Transcript of Interview of Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III

On the Sotto Law

SP Sotto: Republic Act 53 was originally filed by my grandfather, which was passed into law in 1946. During that time, there were no television, radio broadcast. It was really print. My grandfather, as you know, is the champion of press freedom before. He was jailed three times by the Americans and the Spaniards because of his writings, because of his practice of journalism. He put up three newspapers or more, of course in Spanish, in Cebuano, so lagi siyang nagkakaroon ng problema doon sa mga Kastila at saka sa mga Amerikano. So when he became a senator in 1946 again, he was originally a senator during the time na district lang pero nung national na, in 1946, that Was one of the very first bills he filed. In fact, if I am not mistaken, it was Senate Bill No. 6. Can you imagine that? It was after the war, tapos Senate Bill No. 6, so it was enacted into law and became Republic Act 53. Ngayon 11,000 plus na. Ngayon, RA 53 was focused on print media because that was what was used during that time, but throughout the years, it has never been upgraded and updated that radio and television broadcast even social media broadcast, the internet, I should say instead, were not really included in the first freedom law. So I have tried it twice and this is the third time that I filed a bill to expand the press freedom law. So yung Sotto Law na tinatawag, ginawa kong included yung radio, television, and legitimate internet service providers, or news websites.

Q: Nakalagay doon na they cannot be compelled to say kung sino ang source nila unless issues of national security?

SP Sotto: Yes, precisely pretty much like the original Sotto Law.

Q: Bakit kailangan na include yun?

SP Sotto: Kasi pagka-diinan yun, baka mamaya pipilitin lang, let's say ayaw natin pilitin yung reporter, or yung newspaper or yung news media, sasabihin ng source nila, sapagkat kung minsan, hanggang ngayong araw ay kung minsan, binabalikan at inaaway yung source, lalo na kung ito ay mahalaga. Ngunit, kapag ito ay concerning national security already, kailangan mag-divulge yung reporter. Yun lang ang exemption, basta national security only. Hindi na natin kailangan idefine what is national security.

Q: Hindi na kailangan idefine?

SP Sotto: Hindi na. Self-explanatory, if it involves the security of the nation, then you must comply. If it does not, you cannot be compelled.

Q: May punitive action doon sa magviviolate sa Sotto Law?

SP Sotto: There are pertinent laws that can be availed of. In case na ito ay iviolate. Meron yan nung araw pa, kahit in the revised penal code, may statutes that will protect them.

On the executive session.

Q: Yung nangyari lang kahapon sa botohan ninyo ng pagrelease sa executive session, may we know kung paano ang mechanics? Iaakyat daw kay Pangulo yung detalye, hindi sa hearing ilalabas?

SP Sotto: Hindi. Ganito, ang motion kahapon, was to give the authority to the Blue Ribbon and Justice Committees to divulge what transpired in the executive session. Ngayon, nasa kamay ngayon ng committee and particularly the chairman kung ito ay gusto niyang idivulge publicly. Bigyan namin siya ng authority na gamitin ito. Ngayon, ang alam ko lang, the President was interested to know what transpired in the executive session. And because there is what we call separation of powers, hindi naman pwedeng basta icompel kami ng Presidente na sabihin, kaya kailangan namin magbigay ng otoridad para ito ay ibigay sa kanya kung gusto niyang humingi. Ang pagkakaintindi ko, ayon kay Senator Bong Go, ay interesado ang Presidente na malaman kung ano ang nangyari doon sa executive session. Lalo na kung may mga nabanggit na rogue PNP personnel.

Q: It is not going to be in the hearing?

SP Sotto: I think Senator Gordon, if my information is right, I think Senator Gordon is giving a copy to the President today.

Q: Copy of?

SP Sotto: The transcript.

Q: Siya ba ang may authority to decide kung sina na ang mag-divulge o ang Presidente?

SP Sotto: Wala na kaming...It is out of the hands of the committee already once it is given to the President. It is up to the President.

Q: Pero yung committee po...

SP Sotto: Pwede rin. The committee may disclose if it so desires.

Q: But Senator Gordon already communicated to you na ibibigay na niya sa Pangulo yung transcript?

SP Sotto: Sa pagkakaalam ko. Within the day.

Q: (Unclear)

SP Sotto: Hindi ko alam. Mabuti pa tanungin ninyo siya mamaya, papasok siya because he is sponsoring one of the laws, the creation of penal institutions.

Q: Pag dinivulge ng President wala siyang liability?

SP Sotto: Wala.

Q: Why did you feel the need to give an authorization to divulge? Ano ba yung important na malaman doon ng publiko?

SP Sotto: Gusto nga kasing malaman ng Presidente. Perhaps he needs it for some executive action, or an update on what's happening. Lalo na yung corruption ay mainit ang Pangulo, wala naman kaming magagawa doon. Ang Senate, we cannot prosecute. We can recommend prosecution, but that's about it. We cannot prosecute, we cannot go after.

Q: Malaking bagay na nadawit ang pangalan ni PNP Chief Albayalde? Kasi may sinabi si Senator Bato kahapon...

