Transcript of interview with Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III at the Manila Hotel

Q: Medyo bumaba lang yung ratings

SP Sotto: Normal naman yun eh. It's normal. It's like the surveys that they conduct during the election period or the campaign period. It depends on the area that you take the survey from. Hindi naman kasi ang survey is the same place every time. Every three months yan nagpapalit sila ng area na sinu-survey. Like for example when they say Mindanao, it might be Surigao this time or Agusan ganyan not necessarily Davao. Pag Davao yan iba naman ang resulta. And then Visayas and Mindanao and balance Luzon is the same thing. So the fluctuation is expected. It could go higher, it could go lower. The important thing is that it's within the tinatawag na margin of error. And the margin of error, if they're using 1,200 respondents, the margin of error will be plus minus 3%. Therefore if you drop by 6% parang zero yun. If you drop by about 10 or more, double digit, then it's a drop. Pero again, it depends on the area that was covered.

Q: Do you think Senate is still on the right track kasi 72% mataas pa rin naman

SP Sotto: Oo mataas naman. Mataas naman talaga yun. Mataas yun because mostly, very good or good ratings will be 50% and above kasi remember may undecided. Magandang tingnan dun yung disapproval. Tingnan mo yung disapproval. Ilan yung disapproval. Pag double digit disapproval, malaki disapproval, hindi maganda. And then if it's, let's say you're disapproval rating was 10% in the previous survey and then the next survey disapproval ratings becomes 16% or 17% ay medyo alamin mo kung anong nagawa ninyo na hindi sila approved.

Q: mataas na rating reflects public trust...

SP Sotto: Yes I do, I think so. As a matter fact my colleagues were congratulating me for high, very high approval and trust rating, I said it's because of the Senate. I don't think it's the individual. It's because of how the Senate is working. It's a reflection of the Senate itself.

Q: Pres. Duterte's rating dropped 11 points, this was during the time na kasagsagan ng GCTA. Do you think the Filipino people thought ang administrasyung Duterte medyo nagkulang dun sa GCTA?

SP Sotto: Siguro that's possibility. But the big question is where did the 11% go? Did it go to the undecided? Or it went to the disapproval? If it went to the disapproval then it's something to think about. But if it only went to the undecided then they should just go on.

Q: Dun sa (inaudible) ilan dun ang ad testificandum

SP Sotto: I'm not sure about the count. I'm sorry. Baka nagkamali ako ng nine. I'm not sure about the count. Sa dami ng pinirmahan ko I'm not sure of the number. But it's definitely more than five.

Q: New witnesses sir ilan yung bukas ipepresent natin?

SP Sotto: Napaka-tricky nung question mo eh. Parang hindi ko nabilang eh. Hindi ko nabilang. Pinirmahan ko lang ng pinirmahan hindi ko na binilang tapos recommended ni Sen. Gordon eh.

Q: Police officers po yung witnesses?

SP Sotto: I'm not sure. Sorry I looked at the signature page.

Q: But definitely Baloyo will be there tomorrow? He will be released from the Bilibid, he will be presented to the Senate

SP Sotto: Yes he will there.

Q: When you say disclosure what do you mean by that?

SP Sotto: Aba ano pa yun, ibig saibihin eh mas mabubulatlat pa ang mga katotohanan.

Q: Sa Bilibid sir or rogue cops?

SP Sotto: Both.

Q: Bilibid corruption sir?

SP Sotto: Both.

Q: Yung 2 babae kamusta? Nakausap nyo?

SP Sotto: Si Sen. Gordon na kumausap sa kanila.

Q: Would you know if they like to cooperate na?

SP Sotto: Marami silang sinabi...marami sila sa executive session. Pero ano lang, ang mga sinabi nila is related to their work, ganun lang, Baka pag-initan naman nung mga tao dun. Hindi naman makakasama sa kanila.

Q: Baloyo, very defiant, very firm dun sa side ng story nya na sya lang yung ganun ang istorya...

SP Sotto: Ganun talaga. They are people like that. Sometimes you know, because of the number of times that you have said the lie, you believe your lie.

Q: Do you know kung mag co-cooperate na si Baloyo...

SP Sotto: Hindi ko alam. I have no idea.

Q: He will remain in Bilibid as long as hindi kayo satisfied sa answer?

SP Sotto: Oo. Yes

Q: Sen. Lacson sabi sloppy work gawa ng HOR sa budget. Nakita nyo na po ba yun...

SP Sotto: Hindi, nabanggit lang nya sa akin yun kasi hindi ko pa nababasa eh. Nabanggit lang nya na meron dun item na for the construction of road hindi sinabi kung anong road kaya sabi nya sloppy.

Q: So tatanggalin nyo yun sir?

SP Sotto: Syempre. Syempre anong road yun? Road to perdition?

Q: Despite your remarks, you continue to...yung mga komento nyo, nagalit ka lang

SP Sotto: Ay hindi ah. I think the great majority of our countrymen agree with me when it comes to...we're protecting women's rights.

Q: si Bansil and Buño, may pinangalan ba silang officials ng BuCor na mas mataas pa sa kanila na involved sa lahat?

SP Sotto: Much as I would want to answer that question, I don't want to put them in danger. So I'd rather not say.

Q: But definitely uungkatin pa natin yan bukas

SP Sotto: Oo. Sen. Gordon I think is very [inaudible]

Q: Pero yung 2 nag cooperate na, so you expect them na pakakawalan na sila

SP Sotto: Under custody ba?

Q: Humanitarian concern

SP Sotto: Humanitarian concern....kasi wala akong pinipirmahan eh.

Q: Pero i-WPP ba sila?

SP Sotto: Oo. We'll propose WPP. But depende rin sa bigat nung magiging resulta nung report.

Q: Na-connect na ba nila si Faeldon dun sa GCTA for sale, yung 2?

SP Sotto: Hindi eh. Iba yung mga tinamaang opisyal.

Q: But tomorrow revelations...

SP Sotto: Oo. I think so

Q: Invited pa rin Aquino, Albayalde and Magalong?

SP Sotto: I think so yes.