Transcript of Interview with Senate President Franklin M. Drilon

SPFMD: Pagdating ko po ng Biyernes, when I arrived last Friday, my staff told me that there is a hearing of the Blue Ribbon Committee set on Thursday. I welcome the investigation, and I support the investigation. I will inhibit myself from the investigation, but I will answer any and all questions in any forum, on this issue of the alleged overpricing of the Iloilo Convention Center.

So I will appear only to manifest my inhibition, but will answer any and all questions. Not only in the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, but in any forum.

Q: Paano niyo po sasagutin ang mga tanong kung mag-i-inhibit kayo?

SPFMD: As I have said, when I inhibit, it means that I will not ask any question from the resource persons. Siguro, I will be a resource person myself.

Q: Kung may magrequest po sa inyo na magappear as resource person?

SPFMD: I will answer all questions. If there any questions that they will ask, I will readily answer.

Q: Hindi po ba awkward iyon, since you are the Senate President? Tapos magiging resource person kayo?

SPFMD: It has been alleged that I participated in the overpricing of the Iloilo Convention Center. It is awkward, but that is the situation I face. Otherwise, sasabihin tinatakbuhan ko ang investigation. Haharapin ko iyan.

Q: Will you wait for an invite or will you present yourself?

SPFMD: No. I have already said that to the media. I am willing to answer all questions.

Q: Mag aattend po kayo.

SPFMD: To manifest my inhibition and my willingness to answer all questions.

Q: Are you going to sit through the hearing?

SPFMD: I don't know. I will manifest my inhibition, and we will see. But that is my manifestation. I will inhibit myself- which means hindi ako sasali sa pagtatanong. Ngunit sasagutin ko ang lahat ng mga tanong sa akin.

Q: So si Senator TG Guingona ang chair ng Blue Ribbon Committee. You are expecting naman na maging fair ang hearing?

SPFMD: Yes.

Q: Nireiterate ni Atty. Romulo Macalintal yung kanyang panawagan na itigil na ang investigation in aid of legislation. Dahil hindi naman daw po in aid of legislation iyan, ipaubaya na lang sa korte ang lahat ng investigation. Sayang daw ang pera at oras ng taumbayan.

SPFMD: Siguro po ay mag-senator muna si Atty. Macalintal para yung mga ganyang suhestiyon ay kanyang maipanukala at maihain dito sa Senado. Ang pagpigil po ng isang investigation ay nasa chairman at miyembro ng isang komite, hindi lang sa Blue Ribbon. Under our rules, it is the chairman and the members of a committee who will determine if there is basis to continue an investigation, and when to stop the committee hearings. That is addressed to the chairman and the members of the committee.

The chairman and the members of a Senate committee have the mandate of the people. They will determine - not even the Senate President can stop an investigation.

Q: Si VP Binay po nuon, nanawagan na kay Pangulong Aquino na itigil na ang investigation. Tinawagan po ba kayo ni Pangulong Aquino?

SPFMD: Tumawag po sa akin si Pres. Aquino at nirelay ang request ni Vice President Binay na itigil na ang investigations. Ang sagot ko, "Sir, you were part of the Senate before, alam niyo na nobody can dictate on the senators what to do, especially when the matter of when to start and to stop an investigation is addressed to the chair and members of a committee. Not even the Senate President can tell them to stop."

And that is how I replied to the President, na I could not stop ang mga senador na itigil na ang investigation dahil ang pagconduct ng investigations ay sa aming patakaran -sa Rules of Senate - ay iyan po ay nasa chair at sa miyembro ng komite.

Q: Yung sa pagrelay ng message ni VP Binay, may halo bang pakiusap ang Pangulo?

SPFMD: He just relayed in a straight forward manner the request.

Q: What was the President's reply?

SPFMD: He said that he will relay it to the Vice President.

Q: So nirelay lang sayo?

SPFMD: Well, the President can't also dictate on the Senate when to start or stop a hearing.

Q: In a friendly manner?

SPFMD: The President just relayed the request of the Vice President.

Q: When was this?

SPFMD: I don't know when. I cannot remember.

Q: Di ba kapag ni-relay, parang nag-ask ng favour?

SPFMD: No, it did not get that way. It was just a plain and simple. The President relayed to me in plain and simple language the request.

