TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW WITH SEN. FRANKLIN DRILON

Q: On Philippine Star story on additional P30 million pork barrel each for senators.

Hindi ko alam ito. Hindi dumadaan sa akin ang mga requests for releases from the Motor Vehicle Users Charge. 13 taon na ako sa Senado ni minsan hindi ako nakapag-avail ng anumang tulong mula sa MVUC. Hindi kagaya ng PDAF, hindi dumadaan sa akin ang mga requests bilang chairman ng Finance committee. Sa budget, as a matter of coordination, the requests would pass through me, but not the releases under the Road Users Tax.

Q: Ano ang safeguards nito?

Yan ay nasa board ng Road Users Tax at hindi ko alam ang patakaran. Alam ko na bilyong piso ang napupunta roon sa... na-appropriate at diretso sa board. Ito ay may specific purpose for the maintenance of national roads. How they monitor, I have no information.

Q: Allowed ba ang board kung saan nila i-allocate yon at ipadaan?

The board determines the projects which will be funded from this fund pagdating ng maintenance ng national roads, hindi pwede ang maintenance ng local roads sa pagkaalam ko, hindi pwede ang building of national roads. This is a maintenance fund.

Q: Bakit kailangan pang ipadaan sa congressmen o senators?

Hindi ko alam kung saan dumadaan yan. Ang sinasabi ko hindi dumadaan yan sa committee on finance ng Senado.

Q: Pano ang fiscal policy...?

When the road users tax was imposed, under the law, this is supposed to be administered by a board.

Q: Kung totoo yan, pabor ba kayo na idaan sa mga legislators?

Hindi dumadaan sa akin. Siguro ang nangyayari dito, and I am speculating and not by my own personal knowledge, is that there are requests made by legislators to the board. There are requests for funding for certain projects. I assume, that is what happens.

Q: Meron po kayong request?

Wala.

Q: Is this a good thing?

It's in the law. The policy debate is over. Nasa batas po yan. Nung mga nakaraan when I was previous Congresses, I was looking into it and there were efforts to allocate funds for other activities like, if I recall correctly, environment concerns etc. But because this is stated in the law which creates the motor vehicle users tax, the law determines how should it be disbursed, not the General Appropriations Act.

Q: So that is questionable, kung totoo?

Hindi ko naman alam kung dinadaan sa legislators. Ang sinasabi ko yang pondong yan ay binuo under the law.

Q: Pero kung ganyan nga ang gagawin na bigyan ng tig-P30 million, hindi yun questionable?

Hindi ko alam na binibigyan e.

Q: First time nyong narinig ito?

First time kong nakita ito. Hindi ko alam na may allocation ang mga senador dahil hindi yan dumadaan sa akin. Ni minsan wala akong nahingi diyan, wala akong natanggap, walang dumadaan sa akin na mga requests because the funds are not in the General Appropriations Act.

Q: Sabi ni Sen. Lacson last time dina-divert ni GMA?

Itong pondo na ito ay dahil sa batas na pinasa ng Kongreso. The fund is being administered by a board.

Q: Si Sen. Lacson mukhang aware siya dahil yung para sa kanya, ibinigay na niya sa Cavite...

Hindi ko alam... that is proof na hindi dumadaan sa akin. Kasi alam niya e.

Q: Sa board lang?

Pinapaliwanag ko lang that requests are made, presumably, to the board by the legislators.

(Audio cut...)

Q: On proposed EO on selection of OICs for ARMM

Under the law that will postpone the ARMM election, there is a provision there that there should be a screening committee which will recommend to the President the nominees as officers in charge to the elective positions in ARMM which will be vacant. We are proposing an executive order, to be signed simultaneously with the signing of the ARMM poll deferment, that a screening committee composed of 15 representatives from the various provinces in the ARMM be constituted which will have the principal task of recommending to the President in consultation with the Senate President and House Speaker the nominees for the vacant elective positions. Each province in the ARMM will be appropriately represented. In this manner, nobody can say that the selection process is without consultation. We want as wide the consultation as possible and the screening in the proposed EO that I will recommend to the President should propose at least 3 nominees for each vacancy in the ARMM. The vacancies will occur after the term of the incumbent officials expire on Sept. 30, 2011. So there is enough time for the consultation and nomination process. A lot of controversy has been generated by this provision so we want to assure everyone in the ARMM that there will be a consultation process which will be transparent and representative so that nobody can say that the appointment will be the exclusive prerogative of the President.

Q: Ilang positions ang involved?

There are 24 members of the regional assembly, 1 vice governor and 1 governor.

Q: Sir pwedeng i-recommend yung incumbent... or yung natapos na yung term?

There is no disqualification to anyone except as may be provided in the Organic Act. Insofar as the qualifications and disqualifications are concerned, these will be governed by the Organic Act. What we are just recommending is the process of selection... an EO which will flesh out and give substance to the provision of the law postponing the election on the appointment of the OIC. So we are recommending to the President that a selection process be instituted through an EO.

Q: Representative?

The proposal is that the screening committee must be as representative as possible. We are recommending 15 members and that can be apportioned to the 5 provinces in ARMM.

Q: Yung pagpili ng representative for each city or municipality ba...?

We have recommended that the ethno-linguistic, geographical, sectoral, educational and cultural factors be considered in appointing the members of the screening committee.

Q: So all the President has to do is kung mag-agree siya or hindi?

If he agrees that we must set out clearly the process of selection dahil yan ang pinaka controversial.

Q: Sir walang question na ang draft EO ay manggagaling sa Congress?

I'm just making a recommendation. They can reject it. There's nothing wrong with that. We can recommend, you can recommend. This is just recommendatory. The President need not adopt it, we are just suggesting a process.

Q: Sir napag-usapan na ng both leaders of Congress or just the LP?

I am recommending this as the author and the one who defended the ARMM election postponement. Under the law, the committee is supposed to consult the Senate President and the House Speaker before they can submit the nominees to the President.

Q: Sir in-approve ng committee yang recommendation or hindi na?

This is my inititiative.

Q: So napadala na yan sa Palasyo?

I'll send it today.

Q: Kung yung pipiliin na miyembro, yung political affiliation nya hindi considered yon?

Why will you disqualify members of the political party?

Q: To make sure na wala silang ini-introduce na...

That's the nature of the political office.

Q: Para maiwasan yung impression na bata-bata system.

You know whatever you do, that's always the case so let's just have to accept that. That's why we are recommending a process.