Press Release
March 3, 2014

Transcript of Ambush Interview of Senate President Franklin Drilon

SPFMD: In the meeting that we have worked out, these is where leaders of both houses meet and go over their legislative agenda. We have agreed on our legislative agenda, which we have released over to the press. At every meeting we monitor what is happening. Also, it's a good system, where we can work whatever differences we have in our various bills, so they can be expedited. So we have started that system.

Q: Malapit na po ang break nyo next week. May mga napag-usapan po ba kayo na dapat ihabol na ma-approve before the break?

SPFMD: Meron. We have already passed the Maritime Authority Bill. We plan on passing the Short Messaging System (SMS) required warning for natural disasters. There is the bill for ladderized education, although that has not been heard yet. The Upper House will pass the FOI Bill. And we will sponsor and attempt to pass in the Senate the bill on graphic health warning on cigarettes. In the morning's meeting, it appears that the House will be endorsing a version of this bill. It is just a question of how large the graphic warning - to what extent the space will the warning occupy.

Q: So hindi po buong pakete yung occupied?

SPFMD: Hindi naman. In our version that we are sponsoring today, I think the stated amount is 60%.

Q: Yung FOI, diba parang hindi gumagalaw sa House? May commitment pa ba ang House pagdating sa FOI?

SPFMD: What they told us is that once we are finished, they will start deliberating.

Q: Diba dapat mauna sila?

SPFMD: Not necessarily. These are national bills.

On the Cybrecrime Law

SPFMD: Let me check. In my view, if we address the issue of libel in the Cybercrime Law, we should decriminalize libel in its totality. Because right now libel is punished under the Revised Penal Code and in the Cybercrime Law. The only difference is the medium. The only difference is the medium. We cannot say it is libelous if it is spoken on radio, or printed in print media and not libelous when it gets to the internet. The solution, and I endorse it, we must decriminalize libel in the Revised Penal Code.

Q: We cannot decriminalize libel in cybercrime?

SPFMD: Yes that is correct because the difference is in the medium that you use. That is not the correct standard. If it is libelous in one, it must be libelous in all. If it is decriminalized in one, it must be decriminalized in all because the elements of the crime does not include the medium that you used.

Q: Kapag nadecriminalize na yung libel doon sa Revised Penal Code, hindi automatic na pati yung sa online mawawala?

SPFMD: I cannot answer that now, I have to recall to see how the provision on the Cybercrime Act is worded.

Q: Wala din yun kung wala sa Penal Code, sa online meron pa rin.

SPFMD: In the same manner that I am saying that you cannot have libel in one medium on the same subject that is considered as not libel in another medium. There must be a uniform treatment.

Q: Yung mga pending bills dito limited lang sa online?

SPFMD: I have not examined the pending bills.

Q: Gusto ninyo idecriminalize?

SPFMD: Yes, totally decriminalize libel, whatever medium you use.

On charter change

Q: Madidiscuss pa ba yung Cha-Cha?

SPFMD: Our agreement is that they handle it in the House and it is brought to us once they pass it.

Q: Are we looking into any bills that we want enacted before the SONA?

SPFMD: We agreed to meet again on May 5 so that during that remaining six weeks before Sine Die, we should be able to come up with a final list.

On the 2016 elections

Q: Meron na po bang plano ang ruling party sa 2016?

SPFMD: I am preparing for the legislative agenda at this point. That is all that occupies me.

On the GOCCs

Q: Sir may proposal sa House yung 19 GOCCs iabolish na dahil nalulugi na sila?

SPFMD: We do not need legislation for that because that can be done under the GOCC Governance Act. We do not need legislation. Precisely, we delegated that power to the GOCC Governance Council because many of these involve technical examination of their operations. Yes, it can be done under the present law. Whether or not it should be done, we leave that to the GOCC Governance Council. There are certain standards in the law that would allow their abolition if the standards are met. It does not need a Congressional Act.

Q: Hindi ninyo masasabi kung nalulugi talaga yung government?

SPFMD: Precisely, it is the GOCC Governance Council which will review the data. There are specific standards for the exercise of that power to abolish GOCCs.

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