Press Release
January 21, 2016

Kapihan sa Senado Transcript (Part I)

BBM: "Sayang yung coverage kung lagi kayong magkasama. Eh kung pwede kayong maghiwalay, we can cover twice as much ground. That's the plan we are finalizing now.

Q: "So doon sa kick-off ng iyong campaign, wala pang assurance kung magkikita kayo ni Senator Santiago?"

BBM: "I believe yun yung idea. Syempre, we have to kick-off the campaign ng magka-tandem. Before we go off on our own, kung saan-saan kami pupunta, iyan ang aming pinaplano sa ngayon.

Q: "Sa latest survey, maganda yung showing ninyo. Saan niyo po naaattribute yung pagtaas ng rating niyo sa mga survey?"

BBM: "Well, syempre, maganda yung tinitingnan ko diyan na trajectory if we're moving in the right direction kung ano ba talaga ang pagtanggap (nila) sa iyo. And I have to say with the results of the survey, sa palagay ko nangyayari iyan kasi maganda ang pagtanggap diyan sa mensahe ko. Ang pinag-uusapan ko kapag ako'y umiikot ay tungkol sa pagkakaisa ng sambayanang Pilipino. Palagay ko naman alam ng taumbayan iyan ang kailangan nating gawin para maging successful ang ating bansa, para mabigyan natin ng tulong ang ating mamamayang nangangailangan. That very simple message of unity - the message that we cannot succeed if we are not working together. It is a simple message, but I think it rings true. Alm din ng taumbayan iyan kaya ipagpatulo ko lang ang pagbigkas sa mensaheng iyan.

Q: "So tinatarget niyo sa next survey na kayo na ang number one?"

BBM: "Actually, hindi naman ganun ang aming pagpaplano. Ang pagpaplano namin is we continue with the plan of the campaign. Mukha namang effective kaya ipagpapatuloy lang namin kung ano yung kampanya. Syempre, the end result is pataasin yung mga numbers. But the way to do it is to be consistent - consistent with your message, consistent with what we're doing now, try to speak to as many people as possible, at mapaliwanag nga kung anong iniisip na programa para sa pamahalaan. At paulit-ulit nga, di natin magagawa lahat ito ating mga programa, lahat ng ating mga plano kung hindi tayo magkakaisa. Mas magiging mabilis ang progreso ng Pilipinas pag tayo'y nakikita natin lahat ng Pilipino't nagtutulungan.

Q: "Did you sign the Senate Resolution expressing the census of the Senate to override (PNoy's veto)?"

BBM: "Yes, yes. I think all of us of the bill were made sponsors. I am very much in favor of it (overriding PNoy's veto).

Q: But Senate President Drilon is questioning that resolution. Kasi raw dapat mag-emanate sa House yung initiative to override?

BBM: Be that as it may, it is a sense of the Senate resolution. So kung nag-a-agree ang mga members of the Upper House ay that is a clear expression of the sense of the Senate that we feel that the P2000 additional payment for pensioners should be given and that it is unfortunate and very disappointing that the President chose to veto it.

Q: Sir you are saying it's about time na to stop the controversies, instead look for a win-win solution, ano sa tingin nyo ang maisa-suggest nyo?

BBM: Yung sa SSS? E sa palagay ko ang kailangan lang nating gawin dyan ay ayusin ang management ng SSS. Dahil kung titingnan, sinasabi nila they cannot afford it, masisira daw ang pondo. Dapat, unang-una yung collection gawing mas maganda: 35 % that is a very low number and that shows a great deal of inefficiency on the part of the SSS management in their functions in managing the fund. Beyond that makikita natin yung investments na ginawa nila hindi ganun kaganda kaya't di sila kumikita. Ngayon kung maayos natin yang dalawang bagay na yan ay kailangan talaga nating sabihin, yung management kapag pinaganda yan kaya namang ibigay yung P2,000. Ngayon hangga't maayos yun we should find a compromise solution. You know we have to remember na ang pondo ng SSS, hindi pondo ng gobyerno yan. That is a fund that belongs to workers at pinagbabayad natin sila, merong withhdolding at inilalalgay sa SSS. And again, that is a private fund that really should be managed better and I think government should recognize na hindi dapat galawin yang pondong yan dahil yang pondong yan ay hindi naman pera ng gobyerno.

Q: But there is a report sir that 34 SSS executives earned P116 million in 2014, is this something irregular sir?

