Press Release
November 29, 2017

Transcript of Ambush Interview of Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III

On the charter-change that President Duterte has been pushing

SP Pimentel: Federalism kasi talaga ang gusto ng Presidente. Tatapusin lang namin itong tax and budget, and then we can focus on increasing the base pay, and then federalism, BBL, and then some other priorities na lang ng mga senador.

Q: May time commitment po?

SP Pimentel: By January. Meron pa kaming session sa January naman.

Q: By January what do we expect?

SP: The rest of the year, tapos na ang tax at saka budget, we will have to concentrate our efforts on the increase in the base pay. Then we will have to start BBL. We cannot finish BBL. Next year we will have to finish BBL, and then we will have to start federalism.

Q: So mga middle of the year na po yun?

SP: The other priorities, we have to focus also in January.

Q: Sa BBL, susundin ninyo yung deadline ng House na March 2018?

SP: Oo kasi yun naman yung aming session. That's a natural deadline.

Q: After BBL yung federalism?

SP: Ang federalism, pwede naman isabay-sabay yan, kasi may mga session days naman na may lull, may mga times. So, tuloy-tuloy na.

Q: Pano kung mag-impeachment muna kayo?

SP: Yung sagot ko sa inyo ngayon, wala ang impeachment sa workload.

Q: But if the impeachment happens, will it delay the others?

SP: How many hours in a day, we cannot multiply the number of hours, pero part talaga ng trabaho ng senador yun at saka trial ito, kakain ng oras ang trial. But we will find a way to simplify issues in an impeachment. Tingnan natin.

On President Duterte's proposal for instant voting for charter-change.

SP: Ang point niya, naiintindihan ko rin yun, since ire-revise na rin ang Constitution, kung may mga nakita na tayong ambiguous wording ngayon, i-clarify. So although let us say settled na yung ambiguous wording with the Supreme Court decision, clarifying the wording will still help the future generations who are not aware of the Supreme Court decision. Ang point is, wala ng rule na magbabago kasi kinonstrue na ng Supreme Court yung provision na yun. To make it clearer. Nagre-revise ka rin naman ng Constitution.

On whether the base pay will be finished this December.

SP: We will have to give it our best kasi January 1 ang target po doon, 2018.

Q: Incorporated na po sa 2018 budget allocation?

SP: Oo, pero meron kaming issue ngayon kasi I filed Senate Joint Resolution No. 9, Senator Lacson filed Senate Joint Resolution No. 10, same idea except yung indexation. Yung ang root cause nito kaya tayo nahihirapan to increase the base pay is, ganito pala yan. Sa military side, when you increase the base pay of the active military personnel or officer, you also have to increase daw the pension of the retired. Kasi nga indexed daw yun, konektado. Yung aking finile ay medyo sinususpend ko yung connection. But of course, I understand, merong na-aapektuhan, meron pong reaction. Hindi ito smooth sailing, there is an issue, we are back to the basic issue. Ganyan po talaga, kailangan pag-usapan.

Q: Pabor po kayo na pati yung mga pensioner sa military bibigyan ng increase?

SP: In a perfect world, dapat ganun pero ang tanong is can we afford it? Can our finances afford it? Can our country's finances afford it? Kaya nga nag-iisip tayo, nag-iimagine tayo ng mga ways and means on how to lessen the burden so that we can finally increase the base pay. Kasi if we do not, we might not be able to increase the base pay. Yun po yun, so lahat tayo naghahanap ng solusyon. Pareho tayo na maganda ang hangarin, but hanapan natin ng solusyon kasi pag may binabago ka, talagang may tatamaan naman. There is really some pain o some sector mag-absorb ng kaunting loss, mag-sacrifice ng kaunti, ganun po talaga.

Q: Sabi po ni Senator Ping meron naman pong P35-billion pa sa budget na pwedeng ilaan?

SP: lalabas yan siguro sa Committee hearing, lalabas sa Plenary. Okay yun basta't if we can find a solution, walang problema.

On whether the budget will be tackled today.

SP: Yes. Request ni Senator Loren, we have to finish it today, otherwise ipit na.

Q: Third and final reading tonight?

SP: Yes, that is the plan.

Q: Tapos na po yung period of amendments?

SP: Malapit na kasi tapos na halos lahat.

On President Duterte saying that he wants to be the one to revise the Constitution.

SP: The Executive branch can come up with a proposed new Constitution, that is why ang suggestion ko nga yung kanyang Con-Com, yung 25-member Con-Com, sana ibuo na niya, so that meron siyang katulong sa pag-aral but siguro itong past few months, meron din siguro siyang informal study group na gumawa. If he is ready, ilabas na niya yung kanyang draft kasi ang party namin, PDP-Laban, we have a draft but gusto ko pa rin ayusin pa. It really takes time, but let's say si Presidente has a better draft, welcome na ilabas niya para mapag-aralan na.

Q: Recommendatory po yung kay Presidente?

SP: Of course, kasi ang modes of amending and revising nasa Constitution. So it's either Con-Con, Constituent Assembly ng Kongreso or kung amendment lang, simple amendment, direct action by the people, a people's initiative, there are only two ways. Wala namang executive role dun, but, welcome lahat. Welcome ang NGO or anty group magbigay ng proposal ng new Constitution for the Philippines, this is a free country. Even the President can come up with his own proposed new Constitution.

Q: Pero wala pa yung study group?

SP: He can reach that destination through many ways. One is Con-Com na matagal na sanang na-form, or he could have formed a, maybe meron siyang think-tank sa Office of the Executive Secretary or the Presidential Legal Counsel, na ginawa na ito so ready na. Basta ang point ko lang is kung ready na siya, ilabas na po ang draft para napag-uusapan na. madali namang i-adopt yan. Some congressmen and senators will adopt it, file it, then therefor we now start the ball rolling.

Q: Gano po katagal yan?

SP: Pwedeng matagal, pwede ring mabilis. Lalo na matagal na ring pinag-uusapan ang federalism at maraming kumikilos, hindi lang ang party namin, but mga NGO, mga movements, so we are hoping na hinog na ang konsepto ng federalism. Sana naiintindihan na po ng common man o ng taong bayan kung ano ang meaning ng federalism.

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