila yung majority at saka sila magdesisyon sino ang magiging SP. Ganoon ang usapan.

Q: Kasi nag-aspire din siya, si Chiz?

SP Sotto: Yes, yes.

Q: Sir paano if kung maging dalawa lang yung minority Senator Pimentel, Senator Risa, will it be a struggling minority or kaya naman?

SP Sotto: Magiging matrabaho lang para sa kanila pero kaya naman. Besides, it has always been the case in the Senate that there are members of the majority, who are titled members of the majority, but act as if they are members of the minority. It has always been the case. Hindi naman porque member of the majority, pag nag-crack ng whip ang majority leader ay automatic boboto in favor or hindi na magtatanong. Hindi ganoon ah. And as I've said, it has always been the case. Hindi porque member ng majority yan, tatanggapin na lang niya lahat, tatanggapin lahat ng ipasok ninyo.

Q: Sino ba dito Sir sa 18th Congress yung ganoon, who belongs to the majority...

SP Sotto: But can act as a 'fiscalizer'? Marami. Grace Poe, Francis Tolentino, Loren Legarda. Mga beterano, alam nila yan. As a matter of fact, it will be difficult to convince them if they believe otherwise on a certain issue or (unclear)

Q: Is this the best time to be part of the minority bloc, itong incoming, how you see it?

SP Sotto: It depends on the perspective you're asking. Kasi if you're asking from the perspective of mere the Senate alone, yes perhaps, maybe. Because medyo mag-uumpisa, mangangapa. So siguro mas mabuti na 'fiscalizer' ka, but if you're looking at the entire government, not exactly. It is not exactly ideal to be in the minority considering the fact that there are 31, 32 million Filipinos support the, perhaps more, the incoming administration. Hindi rin ideal. Baka maraming magandang gawin, mas maganda na kasama ka doon sa gumagawa ng maganda. So depende on your perspective. Ano ba pinapaguusapan mo, yung Senado lang or yung entire country. Yung entire country, it is yet to be felt kung magandang mabuti na nasa minority ka. If you're talking about the Senate alone, okay siguro lalo na konti lang kayo.

Q: Balikan ko lang po yung BBM, ano na po yung advantages na nakikita ninyo that he will be the head of the agriculture department?

SP Sotto: I think it's an excellent decision. It is one of the issues that we talked about when we met. Unfortunately, with due respect, the department of agriculture has been embroiled in so much corruption especially in the issue of smuggling, technical smuggling (unclear). Kaya napakaganda na napagdesiyunan na ang Pangulo muna ang secretary of agriculture. Hindi naman ganyan noong araw ang agriculture department. And then there is a bad influence between the Bureau of Customs and the Department of Agriculture. As I've said, it's an excellent decision of the President.

Q: So, ma-aadress nun Sir yung smuggling, corruption?

SP Sotto: Palagay ko.

Q: Including the over importation of agriculture products?

SP Sotto: Yes. Lock, stock, and barrel. I'm expecting the incoming president to scrutinize everything. He knows what's going on. As a matter of fact, I am not sure if I am at liberty to say so, but I know for a fact that he already has a list of those involved in the smuggling.

Q: Sir na-share ninyo po yung committee report ng Committee of the Whole kay BBM, napag-usapan ninyo?

SP Sotto: Napag-usapan namin.

Q: And then may list din po kayo nung involved, nai-share ninyo din?

SP Sotto: Yes, in fact, I think it escaped your notice that in the last day of the Senate when I manifested that the Bills and Index has received the committee report of the Committee of the Whole on the agricultural smuggling. So, it's now public record, so if you want to look into it, you ask the Senate Secretariat for a copy.

Q: Sir any commitment from BBM nung mai-share ninyo yung list ninyo ng mga involved sa smuggling?

SP Sotto: Well, perhaps in so many words, he did not need to commit to me anything like that but I sensed sa usapan naming na bothered siya sa corruption na pinag-usapan sa DA sa customs.

Q: Sir sabi ninyo may list na siya nung smugglers, did he tell you what he plans to do with that?

SP Sotto: No, we did not talk about that.

Q: Sir you and senator Ping planning, one way or another, to help him curb smuggling, importation, kasi di ba we had these series of hearings

SP Sotto: Kung kami ang tatanungin at may maitutulong kami, I'm sure Senator Ping and I would be able to give our perspective on those issues. As of July1 we will be, the last day of June, we will be plain citizens, we will be observers and perhaps armchair critics.

Q: Sir, pa-elaborate lang 'yung observation ninyo na bothered si BBM sa corruption sa Customs at saka sa DA, ano 'yung manifestation o may sinasabi ba siya, sir?

