Transcript: Recto on being voted Pro-Tempore

Q: So you remain to be part of the LP, sir?

Sen. Recto (RGR): Yes. Purely legislative.

Q: Sir, paano po kayo na-recruit, sino ang nakipag-communicate sa inyo?

RGR: Yung 17 na bumoto sa akin ang nag-recruit sa akin.

Q: Sir, so sinasabi nyo, purely legislative, so meron pa rin kayong iki-critisize, safe to say that? May i-o-oppose kayo, iki-criticize about this administration?

RGR: Of course. When you improve legislation, you have to present an alternative, right? Kung ano ang ginagawa ko as Minority Leader, ganoon pa rin naman 'yun eh.

Q: Same stand on EJKs...

RGR: Of course. Do convictions change?

Q: Sir, nung ni-recruit ka ba, did you inform Sen. Pangilinan about it?

RGR: No. He's in the majority, I'm in the minority. I informed Sen. Trillanes about it.

Q: Pero as LP president, sir, di nyo sya ininform?

RGR: No. Because they were with the majority, I was with the minority, is that correct?

Q: Sir, Why are you not actively joining [LP] --

RGR: When did we have an LP meeting and LP convention?

Q: Like kanina sir, merong meeting--

RGR: Today-- may leadership meeting kami kanina

Q: Kasama ka sa meeting ng LP kanina, sir?

RGR: No, I was in a leadership meeting earlier today. With Koko, Sen. Sotto, and the leadership of the House to craft the legislative agenda. Kung anong maipapasa natin by March 17, ano ang maipapasa by June.

Q: Sir, sang-ayon po ba kayo sa ginawa ng majority senators na i-oust ang LP allies?

RGR: I had nothing to do with that. Remember, I was with the minority, I was the Minority Leader. Hindi kami pwedeng makialam sa majority, ang majority hindi pwedeng makialam sa minority. When they ousted Sen. de Lima, we didn't take part in that. We couldn't even vote on that. Now, if I had my way, if I were the Senate President at that time, at may problema with the members of the majority, sasabihin ko na lang sana kay Sen. Drilon na I think we cannot work together, magresign na lang kayo. Ganoon na lang sana.

Q: Sana kinausap, hindi umabot sa ganoon--

RGR. Hindi na umabot sa ganoon.

Q: What made you decide--

RGR: To help craft the legislative agenda of the Senate.

Q: Yun lang, sir?

RGR: Yun lang.

Q: But you could do that as Minority Leader.

RGR: Minority Leader, you fiscalize. More or less, you fiscalize. Now we're more active there--we will still be able to fiscalize--improve bills on the floor. Like I was doing as Minority Leader. Make all the necessary amendments, di ba?

Q: Are you still in good relations--

RGR: I have no problems with my colleagues in the minority or with members of the Liberal Party. Remember ha, I was Minority Leader and they were majority. No hard feelings. Now I'm in the majority in the Senate, I was requested by 17. They are now in the minority, no hard feelings.

Q: So hindi nyo kinailangan na magpaalam sa mga kapwa nyo LP na tatanggapin nyo yung pagiging Senate President Pro Tempore?

RGR: Di na kailangan.

Q: But you're still a member of LP?

RGR: Yes.

Q: But don't you find it odd Sir na most of your colleagues...

RGR: Didn't you find it odd that I was in the minority and they were in the majority? Why only now?

Q: So sana sinamahan ka noon pa ng mga LP senators

RGR: Im not saying that, I'm just responding to your question.

Q: But you can keep your post as Minority Leader di ba?

RGR: You know it's better, it's better that one of them become Minority Leader. The new minority right now, one of them be minority leader. Either Senator Drilon, Senator Pangilinan or Senator Bam. I think that it's better that one of them become Minority Leader at this point. I think that should be the case at this point in time. Not that Senator Trillanes cannot be a Minority leader ha. I know he's not interested,sinasabi nya sa akin eh.

Q: Sir pano yung pag-recruit sa inyo ginawa? Isa-isa kayong kinausap? Caucus? Or sa bahay ng isang Senador?

RGR: Detalye na yan. wala, walang bahay. I've never attended any house, dito lang sa Senado.