Press Release
May 5, 2020

Transcript of Interview of Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III

On the employees who tested positive during the rapid testing at the Senate.

Q: Ilan po yung mga nag-positive po sa rapid testing kahapon sa Senate, ano ang gagawin po?

SP Sotto: As of last night, the count was 18. Eighteen yung nag positive but then we made sure that all of them would take a swab test. Merong dinala sa San Juan de Dios, merong dinala sa Red Cross, sa iba-ibang ospital, kung saan pwedeng iaccommodate and then we are getting feedback today. I think in the feedback, among the 18, one in a swab test turned out negative, that's the one sa Red Cross, the staff of Senator Gordon. So dinala nila sa Red Cross at sa Red Cross mabilis yung swab nila, the testing I think is kasi about four or five hours. Last night they already had the result so more or less yun ang sitwasyon. We are encouraging the relatives or those living with the other 17 employees of the Senate to probably have their tests also para siguradong mapangalagaang mabuti. Although, the 18 are undergoing a swab test, parang secondary confirmatory test.

Q: Hindi ba kayo nagwoworry na papasok pa rin kayo sa Senate even if may mga nag positive po na workers diyan?

SP Sotto: You know 18, out of 500 is not too alarming and in my case as Senate President it's part of my work, it's part of my job to be here and convene the session, so syempre, nandoon yung pangamba mo na dapat mag-ingat ka, basta importante nag-iingat lang at saka dinadagdagan ko yung dasal.

Q: Ano po yung scenario later? Kayo na lang yung papasok sa plenary, wala na kayong mga kasamahan, o may nagsignify na samahan po kayo physically sa plenary later?

SP Sotto: Meron, merong sasamahan ako sa plenary. Una, meron kasing magsosponsorship, and then merong iba na talagang sigurado ako na sasamahan ako katulad ni Senator Lacson, Senator Tolentino. I am not sure about Senator Zubiri, the Majority Leader, I think he will still be attending today if I am not mistaken. Doon sa previous question ninyo na may mga nag positive, hindi ba kami nagwoworry, mga ganoon, eh kung yung mga doctor, at mga nurse, di ba nagtatrabaho pa rin, kami pa na nandito lang naman sa Senado? Hindi kami siguro dapat mangamba or mangimi na gampanan ang aming trabaho kung wala rin lang naman kaming nararamdamang masama sa aming katawan.

Q: Paki-clarify kung ano talaga yung laman nung reso, hanggang saan yung video conference, yung teleconference na papayagan?

SP Sotto: Mainly sa mga sessions. Habang merong national emergency, then the resolution which amends our rules, takes effect. So we will conduct a roll-call, kasama yung nasa teleconferencing. Ang mga agreement lang. it's not really spelled out in the resolution, ang agreement naming is that if you are going to deliver a privilege speech mas maganda doon ka sa plenary hall. And then as far as the hearings are concerned, hearings of bills, you can do it teleconferencing but the rules of the Senate does not cover Resolution No. 5 of the Senate. Resolution No. 5 of the Senate has a different rule, or different rules as far as inquiries and investigations are concerned. So pag inquiries at saka investigations, ang napag-agreehan kahapon on the floor is that we don't touch Resolution No. 5 and therefore it has to be a physical presence in the hearing, pati mga resource persons. They have a very valid point, Senator Lacson yesterday when he said paano kung meron kang gustong icontempt eh nasa teleconferencing kayo at ayaw sumagot? Kung ayaw sumagot at patayan ka ng phone or ng iPad or ng computer? Ano ang magagawa mo naman? So we did not touch Resolution No. 5 of the Senate which is the rules provided for inquiries and investigations. Yung ibang hearing, okay lang.

Q: Yung privilege speech, case to case basis? Pwedeng payagan na via teleconferencing, pwede ring sa session hall?

SP Sotto: Oo, basically yes pero we would like to encourage the Senator to deliver the privilege speech in the plenary, yun ang napagkasunduan as much as possible.

Q: How about yung voting?