SP Sotto: Well, when we were talking about it, he was shaking his head. He was, anong tawag doon, I know, I sensed it. His facial expression, and the way he was shaking his head. He was disgusted with what he was hearing.

Q: So far walang specific instruction -- kasi hindi pa naman siya formally nag-aassume -- pero mayroon ba siyang na-mention na plan on how to address 'yung corruption?

SP Sotto: Hindi, hindi. To me, I was both surprised -- but pleasantly surprised -- and happy in his decision to be the acting Secretary of the Agriculture.

Q: Pero 'yon iyong nag-trigger, Sir, bakit nagdecide siya na siya muna?

SP Sotto: I don't know.

Q: SP, clarification lang, 'yung "bothered" si PBBM, when you were talking about smuggling sa DA, BOC, or both?

SP Sotto: Both, both.

Q: Clarification din, SP. 'Yong list that you were referring to, is it also the official committee report ba given to President-elect Marcos?

SP Sotto: Hindi. The list is included in the committee report of the whole which I filed with the Bills and Index, unfortunately, on the last day [of session]. We could not do any better, we could not do it a week before. So, we submitted it before the end, before the adjournment sine die.

Q: And then the list was also given to Mr. Marcos? The names in the list?

SP Sotto: Yes.

Q: Sir, pinarereview ni BBM kay incoming DepEd Secretary 'yung K to 12 program, sa tingin ninyo it's about time? Kayo rin ba dismayado sa implementation ng K to 12?

SP Sotto: Yes, I think it's a good move. Mapapag-aralang mabuti 'yan. Iba kasi 'yung nagpropose, eh, 'di ba? Ibang administrasyon 'yung nagpropose, eh. An administration before this present administration. And the incoming administration would be in a very good position to review and study the K to 12. Okay 'yon.

Q: Ano 'yung mga dapat na talagang bigyang diin doon sa review?

SP Sotto: Siguro 'yung curriculum. Ano ba 'yon, inispread out lang ba? O talagang kasya naman sa four years na high school after Grade 7? Hindi ba? Siguro, magandang review-in nila 'yon, baka naman na-spread out lang. Well, baka blessing in disguise din, na 'yung pandemic eh, nagkaroon ng lockdown, nagkaroon ng, naging online ang pag-aaral. Maaaring, that will give them a different insight on the K to 12.

Q: Pero 'yung mga subjects itself, Sir, kasi kahapon sinabi ni Sen Drilon na 90 percent ng mga 10-year-old hindi na makabasa ngayon, dapat po ba mas i-fine-tune pa 'yung mga subjects, like, even the social science na ngayon, na naka incorporate lang sa isang subject, dapat ba ibalik 'yung old?

SP Sotto: Exactly what I meant when I said kasama sa review. When we say review in the Department of Education, the [education] system of the Philippines, I don't merely mean the K to 12. I mean the entire curriculum dapat. Katulad non, tingnan din natin 'yung Grade 1, 'yung Kindergarten to Grade 6, or Grade 7. Sanay ako kasing may Grade 7, eh...Hindi ako nag-Grade 3, eh. Pero nag-Grade 7 ako, accelerated ako eh. Salutatorian ako, eh. Valedictorian si Hector. Kaya hindi ako nag-Grade 3. Naaalala ninyo ba, kung minsan, kapag nag-uusap kami, sa mga debate, 'pag meron akong hindi makuha doon ineeksplika sa akin nong ka-debate kong senador, mahilig kong sabihin, 'Will you explain it to me like I was in Grade 3?' Ang dahilan non, mayroon private joke sa akin 'yung Grade 3, kasi hindi ako nagdaan ng Grade 3. Kaya sinasabi ko 'yon. Anyway...Dapat talaga, dapat talagang i-review 'yung curriculum. Review-in na rin natin 'yung qualifications saka 'yung tinatawag na kalagayan ng mga teachers. Hindi lang 'yung curriculum. Marami yatang nawala na magagandang subjects na pinag-uusapan. I was listening to some, mayroong mga online, meron din naman sa television na mga hindi naman games, quiz, mga quizzes sa mga high school students, ang daming walang alam sa history. Nakakapagtaka. Hindi nabigyan ng magandang pansin ang history. So, may mga subjects siguro, pati 'yung mga social studies, 'yung mga ganoon.

Q: Na ibalik, as a single subject?

SP Sotto: Oo, dapat siguro. Kaya nga magandang review-in na ngayon 'yon.

