Transcript of Interview of Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III

On the age of criminal liability.

SP Sotto: We filed today a bill amending RA 9344 and RA 10630. We were hoping that RA 10630 was able to straighten out some of the issues that were bugging RA 9344, yung age of criminal liability pero, apparently, kung ano yung napagusapan namin at laman ng journal na pagdebate namin up to the bicam, lumalabas na Pagdating sa implementasyon hindi ganun ang intindimyento. Hindi ganun ang interpretation ng DSWD, ng PNP, kaya parang wala yung 10630, parang yung 9344 pa rin yung in effect. So I was even suggesting na dapat magkaroon ng parang summit on the juvenile justice issue, para once and for all mabigyan ng tamang pananaw yung mga kapulisan, ang DSWD, at mga korte. Pero mukhang mas matatagalan pa yun, so ang naisip ko dito, hit the nail on the head. Diretsohin na natin, let's bring down the age of criminal liability to below 12 years old.

In other words, if you are 12 years old and one day, you can be held criminally liable. Dapat ganun.

Q: Meaning they can be imprisoned in usual jails or common (unclear)?

SP Sotto: Para matimplang mabuti yan, because that is the issue na naalala ko, many years ago kung bakit nila pinasa yung Juvenile Justice Act, sapagkat finiture ng CNN ang mga jails natin na may mga bata na maliliit na nandudoon. Yung mga batang maliliit na nandudoon, 9 years old, 10 years old. 12 ito, 12 and below, una. Pangalawa, mga city jail yung nakita, mga nangyayari talaga paminsan-minsan yun, pero just to make sure na hindi tayo mapipintasan pagdating sa parting yan, in my bill, we are giving an additional P15-million, for a total of P20-million, to the DSWD Bahay Pag-Asa. So P20-million sa Bahay Pag-Asa, para mas maaccomodate sila. Right now there are provinces na hindi pa kumpleto, in the 2019 budget we will make sure that there will be enough funding for that.

Ang importante dito ma-address natin yung problema sa ngayon.

Q: Para sa mga serious crime offenders po ba ito?

SP Sotto: Oo, serious crime offenders, but then again, matitimpla pa rin mabuti kunwari may question on the issue of discernment, o di sa Bahay Pag-Asa.

Q: Bakit kailangan ibaba sa 13 years old?

SP Sotto: Sunod-sunod ang pagpatay ng 14 years old. 14 years old, 13 years old, 15 years old, sunod-sunod ang mga krimen na ginagawa. Kitang-kita rin ninyo, kayong media, kitang-kita ninyo sa television, sa mga CCTV, nationwide, at saka ang mga pagpatay nila, hindi mga homicide, makikita mo, pinagplaplanuhan, murder na maliwanag. Nakikita natin na ginagawa nitong mga kabataan, anong leksiyon ang maituturo natin sa mas bata sa kanila Kapag ganun ang nakita? 13 years old, 14 years old, may nirape, after one week, nasa eskuwelahan na naman, at yung nirape, hindi na makapasok sa hiya.

Q: Paano yan sir, magkakaroon sila ng separate jail? Doon sa mga serious crime offenders? Pwede rin sila masubject sa (unclear).

SP Sotto: We will address that in the IRR kasi medyo masalimuot na yung parting yan, pwedeng let's say 20 years imprisonment ang sentensiya sa kanya, eh di pag 35 years old na siya, pwede na siyang lumabas.

Q: Will you ask the President to certify this?

SP Sotto: I'm sure I will. The soonest possible time that I will talk to him, I will tell him about it and I will ask him to certify it as an urgent bill, but then again let's just be very practical about it. When you certify a certain measure as urgent, the only benefit it has is first, psychological dahil gusto ng Presidenteng apurahin yan. Hindi pa rin naapura yan sa mga hearing at debate pero naaapura yan pagdating ng third reading because you do away with the three day rule.

Q: Ano yung consideration ng liability ng parents considering these are minors?

SP Sotto: Pwedeng yung dating batas will take effect, yung (unclear). It is well addressed there. Pinilit ko talagang maikli lang ito, para talagang hit the nail on the head, eksaktuhin lang natin, yun angtalagang target, wag n lang natin palawakin masyado, sapagkat yung dating batas, nandun naman, naaddress naman lahat yan.

Q: Ano yung age?

SP Sotto: 12 years old and one day and above.

Q: If majority of your colleagues will support this, hindi ba siya magiging debatable kung bata yung 12 years old and one day?