SP Sotto: Voting in the new rules, in national emergency, we will allow voting through teleconferencing. Our rules so provide now, ganoon.

Q: You mentioned about decorum in teleconferencing, some practices na minsan naka formal attire, will that be covered na pati damit mo have to be like in the session hall?

SP Sotto: Senator Tolentino pointed out yesterday that a number of parliaments in the world that are conducting teleconference also or hybrid sessions like what we are doing now, and then they encourage pa rin or it is a must that at least yung upper body mo ay bihis naman for a regular session. Huwag naman naka jogging suit or naka T-shirt, especially a collarless shirt for men.

Q: Going back to those who tested positive, (unclear) na karamihan doon ay nasa Sergeant-at-Arms?

SP Sotto: Well, I was not surprised because sila yung mga nauutusan. Sila yung labas-masok, sila yung pumapasok lagi dito kahit nung naka-lockdown. Ang Sergeant-at-Arms ang pinaka maraming nagtatrabaho pa rin kaya hindi nakakapag-taka. Buti na lang sa mga employees, merong paisa-isa lang na staff ng mga Senador, usually naman ay hindi naman pumapasok na regularly yun because when we started with the ECQ, skeletal lang yung secretariat but the offices of the Senators were walang pumapasok.

Q: Doon sa nakita ninyong results ng rapid test, nahighlight ba dito yung importance na gamitin na yung rapid test ng DOH kasi yun yung nirerekomenda ni Senator Lacson?

SP Sotto: Yes, I agree. As a matter of fact, there a number of rapid tests already that were approved by the FDA, if I am not mistaken. Meron na silang pinayagan di ba? Meron ng pinayagan na rapid test kasi yung mismong mga, pagpalagay mo, wala ka naming symptoms at gusto mong magpatest, kung ano yung available, di ba? Ngayon, pag may symptoms, a rapid test would be very helpful sapagkat magmamanifest at magmamanifest yun. There are some rapid tests that are being used already, and then you can use the swab as a confirmatory, pero even in the other parts of the world that's what they are doing now, quite successful, so sa atin, (unclear) kung ano ang okay.

Q: Sa policy ng Senate on rapid testing, how often magsusubject yung mga personnel to rapid testing? Every time na pupunta po sila diyan sa Senate or just once, tapos yung mga nag positive po na kailangan i-swab, will the Senate shoulder the cost kasi ang concern po is medyo mahal yung PCR which is P3,500?

SP Sotto: Siguradong sasagutin naman ng Senate yun, kung may bayad, especially if they are employees of the Senate, and then what's your first question?

Q: Yung policy pos a rapid test.

SP Sotto: Hindi na, when we started lang kasi and then if the need arises. Ganoon lang, hindi naman every time may session or every day magrarapid-test. Kaya lang today meron pa rin, because may mga employees na wala kahapon. Hindi naman naming pinapasok lahat, by wave lang muna. By today meron pa ulit, and then perhaps kung may matitira pa doon sa available test kits, baka meron pa rin bukas, but that's about it. Then we just have to be very careful. We advise everybody to follow the protocol, follow the procedures to maintain your safe status.

Q: What is the wisdom behind the rule of asking Senators to be physically present to deliver privilege speeches?

SP Sotto: Kasi, una madaling iinterpellate kung nandidito. Pangalawa, it has always been a tradition. Kahit merong new normal na tinatawag, dahil may national emergency, still, we must not remove the Senate from its House. If you will recall, that pointed out by Senator Tolentino yesterday in talking of the Constitution. He brought that into play yesterday, or into the discussion na hindi pwedeng alisin. Hindi ganoon kadali na sasabihin natin (unclear) kailangan niyan, humingi ka ng consent sa kabila, sa other House, which they did noong nagkaroon sila ng hearing sa Batangas. Actually hindi humingi ng consent, kungdi nagpaalam lang, sinabi lang sa amin na gagawin nila yun and that's good enough. Pero in our case, just to be sure that we are not violating anything in the Constitution, we must retain the physical presence of the Senate in the session hall doon sa bahay niya because that is what is mandated by the Constitution.

