Video and transcript of Jessica Soho's interview with President Noynoy Aquino

Last October, Jessica Soho sat down for an intimate one-on-one interview with President Noynoy Aquino to mark the new president's first 100 days in office. During the interview, Aquino earnestly answered questions about adjusting to his new job, the previous administration, his positions on land reform and reproductive health, his attitude towards the military, the content of his 100 days report, criticisms of his administration's handling of the Manila hostage crisis, among other issues. Parts of the interview were aired last October 24 on "Si P-Noy at ang Pinoy," a GMA News and Public Affairs special report on the new Aquino administration's first 100 days. GMANews.TV is publishing the full transcript and video of the entire interview here: President Aquino speaks on: I. Adjusting to life as President II. His leadership style III. The Arroyo administration IV. Reproductive health V. The Manila hostage crisis VI. The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) VII. The Military VIII. Agrarian reform IX. Jueteng X. His lovelife I. Adjusting to life as President
Jessica Soho (JS): Mr. President, noong papatakbo pa lang kayo, I asked you, “You have to love and like the presidency pretty bad to go for it." With over 100 days into your term, do you actually love your job? President Aquino (PNOY): Well, maraming adjustments, Jessica, as you know. Even going to Tarlac seems to need a reason for me to go there. Last Sunday, for instance, I think I had like eight engagements. ‘Yung idea na may one day rest, pati sa Bibliya nakalagay at sa batas natin. That does not apply to this job. But other than that, napupunta lang tayo sa direksyon na gusto nating patunguhan. Ang mga parang napaka-imposibleng mangyari just a few months ago are already happening now. I was in Isabela recently. Tapos ‘yung area adjacent to the highway na talagang bare land suddenly has this really huge corn processing facility, and that’s just a start. May area na naging settlement, naging denuded, mukhang matatamnan ng tubo for ethanol. ‘Yung development in Isabela in this portion, talagang nakaka-impress. And it's being replicated in so many areas. I love the portion that we are really making significant changes. ‘Yung cost naman personally, medyo mabigat talaga. Pero basta may patutunguhan, okay na rin. JS: Ang sabi nila, ang test daw diyan, ‘yung pag gigising ka sa umaga. So, ikaw ba, kapag gumigising, do you look forward to your days in the Palace? O medyo ayaw mong bumangon sa dami ng problema? PNOY: Parang ang nangyari ngayon, my body clock has adjusted to something like five hours on average ng tulog. Tapos, you steel yourself to read the papers. Tapos, when I open the cellphone, I get news capsules also there. Tapos lahat ng things you have to attend to. At the end of the day, you have a security assessment you also have to undergo for the country—significant threats, developments, et cetera. Do I look forward to it? Madalas ano, eh, I think it’s amor patria. ‘Yun ang nagtutulak sayo, for the country. So again, masakit kapag walang nangyayari. Pero kung may nakikita ka naman talagang positive developments, plus ‘yung prospective really significant changes in the economy--may investors, et cetera--you get really buoyed up. May pinatutunguhan. Kaya ‘yun ang nagtutulak sa atin na bumangon ka kada araw. JS: Masyado naman seryoso. (laughs) What about the perks? Do you like the perks that come with it? Meeting a lot of people? Na-meet mo si Barack Obama and he actually talked to you for seven minutes. Did you like that, Mr. President? PNOY: Yeah. ‘Yung access to all these world leaders. You have access to every expert here in the country, even outside. ‘Yung ability to broaden your own knowledge base. ‘Yun ang mga perks na okay na okay. faPero as you know, nakikihalo kami sa traffic. ‘Yung mga ... kung anong problema ng mga pangkaraniwang mamayan, pinipilit naming madanas para lalong maintindihan ‘yung anong kabigatan sa kanila at para magawang ayusin ito. JS: Now, the part that you don’t like. Ano ‘yung pinaka-ayaw mo sa trabaho mo? PNOY: Mayroon tayong members of government, for instance, wasting your time. I was given data, for instance. Tatlong beses kami nagbalikan ng sulat. Para bang, “Napapansin niyo ba itong data binibigay niyo sa akin ay palpak?" At saka, talagang grossly palpak. JS: As in, sinasabi mo ng ganoon? PNOY: Sometimes, I manage to say it in a more diplomatic manner. Pero noong pangatlong sulat na, medyo harsh na ang tone. Mayroon nagpresent ng may Powerpoint pa’t lahat. Kala mo kaganda-ganda ng proyekto. Sa loob-loob ko, noong matapos ‘yung isa’t kalahating oras na meeting, sinabi ko yata sa kanya, “Alam niyo, puwede ninyong isinulat niyo ito sa dalawang pahinang memo, nabasa natin nang isang minuto at para masabing walang katuturan itong proyektong ito." So nagtataka ako doon sa proponent. Hindi niya gets na walang point katuturan ang proyekto niya. So tinitingnan ko, paano ko ba sisisantehin ko ba itong taong ito? So the Christian inside of me goes to the forefront. Pagbibigyan ko pa ng isang chance. JS: So you actually get mad? Kasi so far, ang nakita lang naming sa media, napipikon ka pag may paulit-ulit na tanong. Pero to your Cabinet secretaries, to the executives in your office, et cetera, you actually get mad? PNOY: I try to be reasonable more often than not. Pero mayroon talagang, kung minsan, kailangan talagang madiin na madiin ‘yung ating expression ng displeasure. Dahil nga, in that particular instance ano? Bale, tinatawagan ko pa siya, eh. Sabi ko, “Napansin mo ba itong datang ‘to? Kung binasa lang ng sinuman, maski grade five, medyo magegets niya na hindi tama ito. Pinadala mo sa akin. Inaksaya mo oras ko." Tapos ang issue doon, hindi sa nagagalit ako dahil sa ginawa sa akin. Moreso dahil may responsibilidad tayo sa tao. At parang bale wala sa kanila. ‘Yun ang hindi ko matanggap. Back to top. II. Leadership style
