TRANSCRIPT OF AMBUSH INTERVIEW OF SEN. SERGE OSMEÑA

ON THE BRITISH SCHOOL MANILA HEARING

...

Osmeña: Yes there are lapses. They seem to have reasons for it that they don't want to divulge, and I have to respect that. Kasi, ang tinatanong lang namin, 'teka muna, bakit ito nangyari?' Now, hindi lang isa ang naapektuhan, 2 iyon eh, at pareho ang reaction, naging hysterical iyong 2. So, anong sinabi ng teacher na naging hysterical itong mga bata na ito? Nakakatakot iyon. Minsan, well-meaning naman iyong teacher and she didn't know that it would be taken so badly by students, but... the evidence is, the girl was trying to take sleeping pills and the mother had to slap her because she was hysterical, she wanted to kill herself. Mabuti naabutan ng nanay. Si Liam, hindi naabutan kasi wala naman siyang sinabi, parang normal lang.

And then about 7 that night, biglang nawala, 6 o'clock the next morning, biglang tumalon. Umiikot lang siya, nagwa-wander lang siya sa Makati, kasi ang bahay ng lola niya, nasa Magallanes Village, and then he walked all the way to Legaspi Village, where he jumped off. But he must have just been wandering around the entire night, kasi nawala siya sa bahay mga 7 o'clock eh. At nakita siya ng guwardiya dun sa parking lot mga 6 o'clock in the morning, nagpakamatay siya, pero buhay pa siya. Dinala siya sa Makati Med, pero after 4 hours, he didn't make it.

Q: Makaka-apekto ba ito dun sa hinihingi nilang international recognition dito sa Senate?

Osmeña: Hindi. We agree that it has nothing to do with the standards that British School has achieved. They are one of the highest levels, highest standards on secondary education in this country. And we know them for that.

However, sometimes, teachers can make a mistake. Huwag niyo namang itago. Kasi, it's not that we want to punish the teacher, but we want to tell the other teachers na, 'eto ang ginawa niya, huwag ninyong gawin ito, huwag kayong mag-react ng ganyan, kasi may mga bata na medyo more sensitive than others, alam naman nating lahat iyan. Even our own children, they are all different. Iyong iba, pabandying-bandying, yung iba naman very sensitive.

???

Osmeña: Yes, that's what the next hearing would cover. Kasi nag-organize po sila ng IRP (Independent Review Panel), made of outside executive and teachers and parents. Pero naging limitado ang scope of investigation. Si Liam namatay ng February six, ang scope ng investigation hanggang February 2-5 lng. Sabi ko nga, bakit naman ganun, that's very strange. Why will you start only on February 2 and enp up on February 5,

Q: Given what happened, unlikely na bang maipasa yung nakabinbing bill dito sa Senado?

Osmeña: That's going to be held on abeyance first because we will certainly put some amendments to protect the students. But it will no ways diminish the standards set by the British School.

Q: Paano iyong idea na wala na iyong teacher?

Osmeña: Iyon na nga eh, iyan ang question. Supposing there was an investigation by the police, wala na iyong teacher eh.

Q: May pananagutan po ba ang school? Nag-resign na daw naman po siya...

Osmeña: It doesn't matter whether she resigned or not. They should have informed, say the Department of Education, right away that a teacher may be charged and she is about to leave.

Q: Pero hindi nila ginawa?

Osmeña: Alam niyo sa Amerika, kapag nagkaroon ng kasong ganyan, may inquest agad iyan eh. Pasok agad iyong coroner's office, if there's evidence or suspicion of foul play, papasok kaagad ang Attorney General office, the police will investigate. Dito wala eh. Parang 'private iyan, huwag ka ng makialam diyan.' But if there is foul play, it may not be that the perpetrator is the direct cause of the death, but they would still investigate it because it's a suicide, how did it happen, did somebody push him... iyon ang first suspicion di ba? May tumulak pa sa kanya, baka hindi suicide iyan. So, kailangan pumasok kaagad iyong coroner.

Q: Kuntento ba kayo sa solutions, like babasahin na daw iyong reflection letter?

Osmeña: I want a list because that's not enough.

And yeah, dapat basahin iyong reflection letter, pinahirapan mo iyong bata pagkatapos hindi mo naman binabasa. Paano naman iyon?

ON THE BBL

Q: The president said he is willing to meet with the senators on the BBL but SP Drilon said iko-consult muna ang mga senators?

Osmeña: Personally, he doesn't need to talk to me because I am going to make my own judgment. I will make my own independent judgment. And definitely, while I am for peace... who is not for peace? I am for peace, but I want to make sure that the rest of the country is protected. Ang hirap naman na tatanggapin namin iyong BBL as it is written. I see a lot of concerns, defects, constitutional issues, dapat i-clarify natin iyon. And we have to amend it.

I will predict that it will not be passed the way the House (of Representatives) passed theirs.

Q: Even if the Senate leadership agrees to meet with PNOY, you will not participate?

Osmeña: No need. What will I do there? Baka sasabihin lang ninyo, nakatanggap na naman ng pork barrel si Osmeña. Hindi ako pupunta.

Q: Sabi ninyo it will not be passed the way it was passed by the House?

Osmeña: First, Malacanang will not be able to come here to say, 'Eto iyong bill, take it or leave it.' Hindi po mangyayari dito iyan.

... Because we are more independent, well at least, most of us are more independent-minded.

Q: Do you think that it was railroaded in the House?

Osmeña: Yes, definitely. It's very clear.

Q: Iyong chance na ma-approve siya sa Senate before you adjourn sine die, malabo iyon?

Osmeña: No, it will not. Close to impossible. It will not. Maybe, it would come to a 2nd reading by early August. And at the earliest, we'll get to the bicam by September or October.