SP Sotto: Perhaps what he means is that kung anu-ano tuloy ang nagiging speculation na lumalabas na laman noong executive session, kaya minabuti na na mas mabuti pa, eh kung anu-ano ang nakakarating sa Presidente na kwento, mas mabuti pa na ibigay na sa kanya yung buong kwento. Para hindi na magkaroon ng speculation.

Q: Yung testimony lang ni Magalong yung nasa transcript?

SP Sotto: Yung mga nakalagay sa transcript lang, yun lang ang pwedeng maidivulge. Siyempre, meron kaming mga side lines na salita doon, at may mga salita yung iba. Palagay ko kung hindi nakalagay sa transcript yun, hindi kasali yun. But then again may spurious na laman yung transcript, because for example, Mayor Magalong mentioned a team that was involved in a heist in Region 3. He said the team, he did not say the names. Pero, there are members of the Senate, particularly Senator Lacson, who has a copy of the case folio and that can be included in the, technically it is part of the transcript, and it can be included in the transmittal to the President.

Q: Yung hinabol kagabi ni Senator Lacson (unclear)?

SP Sotto: Oo. Kasi yung case folio na yun, nandoon yung mga pangalan.

Q: Meron bang option ang Senado to just forward the list to the President?

SP Sotto: Oo. That is a proper procedure. The committee is empowered to do that, because we are not removing the power of the committee to do it on its own. Pwede namang ang committee mismo ang magvote. But as I have said yesterday, we were merely stressing the power of the Senate over the committee.

Q: Kayo personally sino yung gusto ninyong magdivulge? Yung committee o yung Presidente?

SP Sotto: Pareho lang. Magdidivulge? Okay lang sa akin kung yung committee. Either the President or the committee will divulge the contents.

Q: Si Senator Gordon, magdedefer muna sa Presidente (unclear)?

SP Sotto: You better ask him that question.

Q: Pwede po ba namin maexpect na sa October 1, pwedeng doon ilabas ng committee?

SP Sotto: Pwede. Again, para lang maintindihan ng iba, without necessarily divulging the main contents of the executive session, because we authorized the committee to do so, I am not authorized on a personal level to divulge it. So ang masasabi ko lang, kasi may mga nagtatanong, ano ang connection nun sa GCTA, di ba? Baka yun ang iniisip. Kasi, yung if I can call it a heist, yung heist na nangyari, or yung event, or yung gulo, or yung hulihan, or yung buy bust na nangyari noon nung panahon na yun, may malaking bulto noong narecycle na nahuli, ang mga drug lord sa National Bilibid Prison ang nagtransact. Kaya konektado sa NBP yun. Baka Isipin kasi ng iba, ano ang connection nito sa hearing namin? Ang hearing ninyo ng GCTA at saka may hearing kayo sa Bilibid, yung sa penal institution, ano ang kinalaman nung nangyari some years ago na involved ang PNP officers? Yun ang connection. Merong amount na malaki na doon lang makukuha sa executive session. May malaking amount na irerecycle, ang ginamit na transaction, mga taga-NBP ang nagtransact. May mga drug lord doon. Kaya bumagsak ang presyo ng mga panahon na yun.

Q: Anong year yan?

SP Sotto: 2013, 2014? I am not sure.

On budget insertions.

Q: Doon sa binanggit ni Senator Ping na plano sana ng some House leaders na P1.5 billion, P700 million per congressmen pero hindi natuloy?

SP Sotto: Magandang plano pero...

Q: (Unclear) make the Senate more careful pag dumating na dito yung GAB?

SP Sotto: We have always been careful. We will continue to be careful about these issues.

Q: After this, will you be more watchful?

SP Sotto: Yes, of course we will always be watchful.

Q: Do you believe na, kasi ang sabi ni Speaker Cayetano yung information is fake news?

SP Sotto: That is a possibility. Anything is possible, pwedeng may nagkwento, pwedeng talagang merong informant na alam na may planong ganoon, pwede rin namang yung informant, misinformed.

Q: With respect to the budget, during the last year, remote ba itong ganitong insertions?

SP Sotto: Iba naman yung mga personalidad nung nakaraang Congress at itong Congress ngayon. Of course, I have my full trust and confidence on the Speaker and their Majority Leader. Even the Minority Leader, I know that they will always try to do the right thing.

Q: Si Speaker Cayetano, inamin niya na may mga P500 million yung some allocations ng Congressmen for their districts.

SP Sotto: These allocations, as I said before, if these allocations come from the ground, or yung part ng bottom-up budgeting na nirequest at pumapatak sa mga distrito nila, hindi kasalanan ng Congressman yun, at hindi nila pork barrel yun. Ang sinasabi nating pork barrel, is if during the course of the budget deliberations, you insert certain amounts and then later on, pagkaipasa na saka mo sasabihin kung saan mo gagamitin, yun ang maliwanag na pork barrel.

Q: (Unclear)

SP Sotto: Unfortunately I am merely a chairman of the CA, I am not a member of the CA, so I did not know what transpired during the committee hearing.

Q: Pero deferment doesn't necessarily mean na rejection?

SP Sotto: Rejection? Hindi. Deferment lang.