SP Sotto: Hindi siguro. I am confident and optimistic that majority of our members in the Senate, I'm sure not all, but majority, will support it.

Sa ibang bansa, 11 years old, meron pa nga 9, ang pinaka matanda 13. Tayo lang sa Pilipinas ang holier than the Pope, 18 sa atin. Kung tutuusin mo, tingnan mo, 17 and below, pwedeng samantalahin yung batas. So ibaba na natin, once and for all, cut it there, 12 and above para alam na nitong kabataan, hindi na pwede yan, hindi na pwede yung ginagawa at nangyayari.

Q: (Unclear)

SP Sotto: Hindi nga, kailangan ipoprove mo pa na may discernment, ipoprove mo na may discernment, at saka pwede mong ikulong, sa current law.

Q: Yung bill nyo po nakalagay 13?

SP Sotto: 13 and above, but 13 and above, you should be held criminally liable. Technically above 12 yun. I will stick with what the proposal in the bill is muna and then Pagdating ng debate, tingnan natin, but I will not agree to anything above 13., basta pinaka-sara yun, 13.

Q: Sa proposal kasi sir above 12?

SP Sotto: Kasi nga yung between 12 and 13. Iba na yun, depende sa interpretasyon mo. Ano ba yun, 12 years old lang? May ganun. Ilang taon na ba yan, 12? Pero kung tutuusin, 13 na siya. Alam nyo maghanda na dinedebate nyo ngayon yan dito, tayo mismo hindi tayo nagkakaintindihan. Magandang ganyan yan kasi Pagdating niyan sa floor, siguradong mapaguusapan yan. If we have to come up with a direct number, we will come up with a direct number but definitely, it has to be above 13. Hindi pwedeng hindi na.

Q: 13 and above, criminally liable?

SP Sotto: Criminally liable. Pag sinabi mong above 12, what is above 12? 13.

Q: Ano yung possible na krimen?

SP Sotto: Lahat ng krimen na found in the revised Penal Code.

Q: Hindi lang yung sa kung ano yung life imprisonment?

SP Sotto: Lahat ng crime in the Revised Penal Code. You can be held criminally liable if you are above 12 years old. What is above 12 years old? 13.

Q: Between 12 and 18, detention pa rin sa Pag-Asa?

SP Sotto: Ano yung nakalagay sa bill? Ang sinasabi sa bill, above 12 di ba? Yun ang ilalaban natin under debate on the bill. Yung press statement is, sa Tagalog, palamuti. Magandang tingnan kasi yung 13. 13 and above, pero above 12, kung ano yung nasa bill.

Q: Meron po bang statistics kung ano yung (unclear) involved na different criminalities?

SP Sotto: Ginagather ngayon yan, para Pagdating sa hearing , makukumpleto natin. May mga petty crimes, may mga heavy crimes na nangyayari, may drug trafficking, may murder, may rape, ang dami.

Q: Ganung age po?

SP Sotto: Yes, above 12 years old.

Q: Hindi isasama sa regular jail?

SP Sotto: At the moment that is how we look at it. Tingnan natin kung ano ang magiging resulta sa debate, at saka sa IRR.

Q: Special facility po?

SP Sotto: Oo.

Q: If they have discernment, paano idedetermine yun?

SP Sotto: Hindi ganun ang nangyayari ngayon. Hindi ba yung dating bill, age of discernment, 15 and above? Pero hindi, ibig bang sabihin natin, itong mga katorse anyos, trese anyos na nakikita natin sa telebisyon na may pinapatay, wala ba silang discernment?

Q: So walang issue sa discernment?

SP Sotto: Baliktarin natin, kailangan iprove na walang discernment para hind ka maheld criminally liable. Ganun dapat.

Q: Kaya ba itong mapasa ngayon considering na mag-eelection season na?

SP Sotto: Meron kaming lull between the first week of December up to December 15 and then meron pa ring middle of January until the second week of February. May time ito. Ito kasing panahon ngayon, until October 11, merong enough na time para mapagusapan ito, magkaroon ng hearings.

On whether the Senate can pass the contractualization bill this October.

SP Sotto: We will do our best to pass it before October 11.

Q: Do you anticipate drawing flak from rights groups?

SP Sotto: Siguro, specially yung mga hindi pa nakakatikim ng krimen na ginagawa sa kanila ng 13 years old or 14 years old. We expect that there is never a perfect proposal. Lahat ng proposal lagging may bumabatikos.