Q: Napagusapan nab a ninyo kung ano ang mangyayari sa joint session ng Congress para sa SONA ng Pangulo in July?

SP Sotto: Hindi pa. Wala pang napapagusapan tungkol doon. We hope and pray, we keep our fingers crossed, that there will no longer be an ECQ or even a GCQ by July but of course, we might be hoping against hope. In that case, siguro by June mapapagusapan na namin yun kung ano ang dapat na gagawin.

Q: Kasama po ba ang ABS CBN franchise sa mapapagusapan within this month?

SP Sotto: Wala sa kamay namin yun. There was just a hearing conducted by the Committee on Public Services because of some issues that were brought out in the Senate, di ba? May privilege speech pa tungkol dun, but wala sa kamay naming yung franchise. Dadating sa amin yan oras na pinasa ng House at trinansmit sa amin and we talk about it and it is in our lap, but in the meantime, wala kaming say.

Q: Meron bang (unclear) ang Senado to exercise its moral (unclear) to remind the NTC about the resolution that you handed over to them?

SP Sotto: We have not talked about it. I have not discussed it with the other members of the Senate. Hindi fresh sa kaisipan ng mga kasama namin, lahat nakaconcentrate ditto sa problema ng Covid-19 and perhaps the important pieces of legislation that we really have to tackle.

Q: (Unclear)

SP Sotto: Oo, kasi as long as wala sa amin, we can only wish for ABS-CBN.

Q: (Unclear) mga important legislation na you will be tackling hanggang June?

SP Sotto: If you will recall, pinauna ko yung bill, kinausap ko si Sherwin kanina, the bill on the school calendar. The RA 7977 which covers the basic education law says that the start of the school calendar for every year is June and may be extended all the way to the end of August. Ngayon, if you will remember, merong nilabas yata ang DepEd kahapon na they are declaring that August 24 daw ang pasukan. The bill that I proposed opens the school calendar on September. It's a safer date, one. Pero the important thing there in that bill is the bill gives power to the President to adjust in cases of national emergency. It's not contained in the basic education law or even in RA 7977, so that is the most important thing there. Now, the issue of August or September. August, you don't need the law, dib a? We don't need the bill. Pero, what if there is a second wave? When I was talking to Senator Gatchalian who is the chairman of the Committee on Basic Education, yun mismo ang sabi niya. Paano kung may second wave? Paano sasagutin ng DepEd yan, they will now be violating the law dahil iaadjust nila ng August, so best na talagang ipasa naming yung bill na yun. It's very important, because otherwise you will let the Executive Department violate a law kaya yun ang isa sa mga importante. And then pending also is the bill on the revised penal code, on perjury. Ito ay nasa period of interpellation na. Then the corporate income tax incentives reform act, the CITIRA kasi maraming makikinabang diyan na small and medium enterprises. Also the expanded solo parents welfare act, and then we also have the coco levy, at isa sa pinakamahalaga ngayon at noon pa lang pinipilit na natin is, especially in this case I am the principal author, the medical scholarship act. Mas dadami ang mga doktor or ng mga gustong magdoktor, kahit nurses sa Pilipinas kung ipapasa natin itong medical scholarship act. In other words, pag Pilipino gustong mag doktor, dapat libre. Yun ang nagpipigil sa kanila ngayon, kukuha ng medicine, mahal. Ito, the law will allow that and siguradong mas maraming Pilipino ang gustong matuto pagka libreng maging doktor. I think those are the more important bills that we have to tackle. Also, there is a bill in the House of Representatives pending na nakapasa sa amin on third reading, and this is the anti-terrorism act. If the House of Representatives amends, we have to go into bicam kaya mahalagang mapagusapan kaagad, but we hope and pray, we are keeping our fingers crossed, that the House of Representatives adopt the Senate version. There is a good chance that it might happen, so hopefully magawa na kaagad.

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