Press Release
May 5, 2014

Transcript of Media Interview with Senate President Franklin Drilon during JPPFL press briefing at Diamond Hotel

Note: An updated and comprehensive list of the bills to be approved is attached below.

On Sandra Cam's allegations of harassment against Senate President Drilon

SPFMD: I don't want to dignify the allegations of Sandra Cam. I would rather let her do her thing, I don't know what she is talking about, I do not want to dignify her statements with any response. Q: Do you personally know Almario, the district representative of LP in Masbate?

SPFMD: No, I do not know any Almario.

On the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA)

Q: Will there be a caucus this afternoon regarding the EDCA?

SPFMD: There is no caucus. I expect that resolutions will be filed in the Senate, asking for a review of this Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, or EDCA, and this will be referred to the appropriate committee. The appropriate committee will conduct hearings on this, and will ask Malacañang to come before the Senate and justify this agreement in terms of our Constitution and our national interest. It will be principally the committee who will conduct the hearings.

There could be issues which would be sensitive in nature in terms of national security, and the committee is empowered under our rules to call for an Executive Session, but there is no plan to call for a caucus on the EDCA because this will be tackled at the level of the committee. On an online petition for Senators Revilla, Estrada and Enrile to resign

SPFMD: The resignation is a matter of personal choice. Remember that these three colleagues of mine have their mandate. We cannot simply pass a resolution expelling them. That is not the process. The resignation is a matter of personal decision on their part.

On the resolution calling for the reopening of the probe on the pork barrel scam

Q: Will the Senate compel the DOJ to release the list of lawmakers?

SPFMD: The jurisdiction right now is with the Blue Ribbon Committee. Whether or not the Blue Ribbon Committee will reopen the hearings is a matter that Senator Teofisto "TG" Guingona III, as Chairman of the committee, will decide. Who to call is a matter for the committee to decide.

Q: Can the Senate compel the DOJ to release the list?

SPFMD: That is a matter for the committee to decide. The issue on the pork barrel scam is not before the Senate plenary. It is before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.

Q: Any word from the executive kung kailan po ipapapasa sa inyo yung Bangsamoro Basic Law? Makakastick po ba tayo sa deadline given nagkakaroon ng mga delays?

SPFMD: I have no word yet. What I know is that the Chief Presidential Legal Council is reviewing the draft proposal on the Bangsamoro Transition Commission. We have not received it at this point. As for the deadline, there is not too much delay and I am confident that we will meet our self-imposed deadline.

At this morning's regular meeting with the House leadership - with Speaker Belmonte and Majority Leader Gonzales and Minority Leader Zamora- we have agreed that the Bangsamoro Basic Law will be a priority for us once we receive it.

To add, the House leadership at this morning's meeting agreed to pass 16 laws from now to the end of our session in June. These are 16 laws of national importance. Among these would be six bills on education, including bills on a national student loan program, an open high school system for out of school youth, and the Iskolar Ng Bayan Act. We will also pass bills on the graphic health warning on cigarette packs and the amendments to the Sandiganbayan Law.

We will also pass a bill regarding Philhealth coverage for senior citizens, a bill on the extension of the SK, and a bill that would introduce amendments to the Fisheries Code, among other bills of national importance.

We will also extend the franchise and thus the corporate of the Philippine National Railways. The PNR franchise will expire in June, and we will work on that, and we will pass that as soon as possible.

Nakapagkasunduan po namin na ipasa ang labinganim na panukalang batas na tatapusin namin at isusumite sa Pangulo bago po ang adjournment sa Hunyo para po mabigyan natin ng kaukulang pansin ang mga pangangailangan ng ating taong bayan.

Q: During the meeting earlier, have you discussed with Speaker Belmonte his push for Charter Change?

SPFMD: The agreement is that this will be a House initiative. We will wait until they have passed it. We will work on it the moment they have passed the resolution proposing Charter Change.

Q: What is the proper forum for the EDCA? There are suggestions that it be discussed on the Oversight Committee on the VFA, and there are also proposals to take it before the Senate Defense Committee. Alin po ba dun ang better option?

SPFMD: This is the result of overlapping jurisdictions of the various committees in the Senate. Chances are, it will be jointly heard in the Senate who will have jurisdictions on the matters of this nature.

Q: Can the Senate ask Secretary Leila De Lima to already show the list made by Janet Napoles of supposed lawmakers involved in the pork barrel scam?

SPFMD: If the Blue Ribbon Committee decides to reopen the investigation and if they decide to call back Sec. De Lima, the Blue Ribbon Committee - or any Senate committee for that matter - has the power to compel the production of documents. That is part of the power of the Senate, in order that we can elicit information from our resource persons.

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PRIORITY MEASURES TO BE PASSED BEFORE THE ADJOURNMENT OF THE FIRST REGULAR SESSION

1. Amendments to the Sandiganbayan Law
2. Ladderized Education Program
3. Open High School System for Out of School Youth
4. Open Learning Through Distance Education in Post Secondary and Tertiary Levels
5. National Student Loan Program
6. Special Education Center
7. Iskolar Ng Bayan Act
8. Picture Based Health Warning
9. Amendments to the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act
10. Mandating Telecommunication Service Providers to Send Free Mobile Alerts in the event of Natural and Man-made Disasters and Calamities
11. Cotabato Light & Power Company Franchise
12. Extending the Corporate Life of the PNR
13. Amendments to the Fisheries Code
14. Philhealth Coverage for Senior Citizens
15. SK extension
16. Creating the Quezon City Development Authority
17. Changing the Name of Batasan Hills National High School to Corazon C. Aquino National High School
18. INC 100th Anniversary as Non-Working Holiday

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