Q: What prompted you to file that bill?

SP Sotto: The misinterpretation of RA 10630. That is the main reason that I filed the bill.

Q: Sa tingin ninyo mas magiging open yung ibang Senators dito? Palagay ninyo magiging mas mabilis?

SP Sotto: Palagay ko mas madali dahil teenager na. Ang pinagusapan natin dito teenager na, hindi na bata. Talaga namang below 12, bata.

Q: May House counterpart po?

SP Sotto: Merong hindi counterpart, merong version nung House. Yung sa kanila 9 years old.

On Senator Trillanes

Q: Ano po yung magiging stand ng leadership sakaling may warrant of arrest na?

SP Sotto: Kung sakaling may warrant we will find it incumbent upon Senator Trillanes to honor and face the warrant. He has mentioned that to me before. Nabanggit nya sa amin yun, hindi lang sa akin, sa aming caucus. Kung may warrant haharapin niya.

Q: The same protocol will stay?

SP Sotto: Yes. Ganun ang mangyayari.

Q: Ang commitment sa inyo ni Senator Trillanes is susuko siya?

SP Sotto: Yes.

Q: Do you have any information if there is an order of arrest?

SP Sotto: I have no idea.

Q: What will be the procedure if ever? Hindi ninyo papapasukin dito yung arresting officers?

SP Sotto: Oo. We expect Senator Trillanes to either go to the court or Camp Crame, Aguinaldo, or Sandiganbayan, or siguro yung RTC court. We expect him to face the warrant.

Q: Is it safe to say that the Senate will remain supportive to Senator Trillanes?

SP Sotto: We will always remain supportive to the integrity of the Senate, not to any particular senator.

Q: The survey coincided with the proclamation of the revocation? How did you think it affect your ratings?

SP Sotto: I think the survey reflects the opinion of the people on the Senate. We're hardworking, we're efficient, we're doing our work. Maganda rin sa mga kababayan natin na hindi nadadala nung mga batikos. Kahit maraming batikos, marami rin naman yung mga nakakakita na magandang trabaho ang nagagawa at ginagawa ang trabaho. Yun ang mahalaga.

Q: Sir since kulang na kayo ngayon, will this affect the operation of the legislative mill?

SP Sotto: I don't think so because we definitely operate in the old Senate tradition of committee level. Ang trabaho ng Senate nakikita ninyo sa committee talaga. Pagdating sa plenary, kaunti na lang ang debates unless controversial talaga yung mga dinedebate. So yung mga committees na hinahawakan ni Senator Trillanes, ni Senator Cayetano, ni Senator De Lima, may mga humahandle. I don't expect the work of the Senate to be stymied or hampered.

Q: If and when it happens, will the Senate still continue with the investigations?

SP Sotto: It depends on the chairman. It depends on the chairman 9of the committees that the resolutions are referred to, always.

Q: For example, his committee, the civil service?

SP Sotto: His vice chairman can conduct a hearing.

Q: Pero yung decision na yun magiging prerogative ng vice chairman?

SP Sotto: Oo. For example, right now as we speak, the Committee on Social Justice of Senator De Lima is hearing 32 bills, 8 of them are House bills that I myself asked that it be convened already and heard. Precisely, that was one of the reasons why I visited Senator De Lima, to find out how the committee was doing, and what can we do to facilitate the bills. Originally naalala ninyo, the suggestion was payagan siyang magconduct ng hearing doon. Hindi pinayagan, so yung vice chairman na lang dito.

Q: Malamang ganun din ang mangyari kay Senator Trillanes?

SP Sotto: Kung sakali, but you know, mahirap pangunahan yung mga pangyayari, wala pa tayong nakikitang ganun ang mangyayari.

Q: Just in case po, ganun ang gagawin nyo?

SP Sotto: Yes. We will ask the vice chairman of the committee, even if there is a member of the Senate nung kahit hindi may kaso, pagpalagay natin indisposed, or they have to go abroad for whatever reason, at kailangan trabahuhin yung committee, we will ask the vice chairman to conduct the hearings and take over and sponsor the bills that are pending in the committee especially if they are important.

On the TRAIN bill

SP Sotto: Medyo mahirap yan, I cannot predict a time table for that, there are many issues. Kung ang paguusapan lang ay yung lowering of the corporate income tax, pasado agad yun pero we are talking of rationalization of tax incentives, and then there are provisions there that will affect paper, and therefore the books. I don't think we should support that. I have a tendency to remove that from the proposal.

