TRANSCRIPT OF AMBUSH INTERVIEW OF SEN. SERGE OSMEÑA AFTER THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE HEARING ON THE DAP

Serge: Marami pong questions na tinanong sa kanya na naipit din sila at hindi puwedeng gawin uli.

Q: Naging maliwanag po ba ang lahat ng aspeto ng DAP o meron pa silang kailangang i-explain?

Serge: Meron pang mga additional information na hiningi namin na ipapadala sa komite. And we will hold budget hearings already by next month, so they have to explain those during the budget hearings. In the meantime, kapag labag sa batas, hindi na nila magagawa uli dahil iyon na nga ang ruling ng Korte Suprema. The only problem now is, pending pa ang motion nila eh. So, we don't know if they're guilty or not guilty.

Pero hindi pa ito tapos. The whole process of checking and re-checking is not yet over.

Q: Nabanggit po ang technical malversation. Sa tingin po ba ninyo ay malversation ito?

Serge: Hindi po. That's not malversation because kung may savings sa isang department, pwede naman ilipat sa kabilang department, sa ibang department, iyan. So, that is not malversation.

Wala ako dito when (Senator) JV (Ejercito) was propounding his questions, nasa itaas ako so hindi ko po alam kung ano ang details ng sinabi niya. Baka tama siya, pero I don't know the details so I cannot say if it is or it is not malversation.

Q: May discretion daw na 'yung savings, iipunin tapos gagastusin. Dito po ba sa nangyari sa DAP, inabuso po ba ng executive department 'yung kanilang kapangyarihan, 'yung kanilang discretion?

Serge: Ayan po ang hatol ng Korte Suprema. As far as the DAP is concerned, it is not unconstitutional. Kasi account lang iyon...parang garbage can or something, tinatapon lang dun ang savings and then they will dispense it from the DAP. That is not illegal.

What is illegal is 'yung declaration of savings na hindi pa savings. Maghintay naman kayo. Atsaka, 'yung application of funds sa items na hindi po kasama sa GAA. Pero sinabi naman nila kanina, 'hindi, kasama lahat iyan sa GAA'... except for the cross-border na nagpadala ng P250M for the Lower House of Congress for their computerization and information, sa Comelec, tapos sa COA. Pero aside from those, wala ng iba.

Q: Ano 'yung impression niyo sa pagdating ng mga Cabinet members?

Serge: They are all supporting each other. And I'm glad to see that they're very transparent. Usually, nahihirapan kami sa hearings na kulang ng 2, kulang ng 3, hindi masasagot ang mga tanong kaya postponed na naman. But here, everybody was present, so that shows they wanted to be very transparent and accountable.

Q: Satisfied kayo?

Serge: Marami pa akong information na hinihingi. And marami pang information ang hinihingi ng ibang senador. We have to sit on that information first. Hindi pwedeng one sitting lang ito kasi ang kapal ng pinapabasa sa amin eh.