JS: Nahanap mo na ba ang iyong management style? I think that was asked of you very early on, kung ikaw ba ay hands-on? O mahilig kang mag-delegate? I know that you said one time that once the policies are in place, then you’d rather delegate. At this point, nakapa mo na ba ang iyong management style? PNOY: That is what is operational now. Pinipilit natin na bigyan ng freedom to be creative and to be fully supportive of whatever the details are in operationalizing the policy decisions. And I tried to be a consensus builder also. At the same time, I make sure that they know that I’m monitoring what they’re doing, para nobody becomes lax. Or pag ‘yung napapa-ere ‘yung advocacies nila, or lalo na what I consider shouldn’t be priorities, I call their attention to it and I make sure that they follow the priorities as I laid it down. JS: Nabanggit mo ‘yung consensus building. It has been reported many times na ‘yung bangayan or so-called factions in your administration brought about by the people of different persuasions na sumuporta sa iyo. How can you actually encourage them to come up with a consensus when they’re so fundamentally different? PNOY: Well, ‘yung fundamentally different, I think has been played up too much. Pare-pareho naman ‘yung gusto naming patunguhan. Baka minsan iba-iba ‘yung specific na ruta gagamitin patungo doon. Pero, klaro pa rin. Nandito kami nagsisilbi sa tao, at ‘yung pagbabago ang napakaimportante sa aming lahat. So mimitingin ko lahat ng parties concerned. Sa dulo ‘noon, sa lahat ng details, pag-aagreehan before we finish. And people who do not follow that, they are admonished. And if necessary… I’m contemplating firing certain people. Not within the Cabinet, no? But those na medyo pataas nang pataas ang ating duda sa mga sumusunod sa ating daang matuwid, eh. So we’ll give them the process and the procedures that will be followed. But at the end of the day, if they don’t follow this direction, then they have no business being in this administration. JS: Pero siguro, hindi ho kaya mahirap? Sorry to belabor this point. But with these factions in your administration, it makes your job more difficult and more tedious, na lagi ka na lang papagitna sa kanila. Lagi ka mag-memediate, et cetera, when you should be doing so much more other than that. PNOY: ‘Di pa ganoon ang nangyayari, Jess, for the most part. And I was talking to a former secretary from the previous administration who said, “Hindi naman mawawala ‘yung factions, eh." ‘Yung sa akin, I’d like to see it as an opportunity also. Wherein hindi kayo parang may isang lead singer at may chorus line na oo lang ng oo. ‘Yung democracy’s beauty is that you encourage different points of view. You come up with a better product than that which came from individuals lang. So we are trying to maximize that potential asset. And at the same time, I think for the most part, everybody’s very conscious na it doesn’t help anybody, or the country for that matter, kung masyado tayong mag-fifixate doon sa mga personal agenda. Sometimes I’ve have to call their attention to it na, “Para naman tayong bata dito." So ‘yung sa refereeing, I will admit na at the start when we were forming ourselves, yes, I had to do a lot of that. Pero lately, that hasn’t been the case. I keep insisting that the left hand and the right hand talk. When we went to Isabela for instance, may coordination among several departments. So I encourage them na … Magpapaalam sa akin na kakausapin… Sabi ko, “No, automatic na ‘yun. Mag-usap kayo. Magkaroon kayo ng consensus. Then you come up to me with a proposal which I either accept totally or I modify accordingly." JS: Pardon me, but the basic assumption in that kind of a leadership is the leader has to be very strong, so that, you know, the different factions will somehow reign themselves in into line. Are you going to be that kind of leader? PNOY: Hindi going to be. I think I am already that type of leader. I point out na, “Ito ‘yung sinabi ko. Ito ang gagawin. May problema ba tayo doon?" And I think, for the most part, again, as far as the cabinet level is concerned, wala akong issue that people have not been following what I want. At the same time, perhaps there have been mistakes or misunderstandings of what I precisely wanted. Or baka kulang ng enthusiasm. And I point it out to the correct people or to the respective individuals whose attention has to be called. Pero maski papano naman, eh. Hundred days, ano? Tignan niyo ‘yung pressures brought about by the transition. Alamin niyo kung ano ‘yung problema ng bawat departamento niyo. Pakita ninyo ‘yung ating dapat gawin to correct these problems. Tapos, pagkatapos na mai-stabilize ang sitwasyon, i-implement na natin ‘yung direksyon ng gusto nating gawin. Pero ang problema nga niyan, hanggang … Halos araw-araw may nadidiskubre pa tayong mga... Pati ba naman yan? Pati ba ito? Talagang ang daming kailangang iwasto. Pero habang winawasto natin ‘yan, gusto rin nating tumahak na kaagad sa tinatawag nating tuwid na landas. For instance, ‘yung conditional cash transfer. We liken it to a salbabida. Ang dami nating puwedeng gawing intervention. Pero ang mga taong ito, talagang (ang makahanap ng) kakainin sa araw-araw, eh, parang daunting task, daily. Paano natin mapapasok lahat ng other interventions, specifically, education? So in-increase natin ‘yung… I think we more than doubled for next year yung families that will undergo that program. And we are hoping that we will be able to reach 4.6 million families within another two years. Sabay na rin ‘yung Philhealth, sabay na rin ‘yung iba. So inangat mo lang para makahinga doon sa nalulunod na. Tapos doon, puwede na nating mapasukan ‘yung iba pang mga interventions. Nangyayari na. JS: Last question on this point: napipikon po ba kayo every time somebody brings this up? Bakit mayroong Balay group, may Samar group? Mayroon pa raw mga Kaibigan, Kaklase Incorporated? PNOY: Siyempre, mayroon tayong mga kalaban na gustong disunited, na wala tayong direksyon, na walang mangyayari, and all of that. But the evidence is there, ano? The investors are coming. We have a stock market that goes from record to record. You have a lot of people, in fact most Filipinos, really enthusiastic and optimistic about what will be forthcoming, if not actually happening already. ‘Yung simple things like… ‘Yung tinatawag na wang-wang. It’s not the wang-wang per se. It’s the idea of following the law. I just want to set the example. Then everybody else feels even more compelled to follow the law. ‘Yung mga direksyon natin ng finafile-an ng kaso sa tax evasion at sa smuggling. Weekly, ano? They alternate. Tuloy-tuloy ‘yun. And I think the people are responding to it. So napipikon ba ako? I recognize that … I think it’s a Chinese expression, no? Don’t mess with the rice bowls. So ang daming mga naghahanap-buhay ng mali, na naaapakan namin ‘yung kanilang unjustified and illegal wealth schemes. At ang resources ay ginagamit para mapanatili ang tinatawag na status quo. So contest pa rin ‘to. Kaming mga humahabol ng pagbabago ang magtatagumpay, o silang nagpapanatili ng bulok ang magtatagumpay. Bakit naman ako mapipikon? Nagkakaroon na ng positive results, given na ganoon talaga mangyayari. Mayroon talagang nakinabang sa bulok na sistema na gustong manatili ‘yun. Siguro lalong napapaigting ‘yung pakikibaka namin tungo nga sa pagpaganda ng ating situwasyon. Back to top. III. The Arroyo Administration