Q: Will there be possible job losses?

SP Sotto: Yun ang mga dapat nating pag-ingatan. Kaya nga dapat ang rationalization ng tax incentives, itutuloy mo at bibigyan mo ng tax incentives yung mga job generating sectors or job generating industries.

Q: What happens with the suggestion of Speaker Arroyo to consider the House version?

SP Sotto: Pinagaaralan namin, yung version na sinasabi nila. Parehong hinihear.

Q: Including yung House version?

SP Sotto: Oo. On the filing of candidacy in October

Q: Makukumpleto na po yung slot ng NPC?

SP Sotto: Sa totoo lang, may problema kami, lampas ng 12 yung mga kaibigan namin na gusto naming tulungan. Sana, hindi na tumuloy yung isa, dalawa sa mga yun, (unclear) para hindi kami mahirapan kasi ang dami naming kaibigan. On Wednesday or Thursday we will be having a general membership meeting. We'll also be distributing the Certificate of Nominations.

Q: Before that mapaplantsa na po yung final 12?

SP Sotto: Tingnan namin, baka pwedeng 8 lang or 10, hindi pa sigurado basta I can assure you the NPC will support a number of senatorial candidates. Nangunguna na lahat yung reelectionist na kasama namin because we have already promised that we will support them. Meron pa kaming kaunting mga pinagusapan pang ilan, example yun, in the case of Bam Aquino or Imee Marcos. I need not explain, pero yung walang kontrobersya, sigurado na.

Q: Factor ba yung ratings sa survey?

SP Sotto: It plays a big role, but then again when you say ratings, I'd like to look at the percentages and not the rank. That is the way to read a survey. The percentage of votes that the senatorial candidate or the candidate is getting and not his or her rank.

Q: (Unclear)

SP Sotto: Sa ngayon, oo may mga suggestions. At saka may mga humihingi rin ng tulong sa amin.

Q: You only want 8 to 10?

SP Sotto: Mas madaling kampanya kasi, 8 to 10.

Q: How about Senator Trillanes?

SP Sotto: He is definitely in the lineup of NPC, because he is an NPC member already. Mag-oath na lang, but he has already joined the group.

Q: Bong Go?

SP Sotto: Yung ang mga sinasabi kong we will support. Yung numbering hindi pa namin masabi, merong mga nakabitin na hindi namin alam kung tatakbo ba talaga. Mayor Sara, tatakbo ba talaga? We're not sure.

Q: Si former Senator Jinggoy kasama po? Lito Lapid?

SP Sotto: Kasama sa pinag-uusapan namin. Lito Lapid, yes.

Q: Pag-aayusin mo po ba yung magkapatid? Si Senator JV and Jinggoy? SP Sotto: Hayaan ko na kay Erap yung pag-ayos nun.

On VP Robredo paying a courtesy call today.

SP Sotto: Sabi ni Bam. After ng budget hearing. I have no idea baka hi and hello lang 'yun. Her budget is pending here. And if you can recall, last year I initiated additional budget for the Office of the Vice President because she did not have a budget for her outreach program. Basta napakaliit ng budget for that particular program nila, so I added an amount. I think a high of P50 million and a low of P30 million, mga ganoon. Hindi ko na matandaan eksakto. Sa OPV, because of that program. Wala laman eh, walang pera, walang funding 'yun program niya. Initiative ko. Nakita ko kasi 'yung nagbabudget hearing na mayroon silang programa na ganon, tinanong ko saan (unclear) eh doon lang daw sila 9unclear).

Q: How long will the Senate place Sen. Trillanes under its custody?

SP Sotto: He is not under our custody. Any sitting senator who wants to stay in his office for whatever time he wants, cannot be prevented by anyone from staying in his office.

Q: In hiding?

SP Sotto: Hindi. Gusto mo matulog dito, sa opisina mo. So, we are not hiding nor protecting anyone.

Q: Sir, paano if a warrant is issued?

SP Sotto: Then they will have to face the warrant.

Q: May warrant of arrest na daw po si Sen. Trillanes.

SP Sotto: Ngayon? I don't know. I am not aware. We are here. We are talking.

Q: On the way na daw po to serve the warrant.

SP Sotto: Then I will ask Sen. Trillanes. Siguro titingnan muna 'yung Sergeant-At-Arms 'yun warrant and then malamang ipakita sa akin

Q: (Unclear)

SP Sotto: Depende. Titingnan ko muna. I will double check muna kung if the balita is accurate.