Transcript of Interview of Senate President Franklin M. Drilon

Q: On Rep. Bello's statements

SPFMD: Si Rep. Walden Bello, siya po ay sa Akbayan, at ang aming alliance is with Akbayan. He is the partylist representative, but the matter of alliance is with the party, and not with him, personally. He is free to criticize. But the matter, whether or not his party will continue with him as a representative of the party in the House is a matter to be decided by the party. But insofar as Akbayan is concerned, they remain to be an ally of the administration. The Akbayan remains to be an ally of the administration.

Q: On PNoy's latest Mamasapano statement and the Senate report

SPFMD: I think our report will be forthcoming. It will be detailed. We secured a lot of testimonies. We just wait for it, I don't want to pre-empt the content.

Q: Should PNoy be worried over these recent statements from Rep. Bello from Akbayan, these recent political developments?

SPFMD: I don't think so. This is part of the process. This is part of our political environment today. He (PNoy) should expect that and I think he is prepared to respond to all of these questions.

Q: Would the report then help ease all the political tension?

SPFMD: I would not know. I would not want to pre-empt. I haven't seen it yet. But I can tell you that there will be no whitewash in our report. It will be complete and it will take into account all the evidence that we have gathered from the resource persons.

Q: Sir, yung Akbayan as a party, wala namang communication expressing their concerns?

SPFMD: There is no communication.

Q: Will it be a loss if ever ma-sever yung ties ng LP with the Akbayan?

SPFMD: In the first place, I don't think Akbayan will sever their ties with the LP. Akbayan is a valued ally of the Liberal Party.

Q: Parang member lang si Bello?

SPFMD: He is the nominee of Akbayan in Congress. So his continued tenure in Congress depends on his party, because a partylist representative can be changed by his or her party, because he is not directly elected. It is the political party that is elected, and the political party nominates its representatives. What the Akbayan will do is an internal matter for them to decide.

Q: On Ombudsman's suspension order vs Mayor Binay

SPFMD: He should follow the order. Our colleagues here in the Senate accepted the suspension as part of the process.

Q: May legal remedy pa ba don?

SPFMD: Certainly, he can go to the Court of Appeals.