Press Release
June 19, 2018

Transcript of Interview with Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon

Q: On the quo warranto decision

SFMD:I'm not surprised. It is difficult to reverse a decision rendered by the majority of the Supreme Court justices. But having said that, technically pwede pa rin naming ipasa ang senate resolution which expresses the sense of the Senate insofar as the quo warranto is concerned. There is nothing wrong with agreeing or disagreeing with a decision of the Supreme Court. In this case, or in any other case, after the decision is rendered, anyone can question it, can criticize it, that's why there are even what we call a review of the decisions of the SC. Having said that, as a practical matter, the majority in the Senate can assert that the issue is now academic and would therefore be reluctant to debate on the quo warranto resolution.

Q: So malabo na Sir yung sense of the Senate?

SFMD: Sa akin malabo na, while personally I still believe that there is nothing wrong with expressing an opinion on a decision of the SC, the majority may feel that we can express our individual beliefs on the quo warranto but not the Senate as an institution.

Q: Ano yung implication non?

SFMD: As I said at the start of all of these questions, this is a slippery slope. Now, any officer who is subject to impeachment can now be removed through a quo warranto proceeding.

Q: Kung naipasa ba ang resolution, malaking tulong?

SFMD: I wouldn't know. That's purely speculative. Ang intention naman noon ay ipahayag sa taumbayan at publiko kung ano ang opinyon ng senado. Hindi po namin sinasabi na yung aming opinyon ang dapat sundin. Ang sense of the Senate resolution po ay nagpapahayag lamang ng opinyon ng senado.

Q: Yung daw pag-hold ng peace talks dapat daw sa gawin?

SFMD: Sinusuportahan ko po ang posisyon ng Pangulo na dapat dito sa ating bansa gawin ang pag-uusap tungkol sa kapayapaan; Tayo naman ay Pilipino lahat at ito ay problema natin sa ating bansa, kaya siguro dapat dito na lang ang venue. Ngayon kung may ibig tumulong, sa akin naman dapat tanggapin natin, bukas ang atin pintuan sa sinuman. Halimbawa doon sa Mindanao maraming bansa na tumutulong -- Malaysia at Japan -- pero dito sa atin ang usaping pangkapayapaan. Iyan din po ang aking sinasabi na dapat dito sa Pilipinas gawin ang usapan tungkol sa peace process. Siguro malaki pa rin ang matitutulong ng Norway at ng iba pang bansang tumutulong.

Q: On bills the minority will scrutinize

SFMD: Pinag-aaralan ko pa nang husto ang BBL, but at the same time, pinag-aaralan pa natin yung ibang bills pending.

Q: Kasama yun budget?

SFMD: Yes, it's no-brainer. We must work on that.

Q: Na-mismanaged daw yung issue sa China?

SFMD: I don't think so. It is the Aquino adminsitration who was able to get our claim recognized internationally and we won the arbitration. If there's anything, it was managed well.

News Latest News Feed