Press Release
December 3, 2019

Transcript of Interview of Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III

On the SEA Games

Q: Assessment ninyo sa SEA Games, considering 2(?) days, hakot tayo ng medals? What does that imply after may ilang days na bad news about preparations?

SP Sotto: I think the bad news, I would like to consider it na part of the jitters siguro ng iba, at yung iba naman ay syempre, alam mo na, nilalagyan ng politika imbes na asikasuhin or ang pagisipan ay kung paano mananalo ang ating bansa. Ganun, basta manalo ka para sa bansa mo. Sa mga hindi narerealize ng ibang kababayan natin, na ang atleta kasi pag lumalaban, iba ang pakiramdan ng nagpaparticipate ka sa kahit anong sports lang na ang dala mo ay bandera ng Pilipinas, ilang beses ko nang nasubukan yun. Six times na national team ako, ilang beses akong nagrepresent ng bansa natin sa World Cup at saka sa President's Cup. Napakabigat ng pakiramdam mo pagka bandera ng Pilipinas na dala-dala mo, sa ulo mo. Yung ang hindi narerealize ng iba. Kaya yung mga batikos na naririnig mo, mga pintas na maririnig mo sa kung anong bagay, tungkol sa preparasyon, sa kahit anong bagay tungkol sa laban, nakakabawas ng gana mo yun, sa totoo. Kaya dapat talaga, concentrated tayong mga kababayan natin kung paano tayo mananalo. Ito kasi ang pagkakataong manalo. If you will notice, most of the host countries usually win. Most of the host countries that host the SEA Games usually wins. Why? Sila ang pinakamaraming participants. Doon nagkakatalo yun. Sapagkat ang mga event ay ginagawa sa iba't ibang bansa, hindi sila makapagpadala ng kasing dami ng gusto nilang ipadala because of funding constraints, di ba? Maraming mga ibang bagay, merong hindi nagkaqualify na mga atleta, pero pag nasa bansa mo, lahat ng events kaya mong participatan. Lahat ng events, marami kang participants. Doon nagkakatalo, kaya importante na nagkaisa tayo dito sa SEA Games na ginagawa sa atin para manalo tayo. Ganun yun, at pag nagpapadala naman tayo sa ibang bansa, pag masyadong marami tayong pinadala, pintas nga ng iba mas marami pa daw yung mga officials kesa sa mga players, di ba? Ganun ang nangyayari din sa kanila. Pare-pareho yan, ganun din yun.

Q: But so far, satisfied ka sa performance ng Pilipinas?

SP Sotto: Yes, very satisfied, even with the preparations, everything was thought of kahit na sabihin mong may nagdadialogue na delayed daw yung budget, or (unclear) daw sila, still, preparations were enough for the country to be happy about the results, they are honored to be Filipinos. Pati opening ceremonies, hindi lang yung mga gold medal, pati opening ceremonies. So let's keep on praying(?) and let's keep on supporting our athletes because the carry the flag of the Philippines. And as I sad earlier, iba pag atleta ka at dala mo ang bandera ng Pilipinas. Pag kami naglalaro sa mga competitions abroad, tapos ang sarili lang namin ang dala namin sarili lang namin pag nagparticipate kami sa Las Vegas Invitational, sa Lucky Strike Million Dollar Classic, o sa Hong Kong Open, o Singapore open, yung mga ganun, sarili mo lang ang dala mo doon. Okay lang yun, pero pag national team ang nirerepresent mo, may bandera ka sa likod ng uniporme mo, ang bigat. Hindi pa nila nasusubukan yun kaya ang lakas magpintas ng mga yan.

Q: May need pa ba to investigate after the SEA Games?

SP Sotto: Siguro there would be an accounting. Let me call it that. Perhaps there should be an accounting of the expenses made and it should not have anything to do with the games. Ang importante, iba yung issue na yun, iba yung iba yung pintas nila tungkol sa lighting, sa cauldron, sa budget, iba yun. Isan-tabi natin yun, hindi yun ang pinaguusapan at hindi yun ang point ko. Ang point ko is manalo tayo ng gold. Kung maaari nga, lahat ng event, sweep.

Q: Sino dapat ang mag-accounting?

SP Sotto: The organizing committee, the Philippine Sports Commission, they have all Commission on Audit representation, di ba, and if ever the Committee on Finance of the Senate, or the Committee on Finance of the House would like to look into this. It's just proper, and it can be done, even before the 2021 budget. Pwedeng pagusapan talaga yun, parang reporting. Accounting.

