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

On the 2019 budget

SP Sotto: Senator Legarda will report sa amin on the bicam and then we will take it up, we will play it by ear thereafter kung ano ang situation, kung ano ang napagkasunduan, at kung ang napagkasunduan nila ay iaapprove namin o hindi.

Q: Paano kung hindi agreeable ang members ng bicam?

SP Sotto: Yung small bicam was to facilitate the procedure but the whole bicam will still be the one who will be approving it before they give it to us in plenary kaya meron sila na ulit isa pang bicam after we have the caucus. Kaya magkakaroon din ng caucus is that's another reason to brief the bicam members and also the members of the Senate kung ano ang napagkakasunduan pa lang. Hindi pa naman yan written in stone.

Q: Pero yung sa Friday na target ni Senator Legarda, willing kayo to extend until Friday ang session?

SP Sotto: Talaga namang hanggang Friday supposed to be kaya lang nag-aadjourn kami ng Wednesday kung wala ng kailangang itatackle pero ang importante, dahil pinakikiusap ng Malacañang ang budget, baka mag-extend nga kami until Friday. Malamang na mag-extend na yun kasi hindi pwedeng matapos mamaya.

Q: Yung call ni Senator Lacson to veto ni President yung mga pork?

SP Sotto: Kung nararapat, at kung talagang maliwanag na pork, bakit hindi? Dapat i-veto.

Q: Pero sabi ni Medialdea don't preempt the President.

SP Sotto: Kanya-kanyang opinion yan.

Q: Bakit nyo pa ipapasa yung pork?

SP Sotto: Hindi ganun, at this point hindi namin talaga alam kung alin ang pork at hindi. Alam lang namin sa Senate, ano yung mga institutional amendments.

Q: So you will leave it to the President?

SP Sotto: Hindi naman, We will find out from the bicam later, from the report of Senator Loren. Lahat is at stake in the report of Loren.