Transcript of interview of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile

Q: If you apply the new reformed taxing scheme...

SP: That is not true. That will not be lost because if you reduce the present taxes you're giving to the government from Php 6.2 billion to Php 2.2 billion, there is a loss of Php 4 billion. That Php 4 billion will be used for consumption. So the government will get its VAT, will get its income tax, will get its all other taxes there. So in effect, the government will recover a portion of that because that's a loss but you will increase the tempo of the economy and with that increase in the tempo of the economy, you will also preserve the jobs of the people, they will continue earning. The government will continue making money on the salaries if they have to pay income taxes.

Q: But the DOF po wasn't ...

SP: Well naturally, the Department of Finance... its duty is to collect taxes. They are afraid to be scolded because they are losing money. But we have to be practical in dealing with our economy. We want the cost of power in this country to go down. We want the cost of water being used by the people to go down and we will try to do it ourselves in the Senate.

Q: Sir, meron pa kayong mga pino-propose kanina na iba pang measures in order to bring down the cost.

SP: Yung sa royalties ng gobyerno tinitignan din namin yon para maibaba ang presyo ng kuryente.

Q: Yung royalties sir kelangan ng bill or executive order?

SP: Hindi pwede ang executive order. Kailangan ang aksyon ng Kongreso diyan. Congress is the one that has the power to increase or lower taxes in this country.

Q: Sir, are you confident that you could pass this uniform franchise tax?

SP: I will argue. I'll argue this. If I cannot argue this, I will take it to the people and let the people take the decision.

Q: Sir doon sa royalties, magkano ang naco-collect ngayon ng government na mawawala kapag tinanggal nyo yon?

SP: Hindi ko pa alam pero I think now they are receiving more than a million pesos or a million dollars a year.

Q: Do you see this bill getting passed before the next adjournment?

SP: Yes. We will pass it as soon as possible.

Q: Meron na ho bang counterpart ito sa House?

SP: Meron na pina-file sa House.

Q: Sir, kapag na-approve yan, mga magkano yung pwedeng ibaba sa power rate?

SP: I cannot quantify. Pero sa VAT lang, from 12 to 3.That's 9 percent.

Q: Sir, doon sa royalties?

SP: Sa royalties, medyo malaki-laki. Baka abutin ng 1 peso per kilowatt hour.

Q: Sir it seems that the House is relenting and is now in the direction of elevating the Cha-Cha measure to the Senate.

SP: If they will bring it here, we will take it up here and look at it. If it is a legislation then we are bound to consider it in the Senate because you cannot go outside the proposal if it is in the form of a legislative bill.

Q: Sir, si Norberto Gonzales ang proposal niya ay Constitutional Commission daw para magpasok the amendment sa Constitution, the "Cory Way".

SP: The president cannot create a Constitutional Commission. She can create it as an adviser to Malacanang but to amend the Constitution, the "Cory Way" is no longer a way.

Q: Sir, yung mode sa House na proposal is fourth mode daw na Constitutional

SP: Yun nga, by way of legislation. Subukan natin. So that it will be clear na ito lang, wala ng iba. We will treat it as if it were an ordinary legislation. Then, pag-uusapan dito sa Senado.

Q: Sir, simple majority vote pa rin?

SP: Three-fourths vote pa rin. Yun ang requirement if it involves Constitutional amendment.

Q: Kasi Sa House nga Sir gusto nila simple majority vote lang.

SP: Hindi pwede kung majority vote lang, ibabasura ng Supreme Court yon. You cannot amend the constitution with a majority vote. The vote required is established by the Constitution.

Q: Sir, kapag ganun, per provision?

SP: Per provision. Pati comma, pati period, pati semi- colon, pati apostrophe, pati quotation. Kailangan ang three- fourths votes.

Q: Sir, you advised some congressmen before of this kind of mode for constitutional change.

SP: Yes. But it is the Supreme Court that will decide all of these things. Now if they will bring it here to us, they will pass a bill with three- fourths votes. Then they will send it here for the consideration of the Senate, then we will consider it. We'll need about three- fourths votes if we approve any of their proposals.

Q: But only On the economic provisions?

SP: Yes, of course. We cannot not go beyond.

Q: What about their term limits?

SP: Wala yun. Hindi papasa yan dito. They cannot get the votes.

Q: Sir, may time pa ba na ipasa before 2010?

SP: In my personal view, wala na. Pero, there's always a dream.

Q: Do you think ang three- fourths vote ay ma- achieve ng Senate?

SP: Wala. Mahirap ma-achieve ang three-fourths votes dito. Even among the majority senators, there's no unanimity. So, the minority I'm sure will not vote in favor. So, that's the answer.

Q: Sir, are you supporting that kind of mode?

SP: I'm not supporting. But institutionally, we are bound to consider any measure that is sent to us here by the House.

Q: Sir, yung nangyaring kaguluhan kahapon, ano pong comment n'yo?

SP: Ganyan ang Senado. Sa ibang bansa, ganyan din, hindi lang dito.

Q: Sir, according to Senator Nene nung nag- debate kayo, sana po daw bumaba kayo sa floor bago kayo nakipag- debate sa kanya.

SP: No, I was presiding. That's why I kept on asking, "What is your pleasure"? Meaning. I'm asking them. Make it into a motion. Because every decision has to be put into a motion, before deciding. That's why I asked them. Because I want to find out whether we'll keep on talking and wrestling. I'm not the one controlling their debates. You can see that we started the session at almost three o' clock, and they debated all the way to 5:30 pm. Is it unreasonable to call their attention that we should end the debate and decide? But they did not want to put into motion what they want. That's why I kept on asking them. Senator Pimentel knows the rule. I know the rule, too. I've been a member of the Congress ahead of him.

Q: Is there any compromise agreement on the Villar- Lacson case?

SP: We are going to decide this in the Senate. We do not dictate to the minority on their membership to the committee. And we hope that they will not dictate to the majority on the members that we will send to the committee.

Q: Sir, based on the Senate Rules, can Senator Villar ignore the Ethics Committee?

SP: If the committee will exercise its power, then he can be invited or summoned. But it's up to him whether he would ignore the committee if he does not want to participate.

Q: Sa floor na lang daw niya sasagutin, sir.

SP: I do not know what the committee will do.

Q: Sir, according to Senator Pimentel, i- insist nila yung revamp sa Ethics Committee.

SP: I don't want him to begrudge them on insisting. But I will have to consult the members of the majority if they will agree. I cannot decide that alone.

Q: Ang re- organization is a majority matter, sir?

SP: The re- organization of any committee is a function of the majority. It's up to the minority to send membership of the majority in the committee or not.

Q: Sir, may proposal daw sa House to tax text messaging?

SP: Yes. There's a proposal being worked out by the House by Congressman Suarez. To impose a system of metering for texting. But the burden will not be on the texters. The burden will be on the service providers.

Q: Will the Senate be pushing for that bill, sir?

SP: When it comes to the Senate, we will act on it.