Q: So parang sa form ng isang hearing?

SP Sotto: Pwedeng ganun, pwedeng hindi inquiry, pwedeng hearing, pwedeng reporting, whatever you would like to call it. The important thing is that there should be accountability. And there would be accountability, I am very confident that it is so because sa nakikita kong mga preparasyon, talaga namang magastos yun.

Q: May capacity na ba ang Pilipinas para mag-host ulit ng ganitong kalaking event?

SP Sotto: Meron, meron naman, sa tingin ko kayang-kaya. We have enough talent. Ang problema lang doon is magkano so dapat pag-isipang mabuti. Pagka mas malaki sa South East Asian Games, kailangang pag-isipang mabuti yung funding. Kung ang funding katulad nitong SEA Games ay natulungan ng private sector, or kung later on ang private sector ay tutulong para yung Asian games or Olympics ay ika nga ay maisipang gawin sa Pilipinas, that would put the Philippines in again a prominent position in the map, in the sporting world, pero maganda kung makakasali ang private sector at maraming mga sponsors, pagka ganun, palagay ko, pwede. Pag puro gobyerno lang, medyo mabigat. Di baling South East Asian Games, merong component, I think mga P1.5 billion coming from the private sector, okay na rin yun. kaya natin yun, pero yung Asian Games or Olympics, medyo madugo, magastos yun.

Q: Sapat na (unclear) cauldron, Senator Drilon will push for an inquiry about it?

SP Sotto: There can always be an accounting, as I said. It's up to any member of the Senate to call for a hearing or an inquiry on the matter. No one can sop them from doing so and I will not be a hindrance to any investigation that they would like.

Q: (Unclear)

SP Sotto: Yes, very much. I am very much satisfied.

Q: (Unclear)

SP Sotto: If you take everything at face value, marami kasi doon sa lumalabas, mukhang fake news and even the President later on would probably realize that, kung totoo (unclear) as of the moment, as I said, we're taking everything at face value. We don't know if it's right or wrong. Kikiam, chicken sausage pala, di ba? So at the moment, merong mga ganung lumalabas and I am sure the truth will come out later on.

Q: (Unclear)

SP Sotto: As I said kanina, magkakaroon naman ng proper accounting yun, Malalaman natin kung paano ginastos yung P6 billion and then, later on, if the private sector would like to help, hindi tayo magiging masyadong magastos if ever we want to do it again.

Q: On vaping regulation.

SP Sotto: The target is to finish interpellations by, pero hindi, taxes pala yung pinaguusapan, I 'm sorry, the sin tax pala yun including the...actually, sagasa na yung regulation dun, di ba? When we pass the sin tax amendments, pag pinasa namin yun and the target is continuing of interpellations on the 9th, and the 10th for the period of amendments, so hopefully by the 11th or the week thereafter we are able to pass it., then during that time it could be a lift-off for the regulation of the entire vaping issue.

Q: By January kaya?

SP Sotto: Palagay ko that will be the later, January, yung regulation, palagay ko kasi mamadaliin na rin natin ang usapan dito dahil merong mga umaangal na nagva-vape because (unclear).

Q: (Unclear)

SP Sotto: I understand that in the bicam there will be very few points of disagreement, so sa tingin ko baka naman pagbalik namin on the week of the 9th, baka maratify namin.

Q: Ano yung disagreements?

SP Sotto: Hindi ko sure, pero baka lang. Usually, few yan because maraming amendments ginawa ang Senate over the House version, so meron silang payag sila, meron din namang baka one or two points na hindi sila nag-aagree, I am not sure. You better ask Senator Angara for that.

Q: Walang report si Senator Angara sa inyo?

SP Sotto: Ang sabi lang niya sa akin everything is fine. All is well, everything is fine. Tinanong ko yung pinipintas nung isang Congressman tungkol doon sa P3 billion daw sa NFA, na tinawag na well, inappropriate pagtawag doon sa dagdag-bawas kasi alam naman natin na pag sinabi mong dagdag-bawas, tungkol sa election yun, at saka nagdaya yun, di ba? Yun kaagad. So I think it is very inappropriate to call an amendment a dagdag-bawas. Una, napakahalagang amendment na ginawa ng Committee on Agriculture nag approve ang Committee on Finance, alisin mo sa NFA ang P3 billion at ilagay mo sa Landbank. Mas nakasisiguro ka na tamang gagamitin yun sa Landbank, di ba? Ilang beses nang nagkaroon ng issue sa NFA, hanggang ngayon may mga kontrobersiya, o di ba? Bakit papalag sila, dahil maganda nga yung amendment. So hindi magandang gumagawa ng mga salitang ganun na ginagamit sa pandaraya sa election na mga term, gagamitin sa amendment sa lehislatura.