Q: Paano yun, magrerecess na kayo?

SP Sotto: Next week. May last day pa sa Wednesday, pag hindi naipasa sa Wednesday yun, bypass.

Q: Are you confident na this time, pag may nakita ulit si Presidente na (unclear) sa budget at iraise ng Senado, kakampihan kayo?

SP Sotto: Oo, the President is very careful about using government money and people's money kaya siguro, pag may tagilid doon, ive-veto niya yun.

Q: Just to be clear, gusto ni Pangulo makuha yung transcript?

SP Sotto: He wants the information. We were told that he wants to know the information that was in the executive session. He wants to know the names of those involved.

Q: Not to the point na he wants it and he wants to announce it?

SP Sotto: Hindi, hindi ko alam yun. I cannot go to that level. Ang level lang na alam ko, sabi sa akin, interesado si Presidente na malaman.

Q: May appeal ang PNP sa Senate na mag-ingat.

SP Sotto: Exercise daw due diligence. Tinatanong nga sa akin yan. Ang sinasabi ko, what do they mean by due diligence? We are merely recipients of information. Lahat ng information, dumadating lang sa amin. Pag nasa amin na, ito ang ginagamit namin in aid of legislation na makakatulong sa amin sa paggawa ng batas upang wag na mangyayari kung may mga hindi magandang pangyayari at para hindi na mangyari ulit ito and then incorporate it in the laws. That is all we have. Now if there are information that bothers certain sectors, like PNP or whatever, and the information is being asked by the President, anong due diligence ang ibig nilang sabihin? Ano ang gusto nila, wag namin ibigay? Ganun ba yun? Ano nga ang due process? We are merely recipients of information, di ba? Anong ibig nilang sabihin, wag kami makinig?

Q: Baka iannounce yung names?

SP Sotto: Meron ba kaming inaannounce?

Q: After voting.

SP Sotto: Wala kaming inaannounce, binigay lang namin ang otoridad sa Blue Ribbon Committee para ibigay sa Presidente at kung sino ay sa tingin ng Committee ay dapat mangailangan nuon. Pwedeng mga korte, pwedeng executive department. Ako, I take exception to that statement ng PNP that we should exercise due diligence. Bakit, taga-tanggap lang kami ng impormasyon. Ayaw nila yung impormasyon na natanggap namin, bakit kami ang sisisihin nila? Bakit kami ang sasabihan nila ng ganoon? I really take exception to that.

Q: (Unclear) due process and then kahapon inanounce yung drug queen?

SP Sotto: Anong due process sa amin? We are not the courts. We are not trying anyone. We just receive the information. Ganoon kasimple ang labanan.

Q: Hindi kayo magrerelease ng names?

SP Sotto: Wala kaming nirerelease.

Q: In the future? Makaksiguro ba silang hindi magrerelease ng names ng Ninja cops?

SP Sotto: Lahat ng sinasabing mga pangalan doon, may mga kaso. Ano ang problema nila? May mga kaso.

Q: What do you make of that?

SP Sotto: Yan ang mabigat. Alam mo, baka nabibigla sila sa mga sinasabi nila.

Q: Baka natatakot sila na you are opening a can of worms?

SP Sotto: Well, I have said before, itong mga hearings na ito, kaya humahaba, at nakalulungkot, because there are worms coming out of the woodwork and we are not to blame. We cannot help it.

Q: Bahagi lang ng reason ninyo bakit gusto ninyong ilabas sa executive session ay gustong malaman ng Pangulo?

SP Sotto: Gustong malaman ng Pangulo, isa yun, and then the other is napakaraming speculations na lumalabas, kung sino-sinong pangalan na binabanggit, so mabuti pa, ilabas na lang, at ibigay doon sa otoridad, para lumabas siya at malaman kung ano ang talagang laman nun. At kung ito ay makakatulong doon sa aming mga binabalangkas na mga batas.

Q: Pero walang pinaabot si Pangulo sa inyo na siya ang mag-aannounce?

SP Sotto: Wala siyang sinasabing ganoon. Hindi ko nakakausap ang Pangulo tungkol diyan. Pinarating lang sa akin na gustong lang ng Pangulo na malaman.

Q: Did Senator Bong Go relay to you na gusto ni Presidente yung listahan?

SP Sotto: Oo.

Q: Ano bang rangko ang pinag-uusapan natin? SP Sotto: Marami, may mataas ang rangko, may mababa. Hindi ko sigurado.

Q: (Unclear)

SP Sotto: I'd rather not venture into that kasi I did not look at it. Hindi ko napansin yun.

Q: Safe to say senior police officers?

SP Sotto: During that time, yes, senior police officers. During that time. May mga retired na, merong mga active.

Q: Sa active may mga pangalan kang nakita na hindi mo inaaasahan?

SP Sotto: Again, ang pinag-uusapan doon, ganun katindi ang impluwensiya ng NBP sa droga at saka sa krimen. Ganun katindi ang impluwensiya, kaya nangyari na yung matinding pangyayari doon sa Region 3, yung transaction ng recycled drugs, ay NBP na mga drug lord. Merong Chinese.