BBM: It is highly-irregular. P116 million a year for compensation, parang ginagawang ginagatasan na lang ang SSS imbes na patakbuhin ng maganda, imbes na gawan ng lahat ng paraan para magamit yung pondo para tumulong sa mga retirees, sa mga pensioners, ay ibinibigay na lang siguro parang ano yan, parang yung "cushy appointment" na parang pabor sa mga poltical allies. We have to stop doing that and we have to find better managers who will actually run the fund and who will actually provide the kind of insurance that our pensioners have worked for all of their lives.

Q: So sir palitan na yung mga SSS executives?

BBM: Well, they are not doing their job very well. Kung ganyan nga, P2000 hindi nila kayang isuporta di maghanap tayo, I'm sure merong mas magagaling dyan. I remember in previous years the SSS was much-better run. So I'm sure andyan pa naman ang magagaling na marunong magpatakbo ng isang pondong ganyan. Marami tayong kilala in the private sector who are very very competent and who are quite experienced in doing this. I don't think the problem is a lack of talent. I don't think that that's the problem.

Q: Sir going back to the resolution, Senate President Drilon said na political season na daw kasi so yung mga pumirma doon parang namumulitika and that they are trying to isolate the President?

BBM: I disagree. It's an attempt to help the people. Nagsimula yan sa income tax, tapos eto na yung SSS---both of which were vetoed and turned down by the Palace. Kelan ba natigil ang usapan na ibaba ang income tax? Lahat naman sinasabi mataas ang buwis, ang nagiging koleksyon ng BIR ay hindi fair ang kanilang assessment. Kung minsan tax exempt na hinahabol pa rin ng BIR. So this is a constant, on-going between taxpayers and the government--the government would always want the taxpayers to pay more; taxpayers would always like to pay less. So this is an on-going, back and forth between the two sectors. But ang lumalabas ang reason kung bakit nagkaka-epekto sa politika ay maliwanag na ayaw ibigay ng Palasyo ang mga benepisyong hinihingi, dahil consistent ang kanilang ginagawa, they turn down any additional payment, any kind of tax relief, lagi nilang tina-turn down.. Kaya't nahahalata na ayaw nilang tulungan ang taong bayan, kaya nagiging political. Kung tumulong sila it won't even be an issue. Kung lumabas lahat yan sasabihin natin ay good, the government is doing its best to try and help people. But the opposite is happening, ang lumalabas ayaw talaga tayong tulungan ay nangangailangan naman tayo. Ang mga pensionado, sa lahat siguro ng sektor, they have no income, they are at the mercy of the prices of goods and commodities that they find necessary to have a life and yet any assistance of government ay bini-veto kaagad, so that is why it becomes a political issue. Q: How would you resolve or address these problems (SSS)....?

BBM: We just have to find better people.

Q: Would you call for the resignation of these people?

BBM: Oh yes, I don't think they are doing a good job.

Q: So would you call for their resignation?

BBM: I think that's what I'm saying. I'm saying we must replace them with people who are better at managing the fund. Dahil sa nakaraan naman hindi naman naging problema yan e dahil very professional ang patakbo ng SSS. Ngayon since pinulitika na naman, and everything is a poltiical appointment in this administration...We've seen this not only in the SSS; we've seen this in other departments, where the people who are running very large organizations within the government have been clearly shown to be incompetent--hindi nila kaya ang trabaho nila. E andaming nadadamay na tao kayat kailangang seryosohin natin, maghanap tayo ng mahuhusay, hindi na bale kung kaalyado o hindi sa pulitika. Yan ang nagiging problema e, hindi pwedeng maglagay ng tao na hindi natin kaalyado yan, tsaka yung parang reward, parang loyalty reward ang ginagawa sa mga posisyon sa government e. Hindi nilalagyan ng tao na sa palagay natin ang pinakamagaling na magpatakbo nung mga organisasyon na yan, kaya tayo nagkakaganito.

Q: Aside from their replacement, would you initiate any move to look into the organization....mga perks?

BBM: Well, we have the new GOCC law....but again we have to keep reminding ourselves that these are not government funds. These are funds that have been collected from private citizens during their working lives. Kung maglalagay nga tao dyan let's just find the best, most competent persons. Let us put aside politics and let us put aside itong parang political rewardees and just find the people who can run the fund the best we can. This seems to be the probem of the government, is that they do not seem to pick the best--they end up with a lot of people who cannot seem to do their job. Again, I revert to the fact that I think that the reason is because they are appointed for politiccal purposes, not for actual management, work efficiency. That's why we have this problem. 35% collection ano ba naman yan, napakababa naman masyado.

