Transcript of Interview of Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III

Q: Nagkasundo na raw po ang Senate majority na ireretain kayo as Senate President?

SP Sotto: Yes. Well, the agreement was equity of the incumbent. It is the tradition anyway, unless one decides to relinquish his or her position or chairmanship, we support the equity of the incumbent rule.

Q: May nag-express na gustong maging Senate President?

SP Sotto: Wala naman.

Q: Personally nagcommit sa inyo sila Bong Go, sila Bato, Tolentino, yung mga newly elected, nung nagdinner kayo?

SP Sotto: Well, that was how I gauged it because Manny Pacquiao was doing all the talking, siya yung nagsabi na kasama namin silang tatlo, sabi niya, gusto natin suportahan pa rin yung leadership ni Senate President Sotto, sabi niya. So, I think that is how I gauged everyone that night. Okay naman.

Q: Kaya pa bang ihabol yung tobacco tax?

SP Sotto: Depende sa committee report. It's in the committee level, palagay ko marami pang dapat pagusapan doon sa committee report.

Q: Kayang ihabol?

SP Sotto: Seriously, medyo may kahirapan. Ang daming question pa doon sa committee level, and then pag-akyat dito sa atin, may mga kasama kaming kinukuwestiyon yung mga positions na being taken by the Department of Finance, not only on the issues of the sin taxes but also on the issues of the other bills that we have passed. So, medyo baka mahirapan.

Q: Can we say na good as dead?

SP Sotto: Hindi naman, basta sabi ko nga, baka mahirapan. Nasa committee level, baka matapos ang committee report, but we are talking of only nine session days. Maipasa man yan, let's say dalawa, tatlong araw lang ang gamitin sa interpellations diyan, baka hindi magkaroon ng time for a bicam and for ratification. So medyo at this point, medyo doubtful, but I am not saying that it is dead.

Q: Sinabi ni Senator Recto na gusto niyang i-keep yung pagiging Pro-Tempore niya, pano po yun? Di ba personal choice ninyo yung (unclear) siya sa finance?

SP Sotto: Ang personal choice ko sana for Committee on Finance na iiwanan ni Senator Legarda was Senator Lacson, Senator Recto but both of them have expressed reservations. So ang next choice namin ay, and I think it is a majority choice, is Senator Sonny Angara.

Q: Iiwan niya yung ways and means o continue pa rin niya?

SP Sotto: Hindi siguro, baka he will have to let go of the ways and means and local government.

Q: Sino po ang pwede sa ways and means?

SP Sotto: Pag-usapan muna natin, hindi pa (unclear).

Q: Wala pa kayong napili?

SP Sotto: Wala pa. Hintayin muna natin yung... in that case, medyo napangunahan ninyo lang ako, kaya ko nasabi yun, pero ang totoo niyan, yung mga pinag-uusapan naming mga committees na ganyan, dapat hintayin na nating kasama natin yung pitong bagong senador.

Q: Death penalty, cha-cha, definitely wala na sa next nine days?

SP Sotto: In the next nine days? Medyo mahirap.

Q: Patay na rin ang (unclear)?

SP Sotto: Wala rin, malabo yun. In the next nine session days, I doubt it. Talagang we will try our best to pass the anti-terrorism bill, the security of tenure. Ito yung mga finishing touches na lang, (unclear) anti-wiretapping and possibly the lowering of the age of criminal responsibility. And then meron kaming mga iba pa, yung sa NEDA charter, baka kailangang maihabol yan, and then a number of local bills, napakarami.