Press Release
January 8, 2018

Transcript of Ambush Interview of Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III

On Senator Drilon saying that it is the burden of the Senate leadership to defend Senate

SP Pimentel: I feel that I have defended the Senate already. Kung kulang pa, then all members are free to defend the Senate. Tumawag na nga sa akin si Senator Ralph Recto congratulating me. Kanya-kanyang opinion tayo so those who feel na kulang pa ang pag-depensa feel free to defend the Senate.

Q: Pero si Speaker naman naintindihan niya that you have said your piece?

SP Pimentel: Magkikita kami sa birthday niya sa Davao. Walang problema, it's just part of work na nababagalan lang siya sa Senate and yet at the same time, proud siya sa mga naging batas. Naging batas ba yun without the cooperation of the Senate? The participation of the Senate? Yes, so ganun lang yun, it must have been just an act, right to free expression of the Speaker. Sabi niya, mabagal na kapulungan, naghanap din ako ng rhyming doon, sabi ko nag-aaral na kapulungan. Yun ang katotohanan sa mata ko.

Q: Yung pinupush po niya yung death penalty?

SP: Precisely, so sabi ko nga, tinext ko rin naman kayong Senate media, bakit, lahat ba ng measures na ipapasa ng House, obligado ang Senate na ipasa? Hindi naman. Let us say, may sumablay na isa, death penalty na natagalan, so be it, natagalan, but ang commitment namin is by January, under the leadership of Senator Pacquiao, we will now be tackling the death penalty in plenary.

Q: Decision ninyo not because you were pressured by the statement of the Speaker?

SP: He said the statement early January, ang assignment na binigay ko kay Senator Pacquiao October pa last year, so nauna kami.

Q: Wala pang hearing sir, itatackle na sa plenary?

SP: Hindi. Basta ganito: si Senator Gordon, who is the Chair, now designates Senator Pacquiao as the subcommittee Chair for the death penalty.

Q: Sa statement ni Speaker Alvarez, hindi ninyo naman nararamdaman na it weakens the Senate?

SP: Akala ko matibay kami. We are 23 republics, bakit biglang magweweaken kami sa statement ni Speaker? Wala po yun. Harapin na lang natin ang katotohanan na may mga taong nababagalan sa law-making process ng buong Pilipinas. Hindi lang yan Senate, pati House. Wag na po natin masyado pang para wala na pong issue sa bansa, we are just looking at the one statement of the Speaker, papalakihin natin para lang magka-issue po tayo. Wala pong issue yun.

On the federalism bill that will be filed.

SP: It is a resolution calling for the Senate to sit together with the House of Representatives as a constituent assembly for the purpose of revising the 1987 Constitution, specifically to study the adoption of a federal system of government.

On Senator Drilon saying they should first establish if there is a need to amend the Constitution.

SP: Opinion niya po yun, ang opinion natin, if the resolution is passed, therefore there is a need to review, at least. Kasi yun naman ang purpose nun. To sit as a constituent assembly so that you can propose amendments or revisions to the Constitution. Kung pumasa yun sa House, pumasa yun sa Senate, therefore nagsalita na po ang representatives ng taongbayan that there is a need at least to open the process of amendment. Yun na yun. Wag na yung magpapa-hearing pa nationwide para itanong yan, nagpapa-survey pa para itanong yan.

Q: Bakit con-ass, hindi con-con ang pinupush ninyo?

SP: Number one, masyadong mahal ang con-con, it will cost us an estimated P19 billion, so iround-off na lang natin sa P20 billion and then we will have to elect, delegates will have to run, delegates will have to organize their offices, delegates will have to look for their venue, delegates will have to come up with their agenda, will have to debate, organize their committees, ilang taon. Dalawa, tatlong taon bago magkaroon ng kongkretong proposal, so hindi lang gastos sa pera, gastos sa oras.

Q: What happened to the commission that President Duterte wanted to create?

SP: Please ask the Executive branch.

Q: Hindi po makaka-apekto may recommendation man o wala, tuloy lang ang trabaho ng Senate?

