Press Release
October 1, 2018

Transcript of Interview of Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III

On NAIA protocols and procedures

SP Sotto: I make it a point to follow the rules and policies of both domestic and international airports. As a matter of fact you can ask the immigration officers, when they ask me to go ahead of the line, I don't. Ang sinasabi ko nga, nakakahiya sa mga tao.

Q: Nag-aalis din kayo ng sapatos?

SP Sotto: Nag-aalis ako. Pag kailangang alisin ang sapatos, pati suot kong situron, jacket, inaalis ko. As a matter of fact, dapat kasi ang attitude natin, I don't mean to disrespect anyone, kaming mga public officials, sapat, ang totoo noon, kami ang alila. Hindi naman kami ang boss dapat. Ang boss nya, ang taong bayan. Kung ano yung mga policies na sinusunod ng mga kababayan natin, sundin natin. Sundin natin, that's precisely why I drive my own car, I follow the traffic rules.

Q: Hindi excuse yung sinasabi niya na may mga Chinese national na hindi dumaan? Binigyan ng special treatment?

 SP Sotto: Dapat hinuli yung mga yun. Dapat hindi binigyan ng special treatment.

Q: Hindi yun reason para magdemand sya ng same treatment?

SP Sotto: Oo.

Q: Usually po pag government official, may VIP section, ineescort talaga?

SP Sotto: Ginagawa siguro ng iba, pero ako hindi ko ginagawa. Napapangitan ako. When I leave for abroad or domestic travel, hindi ako gumagamit ng VIP. The only time na kung minsan nangyayari yun is if may kasama akong mga officials, katulad ng Presidente, Pangulo, na may travel noon. In the case of say wala naman talagang (unclear) na at you have to stay at a VIP room.

Q: Ano ang concern ninyo, bakit ayaw?

SP Sotto: If it's not available, and it is not given to the regular passenger, why should a government official be given that? Give me a good reason why.

Q: Dapat i-scrap na lang ng NAIA altogether yung pagbibigay ng VIP treatment or special lane for government officials?

SP Sotto: I am not aware that they are giving it, perhaps they are giving it to some others, but definitely not to me because I don't allow it.

Q: Kaya nga sir, scrap it altogether parang noon, walang wang-wang?

SP Sotto: Oo, dapat naman. Talagang meron bang ganoon? Alam ko merong nga VIP na merong dignitaries room sila, pero it's for visitors. It's for visiting dignitaries, yun ang alam ko.

Q: May lane po.

SP Sotto: Hindi, yung lane kasi na ginagamit, for diplomatic, for senior citizens, yun yung lane na nakahiwalay.

Q: Don't you belong to the diplomatic (unclear)?

SP Sotto: Sometimes ginagamit namin yun.

Q: To take advantage of the traffic, let's say mga hagad?

SP Sotto: Mali yun. Paminsan-minsan, sometimes as Senate President, I have to avail of that. If the president calls or we have a meeting in the Palace, sometimes we need it, pero it's very seldom that it has happened.

Q: There were times that you availed of the diplomatic lane sa NAIA?

SP Sotto: Pagka-maluwag yung diplomatic lane, pero kung nakapila naman, pipila din naman ako. Pipila ako, kasi yung diplomatic lane usually, pagdating mo doon sa loob, hindi na mapila yun. Ang mapila sa labas, bago ka pumasok sa immigration. Sa local kasi, madali, lalo na sa Terminal 3. Terminal 3, maluwag yun pag pasok mo pero sa Terminal 2, Dalawa lang ang pinapasukan ng international flight, dalawa lang, left and right. Mahaba ang pila nun. Usually pag nakapila na ako doon, tinatawag ako ng immigration officer, pinapasok ako doon sa pila, hindi ako sumasama. Never ako sumama kahit minsan kasi nahihiya ako doon sa makakakita sa akin na mga pasaherong iba, na inuuna ako.

Q: Kasi ang nangyayari talagang pinapauna kapag nakita kayo ng mga immigration officials.