Q: Sir, 'di ba, ang goal ng K to 12, pagkatapos mo ng senior high school, pwede ka nang magtrabaho, 'di ba? Pero mukhang hindi naman daw na-achieve yung goal na 'yon.

SP Sotto: Ang tanong, 'yung mga employers, tinatanggap ba nila?

Q: Hindi nga daw, dahil parang hindi enough 'yung skills or knowledge ng mga bata na gumraduate ng K to 12.

SP Sotto: Kaya nga, eh. So 'yon ang isa sa mga dapat i-review.

Q: So, failure 'yung K to 12?

SP Sotto: Baka hindi tumatalab, hindi effective sa atin. Depende kasi sa kultura, eh. Baka sa kultura sa ibang bansa pwede 'yon, baka sa atin hindi. Baka ang nangyari, ini-stretch out lang natin, para lang masabi na pwedeng tanggapin sa trabaho, pagkatapos hindi naman talaga. Well, we leave it to the new Secretary of Education, the Vice President, for her to be able to head her group and her staff, to be able to study on what's best to do when it comes to the curriculum, to the education itself, and the K to 12 program.

Q: Related lang doon sa K to 12, do you think ang dapat i-review is the entire public-school system kasi apparently, yung mga teachers din, yung workload nila parang, sa isang press release ni Sen. Win, is sobrang dami daw ng workload nila to the point na hindi na natutukan 'yung mismong education itself. Kumbaga, i-level ito sa education na nabibigay ng private school system?

SP Sotto: Kung tutuusin, hindi naman nagkakalayo talaga, eh. Depende naman talaga sa mga estudyante rin 'yan. And then, depende sa programa, depende sa curriculum, depende sa mga teachers. Ang nakita ko, hindi tumalab 'yung K to 12 sa mga businesses, sa mga employers. Ang hinahanap pa rin college graduate. That is the sad fact. Hinahanap pa rin college graduates. So, between a college graduate and a K to 12 graduate, 'yung college graduate ang kukunin. Daming umaangal nga na, hindi ba, gastos, sumobra... Siguro, let's hope and pray that the incoming administration will be able to resolve it.

Q: Follow up lang sa K to 12, so kung madami pumipili pa rin sa college graduates, yung quality ng K to 12 graduates now, sa tingin ng mga kumpanya o employers --

SP Sotto: Oo, eh. Hindi na sa akin to ah, ito talagang naririnig ko sa business community: Ang tingin nila sa K to 12 graduate, High school graduate. Which is a fact.

Q: May proposal before, kasi minsan nasa word lang daw, instead senior high school is pre-college.

SP Sotto: Well, that would be the same dog with a different a different collar.

Q: Sir, on another matter, President Duterte said he will continue his crusade against drugs regardless of whether he is government or not, on his own capacity. Since you share the same advocacy though different priorities or approaches, will you do the same whether the incoming Marcos administration will give a formal response to you or not?

SP Sotto: Thank you for that question. Very good. As a matter of fact, I am planning and already starting to revive the Citizens' Drug Watch. So even if I'm in the private sector, we will pursue the Citizens' Drug Watch. I will invite President Duterte to be a member.

Q: Will go around the country to put up chapters or groups?

SP Sotto: There are still some that are -- ire-reactivate ko lang 'yan. Buo 'yan, eh. Marami kaming members eh, during the time of Sen. Boy Herrera, and I was vice chairman of the Citizens' Drug Watch. Now that he's gone, and I have time, then I will pursue the reactivation of the Citizens' Drug Watch.

Q: Sir, do you think this is a better, good complementary approach considering that the present anti-drug campaign is really concentrated on the hands of law enforcement?

SP Sotto: Correct. It will be complementary, complementary with an "e", di ba? Kasi ano yun eh, ang Citizen's Drug Watch is heavy on prosecution, prevention, and rehabilitation. President Marcos knows this, we discussed it also. Prosecution because, ito may say sa prosecution, hindi lang yung drug abuse problem. Sa illegal drugs problem itself, and I have always been saying that they are two different animals. They should not lump it together, yung illegal drugs and drug abuse, magkaiba yan. Magkaiba rin ang approach niyan, kaya complex crime eh. But Citizen's Drug Watch is involved in the issue of prosecution. Ang ginagawa kasi namin nung araw, bawat may kaso ng drugs sa korte, binabantayan namin, kaya drug watch. Binabantayan naming yan, uma-attend kami sa hearing, o aattend kami sa mga trial ng mga drug trafficker. Meron kasing maaaring yung tinatawag na sabit lang, pero meron din namang mga drug lord tapos possession lang ang kaso. Yung mga ganyan. So, the Citizen's Drug Watch has been very active then. As a matter of fact, remember yung pinakamalaking shabu laboratory sa Cebu? Yung nahuli doon, na later on, nakatakas yung drug lord? Eleven sila. Binabantayan naming nung trial lawyer nung mahuli ulit siya. Yung mga kasama niya, naiwan, siya, sigurado, if I am not mistaken, sorry kung mali ang pangalan, pero tandang-tanda ko, Calvin Tan ang pangalan nung leader nung grupo na yun. Binantayan namin yung trial nun. Limang taon bago nadeclare na, pa-postpone ng pa-postpone yung abogado nila pero binabantayan at binabantayan namin yun. Ako, umattend ako sa Cebu nung hearing nila, because the biggest shabu laboratory in Cebu during that time, until they were proven guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Q: How will that be? Its (unclear) organization ba po?

