Press Release
November 6, 2019

Transcript of Interview of Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III

On VP Leni Robredo accepting the post of co-chair of the inter-agency committee on drugs.

SP Sotto: It's very good news, as a matter of fact, the Vice President can start with some of the important concerns like prevention and rehabilitation. She can focus on that right away. I am willing to give her some every effective ideas that worked before to her, so that she would be very effective in the inter-agency.

Q: Dahil Cabinet rank daw yun, kailangan dumaan sa CA?

SP Sotto: Hindi.

Q: Ano yung mga tips ninyo para mag-succeed siya?

SP Sotto: As I said, siguro medyo mahabang istorya yan. We'll probably have to sit down, we'll probably have to prepare a proposal if she is interested lang, I am sure she will let me know if she is interested or not. Kung hindi naman, manonood na lang tayo.

Q: Na-share na ba ninyo yung mga tips ninyo before kay President Duterte para mag-succeed?

SP Sotto: Yes. From 1988 to 1992, President Duterte and I were both on the anti-illegal drugs campaign, while he was mayor of Davao, I was Vice Mayor of Quezon City. I was head of the Quezon City anti-drug abuse council, which was declared model council by the then DILG and the WHO for anti-drug abuse councils. So alam nila yung mga pattern na dapat gawin.

Q: Si Senator Lacson is willing to give her an audience?

SP Sotto: I cannot speak (unclear), hindi kami nag-uusap. Ako, I am willing to give her a perspective on how the inter-agency works and where to concentrate so that she would not be confined to enforcement or prosecution.

Q: Sabi daw ni VP, kahit sabihin daw na yung alok pamumulitika lang, at hindi naman siya susundin ng ibang ahensiya, gagawin ang lahat para hindi siya magtagumpay, handa raw siyang tiisin yung (unclear).

SP Sotto: Ay hindi totoo yun. Huwag siyang maniwala doon sa mga advise na ganun. Yung mga adviser na ganun, ang dapat hindi adviser ang tawag, kundi mga grave diggers sapagkat ang gusto ng VP, makatulong, ito ang pinakamagandang paraan para makatulong. At ito, hindi ito success ng administrasyon ni President Duterte, success ito ng bansa, or ng taong bayan, sa pakikipaglaban sa isang social malady which is the problem of illegal drugs and drug abuse.

Q: Ano sa tingin ninyo ang value na madadala ni VP doon sa drug war?

SP Sotto: Baka mas magkaroon ng spunk yung inter-agency. You know I have been head of that inter-agency before, a long time ago. It was my stint as CADAC (City Anti-Drug Abuse Council) chair that we started the inter-agency issue. The DDB before was a small bureau under the Department of Health, so medyo kabisado ko ang takbo nun. Ngayon, magkakaroon ng spunk yun, Vice President ang co-chair eh. Siyempre, dapat mag-sipag sila at mas dapat maging masigasig sila sa kanilang mga assignment.

Q: Yung legality na wala namang co-chair sa original executive order?

SP Sotto: Walang problema ang legality nun, anything can be done by the President. It's in the Constitution. Nasa Constitution yan, kasama sa powers ng Presidente yang mag-create ng ganun. Hindi dapat kwestiyunin yan, kahit yung first year law student, alam yan.

Q: Where will you want her to focus?

SP Sotto: I already said prevention and rehabilitation.

Q: Pero kasama pa rin sa enforcement yun?

SP Sotto: Hindi, that is a different story. Enforcement is a different story all along. I don't think she will be effective there, she will be very effective in prevention and rehabilitation. As a matter of fact, she may even be effective also as prosecution, for prosecution concerns, kasi baka mas magandang nakabantay yung inter-agency chairs doon sa mga cases na finafile.

Q: Ano ang assurance na kakayanin ni VP Leni ito knowing na basically wala talaga siyang background on the issue of illegal drugs?

SP Sotto: Hindi, kaya niya yun, basta as I said, ang importante, maibigay sa kanya ang tamang perspective at hindi mga perspective ng mga doom sayers. Hindi siya dapat nakikinig sa mga doom sayers.

Q: Ngayong on-board na si VP Leni, ano ang chance na ma-address na yung war on drugs?

SP Sotto: Ma-aaddress yun, mas malakas nga as I said earlier. Mas magiging malakas dahil VP yung inter-agency head.

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