SP Sotto: Dapat hindi namin ginagawa. Hindi namin dapat ginagawa yun. Sabi ko nga kami ang number one alila dapat.

Q: Kahit official business yung trip ninyo?

SP Sotto: Yes, because if it's official business, kasama ka sa travel ng Pangulo, then you don't pass through that. There is a different way and there re different security checks.

Q: Should this serve as a reminder sa lahat?

SP Sotto: Sana. Siguro, pag-ingatan natin yung pagiging government official natin, huwag nating abusuhin dahil nakakahiya sa mga kababayan natin. Ano ang sasabihin, ano ang naririnig mo kaagad, ano ang kumentaryo kaagad ng mga kababayan natin? Ang yayabang naman nito. Ganun kaagad ang sinasabi sa atin.

On the Human Security Act

Q: (Unclear) sa 90 days sa suspected terorista?

SP Sotto: What I am proposing is 30 days, extendable for another 30 days, justified. Walang limit.

Q: Yung 90 days sobrang tagal?

SP Sotto: Hindi, kasi yung 90 days may limit. Ninety days lang. As explained by the national security people, NICA and the NSA or the national security adviser himself, ang terrorist kung magplano, there is no limit. Hindi kung minsan 45 days or 30 days nag-uusap, kung minsan isang taon inaabot ang preparations sa mga plano nila, so how can you monitor them if you are only allowed 90 days maximum? Dapat 30 days, extendable. Unlimited extension, yun yung proposal ko.

Q: Yung detention and interrogation ng suspected terrorist, ilan ang dapat na araw na (unclear) sila?

SP Sotto: Thirty days.

Q: Subject to extension?

SP Sotto: Yes, justification pwedeng i-extend.

Q: Ano yung dapat maging safety measure to avoid possible abuse?

SP Sotto: There are pertinent laws available to anyone, any Filipino Kapag ikaw ay na-illegally detain or let's say inasultuhan ka, pagkatapos lumabas na guilty ka. Nangyayari naman yun, di ba? Merong mga pertinent laws na you can avail of. Sabi nga ng Department of Justice, merong P10,000 a day yata na bayad na matatanggap mo for the number of days that you were confined, pero yung nakalagay sa dating Human Security Act, na inaayos natin ngayon and I am one of the authors who have already filed, sinisiguro natin na ang ating Human Security Act ay para sa bayan, at matutulungan ang mga enforcers, pretty much like the one that they have in other countries. Hindi katulad nung sa atin ngayon, yung Human Security Act natin parang mabait sa terrorist. We have the weakest anti-terrorism laws in this part of the world.

Q: Pero yung conditions for the extension is (unclear) also?

SP Sotto: Justification. It should be justified. Merong anti-terrorism council that will certify.

Q: Yung pag-freeze ng property habang naka-detain? Ninety days, hindi siya makakapag-transact habang nakakulong?

SP Sotto: Hindi nga 90 days, 30 days lang pero extendable to another 30 days.

Q: Naka-freeze lahat ng property?

SP Sotto: I am not sure about that.

 Q: May isang proposal. Pabor kayo doon?

SP Sotto: Kung terrorist naman, bakit hindi? Huwag natin isipin yung baka naman gagamitin ito sa mga businessman, o pang-gigipit ng kalaban, hindi naman. Hindi mangyayari yun because the anti-terrorism council as it is formed now, ay maraming members ito, maraming departments na nakapaloob doon. Hindi ito basta isang agency.

Q: The council, do they actually go through the details?

SP Sotto: They can and they also rely on reports from the NICA, from the ISAFP, from the NBI, and all the other intelligence agencies, even the intelligence division of the Philippine National Police.

Q: Ano po yung assurance na papasa yan considering magbabakasyon na po? SP Sotto: Hopefully maipasa namin kaagad ito. Isa sa dapat inapura natin ito noon pa.

On Sen. Trillanes asking for consent to call Solgen Calida and SAP Go and to allow the investigation against them.

SP Sotto: I am not aware of any such meeting.

Q: Do you still find it necessary considering that may previous statements na yung dalawang officials denying the accusations against them?