JS: On the other hand, Mr. President, some people may be criticizing you for obsessing too much about the past administration. ‘Yung inyong predecessor, na pirmi niyo raw binibira. Kayo na nga raw ang pangulo. Bakit bira pa rin kayo nang bira sa kanya? PNOY: Ang paniniwala namin kung hindi tutukuyin ‘yung problema, problemang hindi inaasikaso, lumalaki. Alam mo ‘yun? Mali, ano? Siguro magandang sample itong pinakahuli, ang Laguna Lake. Itong Laguna Lake ma-silt na raw, so kailangan ng dredging. Saan nagmumula ‘yun? Deforestation, at saka ‘yung ating informal settlers na ginagawang basurahan itong Laguna Lake. So ang mungkahi, i-dedredge. Palalalimin ang Laguna Lake. So, nagumpisa ang problema doon sa proposal. Tinanong ko, “Saan natin dadalhin ‘yung dinredge na material? ‘Yung silt?" Sagot sa akin--formal na presentation ‘to, no?-- ililipat sa ibang bahagi ng Laguna Lake. So tinanong ko ngayon, “Paano dumami ang tubig kung pareho pa rin ‘yung lupang nagpapababaw ng tubig in totality? Paano makukuha ‘yung ferry services? Paano natin makukuha ‘yung potable water?" At ‘yung dredging kasi, the best case scenario, temporary na relief. Dahil kulang nga ng puno sa upstream. Mayroon pa ring informal settler na problem. Eh, hindi man pala natin makukuha ‘yung temporary relief, dahil nga ililipat-lipat lang ‘yung lupa within Laguna Lake. Inapprove, eh. Ang P18.5 billion na loan. ‘Yun ang sistema na tinutukoy ko. Walang personalities dito. Pero if at all, ‘yung personalities na nagpa-iral ng sistema na nakapayag ng mga proyektong tulad nito. At hindi lang po ‘yun ang proyektong ganun. So tignan niyo na rin ang bureaukrasya na may data, computerized at lahat. Kailangan mo lang basahin sa screen. Wala namang nagbabasa, eh. So ‘yung idea na maraming tao na pinairal ang isang sistema na kung saan nakinabang ang mga indibiduwal, na napahamak ‘yung lipunan. Nag-oobsess ba ako sa dati? Hindi. Pero pag hindi natin pinansin ‘yun, eh, parang sinigurado lang nating tuloy ‘yan. Kunwari, ‘di natin ni-review ‘yang Laguna Lake na proposed project na ‘yan. Pinatuloy nila ‘yung in-agreehan nila. Eh ‘di, may P18.5 billion na naman tayong utang na walang katuturan. Tapos, sino nagbabayad? Taong bayan. In the future and presently. Presently, dahil ‘yung resources na puwedeng pumunta sa mas may katuturan, eh hindi napondohan. Tapos pagbabyaran pa natin ‘yang kalokohan na ‘yan. Whenever we talk about what happened in the past, it is the systemic or the institutional wrong that we are trying to change. And I think that we are succeeding in changing it. JS: And how would you describe the volume or the magnitude of all these questionable transactions that your administration has been uncovering? PNOY: Noong kampanya pa lang sinabi ko na, “Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap." And what is that in essence? Nawala na ang kapangyarihan ng gobyerno na i-influence positively ang buhay ng tao dahil nga sa dami ng leakages. ‘Yung isang ibinanggit sa akin ni Secretary Abad, for instance, dalawa ‘yung nadiskubre. Missing farm to market roads. Ano ba ‘yung magnitude? Talagang ang laki. I’ll refer you to Secretary Abad and others in government who have uncovered all of this. Masyadong mahaba ‘yung listahan. Mauubos ang oras natin. Pero, again, ang bottomline, may serious impairment. ‘Di ba, may calamity fund? ‘Yung Basyang, pangalawang bagyo palang nating taon na ito. Halos depleted na ‘yung ating calamity fund. So buti naman nag-austerity measures tayo. May mga savings na naidentify. Napuno natin ‘yan. Bakit importante ‘yun? Twenty-three ang bagyo natin taon-taon ho, eh. Pangalawa pa lang, wala ka nang pondo pantugon doon. So far, and I’m crossing my fingers, all our agencies attached to disaster mitigation have been performing their functions well. They have been responding immediately. So government is again empowered to effect this positive change for the people. JS: On the other hand, if you have to acknowledge an achievement, kung mayroon man, ng iyong predecessor, mayroon ba? What could that be? Because some critics are pointing out na ‘yung ibang mga ibinida mo raw sa iyong 100 Days Report can actually traced back to the accomplishments of the previous administration. Economic gains, for example. PNOY: I’ll cite you a specific (example)-- sa pag-apply sa Millenium Challenge Corporation. They applied twice, eh. They were not granted it the two times they applied for it in separate years. We applied also for the same, and we were granted it, in spite of the fact that we are a new administration. May difference doon sa perception kung saan mapapadpad ito. Sa economic gains? Let’s say that they set the ball in motion. But for it to come in, means already a vote of confidence for us. And the thing is, sa dami nga ng papasok … We were thinking initially na baka next year maguumpisa lahat ng nasabi nating positive gains. Pero you go around, Jessica. You talk to the business community. You see how bullish they are? ‘Yung stock index-- which of course, ‘yung stock market by nature is volatile--pero ‘yung 4,000 ang index at maabot nila, para bang napaka-unreachable star. Eh ngayon, ‘yung mga nakausap ko na nag-aalalang… Well, thinking na napaka-gandang achievement na ‘yun, nagsasalita na ng 5,000 ang index. Talagang ang layo na noon from the 3,000 na level before. So again, ‘yung confidence. Now, siguro, kung kami ang tagapag-mana ng lahat ng suliraning hindi dapat nangyari, siguro naman ‘yung gains na nangyari na sa panahon namin, eh, puwede naman naming angkinin. JS: My question also was, mayroon ka bang puwede namang i-acknowledge na accomplishment ng iyong predecessor? PNOY: Mayroon din naman siguro. Lalo na’t nandito tayo sa Malacañang ngayon. Napakahusay po ng catering ng Malacañang internal. JS: (laughing) Okay ... PNOY: Talagang… Mayroon ho tayong dialogue sa isang religious group the other day. The fruitful dialogue was facilitated because they were fed a really nice meal by the kitchen… JS: ‘Yun lang? ‘Yun lang ang puwede mong i-acknowledge? PNOY: I guess masyado rin akong na-fifixate rin doon sa opportunities of nine and a half years that were lost. JS: Okay. PNOY: So kung ano man ‘yung maaangkin. Plus ‘yung ideal nga na the emphasis was more on the spin rather than the product, than really coming up with something. Ulitin ko lang, no? Golden opportunity. Who else will have that? Practically two terms. And ano bang trabaho natin primarily ngayon? Rebuilding so many institutions that were really severely damaged by this misgovernance of nine and a half years. Back to top. IV. Reproductive Health