Q: Before filing of Certificate of Candidacy in October, makahabol? Kasabay sa 2016 elections ang elections for ARMM/Bangsamoro...

Osmeña: Hindi pa, kasi we still have to form a Transition Commission, then we have to have a plebiscite... if there's any election, it will have to be to re-elect the ARMM officials, the incumbent ARMM officials. Marami pang steps iyan eh.

Q: So malabo na makasabay ang elections nila sa presidential elections?

Osmeña: Malabo.

Q: How would you assess the way Sen. Bongbong and the other senators have been handling the BBL hearings? Are they doing this to advance their political interests?

Osmeña: Very good ... No. No. No. They have been doing their job, they have been a very good job. I have been monitoring it, I have not been physically present in the hearing, but I have been monitoring it. Alam niyo naman when I am upstairs naka-on ang video feed sakin eh. And I have copies of all of the transcripts, all of the resource papers, which I intend to read fully during the break...

Q: No taint of politicking on the part of the senators?

Osmeña: No, no.

Q: Kung imi-meet ni president ang mga senador, do you think that will help or will it have no bearing at all?

Osmeña: Well... I will be naughty ha. If there are some goodies, it might help with a couple of senators.

Q: That's why you're not interested in going sir?

Osmeña: Yeah... I don't want to be accused... supposing I vote in favor, sasabihin na naman ng mga tao, 'O ayan, kita niyo...' Just like in the Corona trial. So, sabi ko, ayaw ko na.

Q: Ano iyong goodies? Wala ng pork di ba?

Osmeña: Pork. Merong pork. I already told you guys there is pork. You have to define what is pork. Pork are projects that are not originally in the President's Budget as submitted to Congress, known as the National Expenditure Program, ito po ay sina-submit ng president to both houses right after the SONA, mga early August. And then when the House passes it, because the House has to pass it first, because it's a revenue bill, then it becomes known as the National Appropriations Bill. When the Senate passes it and it becomes law, then it becomes known as the General Appropriations Act.

What are the pork? Noon, iyong PDAF and whatever they used to call it... CIA, CDF... you set aside a certain sum for congressmen and senators, and that sum is up to the senators and congressmen to decide as to its application. The application of funds are, 'O eto, gumawa ka ng classroom dito, gawa tayo ng farm-to-market road dito...' Wala sa budget, blangko... basta P25B na PDAF. Ngayon, identified na... Nandun. I told you guys about this last year pa.

Q: Ito ang dangled sa mga congressmen?

Osmeña: Nandun na iyon. It's there. What is dangled is, I will release or not release what you put in there.

Q: May pork sa House?

Osmeña: Yes, may pork.

Q: Sa railroading? Was it tainted by pork?

Osmeña: I wasn't there. ?

Q: In the Senate, are you suspicious that the president is planning to do this?

Osmeña: Suspicious? In what way? Well... Yeah. Meeting is always a valid political activity. Even the president of the United States meets with their senators and congressmen, to members of Congress. To explain to them why a bill is specifically imported, to explain why it has to be passed, why this particular provision should not be deleted. That is the intelligent and rationale reason for calling a meeting. I am afraid of the non-intelligent reason. ?

Q: Pwede bang i-dangle na... iyong ibang senator daw kasi kakasuhin din ng abuse ng pork barrel... pwede din bang i-dangle iyon? Na hindi na itutuloy?

Osmeña: Yes. There are many kinds of favors.

Q: So this meeting for you is intended to influence, to sway, the senators?

Osmeña: Definitely. That's why the president has called for a meeting. Sabi niya, if they want to have a meeting with me, I am willing.

Q: Sabi nila to address daw the issues raised by senators?

Osmeña: Yeah. But how can he address them because he is not an expert on the BBL? We want to address them, we will just call Ging Deles, Miriam Ferrer, Iqbal... those are the guys who know.

And that's what we intend to do here in the Senate. We're going to invite them again. Sinabi ko na kay Sen. Bongbong kanina... 'Pare, I want to go line by line ha.' In a committee hearing. Ask them to clarify. We have been asking everybody else, I really need clarification on every section there.

It's very tedious. It's a very thick bill. It's very esoteric, mahirap intindihin. Bago kasi. Bagong animal ito eh, asymmetric. We want to know how far will this take us. And, anong escape natin? Suppose it doesn't work, can we take everything back? Anong way out ng Pinoy, ng Filipino people? Is there a way out? We might be giving away a part of the country permanently and we will be unable to redeem that part of the country that we might, after a while, we will say... 'ay mali.' So, anong gagawin natin? Kung nagkamali tayo?

Q: Mga ilan iyong pwedeng ma-sway ng meeting with the president?

Osmeña: Very hard iyan. Very naughty ang question mo.

Q: But it will swing a significant number of the senators?

Osmeña: Yeah. Those who want a free meal. Masarap naman ang pagkain dun sa Malacanang eh.

Q: If that happens, anong pwedeng gawin ng mga tutol?

Osmeña: We have to go to the floor and vote. That's the way.

Q: If outnumbered?

Osmeña: Eh di wala. Eh di talo. Ganun naman eh. That's the story of our lives. Always out-voted, but never out-fought.

Q: How many votes needed? 13?

Osmeña: I don't think so. Cause there are 4 absent... about 11...

Q: Baka dahil sa sinabi ninyo hindi na pupunta ang mga senators sa Malacanang?

Osmeña: Well... they should learn their lessons from what has happened in the past. You will always be under suspicion. And I would rather be not under suspicion. You know, politics is perception eh. So if the people think that you are corrupt, there's nothing you can do, you're dead in the water already. Kasi perception nila is reality.