Transcript of Ambush Interview of Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III

On the recent meeting between both houses of Congress and President Rodrigo Duterte

SP Pimentel: Ah yung kagabi was an informal meeting, maraming tawag doon, pwede mong tawagin na mini-LEDAC or preliminary LEDAC meeting, or informal consultation. Nilabas po ng executive department ang priorities nila, especially those needing legislative support.

Q: Ano po ba yung mga naalala ninyong legislative priorities nila, top of mind?

SP: Number one is income tax reform package na ang component is yung ating income tax per individual ay bababa, pero may countermeasure to make up for the anticipated revenue loss. Even yung abolition nung Road Board, nabanggit. Maraming amendments, amendments to the Anti-Money-Laundering Law nabanggit. Nakalimutan ko na yung iba, but binigyan kami ng list.

Q: Yung emergency powers for the traffic crisis?

SP: Of course, pati po iyan.

Q: Sir naclarify po ba yung sinasabi niyang suspension of the writ of habeas corpus?

SP: At least yon, nadiscuss po iyon sa preliminary talk before we went to the meat of the meeting. Nasabi nya na he was only thinking out loud kung ano ba yung mga weapons or ammunition or methods that are available to him. Yun lang po iyon.

Walang sinabi kung itutuloy ba, pinakita niya sa amin na - and this consumed a lot of time- yung enormity of the drug problem, because he showed to us the thick dossier or reports he has in his possession. Maybe six inches thick iyon of names of government - wala pa doon yung outside of government - personalities involved in drugs.

Q: Did you try to discourage him from suspending the writ?

SP: Hindi na, kasi wala naming sinabi na imminent na eh. Hindi naman po nasabi iyon, sinabi lang niya he was just thinking out loud.

Q: So sir desidido po siya na drugs ang gawing reason if ever for the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus?

SP: Hindi naman, hindi rin nasabi. Hindi na napursue actually, pumasok na kami sa problem of drugs.

Q: Sir yung sa emergency powers sa traffic crisis, hindi naman na kailangan nang icertify as urgent?

SP: Hindi napagusapan. Maraming mga amendments na napag-usapan eh, meron pang Budget Reform Bill, Government Right-Sizing Bill na manggagaling po sa DBM (Department of Budget and Management). So a lot of possible bills were mentioned.

Q: Sir pinush niyo po ba na yung emergency powers, ma-approve na within the year?

SP: Wala naming sinabi doon na within the year, basta yoon po ang priorities.

Q: Sir yung push for federalism, yung Con-Ass or Concon, napagusapan?

SP: Hindi napagusapan kagabi. Kasi preliminary lang talaga yung kagabi, actually it was not the formal LEDAC.

Q: Sir sino-sino from the Senate ang kasama niyo po sa meeting?

SP: Marami, mga ten siguro.

Q: Sir may schedule na po for the next meeting?

SP: LEDAC na yun, yung proper LEDAC na. Alam ko first week of December eh.