JS: Once and for all. Ano po ba ang stand niyo dito sa RH (Reproductive Health) Bill? PNOY: It hasn’t changed. JS: Can you state that again? Kasi there’s so much confusion about it. PNOY: We prefer to call it responsible parenthood. So the state has an obligation to inform all parents, and lalo na ‘yung couples pa lang. Kasi operation lang ‘yan siguro sa seminars they will have to undergo before they have the marriage license. Pero may responsibilidad tayo sa lahat ng anak na dadalhin natin dito sa mundo. May obligasyon tayo na siguraduhing may kakayahan tayong tugunan ang kanilang pangangailangan. So obligasyon ng estado na ipaalala ‘yun sa lahat ng mag-asawa at lahat ng mag-aasawa. Number two, wala sa mga batas natin na nagbibigay sa atin ng kapahintulutan na diktahan ang sinuman sa kung paano nila paplanuhin ang kanilang pamilya. So may education campaign at iniimbita natin… Sa pagform nitong education campaign, iniimbita natin ang lahat ng simbahan. Sila ang humuhubog ng mga konsensiya. Baka ‘yung forms na ito ay magkakaroon na tayo ng both artificial at natural family planning clinics, na kung saan ‘yung content at saka ‘yung actual delivery noong paghuhubog ng mga konsensiya, magtutulungan ang estado at iba’t ibang relihiyon para maipairal ang responsableng palakad sa mga magtatayo ng kanilang pamilya. JS: Are you pro or anti conception? I’m sorry – PNOY: Siyempre, I’m pro! JS: I’m sorry, contraceptives! I’m sorry. Contraception. PNOY: Well, we have to state very clearly. We are against abortion. Very clearly. In any shape, manner, form, whatsoever. Nagtatanong ngayon kung ano ba ang definition ng abortion. But at the end of the day, I think it is just … My obligation is to give everybody first, to empower them by education, and second to afford them the choices. We are supporting their decisions as to how to raise their family. Hindi ako puwede magdikta. Hindi ako puwede mag-insist na, “Ito ang pinaniniwalaan ng simbahan ko. Kaya kayong lahat ay dapat sumunod sa kagustuhan namin." There’s nothing that authorizes me to do so. JS: So Mr. President, at best how would you describe your stand? Would you say you’re neutral? PNOY: I’m pro-family, no? What does that mean? Nakikita ko naman ‘yung problema. Nagpunta kami ng Baseco Compound recently, no? Dinala ako sa health center. There was a mother of 16 (years old) who gave birth the day previous to my visit. And on her face talagang was etched all of the problems in the world. So many people have failed, for her to have gotten into that situation. And that is what I want to rectify. And I believe the method is really through education. At the end of the day, the choice that will not be adopted by these respective couples… Let me rephrase that. Kung uneducated sila… I do hear the arguments na kung sino ang may responsibilidad magplano ng pamilya. Sabihin ng tatay, ‘yung nanay. ‘Yung nanay, sasabihin ‘yung tatay. ‘Yung debateng ‘yun, noong 1960s pa, eh. Hanggang ngayon nandoon pa tayo. JS: So pinayuhan niyo ba ‘yung 16-year old na yun? PNOY: Naawa na ako. Kakapanganak, eh. JS: But, kung papayuhan niyo siya, ano ‘yung ipapayo niyo sa kanya? PNOY: Sana tinignan natin ‘yung implications ng nangyari. Pero di ko naman alam lahat ng data, eh. How did it come about. Pero the thing is, noong napansin ng dalawang secretary na katabi ko noong nabanggit na 16, napa… Parang nagkaroon daw ako ng physical reaction. Dahil talagang… At saka ‘yung tipikal na sindak ng nanay? (Dahil) dumating ‘yung anak na dinala niya ng siyam na buwan. ‘Di ba, parating masaya? Dito, talagang nakaukit ‘yung sobrang … Parang lahat ng problema ng mundo nasa kanya na, eh. At hindi puwedeng i-ignore na ganyan talaga lang ang problema. Namimigay kami ng Philhealth card sa Baseco, (isang) depressed na community. Parang napakaraming buntis na sunud-sunod naming binibigyan. Ito ‘yung sa Philhealth nga, di ba? Tinutulungan natin sila sa kanilang medical needs. Siyempre nandoon na rin ‘yung stereotype na buntis, may kargang isa, at may hinahatak na isa pa. Hindi na nga makuha ang kanyang card. JS: I know you met with the bishops the other day— PNOY: Some bishops. JS: Some bishops. May pressure ho ba sa inyo from the church to be more definite or more specific about your stand? PNOY: Ulitin ko no… JS: Are they pressuring you to say whether you are (for) or against contraceptives? PNOY: The dialogue we had is a preparatory to a formal dialogue with everybody else in the CBCP. Laying the ground work lang. Tapos siguro parang nagkakaintindihan na rin kung ano ‘yung mga posisyon. So again, I pointed out-- I don’t know how that much more definite I can be. Inuulit-ulit ko lang, may problema akong nakikita. It’s not an option for me to ignore the problem. It is not an option for me to be wishful thinking that the problem will go away with minimal intervention. So, uulitin ko lang, no? My stand is everybody has to be educated as to the responsibilities and also as to the choices. Ngayon, ‘yung sa advocacy for whichever method, be it natural or artificial, we will give everybody equal access to talk to all of these prospective couples and so even to the other couples who want to undergo the seminar. End of the day, we will be supportive of their choices so long as it conforms to our laws. And that is the democratic system. Back to top. V. The Manila hostage crisis
JS: Masama raw po ang loob ni Sec. De Lima about the review that you’ve made on the IIRC (Incident Investigation and Review Committee) report. PNOY: I think she made her statement very, very clear. That is the essence of a democracy. We might not agree on every position of every comma and period, but at the end of the day, she did state that she still fully supports my position. And that she still holds me in the same esteem that she did prior to our review of the report. In fact, ‘di ba, the mere fact that she’s staying within the cabinet is indicative of her support. And I thank them for all of the statements she did after we had announced. JS: There’s a PCIJ (Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism) report now na nagsasabi na klaro daw sa IIRC report na bago niyo ireview kung ano ‘yung mga accountabilities ni Mayor Lim, Gen. Versoza, and USec. Puno. Ano ho tingin niyo doon? PNOY: The simplest way na ipaliwanag ‘yun… Kaya ang tagal rin kausap ko ‘yung mga abogado ko. Ang dami nilang pinaliwanag na concept sa batas, eh. Pero paano ko ba ipapaliwanag ito? Kunwari uminom ako. Nag-maneho ako. May nabundol ako. Homicide through reckless imprudence. Klaro. ‘Yung action ko na uminom impaired my judgement. Binundol ng sasakyan kong minamaneho ang isang tao. Klaro ‘yun, okay? Dito, ganoon ba kaklaro? Si Mendoza… Capt. Mendoza has been established as the one who shot everybody. Puwede ba nating sabihin na… Kunwari si Magtibay. Tinatanong ko, “Hindi ba puwedeng ma-charge ‘yan ng negligence that lead to all of these homicides?" Ang concept raw doon sa batas na tinatawag na proximate cause, hindi kasing diretsuhan. Ang paliwanag nila sa akin… Kunwari si Magtibay, sumunod sa akin. Ginamit ‘yung SAF (Special Action Force). Inemploy at the same time, 35 minutes after narinig ‘yung mga putukan. Nagbago kaya ang situwasyon? Baka. Pero baka rin hindi. At wala nga raw ‘yung proximate cause. Hindi ‘yung, kung anuman ang kilos ni Magtibay ang tumulak kay Mendoza na mamaril. So, dadalhin mo sa korte? Then kakasuhan mo ng parang wishful thinking na kaso? Hindi mag-poprosper. So anong nangyayari doon? Pati na ‘yung penalties na puwedeng i-impose, baka puwedeng ma-jeopardize. So eto ‘yung extent na puwede nating kasuhan sila na may mangyayari. Si Versoza—kapag tiningnan mo ‘yung crisis manual, no? –‘yung pag-elevate from the local to the national, hindi nakalagay doon. It was determined that it was local to begin with. There is no provision that says before it becomes a national crisis situation that he had to intervene. Ngayon ‘yung chain of command doon, susunod doon si Santiago. And unfortunately, the manual is also deficient as to ‘yung when he can intervene in resolving a crisis. He can intervene because he is the superior na PNP officer. Pero ‘yung kelangan niyang iutos doon sa ground commander, hindi ganoon kaliwanag ‘yung manual. That’s why it’s being recrafted. JS: How about USec. Puno? PNOY: He is not even in the direct chain of command. The way it’s explained is, si SILG (Secretary of Interior and Local Government) is the head of NAPOLCOM (National Police Commission), which is the policy-making body. ‘Yung operational is left to the General of the PNP. JS: I think the reports said that USec. Puno treated the crisis as local. Parang hindi niya daw nakita ‘yung national dimension to it. These are some parts of the report, no? And hindi niya na-assess ng mabuti ‘yung nangyari. Shouldn’t he be held more accountable daw other than being admonished lang. PNOY: Di pa naman… well ... tignan natin. Local. Mayroon kang iisang tao. Walang klaro at the start na support mechanisms. Took the bus and its passenger’s hostage. Was extremely reasonable until prior to the receipt of the letter from the Ombudsman. Saan ka nakakita--ulitin ko lang, ha? I’ve said it so many times-- saan ka nakakita ng hostage situation na nag-rerelease ng hostages, wala pang negotiation? At patuloy. Lumampas ng a third of all the people that were his bargaining chips, he released. ‘Yung strategy adopted in the beginning was, if you put in any officer of government higher than Magtibay, then you will encourage him to increase his demands. And his initial demands were already impossible. Any increase that could not be met would further exacerbate the situation. I got that advice rather early on. At the latest, siguro, before the oath-taking ceremony. Kailangan walang lilitaw diyan na mataas. Dahil pag may mataas, mas mataas din ang hihiritin na hindi naman natin naman talaga lalong kakayanin at lalong magpapatagal at maglalagay ng increase or threat to the ambassadors. So USec. Puno was doing, was following my decision rin na all of us should keep away from this. Monitor it, pero huwag natin bigyan ng avenue na lalo pang pataasin. And that includes me, no? I really wanted at some point in time (to say), “Alam mo, ang dami mong ginugulo dito sa kailangang gawin sa bansa." That day, I was talking to Secretary Ona about dengue. I was talking to Secretary Abad about ‘yung budget message na kailangang i-deliver. And then there were three or four others that I have to attend to. Tapos parang gusto ko nang puntahan at ako na ang makipagtanong sa kanya, “Alam mo, puwede ba tayo na mag-usap dito. Puwede bang pakawalan mo nay an at bukas na buaks aksyunan ko ang lahat ng puwede kong magawa sa problemang yun. ‘Yung problemang sinasabi mo." Kasi nga parang napakareasonable eh. And I was prevented from doing the same. JS: As in, you was actually contemplating going to the bus talking to Mendoza himself? PNOY: Yes. There were several instances that I wanted to. That’s why when I was… I monitored practically the whole day, eh. Noong pag-uwi ko sa Pangarap, dahil ang analysis nga nila prior to the letter was, aabutin ito ng madaling-araw, pero mukhang ma-wewear down by that time. So I kept telling everybody, “Alam mo, importante dito, number one, ang safety ng all passengers, all of the hostages. Second, paalala ko sa inyong lahat--‘yung final option, kaya nga tinawag na final--the use of force is really the last option when there is clear and imminent danger of harm befalling all of these hostages." So mukha naman positive ang developments, until nakita ko nga ‘yung sulat inabot, tapos ‘yung reaction sa mga mukha ni Yebra, amongst others. Inaasahan ko na lang by common practice that he would inform the decision-makers na, “Nabibitawan ko na yata ito." Na, “Nawawala na yata ‘yung rapport namin. Baka kailangan na ihanda na niyo." So yun na lang ‘yung dismaya ko noon talagang napaka-islow motion. ‘Yung masyado matagal nang nasa mga libro kung pano maghandle ng mga ganyan. JS: Doon sa PCIJ report, may nagsabi na noong una mo daw nakuha ‘yung IIRC report, ang reaction mo raw, “Masyado namang napa-tapang ito." PNOY: I think my first reaction was recommending the filing of appropriate criminal administrative cases, and for so many of them. Ano ba actually ang appropriate criminal administrative cases? And that was the basis of the instructions given to both the Executive Secretary and the Chief Legal Counsel. Kasi generic, eh. Siympre pag sinabi mong, “File criminal charges," hindi naman puwedeng basta. You have to cite what republic act was violated, what part of the revised penal code was violated. Then I also was asking for, “Ano bang sanctions? Ano bang penalties involved dito?" Sa dulo noon pagkabasa, ‘yung operationalizing the recommendations was also very important. I think that was my first reaction. ‘Yung sa napa-tapang? Well, tao naman ako. Frustrated ako sa nangyari. Pero at the end of the day, I also have to be, to exercise fairness. Kunwari, in the case of Yebra. Isinisisi sa kanya na hindi siya kumuha ng psychologist. So I asked, “Where in the manual does it say it is mandatory that he has a psychologist advising him?" Ang clause nakalagay doon kasi, (may) option to call in a psychologist. And then you ask, “O sige. Si Yebra ba will have the resources to have a psychologist