Transcript of Ambush Interview of Senate President Koko Pimentel III

On the CHR budget

SP Pimentel: Ang CHR, ang sentimyento sa Senado I think P600 million, they have nothing to worry about.

Q: Hindi kayo papaya na mabawasan?

SP: Di ba may bicameral? Ganun ang mangyayari. Basta sa Senado, the CHR deserves more than a P1000. They deserve around P600 million.

Q: Pwede magka-deadlock sa bicam kung magmatigas yung House?

SP: Pwede.

Q: Pano kung i-veto ni Presidente yung budget ng CHR?

SP: Sa constitution kasi merong line item veto power ang Presidente sa budget. Sa ibang law, it's all or nothing. If you veto the budget, it's per line approach.

Q: The president could have the last say?

SP: That is under the constitution.

Q: But Congress could still override the veto?

SP: Oo. May override naman. Yung veto message niya, then two-thirds vote per house.

Q: Is that part of your possible option?

SP: Sa Senate, pero sa House, two-thirds vote.

Q: Sa Supreme Court?

SP: Then they go to the Supreme Court. If it is a constitutionality issue, Supreme Court.

Q: Kayo sir, warranted ba yun na just because of Chairman Gascon, P1,000 lang ang budget?

SP: Uulitin ko, sa Senate nga, P600 million nga kami, so don't ask me bakit kami mag P1,000. Hindi nga kami nag P1,000. P600 million nga ang budget ng CHR sa Senado. Don't ask me to justify the P1,000 budget ng CHR.

Q: Sa iyo sir, the CHR is performing its job well?

SP: Basta sa Senado, P600 million. Kayo ang magsabi nun, is that a disapproval of the agency's performance or not? Basta dito, P600 million.

Q: Can the public donate?

SP: Pwede. We should start actually involving the people in governance, in running the government, in financing good projects of the government. Basta lahat receipted, lahat documented.

Q: Pwede bang gamiting condition yung mag-resign si Gascon para ibalik ng House yung budget?

SP: Basta sa Senate, wala kaming ganung condition, so do not ask me to adopt a new position or justify the position of a certain body. Basta sa Senate, P600 million plus sila.

On the barangay elections

Q: Kayo daw yung nagpropose ng provision na mag-appoint ng OIC, na parang ino-oppose ng maraming senators?

SP: Hindi naman. Yung idea lang na lagyan natin ng value yung drug list in the possession of the President. Ang assumption dyan is that this is a validated drug list, ang aking point is if you are a barangay official, and your name is on that drug list, then you should be required to explain yourself. And we will try to put a summary proceeding into the law so that if you fail to justify why you are included in the list, then you can be removed. Hindi automatic. Meron pa ring due process. Speedy summary proceedings po ito.

Q: Dun papasok yung pag-appoint ng Pangulo?

SP: Tinanggal ka ngayon, dapat succession rules. Kung sino ang tinanggal, kung ang tinanggal nila ay si chairman, si number one kagawad nung last election which was already four years ago, siya ang magsa-succeed ngayon sa chairman. Pero nagkaroon tayo ngayon ng vacancy sa Sanggunian. Yun yung pwedeng i-fill up. Hindi chair ang fini-fill up.

Q: Yung pag-fill up po nung remaining? Paano siya?

SP: Yun. Ang gusto ni Chairman Gordon, may participation ang mga parents, teachers sa association, o kaya mga superintendent ng schools, pwede na yun kasi para non-partisan talaga ang pagpili ng ating replacement barangay official at most likely, that will be a member of the Sanggunian.