Q: Sir ano yun political accomodation, mga tumulong before?

BBM: Yung mga ganun. Yung mga tumulong bigyan natin ng premyo: o sige diyan na kayo malalaki ang perks ninyo, wala kayong kailangang gawin. E siguro ganun ang attitude kaya ganyan, kaya walang ginagawa.

Q: Can we blame the President?

BBM: No we have to blame them for being incompetent and for not doing their job properly. But of course some responsibility lies with the President: why did you pick people who cannot do their job? And once you find that they cannot do their job, hanap na kayo kaagad ng may kaya. We should have no patience for that because ang nakataya dito ang buhay ng mga pensionado. Mahirap na nga ang buhay nila ay mas pinahihirapan pa--hindi naman dapat ganun.

Q: Sir yun po bang resolution na pinaiikot parang katulad din nung resolution sa EDCA?

BBM: Yeah, it is a sense of the House. It basically manifests, or expresses the desire of the majority of the members na mabigay nga yung P2000 additional payment for pensioners.

Q: "What are your expectations on the investigation on Mamasapano next week?"

BBM: "Well, mayroon na tayong kakaunting nakikita. As we all know, ang nag-move para buksan ulit ang Mamasapano investigation ay Si Senator Enrile and he has made some statements to the effect na mayroon daw siyang bagong ipapalabas na direct involvement ng president in the peace process, in the non-rescue, all of these things. I've been trying to, kinakausap ko siya sinasabi ko ano bang mayroon ka? Sabi niya, "Well, tingnan mo." I've been reading the transcripts and he has many questions to ask. So I expect there might be a few more facts, details that weren't entirely clear during the original hearings that he will make clear. Alam naman natin si Senator Enrile os a very good lawyer and he's a very good interpolator, he's a very good senator; at sa ganoong paraan makikita natin hindi naman siguro niya gagawin ito kung sa palagay niya'y kumpleto na ang mga report ng kumite. I'm looking forward to that. Again, as I have expressed before, my immediate concern that is why I wrote a letter to the committee chairman, Senator Grace, at sinabi ko sa kanya kung pwedeng imbitahin ang NBI director, kung pwedeng imbitahin si Secretary De Lima doon sa listahan na ni-release nila. Wala pa dito yung aking nirerequest, pero I will go back to the committee. Huwebes pa lang naman. This is happening Wednesday next week. So, maybe I'll make a personal verbal request that they be included."

Q: "Are you asking Secretary De Lima and NBI director to...ano?"

BBM: "Because I want to find out what the status of the case is against those who murdered the SAF 44. We were all very encouraged a few months ago, pagkatapos ibigay yung original NBI investigative report na sinabi niya (De Lima) na we will charge up to 90 people who murdered (the SAF 44). Ang sabi ko naman, tama iyan. We should really do everything we can to bring justice to the victims. Pero ngayon nakita natin pinabalik para ma reinvestigate, nag-iisang taon na ay wala pa tayong nakikita na ginagawa ang DOJ to bring these people to justice. That is why this is very disturbing to see that the one thing that the families of the SAF 44 are asking for, ang hinihingi nila, I can say this of my own personal knowledge, dahil nung sinalubong ko sila sa Villamor, sinalubong ko yung mga bangkay at nakakausap ko yung mga pamilya, ang kanilang hinihingi, hindi sila humihingi ng pera, hindi sila humihingi ng benepisyo, hindi sila humihingi ng scholarship. Ang laging nilang sinasabi ay "huwag niyo po kaming makalimutan at bigyan po ninyo yung mga namatayan ng katarungan" It's always what they have said and they have been consistent in that. And I am ashamed that the government of which I am a part of has not been able to provide that after a year. There are clear eyewitnesses. There is even a video. Ang daming ebidensya. Sa palagay ko naman hindi dapat tumagal sa isang taon ang pag-iimbestiga. Inimbestigahan na ng CIDG, inimbestigahan na ng Senado, inimbestigahan na ng House of Representatives, may sariling report ang AFP. Siguro naman sa dami ng impormasyong iyon ay palagay ko sapat na iyon mabigyan ng katarungan ang mga biktima ng SAF 44."