on a retaining?" He’s not even a designated negotiator for the Manila Police District. So siguro nga tanong ko rin doon, “Bakit natin siya sinisisi dito?" Or for that matter, ‘yung provision of all the other support units, may point na parang nasisisi rin siya. Nasaan ‘yung intelligence na sub-unit? Nasaan ‘yung logistics sub-unit? Eh, siya rin, sub-unit siya, eh. Paano siya mag-oorder ng tasking na parang creation of these other sub-units? ‘Yun ang sinasabi ko. Ideally, sana ganito. Pero nirequire ba siya? Kung hindi siya nirequire, bakit natin siya sisisihin after the incident? Na dapat nag-empower siya before the incident. So hindi naman yata fair ‘yun. JS: Mr. President, on the other hand, there are some people who are seeing a character flaw dito po sa inyong naging reaction sa IIRC report. Kasi bakit daw si Prisco Nilo, mabilis niyong— of PAG-ASA--bakit daw si Prisco Nilo ng PAG-ASA … PNOY: That’s incorrect. JS: … naging decisive ang inyong … PNOY: That’s incorrect. JS: … stance? PNOY: Prisco Nilo was admonished during Basyang. And I think it took a while, ano? He was also given an opportunity to reform. JS: Okay. PNOY: And the department secretary, si Mario Montejo, said, “Kausapin ko at aayusin natin." It got to the point where… The way they phrased it was, “Cultural issue." Na, masyado nang—paano ba? Paano ko ba sasabihin ‘yun in a diplomatic way? Basta para bang, mahilig na raw sumaway itong taong ito. Dumating na lang sa point na nag-give up na kami na puwede siya mag-reform. Kaya sinibak siya. Pero hind ‘yun. Kasi, ulitin ko, no? Ano bang issue namin noon. Basyang, sinabing nasa Aurora. Nagpunta ng Southern Tagalog, Metro Manila. Lahat ng resources nakatutok sa Aurora. Sa Aurora noong araw na ‘yun, maaraw na maaraw. Nakikita na pa lang nilang… Nandito na sa Metro Manila bago sila nagsabi na patungo ng Metro Manila. Ang isyu noon may equipment na dapat ginamit, hindi ginamit. The weather balloons in particular. JS: Pero bakit daw ho siya, mabilis ang inyong naging tugon, pero bakit daw the likes of USec. Puno? Na medyo mabigat daw ang kasalanan, porket daw kaibigan niyo? Porket daw si Mayor Lim, porket sinuportahan ang inyong ina na dating pangulo? Et cetera, et cetera. PNOY: Ang liwanag naman doon kay Nilo, eh. ‘Yung decision niya. Deretsuhin ko na siguro dahil ito ang nireport sa akin. Kasi umabot na… Nagkaroon ako ng review after masibak siya. Kasi tinatanong ko, ano ba ‘yung—I’m just trying to recall ang dialogue namin noon, something to effect na ganito. Noong 1944 sa Norman – eh, sa France, no? Mayroon mas primitive na technology na nagsabi, “Ito ang windows mo"—kay Eisenhower—“para lumusob." In the 1950s, si MacArthur, again, with more primitive technology than what we have now, was also told, “Inchon will have these tides that you can access for X number of hours." Successful ‘yung Inchon landing niya. Eh, nasa ibang milenya na ho tayo, eh. Tinatanong ko lang, “May radar ka. ‘Yung radar tinatrack ‘yung weather system. Siguro naman, eh, hindi naman once a day umandar ‘yung radar. Nakikita mo na kung saan papunta." There are 66 provinces kasi that have components of very high risk, (out) of 80. So importante talaga na ‘yung ating forecasting is accurate. So bakit sila, kaya nilang ipredict all of these details, tayo yugn direksyon hindi natin masabi? So ang haba ng dialogue dito sa OIC at saka ‘yung papalit dito kay Prisco Nilo. Ang dulo niyan, binanggit na nga, may mga lobo. ‘Yung lobo mayroong nagmemeasure ng pressure. Dapat pinalipad, dapat X amount. Ang pinalipad, eh, fraction ng dapat ginamit. Dahil ang pinaliwanag sa akin ‘yung low pressure—doon ko naintindihan talaga ‘yung weather--itutulak ‘yung--sorry, I’m not that technical--pero itutulak ‘yung weather port towards areas where there is no pressure. So ma-track mo lang kung saan ‘yung low pressure areas alam mo na kung saan pupunta. Hindi naman pala ganoon kabigat ‘yun. Halos kumpleto na ‘yung equipment. So anong nangyari? Eh, iniinterview siya. Parating, “Kulang ang equipment. Kulang ang equipment." ‘Yun pala, kulang yung paggamit ng equipment ang isyu. So kung sinundan natin siya, dagdag ang pinsala sa taong bayan. So klaro. Ayaw niyang baguhin ‘yung proseso. Pansinin niyo lang ‘yung mga weather bulletins. Ang laki na ng diperensiya ngayon, eh. Dahil wala siya. Dito kay USec. Puno, ano ba talagang ginawa niyang kasalanan doon? Nobody has pointed out that, “He failed, as specified in section ganito of this manual. He didn’t do this. Or he overwent what he had to do." Pagdating nga doon, ano? Siya nagmando? ‘Yun ba kailangan? Kung siya nagmando? Wala siya doon. He didn’t ensure that he followed the orders. O, siya ba ‘yung expert? Siya ba ‘yung binigyan ng authority? Is he a member of the crisis committee? He’s not. Even if it’s the National Crisis Committee? He’s not So ‘yung, there is a--ano bang tawag doon?-- parang lynch mob. “Off with his head." Sa akin naman, in the same token that I will protect the rights of those who will oppose me, siguro naman I should be able to protect everybody else’s right. And I will not be stampeded into making an unfair decision. Back to top. VI. The MWSS
JS: Isa pang nababanggit na pangalan, Macra Cruz of the MWSS. She was among those who allegedly received a lot of, a big amount of allowances, et cetera. And yet you allowed her to stay on. Parang mayroong hindi daw consistent sa inyong pronouncement. PNOY: Ni-recommend ng concerned secretary ‘yun, eh. For the most part, no? ‘Yung wala akong taong ilalagay diyan. Mayroon silang nirerecommend. Pinagtitiwalaan ko ‘yung mga secretary ko sa cabinete ko. They will ano… I rely on their judgement and their expertise. Having said that, there is an ongoing review of all of these perks and privileges. I understand they’re in the final stages. I’m awaiting the report to really rationalize all of these perks. Ngayon, eventually siguro magkakaroon kami ng kaso sa korte. There is an executive order dated 2001 limiting… ‘Yung mga taong itinalaga diyan are representing the people, therefore any gains by their having sat there should be plowed back into into the coffers of the National Treasury. Ang dami nang challenge na may kanya-kanyang charter that authorizes them to give all of these perks. So we’re again finishing the study where we know down to the last centavo what everyone got. That forms the basis ngayon for saying na, “Sobra ang ginawa niyo." Tapos I’m actually asking, puwede ba nating mabawi ito? Marami ka rin naman avenues, eh. Ito ba naireport natin itong mga gains na ito to the BIR? And so on and so forth. You want to come up with the data necessary to form that comprehensive policy that prevents that occurrence of the same. Again, I will have to inquire. We were looking for somebody else diyan sa MWSS. In fact, the last time I saw her, I told her, “Inaasahan ka nga na ayusin ito." And then, I see all of these statements. Parang tinatanggap yata ng board. But I’ll have to look into it. There’s so many things kasi on my plate at the same time. Pero MWSS is not the biggest--the biggest of those who have sinned, as far as the perks and benefits. JS: Which one’s the biggest? PNOY: The are bigger that I know of, right now, pero ‘yung biggest, I will have to await the study. Back to top. VII. The Military