SP: Yun ang purpose sana ng commission na inaaral sana ng Executive branch. Yung produkto ng commission, ipasa na sa Congress as constituent assembly so that we will have a working model. Sa ngayon, wala yun, so we'll just have to find a way, the House and the Senate, if we decide to now sit as a constituent assembly, how do we produce the working model? The draft that we will work on.

Q: Ano po ang timeline ninyo for cha-cha and where does BBL come into this?

SP: Separate po ang BBL. The BBL is authorized under the 1987 Constitution. Now that we are still under the 1987 Constitution, tuloy-tuloy dapat ang pagprocess ng BBL. Sa Senate inumpisahan na namin nung December, and person-in-charge is Senator Migz Zubiri. Tuloy-tuloy lang ito. He will hear it just like it's a bill, and then iba naman din po itong cha-cha. Isabay na po natin yung two processes.

Q: Meron na pong specific date kung kalian yung filing ng reso?

SP: Before we resume. Itong week na ito. Itong coming days na lang, just two-three more days.

Q: Paano yung assurance that there will be an election?

SP: There will be an election. Tinanong lang naman kasi ako ng napaka-persistent na tanong, sinagot ko ng theoretical. Problem dito sa Pilipinas, pag theoretical ang usapan, natitwist. Hindi ninyo masakyan, so theoretical. Syempre tuloy po ang eleksyon. We are still under the 1987 Constitution. Hangga't hindi magbago yan, lahat ng scheduled elections in the 1987 Constitution must be held, pero pag magbago yan, there is a new Constitution, yung schedule ng new Constitution ang masusunod.

Q: Pero kung dumating na po yung draft, subject to plebiscite tapos may masasagasaan na election, doon hindi mangyayari ang election?

SP: Kung draft lang siya, that means we are still under the 1987 Constitution. If the draft Constitution is approved in a plebiscite, then it becomes the Constitution the day it is approved in the plebiscite. Hence, kung ano man yung schedule nanandun, hindi natin pwedeng pag-sapan kasi wala yung draft sa harapan natin, theoretical na naman ito, kung ano yung schedule ng election na nandun, dapat masunod.

Q: Ano yung plano nyo, isabay sa 2019 plebiscite?

SP: Yun sana ang timeline ko, sa Mayo, sa midterm election sa 2019, plebiscite na rin po siya. Para practical na decision, kasi meron nang halalan. Isabay na rin yung plebiscite na question. It's a practical decision because it costs P7 billion to P10 billion per election question. It's a practical decision because it costs P7 billion to P10 billion per election nationwide.

Q: That's a guarantee na may election kasi gusto ninyo nga isabay sa halalan yung plebiscite?

SP: Dapat talaga may election.

Q: May ibang Congressmen na gusto raw nila na may transitory period pag pinag-uusapan na yung federalism tapos wala raw yung election.

SP: Talagang may transitory period in the sense na the day after the plebiscite, hindi ibig sabihin nun federal na tayo kaagad. We have to transition to the federal, that will be governed by the transitory provisions na hindi natin pwede pag-usapan ngayon kasi wala rin sa harap natin, theoretical na naman. Hindi pwedeng walang election, because ang mamumuno even sa transitory provisions ay dapat hinalal din ng taongbayan.

Q: Hindi pwedeng hold-over capacity raw?

SP: Pwedeng ipropose yun, pero mananaig ba yung proposal na yan sa Constitution na isusubmit natin sa taongbayan? Most likely, hindi. Unless gusto naming ireject ng taongbayan yung aming ipopropose na Constitution, so hindi namin gagawin yun. Theoretically, pwedeng pag-usapan. Sa real life, do you think that will pass?

Q: Kung con-con two years, yung con-ass ilan?

SP: This year dapat. It should be one year or less than a year. We will come up with a draft, kasi organized na ang Congress. Organized na kami. Alam na namin sino ang mga members namin, magco-committee kami. Ipapattern namin sa existing committees.

Q: Separate voting ba yun?

