Press Release
November 28, 2013

TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW
OF SENATE PRESIDENT FRANKLIN M. DRILON

Q: On Senate President Drilon's birthday

SPFMD: In the past, palagi po tayong nagbibigay ng birthday party. Yung ngayon ho, para naman po sa livelihood ng mga kababayan natin na nawalan ng hanapbuhay. Particularly, we will build motorized bancas for the fishermen who have lost theirs. We will build 50 motorized bancas instead of spending for the birthday party.

Q: On the costs of the motor bancas

SPFMD: That should be around P 750,000. We will build more, but as of now we will build 50 bancas, with P 15 000 each banca.

Q: On the supplemental budget

SPFMD: We have approved the P 14.5 billion. Indicative of schedule, we may approve it on Tuesday, December 3, assuming that the House can transmit their version to us on December 3. We will try to hew it as close as possible to the House version so we can dispense with the bicam. So then we can just adapt their version, including the amendments we have agreed upon in the committee hearing.

Q: Is it P 14.5 or P 14.6 billion?

SPFMD: I'm sorry, it was P 14.6 billion. I repeat, doon po inapprove na po natin ang P 14.6 billion sa Finance Committee. Sisikapin namin na tapusin sa Tuesday, December 3, 2013, kasama na yung joint resolution, kapag tapos na yung sa House. Ang dahilan, hindi naming yan pwede talakayin kapag hindi pa tapos yung sa House. Magkakaroon ng informal meeting si Senator Escudero at ang kanyang counterpart sa House para parehas na ang ipasa namin sa magkabilang kapulungan, para hindi na mangailangan ng bicam.

Q: On the usage of the supplemental budget

SPFMD: Well, sinama yung sa Sendong, so that was December of 2011. So kasama yun.

Q: Are you certain that this won't violate the Supreme Court's decision?

SPFMD: We are very certain. Because the Supreme Court declared the allocation of PDAF as unconstitutional. Therefore there is a P 14.6 billion which is part of the program expenditure, but which could not be spent because the authorization for that is now unconstitutional. So there is now P 14.6 billion in program fund which could be now spent to be used for calamities. The availability of those funds has been certified by the National Treasury. Maliwanag po na hindi labag sa desisyon ng Korte Supreme ang ating gagawin para sa mga nasalantang kababayan natin sa Visayas. And assuming that if there is even the slightest doubt, I would rather resolve that doubt in favour of assisting our countrymen. This is a social legislation. I am confident that the Supreme Court will sustain the validity if anyone will go up to the Supreme Court and question the legislation.

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