JS: Noon panahon po ng inyong ina as president ang daming sunod-sunod na mga coup. Nine or ten, if I’m not mistaken. And then, isa kayo sa mga muntik nang napinsala ng husto dahil doon sa mga nangyari. And here you are now giving amnesty to rebels in the Oakwood Mutiny and ‘yun sa Marine Headquarters. Bakit daw ho kinakailangang bigyan ng amnestiya itong mga naglayo na pabagsakin ang gobiyerno na katulad din ng pinagdaanan ng inyong ina na dating pangulo? PNOY: Mayroon yata significant difference. Sabi mo nga, napinsala ako. Nabaril ako. May grenada. Baka dalawa pa ang ginamit sa amin. Bente y kuwatro ang kalaban namin. Saan ako binaril? Dito sa tapat ng St. Jude dito sa Malacañang. Lumusob sila sa seat of government. Oakwood is a hotel and I have stated publicly na noong nagpunta sila doon… Sa enumeration ng Revised Penal Code--sorry, I don’t remember the number—but it says “coup d’etat, how committed." And may enumeration. So, kasama rito ang communications facilities, telcos, utilities, army or police cars. Walang hotel. So I’ve always stated na, noong pagpunta nila doon, tama ban a nafile-an sila sa kudeta? At mukhang hindi tama. That’s my personal opinion. Okay? Now, may mga gripes ba? And I think they were legitimate, eh. No? Si Faeldon, I saw him on, I think your rival network, being interviewed in some (unintelligible) in Mindanao, and then visually kitang-kita ang kakulangan. And that was two years before Oakwood, okay? Now they have… Oakwood was in 2003, if I’m not mistaken. We’re already in 2010. Medyo mahaba-haba na rin ang point na nakulong sila at nadisrupt ang mga buhay. The salient feature there was when I met the Magdalo officers was walang reinstatement. Hindi na babalik sa serbisyo. Give them the opportunity to pick up the pieces and live a peaceful and productive life. JS: But what’s the message you’re trying to send to… PNOY: Moving on. JS: …elements in the military who may again think of rebelling against your administration? PNOY: Before I decided I consulted both the DND and the AFP and they in turn came up with a position paper and they said they have no objections so long as there is no reinstatement for any of these people except ‘yung enlisted. JS: Pero hindi ho ba kayo natatakot na baka kayo naman ang susunod na pagrebeldehan nila kapag hindi nila nagustuhan ang inyong pamamalakad? PNOY: Sa umpisa pa lang palagay ko pinakita ko sa kanila na ang dulo nito, ako ang commander-in-chief. Decision ko susundin niyo. At kung hindi, siyempre naman, dapat natuto na tayo doon sa panahon na (unintelligible) nila na naghahanda tayo na mayroon tayong talagang maasahan na kung saka-sakali mag (unintelligible), ay mayroong talagang tatapat sa kanila. But more than that, I think ang focus ko doon tao eh. Ang nakakarami sa sambayanan nga nagkakaroon ng pag-asa ngayon at natututong mangarap. Sabi namin, nadadama ng iba ang positive effects ng pagbabagong nangyayari. So sa dulo ng… Palagay ko, itong mga nasa uniporme, may mga kamag-anak na sibiliyan na sila ang haharang kung talagang may nakikitang pagbabago. So palagay ko, ituloy lang ito. Mapabilis natin ang proseso na madama ng nakararami ang pagbabago, talagang matatahimik nang… Hindi ‘yung sapilitang katihimikan. Pero talagang kumbinsido ang lahat na ito nga ang tama ang tuwid na landas. Back to top. VIII. Agrarian Reform
JS: Wala raw ho kayong binanggit at all tungkol sa Agrarian Reform sa inyong 100 Days Report, gayong alam naman po ng lahat, na mayroong issue against you constantly about Hacienda Luisita. PNOY: Maski ano naman sabihin ko diyan, eh, diba? Kay gawin kong ganito, may batikos. Gawin mong ganito, may batikos. Ang dulo po niyan, gusto ko talagang matapos ‘yung aming ginagawa noong pinasa itong CARPER, tila mayroong malaking bahagi na kulang ng funding. Ang focus ko dito is--malamang no? – itong huling extension na ito, hindi na mai-extend. Paano ba natin matatapos ‘yung kailangang gawin diyan within this last extension? Nagumpisa kasi yan, 10-year program. Naging 20 years nga. Magiging 25 sa kabuuan. At ‘yung sentimiento na hindi na tayo magkakaroon ng panibagong extension in the form na you need another law. Mahirap ipasa ‘yun. So ang impetus that I told Gil no, our secretary for agrarian reform, “Siguraduhin na mamaximize ‘yung attainment of the targets within this period." Minsan nadidistract ako into so many other side issues, ang daunting ng kailangan niyang gawin within the next four years. Eh, pinabayaan ko na hindi ko bigyan ng kontrobersya, para makatrabaho siya quietly na may nangyayari. JS: Pabor ho ba kayo sa ginagawa ng Hacienda Luisita ngayon? Na they’re trying to resolve… PNOY: My position has been, the people or the stakeholders should be the one to resolve the issue. Tapos that has gotten complicated by so many factors and forces outside those stakeholders, to the detriment of all the stakeholders. So ang posisyon ko was, parang, i-isolate ko sila from the things that I have to do. “Sila" meaning the company, the beneficiaries, the communities, para magkaroon sila ng pagkakataon na maresolba ito. JS: But doesn’t that one counter doon sa isa sa ipinagmamalaking pinakamalaking accomplishment ng inyong ina as president dati--agrarian reform? PNOY: Bakit magiging counter? Sila nagdesisyon kung bakit umabot sa ganito from the start, when they adopted that mode of land reform. It was not my mother’s decision, it was not my decision. It was the decision of the beneficiaries. ‘Di ba they had a survey supposed to be? Signed by so many of the, something like 7,000 plus of the 10,000 beneficiaries, agreeing to this compromise, as far as I know. Bakit ako kokontra doon sa mga taong diretsong apektado nito? JS: Arent you for land distribution? Which is basically what agrarian reform is all about. It’s not about buying stocks. PNOY: I may be in favor of it, no? But at the end of the day, under the law, under CARP (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program), before CARPER (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms) came about, they decided to exercise