SP: Yes. Ang interpretation ng Senado, at ang personal interpretation ko, is voting separately. There is nothing I can do about it because I read and re-read the 1987 Constitution, yun po talaga ang interpretation na pumupunta sa akin. It must be voting separately.

Q: Two-thirds or three-fourths?

SP: Three-fourths. Please check the Constitution but that is what I remember.

Q: Yung target po na federalism before SONA?

SP: After na. Hindi kaya. SONA is July, so after na. Ako ngayon pag nagse-set ako ng timetable conservative na rin ako kasi if you noticed sa mga earlier interviews ninyo sa akin, ang timetable ko sablay.

Q: Basta 2019 ipe-plebiscite na?

SP: Oo kaya nga sabi ko less than a year, kasi dapat January 2019, kung balak natin plebiscite sa Mayo 2019, January 2019 ang pinag-uusapan na dapat, pinapaliwanag na sa taongbayan is the final draft which will now be subject to plebiscite.

On Pulse Asia's rating

SP: Hindi ko pa nakikita yung Pulse, pero balita ko good news daw so thank you very much.

On the Senate-House legislative meeting

SP: Nagkakaroon kami ng monthly nyan, so sa January medyo hindi namin na-schedule pa. Mapapg-usapan namin ni Speaker sa Davao.

On the passage of death penalty

SP: Hindi ko sinabing passage ha? Sinabi ko we will discuss it in the plenary. Mabigat ang usapan sa death penalty sa Senado, hati. Until ngayon hindi ko masabi which side ang lumalamang. Basta out of respect for the House of Representatives, kung meron silang pinasa na panukala at pinasa na sa Senado, at least pag-aralan namin at pag-usapan. Ganun din ang appeal ko sa kanila. Yung pinasa naman namin dito, for example yung proposal ni Senator Gordon na as a measure to improve law and order in the country, yung bagong rules sa motorcycle plate numbers, the bigger plates, matagal na rin pending sa House yun. Dito pinasa na. This will improve the law and order in the country, napaka-importante.

Q: Ano pa po yung utang sa inyo ng House na significant bill na hindi pa nila naaaksyunan?

SP: Yun lang ang naiisip ko sa ngayon, and then ganun din naman sila, death penalty lang naman ang naiisip nila kasi lahat ng importante, increase in the pay ng uniformed personnel, pinasa namin ang joint resolution. TRAIN, pasado. 2018 budget, pasado. Ano pa ba? Wala na. It's just that death penalty, pero ang gusto ko lang sabihin, may karapatan din naman ang Senado to disagree with the House and vice-versa. Sila may karapatan din to disagree with us. Ang minimum obligation namin is at least pay attention to what the other House has passed and then iprocess din in good faith.

Q: Yung pinasa ninyo kasi, 116 out of 418, ang natira dun karamihan local bills?

SP: Oo. Marami rin kaming pinasa na local bills. This January, tuloy-tuloy pa rin. Duty naman namin yun to also entertain the local bills coming from the House.

On Senator Drilon saying that Speaker Alvarez's attack against the Senate is so that the Senate can be abolished faster.

SP: Ang lalim palang mag-isip ni Speaker. Anyway, let us see the future surveys kung maaapektuhan yung last 58%rating ng Senado. Napaka-taas nun. Tiningnan ko yung mga past ratings ng Senado, this is the highest rating of the Senate in 5 to 6 years. Tingnan natin, but I don't think that is the objective of the Speaker. Ang tanong ko na lang, ano ang objective ni Senator Drilon?

On what form of federalism the PDP-Laban is pushing for.

SP: The PDP-Laban formula as I have stated in my speeches and in my public pronouncements, if we stick to unitary, we have to shift to parliamentary. Therefore, unicameral. Ang common concept kasi ng parliamentary is unicameral. But if we go federal, then we can still be bicameral. So walang takot ang advocacy ang PDP-Laban is federal, hence bicameral. Kelangan po ng Senado, as the Upper House, which will now be the venue, for the voices of the regions. If we stick to unitary, all the more we need to abolish the Senate.

News Latest News Feed