SP Sotto: Correct, it is.

Q: How would that be different to the other NGOs (unclear)...

SP Sotto: Okay lang yan kung ika nga ay nagpapakisamahan. Alam mo, walang problema, kaya lang yung VACC is a, more or less, anti-crime, di ba? Yung sa amin, ang Citizen's Drug Watch is concentrated on illegal drugs and drug abuse. Meron ding mga prevention program kasi in schools.

Q: You mentioned sa prosecution, gathering evidence and closely monitoring (unclear)...

SP Sotto: Oo, monitoring on how the cases are handled, or being prosecuted because, in the last so many years, it is very disheartening to know that from 85 percent dismissal during the time of President Aquino to the time of President Duterte now, I think about 60 percent, 65 percent dismissal, may dismissal pa rin, ganoon kalaki pa rin. So, dapat talaga, mabantayan natin.

Q: Paano yun, the public can also ask help from your group, ganoon?

SP Sotto: Yes, oo.

Q: How many members do you have po?

SP Sotto: I do not recall now the entire number of the membership na natitira, but kasi naging inactive yung NGO itself, and then the members, naging inactive. Parang ano rin yan, nung araw, meron kaming kasama niyan, hand-in-hand with the Citizen's Drug Watch, we have the Save the Filipino Youth Movement. Meron ding kami noon eh, but concentrated yun sa prevention, sa mga kabataan, the youth programs nung araw, and the umbrella was the Citizen's Drug Watch. I will have time to activate it now.

Q: When do you plan to reactivate it?

SP Sotto: As soon as possible. Siguro, August, September.

Q: At nag-iinvite si Digong sa (unclear).

SP Sotto: Yes, also. And President Duterte himself, iimbitahin ko siya. I plan to see him personally after, pag pareho na kaming ordinary citizens. Maguusap ulit kaming mga private citizens na dati naman kaming naguusap nung kami ay mga private citizens. Yes, I plan to visit him one of these days, pag hindi na kami nasa pwesto pareho.

Q: Clarify ko lang, you will also invite President Duterte, to be a part of that?

SP Sotto: Oo, to be a member of the board. If he wants to be honorary chairman, if we can invite him to be honorary chairman, why not, if he agrees?

Q: Ngayon po nagso-snowball na naman yung call to suspend excise tax. Sabi ni Sen. Koko, he is going to file a bill that will call for the scrapping of excise tax on fuel. How do you look at this? Is this the wisest move that the Senate can do to help alleviate the effects of oil price hike?

SP Sotto: I am not well versed on what Sen. Pimentel wants to do, so I would rather not give an off-the-cuff comment on that, baka makagulo lang.

Q: Do you think may basis yung info ni Sen. Enrile na may grupong American dito na planong i-embarrass si President-elect Bong-Bong?

SP Sotto: I haven't heard it except from Sen. Enrile and in the news, but I will not be surprised if there is.

Q: Why?

SP Sotto: Lahat naman ng administrasyon may kontra eh, hindi ba? Lagi naman eh.

Q: Indication na (unclear)... hindi naman to destabilize, but to embarrass?

SP Sotto: The only way you can embarrass an administration is if the administration fails. O, ano ang i-embarrass nila?

Q: Knowing na nagsalita si JPE, hindi magsasalita ng walang basis si sir?

SP Sotto: Oo. May nakarating na balita doon for sure. Remember, he was secretary of national defense for a long time and then he was senate president. Somehow, when you are senate president, there are reports, news, that find their way into your office, or to your ears. Kung minsan ang balita ay nagkakaroon ng paa pagka ikaw ay pangulo or secretary of national defense, or senate president, nagkakaroon ng paa ang balita pag intelligence report. Gumagapang papunta sa iyo at nakakarating.

Q: Through networks.

SP Sotto: Malamang.

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