Sen. Frank Drilon interview with Karen Davila

Q I'm just curious, sir. For example Sen. Ralph Recto, he was a former senator but meaning, incoming with the Liberal Party, but he heads two powerful committees immediately, which are Ways and Means, Government Corporations and Public Enterprises.

D The committees on Ways and Means, I think nobody can dispute the competence of Sen. Recto to handle that. He used to handle that. He steered into law a number of tax measures in his previous term. Now the matter of the government corporations, that is a minor committee, and each member of the majority had two committees. The committee on Government Corporations was assigned to him. He was not bidding for it but nobody wanted to take it so it was assigned to him.

Q Ok. Now, why would someone like Sen. Ping Lacson who is clearly in hiding and has a warrant of arrest, have a committee? Committee on Accounts? I don't think he can function as committee chair.

D The committee on Accounts is an internal committee. It is a committee which looks into the expenditures in the Senate, and this could very well be done by the Majority Leader. And in fact, in the previous Congress it was headed by the Majority Leader, who is the workhorse in the Senate who handles the debates on the floor. The committee on Accounts is just a formality that is given to a member of the Senate. It looks into the budget of the Senate, but as I said this could very well be done by the Rules committee. When I was the Majority Leader I handled the committee on accounts in the previous Congresses.

Q Don't you think this sends the wrong signal to the public? It is like rewarding someone who is not doing well? I mean, he is clearly in hiding. It is like rewarding a senator who is in hiding.

D Karen, please don't consider the committees as rewards. The Senate functions through the committees. Any legislative body functions through the committees, so I don't see why you would consider it as a reward, being the head of a committee in the Senate.

Q Now, Sen. Antonio Trillanes as committee on Civil Service and Government Reorganization, he is able to fulfill his functions even if he is detained, sir?

D Our agreement yesterday is that I will be the vice-chairman of the committee and will perform the functions, hearing the bills on the committee on civil services.

Q As chairman of the committee on Finance, Sen. Drilon, what will be your top priority?

D The budget. That is the function of the committee on Finance. The budget to be presented to the Senate maybe sometime toward the end of this month.

Q You have Sen. Guingona III who gets the Blue Ribbon committee. Many people consider it a prize committee somehow because of the power it has behind it, so is Sen. Santiago reasonable at all in wanting that committee over Sen. Guingona?

D Sen. Guingona is a lawyer, he campaigned on the issue of graft and corruption during the campaign. The most difficult thing to do in his position is to investigate anomalies. Especially if there are shortcomings that he might see in the present dispensation. It is not an easy job so I do not know why this is being considered a plum committee or being rewarded for this. That is not true. That is not exactly accurate.

Q I am just curious, why didn't Sen. Santiago receive any chairmanship?

D That is a decision of Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile.

Q Any last words sir?

D Well, it is unfortunate that these committee assignments are being viewed in general as a reward, (that we are asked) why did you get this committee? Unfortunately it is not being perceived as something that is work related. That is what the people elected us for, to head these committees. Remember that Sen. Noynoy Aquino has the mandate and therefore he will be made responsible for his programs and it is natural that we who are members of the Liberal Party, together with Noynoy who were elected, will be given this responsibility. We will be judged according to how we will perform and not because we are assigned to these committees.

Q On another note sir, it's been a while, coming from the campaign, that you've seen Sen. Manny Villar but definitely he is back in the Senate and in fact has the committee on Economic Affairs and Trade and Commerce. Have you spoken to each other? What was that like?

D Yes, we have spoken to each other, nothing though about the campaign or anything serious, we just greeted each other and exchanged a few jokes. Just relived how it was in the past.

Q What is your stand, I know it is with the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET), but you have Senator Miguel Zubiri being supported by some senators on expanding the counter-protest? What is your stand on that, with Koko Pimentel insisting that he has already won by 250,000 votes?

D That is a matter for the Senate Electoral Tribunal. I have not been a member of that, and I do not know who will be in the SET in this present Congress. The SET is in effect a quasi-judicial body which rules on qualifications and protests filed before it. I would rather leave that matter of commenting on it on the members of the SET or if I become a member, I will make my stand public. After I have reviewed the files.

Q Last question sir. Do you feel any disappointment that LP, or a member of the LP, is not the Senate President?

D You know, we have gone beyond that, we have elected Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile. We had our candidate, Kiko, but he was not able to get the votes so we move on. We cannot dwell on these things forever.