Press Release
February 26, 2020

Transcript of Interview of Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III

On ABS CBN

Q: ...Yung para magbigay kayo ng provisional authority sa ABS CBN?

SP Sotto: Wala pa, nasaan ba yung bill?

Q: Papayag ba kayo? Dapat ba maglabas ang Senate?

SP Sotto: Pag-uusapan muna yun, hindi ako (unclear) doon sa sinasabi ng NTC na kailangan ng resolution ng Senate para (unclear). Ginawa ba nila yun sa Iloilo? Controversial? Doon sa Iloilo franchise na (unclear) electric? Ginawa ba nila yun sa Smart? Ginawa nila yun sa Globe? Bakit ayaw nilang magdesisyon dito? Magdesisyon sila, bakit ipapasa sa amin?

Q: So your advice to your colleagues regarding of a passage of a concurrent or a joint resolution would be?

SP Sotto: I think my advice is for us to really study and review it well because right now, I just heard that the 1994 MOU dati sinasabi ko na deemed extended ang franchise ng kahit anong franchise na terminated pag merong nakapending na bill, ay ano pala yun, it was superseded by a Supreme Court decision in 2004 and therefore, a Supreme Court decision forms part of the law of the land. Kailangang pagaralan naming mabuting mabuti yan kasi we were not aware that there was such a Supreme Court decision na kapag ang isang franchise pala ay natapos, hindi ka pwedeng mag-operate. Hintayin mo muna yung franchise mo ulit.

Q: Kasi si Sen. Drilon merong joint resolution para iextend hanggang December, ano ang plano ng Senate doon?

SP Sotto: Kaya nga ang sabi ko pagaralan. How do you react to the 2004 Supreme Court decision? It has never been brought out before, only now.

Q: Just to educate our readers and viewers, can you delineate the major difference between a concurrent resolution and a joint resolution?

SP Sotto: Again, dati yan, mas may force yung joint resolution na tinatawag. Parang ano yun, almost have the force of the law. Pero, there was again, just a few months ago, a Supreme Court decision on the matter, that a resolution or a joint resolution, a concurrent resolution, both Houses of Congress, remains that, a resolution. Hindi yun, it does not have the force of a law.

Q: And it cannot amend an existing law?

SP Sotto: It cannot amend an existing law. That's the reason na nagfile sila ng bill na gagawing batas yung gustong gawin noon. Hindi pwedeng concurrent resolution lang. Again, we go back to the thing that, a Supreme Court decision forms part of the law of the land. Kaya, kahit magpasa kami ng resolution, magpasa na lang kami ng bill imbis na resolution. Ganun na dapat.

Q: Ano po ang plano sa VFA petition?

SP Sotto: We are still filing for a question. Constitutional issue asking the Supreme Court to once and for all interpret the Constitution whether the Senate should be consulted when it comes to abrogation.

Q: Anong plano? Kailan po?

SP Sotto: Within the week, hopefully. Within the week.

Q: Hindi ninyo na hihintayin?

SP Sotto: Kung hindi maaapprove yung resolution, hindi ko na hihintayin pero kung maaapprove, mas mabuti. I am about to speak to Se4n. Pimentel now, siya yung Committee on Foreign Relations. Magawan ng paraan, sana mailabas kaagad yung resolution. If not, it will be delayed for a week, baka Monday na yan.

Q: Posible ba bukas?

SP Sotto: I doubt it.

Q: What is delaying it?

SP Sotto: Kasi nga gusto sana namin, kasama yung resolution doon. Kung hindi, magpapapirma pa ako sa mga kasama ko. So, the way things are going, the earliest possible could be Monday.

Q: Yung concurrent resolution ni Minority Leader Drilon, finile niya just now? Yung tinatanong namin sa inyo na dapat bayaan na magkaroon ng provisional authority ang ABS CBN until June 2022?

SP Sotto: Kailangang pagusapan namin yan ng mabuti kasi nga merong Supreme Court decision pala tungkol diyan and as I said, pag sinabi ng Supreme Court, it is part of the law of the land and therefore we cannot amend that law by a resolution.

Q: Hindi siya pwedeng basta irefer to the Committee on Rules, or to whatever committee not unless mapagusapan ng mga senators muna?

SP Sotto: Depende, pwedeng irefer sa Rules yan, pwedeng sa Public Services, pero again, as I said, kailangang pagusapan muna naming mabuti.

Q: Caucus yun?

SP Sotto: Malamang.

Q: Is it happening today?

SP Sotto: Well, kung gusto nila. Kung aapurahin nila, siguro mag-caucus na muna kami.

Q: Sa tingin ninyo, bakit pinapasa sa inyo?

SP Sotto: Yun ang hindi ko alam at tinatanong ko nga. My question, bakit ninyo pinapasa sa amin? Why can't you act decisively and decide whether you should or not, di ba?

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