Q: Paninindigan ng Senate yun? Yung realignment?

SP Sotto: Of course.

Q: Pagbalik ng Monday, ratification?

SP Sotto: Most probably. It is possible, depende kung napirmahan ng lahat ng mga members ng bicam. There are 23 members of the bicam ng House, at saka 15 members of the Senate bicam.

Q: Are the bicam still meeting now?

SP Sotto: I think so. Nagkaroon sila ng small group. I think it was suggested by Congressman Lagman that a small group be convened para mas madali ang usapan.

Q: (Unclear)

SP Sotto: Oo syempre, it will have to be approved by the entire bicam before it is brought up to the Senate and to the House.

Q: (Unclear)

SP Sotto: Either i-eksplika nila sa bicam yun or alisin nila. ganun lang siguro yun, I am not familiar with the...

Q: (Unclear)

SP Sotto: Impasse? Hindi naman siguro. I do not foresee anything like that because anything that is done before the bicam, during the bicam, and before ratification, kasama talaga sa preparation ng budget yan. Ang inaangal namin last year, was after ratification, saka nilikot. Ginagawa ang printing, saka nilikot.

Q: Ngayon walang ganun?

SP Sotto: Wala pa naman kaming nakikitang ganun. I don't expect Speaker Cayetano and their chairman of appropriations to do something like that.

Q: (Unclear)

SP Sotto: I am not familiar with what you are saying, I am not privy to that so I leave it to the bicam, the bicameral committee of the Senate. I leave it to them to discuss that and to suggest or give recommendations to us.

Q: Yung sinasabi ni Senator Lacson, yung mga pork-like insertions, yung mga doble-dobleng projects?

SP Sotto: Tatanggalin nila yun for sure. Sa bicam pa lang tatanggalin yun pag doble-dobleng projects, (unclear) I don't think they will agree.

Q: Walang nasabi sa inyo kung ano yung mga disagreements?

SP Sotto: Wala pa. Sabi ko lang I am sure baka merong disagreements.

Q: So far walang reklamo yung Senate sa insertions ng House?

SP Sotto: Walang nakarating sa akin.

Q: (Unclear) total realignments na ginawa ng Senate?

SP Sotto: I do not have the total pero there are realignments as far as I know in the dangerous Drugs Board, dinagdagan ng funding, mga additional funding at kinuha yun doon sa mga nakikita ng Senate na sobra o hindi kailangan o hindi nagastos last year. Like for example, my amendment was to cut P195 million from the DOH budget. As an example, meron pang mga iba naman sila. We cut P195 million from the DOH budget, allotted for commodities that is not yet agreed or approved by the President. Yung mga abortifacients na sinasabi.

Q: (Unclear)

SP Sotto: Oo, P195million, ginawa naming amendment on the floor. At yung P195 million, the Senate Committee on Finance, is free to realign it to other items that are necessary.

Q: (Unclear)

SP Sotto: Ay hindi, iba-ibang mga pinaggamitan, mga pangangailangan katulad ng sa DDB, kailangan nila nitong bagong rapid drug testing equipment, tapos yung ibang ahensiya kailangan din, PDEA, the NBI, mga ganun.

Q: (Unclear)

SP Sotto: I am not sure, dapat si Sonny Angara ang tanungin ninyo diyan.

Q: (Unclear)

SP Sotto: I understand the people behind the presentation. It is representation, not inclusion. Inclusion yung sinasabi ng iba. Hindi. It is representation. Manila represents the entire country and (unclear) the world. Pag sinabing Manila, Pilipinas yan.

Q: (Unclear)

SP Sotto: Hindi, hindi siguro because they are not musically inclined. Iba ang musicality pag (unclear). Naintindihan ko yung musical director na gumawa at saka yung ginawa nila Ryan, nila (unclear), bagay na bagay sa opening ceremonies yun. I know the message, I understand them. Ang problema, merong mga hindi nakakaintindi ng musika, pati musika, gustong pakialaman.

Q: Pertaining to Mayor Sara?

SP Sotto: Hindi, maraming nagsasalita ng ganun. May iba, bakit hindi daw kanta nila ang ginamit.

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