SP Sotto: I am not too familiar with the subject matter.

Q: May resolution kasi si Sen. Trillanes na referred na sa Blue Ribbon yet sabi ni Sen. Gordon masyado ng tambak ang trabaho ng committee.

SP Sotto: Nasa kamay ng chairman yan kung kelan niya pwedeng itawag. He is given ample time. Kung marami siyang ginagawa, pwede nilang iprogram.

Q: Pwedeng yung chairman lang ang magdesisyon?

SP Sotto: If a chairman does not want to act on any bill or resolution and there are ample time given, there are rules in the Senate that will allow a discharge. That means a number of senators, I think five, can bring the resolution or bill to the floor. Discharge it to the floor. Ganun yun, meron kaming rule na ganun. Kunyari may naka-pending na batas, yung chairman, hindi ginagalaw, ayaw galawin, pwedeng dalhin sa floor nung mga members.

Q: For reassignment to another committee?

SP Sotto: Hindi, bring it to the floor, for discussion sa floor.

Q: Nakikita ninyo bang may urgency sa resolution ni Sen. Trillanes?

SP Sotto: Urgency? I don't know the topic. I don't know the subject matter. It's not on my radar, so I cannot say if it's urgent or not. I can probably say that it's not because I am not aware of it.

On the filing of certificates of candidacy by next week.

Q: Kamusta po yung NPC lineup?

SP Sotto: Within this week mafafinalize namin.

Q: Twelve sir?

SP Sotto: Hindi ko masabi. Pwedeng mabawasan, pwedeng madagdagan.

Q: Naplantsa na ninyo yung Imee and Bam Aquino na magkasama?

SP Sotto: Hindi pa kaya nga I'd rather not name them and at the moment parang hintayin ko na muna yung decision namin (unclear).

On Sen. Trillanes finally going home.

SP Sotto: No comment. Just to place it on record, after about a few days, na nandito si Sen. Trillanes, I made it a point after the maintenance people were telling me about the problems that they were encountering, I already asked the Senate Secretary to issue a memo of the policies that should be followed. Yun yung tinatawag namin na limitations dito which is at 10PM up to 6AM pinapatay ang aircon because the air-conditioning in the Senate as you know, is centralized. For one room to be air-conditioned, and the entire building, aba baka magalit ang mga kababayan natin, mahal ang binabayad naming kyuryente. After a while siniguro ko na 10PM to 6AM, patay. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, patay.

Q: Nagcomply naman po?

SP Sotto: Nagcomply ang maintenance. Nagcomply ang Senate maintenance at ang Senate Secretary. Hindi naman nagcomplain si Sen. Trillanes.

Q: Walang naging additional cost po?

SP Sotto: Not to my knowledge.

Q: Contrary sa perception ng public?

SP Sotto: Hindi siguro nagkaroon ng additional cost sapagkat kung meron man, minimal na lang dahil pinapatay ko. Hindi naman mahal yung aircon. Kuryente, patay talaga lahat yan, kontrolado.

On President Duterte's admission on the extra-judicial killings.

SP Sotto: Ako sa akin, I think I know what he means. Nung una palang na sabihin niya yun, ang intindi ko doon is pwedeng isisi sa kanya, sapagkat dahil doon sa drug war niya, maraming napatay, maraming gumamit din nung drug war niya para mag-eliminate ng mga kaaway nila, maraming nadisgrasya kaya pwedeng isisi sa kanya dahil doon sa drug war niya. That's what he means.

Q: Sinasabi kasi ng iba na inutos niya?

SP Sotto: Hindi, kalokohan yun. We never heard that thing sa kanya. Never kong narinig yun.

Q: It cannot be taken against him?

SP Sotto: Malabo, malayo. As I said, naintindihan ko yung ibig sabihin niya, parang nung araw sa amin sa Quezon City, marami akong pinakulong dahil sa drug war namin noon sa anti-drugs council na ako ang head, may mga nangyari din doon na hindi kanais-nais, pwede mong isisi sa akin talaga yun and I will admit that it's because of my drug war it happened. Ganun yun.

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