Transcript of interview of Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III

On the CHR asking for records from the ICAD

SP Sotto: Apparently the CHR does not know what the inter-agency is, they don't have records. It's a meeting of different agencies involved in illegal drugs and drug abuse, ganun yung inter-agency. It does not have its own statistics, they might as well ask the PNP for it or the Dangerous Drugs Board, or the DOH, that's the inter-agency committee. Apparently, hindi nila alam.

Q: (Unclear)

SP Sotto: Hindi naman, sa tingin ko hindi lang nila alam ang function ng inter-agency.

Q: Si VP Leni daw will ask the help of UN and the US Embassy doon sa drug war. Do you think there is a need for it?

SP Sotto: Well, that's her opinion.

Q: Nothing wrong with it?

SP Sotto: Kasi, ano ang matututunan natin doon, hindi nila alam ang problema sa Pilipinas. Meron silang sariling United States Drug Control Policy Program na yung iba patterned doon sa UN strategy pero ang UN, medyo as of now, the United Nations Office Of Drugs and Crime medyo hindi rin malinaw kung ano ang mga strategies. As a matter of fact, pinagdedebatihan pa namin nung araw yung harm reduction program, ayaw ko, hindi pwede sa Pilipinas yun. Okay lang, kanya-kanyang thinking yan. Kung sa tingin nila, makakatulong, then go ahead. My personal opinion, wala tayong mapapala doon.

Q: Makakaasa ba ng suporta si VP Robredo sa additional budget para sa rehabilitation and prevention?

SP Sotto: Again, the budgets for rehabilitation and prevention and other programs, are imbedded in the agencies na kasali sa inter-agency so baka merong misunderstanding as far as funding is concerned. Dapat siguro tingnan muna nila kung ano ang mga budget ang meron doon at paano ginamit, kasi ang alam ko they have enough, yung mga ibang agency. Now, yung inter-agency, they don't have a say on the budget. They have a say on policy but they do not have a say in the budget of the different agencies. Again, palagay ko mas magandang pag-aralan muna nilang mabuti kung talagang ano ang functions ng inter-agency committee.

Q: Walang sariling budget yung inter-agency?

SP Sotto: Merong sariling budget pero hindi for executive actions.

Q: Only for coordination lang?

SP Sotto: I think yes. Hindi ko maintindihan masyado kung operation, kung personnel services.

Q: Pero valid na humingi ng additional budget si VP Leni o wala siyang say doon?

SP Sotto: Palagay ko hindi pa niya kabisado yung trabaho ng inter-agency kasi hindi naman yun ang magpapatupad, so the budget, necessary, ay nandoon sa iba't-ibang agencies. So siguro mabuting iresearch muna nilang mabuti, pag-aralan nila muna ng mabuti ang mga gawa nung mga members ng inter-agency para makita nila kung saan ginamit ang funding last year, at ito bay dapat bunutin at ilagay sa inter-agency na sila ang magsasabi, which I doubt kung papayag yung mga agency. Medyo masalimuot ng kaunti pa.

Q: Mas maganda bang huwag munang makialam yung mga agencies outside ICAD?

SP Sotto: Siguro...palagay ko... hindi naman nila alam yung mga function ng ICAD eh. Ano yung pakikialam ng UN doon? Siguro research lang yan. Perhaps what the Vice President means is research. Pero as far as running the anti-illegal drugs and drug abuse program of the country, I don't think we will learn from those groups.

Q: Si Speaker Cayetano, this early sinasabi niya na parang nasosbrahan saw sa pagdaldal si VP Leni? Every move niya sinasabi niya sa media, dapat daw this time nagtatrabaho na? Do you have the same observation?

SP Sotto: I'd rather not comment.