this option. I didn’t decide for them. My mother didn’t decide for them. So I’m supposed to be the leader of a democratic state. And when the people directly affected made the decision, am I supposed to say, “Hindi tama ‘yung decision ninyo?" Or, “Ayaw ko ‘yang desisyon ninyo?" Or, “Hindi ko i-implement ang desisyon niyo." I think that is wrong. JS: Ni-reduce daw ho ‘yung budget ng Department of Agriculture, as well as Agrarian Reform and kahit din po the money that’s supposed to go to family planning, nireduce daw ho lahat ‘yun. PNOY: I will have to check the details on that, no? Pero... we are trying to keep the deficit manageable. There was a meeting. The DBCC (Development Budget Coordination Committee) met all the secretaries. And at the end of the day—and I was a participant in one of these meetings--agreed that they will be able to do their functions given the resources that can be made available to them. Ano bang dulo nito? Huwag nating titingnan doon sa absolute peso value lang, eh. Malakaing bagay din doon sa tamang pamamalakad na mapapalayo ‘yung magagamit natin sa pondo. For instance, I’m more familiar kasi with other aspects of the budget. DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) has a budget of P3 billion for slope protection. So, ‘yung P3 billion, sa tamang paggastos, ang papasukan nila ngayon is a different method of slope protection using coco coir technology. Bottomline, ‘yung P3 billion… Kakailanganin na lang ng DPWH is P500 million. So even with the same peso figure absolute that they’ll be getting, mas tama ang sistema, they got another P2.5 billion in effect. Iniwan mong 3 (billion), 500 (million) na lang ang kailangan, 2.5 (billion) is free for other items. Same with agriculture, the same with ano. Agriculture? ‘Yun sa system procurement nila may nahanap kami through efforts with the private sector… One particular project, one machine was costing P60 million. Tumama ‘yung… Parang pinoint out na overspecified. Pinabura ‘yung isang kumpanya, et cetera. At least P30 million na lang ‘yang particular machine na yan. So nagkaroon na naman ng P30 million in effect ‘yung Department of Agriculture. So that is everywhere. Hindi ‘yung S.O.P. ang tinututukan. Hindi ‘yung hanapbuhay ng kung sinu-sino. Deretso na. Bawat piso mamaximize natin. So maski na binawasan kung titingnan, ay mas maraming magagawa dahil mas tama ang paggastos. Back to top. IX. Jueteng JS: Sabi niyo labanan ang corruption. Pero may mga kumukuwestiyon sa prayoridad na binibigay ninyo sa jueteng, o sa laban kontra jueteng, gayong jueteng ang tinuturong root cause ng corruption sa grassroots level. Ano hong masasabi niyo diyan? PNOY: Kasi Jess, mayroon akong ano eh… Anong magagamit kong resources diyan? Sa diyaryo araw-araw, sa inyo gabi-gabi, makikita natin violent crimes. ‘Yung drugs, ‘yung--ang daming kailangang tukuyin, eh. Tapos ‘yung jueteng, doon tayo magfofocus? Eh ‘yung ating kapulisan hindi na lumaki mula noong panahon ng nanay ko. Eksaktong numero. So there’s a hundred, probably 150,000 PNP personnel. Closer to 120,000 yata nationwide to go and protect the close to 100 million Filipinos. So ipaprioritize ko ‘yung jueteng? Mas interesado ako sa violent muna ngayon. Ano ba ‘yung violent? Tingnan niyo ‘yung Korean minister na nagsundo sa airport at pagdating sa lugar pinaslang. May kidnapping tayo ngayon sa Cotabato yata, kung di ako nagkakamali. Mukhang naresolve na ‘yun. Mayroon din kidnapping sa Sulu. Ang daming sabay-sabay na krimen na nangyayari. ‘Yung pagbobomba sa pagkatapos ng bar. So sasabihin ko ba sa lahat ng kapulisan, eh, “I-drop mo lahat ‘yan. Jueteng muna." Siguro sa damage inflicted on society, feeling ko mas mabigat ‘yung drugs at saka ‘yung violent crimes. Which doesn’t mean hindi namin tutukuyin ang jueteng, pero hinihintay ko lang comprehensive plan. Ano ‘yung comprehensive plan? ‘Yung mga napaka-hilig tumaya sa jueteng. Kasi noong congressman ako, tinatanong ko ‘yung kilala kong tumataya araw-araw. Sabi ko, “Kapag tumataya ka ba, nanalo ka araw-araw?" “Ay hindi ho." “Kailan ka nanalo?" “Bihira." “Kailan ka tumataya?" “Araw-araw." “So pag taya mo pa lang, siguradong, malamang talo ka na?" “Oo." “Eh, bakit ka tumataya?" “Eh, nalilibang po ako maghapon, eh." Up to ‘yung paano natin hahabulin ‘yung ga untouchable na lords. Na mga ang layo-layo doon sa kumukuha ng mismong taya. So pag pinasukan natin ito, ayaw ko naman pumasok sa isang bagay na walang patutunguhan. Kailangan, kung sinabi ng estado, “Ito ang tututukan natin. Ito ang reresolbahin natin," sigurado dapat maresolba yun. Hindi ‘yung pakonti-konting pa-show lang. Pa-effect lang. Hindi kailangang totohanang solusyon. Back to top. X. His Lovelife
JS: Ito na ang tanong. (laughing) PNOY: May gagawin na kasi ako ngayon, Jessie… JS: Ano ho ba talaga ang score? Kasi hindi kayo nagsasalita pero mayroong nakakakita sa inyong nakikpag-date. At may bali-balita na kung kani-kanino kayo na-lilink. For the record. Minsan lang naman namin kayo tatanungin, eh. PNOY: Jessie, ‘yung talagang private buhay ko na lang ang natitira, kaya iiwanan ko na lang private. Sa totoo lang, ako’y nahalal, ako’y napasok sa fishbowl. Sa lahat naman ito, hindi naman nakaka-apekta o hindi apektado ang mga kailangang kong gawin. So palagay ko naman, pakiusap na lang, sa akin na lang ang parte na iyan. JS: Pero hindi ba maganda, kasi alam naman nila that you were in a relationship and yet people see you with other girls? PNOY: Hindi ko naman kasi ugali… I think all the parties that have a right to know, know what the score is. And the others who would like to know what the score is, may ugali talaga to talk about things that are really very personal. Especially, I’m the male in this equation, so I shouldn’t be… whatever… Isipin mo, no? Parang ang daling sagutin. Wala ka bang ibang tanong, Jess? JS: Mahirap bang maging bachelor president and be the subject of so much speculation? PNOY: Mag-asawa ka na siguro, pagkatagal, mayroon pa ring komentaryo. Ang dulo naman nito, parang... Kung magkakaroon ka ng relasyon, talagang lahat ng Pilipino kailangan kasama mo sa mga lakaran mo. Paano mo ma-aachieve ang parang conflicting na… Getting-to-know-you na, kailangan ang buong Pilipinas will also get to know the other person. Mutually exclusive and impossible situations. Again let me assure everybody that hindi naman ho ako teenager na affected severely. I know how to control myself. The work, which is the first priority, is not sacrificed by the personal. And the personal really occupies something like siguro less than five percent na lang. I’m committed to the state at least for the next six years. - PF, GMANews.TV Back to top.