Transcript of Ambush interview of Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III

On the 2019 budget

SP Sotto: From the NEP (National Expenditure Program) nagiging GAB (General Appropriations Bill) kapag pine-resent nila sa-amin dito. Before it becomes the GAA which is the law already, we will scrutinize it the way the Senate scrutinizes it. Nothing is written in stone as far as the Senate is concerned. So kung ano man yung ilalagay sa house, o idadagdag, o ibabawas, lahat yun pagdating dito, pinag-aaralan din muna namin din yun. Hindi naman kami pwedeng magpasa lang kung ano yung dumaan sa amin dito lalo na pagdating sa budget, because the budget is the single most important piece of legislation that Congress has to pass every year.

Q: Sa DOH budget lang (unclear).

SP Sotto: Medyo debatable pa yun as far as that part is concerned kasi kung yung mga cut ay doon sa mga personnel services tatamaan, hindi naman kami papayag. Pwede namang ayusin yun. We can amend it by realigning, so maybe hindi pa problema yun as of now. Tingnan natin pagdating dito sa amin.