Q: Tinanong ba kayo kung pwede ipatigil

SPFMD: Sinabi ko na ni-relay lang ni Pangulo yung request.

Q: Did you feel any pressure?

SPFMD: No, I did not. The President just relayed the message of the Vice President.

Q: Ano yung reaction ni PNoy?

SPFMD: Alam ni President dahil siya ay galing dito.

Q: Naintindihan niya yun?

SPFMD: Naintindihan niya yun.

Q: Sabi ni Atty. Macalintal, meron naming batas enacted because of an investigation made by the Senate "in aid of legislation"?

SPFMD: Yes. I, myself, authored the GOCC Governance Act. Saan nanggaling yun? Sa imbestigasyon na ginawa ng Committee on Finance on the allowances by GOCCs.

Q: Sir, birthday ni VP bukas? Any message?

SPFMD: Happy birthday kay Vice President Binay.

Q: Kapag nag-re-relay ng ganong messages, usual yan Sir?

SPFMD: I don't if it's usual or not, but the President simply relayed to me the request of the VP.

Q: Gaano po ba dapat kahaba yung Makati hearing?

SPFMD: Iyan ay nasa chairman at miyembor ng komite kung sa tingin nila ay kailangan pa ng imbestigasyon, wala pong makakapigil sa kanilang mandate

Q: Normal ba na linggu-lin ggo?

SPFMD: Hindi ko alam.

Q: Si Mejorada, wala po ba siya sa Binay camp?

SPFMD: Wala akong impormasyon kung si Mejorada ay nasa kampo ni VP Binay. Ngunit kung inyong maalaal, from the day one when Mayor Junjun Binay appeared in the Senate, he already sai imbestigahan n'yo din yung Iloilo Convention Center. Noon pa lang sinabi na nila. Is that a mere coincidence, I do not know.

Q: Diversionary tactic daw yung kay Mejorada?

SPFMD: Those are conclusions.

Q: Wala po ba kayong impormasyon?

SPFMD: Wala akong impormasyon.

Q: Kung meron senator na gusting magtanong to clarify sa inyo tungkol sa ICC, paano yung sistema? Will you be seated in front?

SPFMD: Sasagutin ko ang lahat ng tanong tungkol dito.

Q: Have there been instances na na-try kayo to ask you to stop a committee hearing?

SPFMD: Wala. Not in my own personal experience.

Q: First time po yung request?

SPFMD: I am talking from my own personal experience. I've been the chair of so many committees; I have not received any request to stop an investigation.

Q: Was it appropriate to make the request?

SPFMD: That's a conclusion that I don't want to get into. I'm just dishing out what the facts are.

Q: Did you not feel affronted that it was being asked?

SPFMD: No. why should it be an affront. The President of the Republic was relaying a request of the Vice President of the Republic.

Q: It's understood that the President simply relayed the message, but the request of the VP, were you affronted?

SPFMD: No. Media can ask for the hearing to be stopped. That's a perfectly within the prerogative of anyone to express an opinion.

Q: Balik session na, paano yung budget? Bangsamoro?

SPFMD: On Monday, the GAB will be referred to the Committee on Finance. On Tuesday, there will a sponsorship of the budget. There will be interpellations. I don't know long it will be. So it will go to the process. We would like to present to the President the budget, as agreed by both houses, and have the President signed it before the year ends.

Q: Kapag nag-plenary, stop muna yung mga committee investigations?

SPFMD: Well, as a tradition, no committee hearings while the session is ongoing whether it's a budget or any ordinary session. Even if it's not the budget. If you notice, there are no committee hearings if there is a plenary session. The point is the senators should be in the plenary session, not in the hearing. There should be no committee hearings during the plenary session.

Q: Interesado ba kayo doon sa debate between Binay and Trillanes?

SPFMD: I'm interested in the truth.

Q: Reaction on slow rehabilitation

SPFMD: Nag-iingat lang siguro. Ang ginagastos mo ditto ay pera ng taumbayan. Kapag nagkamali ka, Ombudsman ang haharapin mo. The bureaucracy is also very careful, the President is also very careful. Whether or not mabagal is a perception. The UN agencies congratulated the administration for the pace. That is the situation.