Transcript of Sen. Santiago's interview

On the P12 Billion supplemental budget for typhoon rehabilitation

With respect to the P2 billion addition to the P10 billion calamity fund, if there is money, that money should be deposited at the Bureau of the Treasury. Then the bureau of the treasurer has to notify the government agent or the department concerned that the money is at hand and wait for the request of that department or agency, after that, the DBM will process the release of the money by issuing first the so-called SARO then after that we issue the NCA or the notice of cash allocation.. In this case, the prior P20 billion calamity fund because of typhoon frank in the Visayas region was passed by Congress but was never implemented because there was no certification from the treasurer that the funds were actually available. But today, the Bureau of the treasury has announced that the funds are actually available because of the sales of certain power plants that were supervised by the legislative oversight committee on energy. In that case, we'll have P12 billion for the calamity victims.

On Sen. Villar still having no running mate

The harsh reality of Philippine politics is this, too many people announce that they are presidentiables when we all know that only two or three will really make it to the campaign period. They all make these announcements so that they will have elbow room to negotiate for a vice-presidentiable slot among those who are more moneyed than they are. The earlier they announce the better because by then they claim ostensibly for a refund of their so-called campaign expenses. In other words, you have to buy your vice-presidential candidate. So, if they don't have any vice presidentiables yet, it is because they are in the process of negotiating the price.

So they are being bought?

Yes. You announce to be a presidentiable so that you are in effect placing yourself on the auction block, "I'm available. Now, who are the highest bidders?"

Who are the possible running mates of Sen. Villar?

I have some idea but it is a lot of people, you do not concentrate on just one person you'll always negotiate with the entire market and trying to keep it hidden from the other contestants.

Is Sen. Legarda one of them?

We know she's made a presidential announcement then she has modified it to, "I'm available for vice-president." That is the position of everybody who has not yet firmly committed to a certain slot in the national elections. That's why it's so expensive to run for president in this country. First, you have to buy your staff, who will teach you what to say in public, so you can parrot it like some person under hypnosis, whether you understand what you are saying or not. That's what will happen in the presidentiable debate. That's why during the debate, there should no longer be theoretical questions. There should only be one question: Show me in your entire career what you ever did at risk to yourself to stop corruption in our country. If there were no corruption, then we would not have these problems of flood victims. The problem with us is, all the money for flood control and drainage were all siphoned to corruption.

May nagoffer na po ba sa inyo?

I have no price, I'm priceless.