*Inaudible question*

BBM: "The issue that Senator Enrile has been talking about, yung sinasabi niyang direct involvement (that was in the paper today) of the president, what exactly that means ay hindi pa niya sinasabi. But if there's something that he can show, I would be very, very interested to find out about it because any additional knowledge will help us, even in the deliberations of the basic law sa Bangsamoro, whatever findings will help us to make it a better law. And that was my particular focus nung original Mamasapano hearings here in the Senate was to find out why the coordination was so poor. Dahil sinasabi hindi nag-coordinate dito, may order galing diyan, pa iba-iba. In other words, ang naging apekto hindi sila nasalba, hindi sila na rescue. So, yun ang naging focus ko. Ngayon, ganun pa rin kaya antayin natin kung ano yung mga lalabas na detalye sa darating na hearing."

Q: "So, sir, hindi pa na-mention o pinakita sa inyo ni JPE kung ano yung mga evidence na hawak niya?"

BBM: "You know, ang impression ko kay Senator Enrile ay hindi siya may hawak na ebidensiya na gugulatin tayong lahat. I think he just has questions sa pagbasa niya ng transcript, sa pagbasa niya ng investigative report ng CIDG, ng AFP, ng House. Lahat ng available information. Siguro sa pag-iisip niya may nakita siyang itanong na hindi naitanong. I really think he just wants to perform his function as a senator, ask all of the questions that he feels that should be asked to get to the bottom of what really happened there and why we ended up with 44 dead policemen. What were the circumstances that allowed that to happen?"

Q: "Does it mean that naging weak yung previous hearing kasi you failed to dig all the details, all the information, there is necessity pa to reinvestigate."

BBM: "Para sa kanya may blank spot and he wants to fill in those blanks. Ganun ang impression ko sa pag-uusap namin. Again, additional knowledge, additional information is a good thing. So, I'm supportive of that."

Q: "Sir, hindi niyo nakikita na may pulitika dito?

BBM: "Siguro ngayon sa panahon na ito lahat may political effect eh. Dahil dalawang lingo campaign period na. Halimbawa, what we were talking about earlier, SSS. Kung nangyari ito last year, walang magsasabi ng political effect. Sasabihin lang hindi nakapag-agree ang mga pensyonado ng SSS at ang pangulo. We are coming up to the day when all of us are once again answerable to the people and that is a political a process as you can have. So it will have an effect, a political effect. I do not think it is being done for political purposes. But inevitably, because we are coming up to the election three months away, hindi mo maiiwasan na magkakaroong kulay ng pulitika ang mga magiging finding, ang mga magiging sagot, ang mga magiging veto. May epekto talaga sa pulitika iyan."

Q: "Sino sa tingin niyo ang political party na magsusuffer sa investigation na 'to (Mamasapano)?

BBM: "Depende kung anong bagong lumabas sa hearing. Halimbawa, sa sinasabi ni Senator Enrile na ipakita niya na talagang ang pangulo ang nagsabi na huwag i-rescue, malamang malaking epekto talaga yun. So that is what we're waiting to see dito sa bagong Mamasapano hearing na gagawin."

Q: "Sir, wala ba kayong nakikitang explosive diyan?"

BBM: "Kung mayroon siyang explosive, hindi niya sinasabi sa amin? And as I said, the impression that I get is sa kaka-research niya, mayroon siyang nakikitang mga tanong na hindi nasagot or not satisfactorily answered."

Q: "So walang vendetta on his part?"

BBM: "Vendetta? The man is just doing his job. And that's why he moved for the reopening because he thought he was not given the chance to play his role as a senator because naka-detain siya at that time. So, tama rin naman. May karapatan ang bawat senador."

*An inaudible question about Napeñas*

BBM: "Sa palagay ko Napeñas has all the credibility in the world. Siya ang nagpatakbo nung operation. Kaya alam niya siguro lahat ng mga detalye. Ako, kung magsasalita siya, ako'y makikinig ng mabuti dahil ako'y naniniwala ako sa kanya kapag kung ganun ang nangyari, I think he's the person best placed in the operation na magsabi kung ano ba talaga ang nangyari. Basically, if you're asking if he has credibility, I believe so. Siya yung man on the ground niyan eh. He was the ground commander. Every detail of the operation to the execution, to the aftermath, he was in the middle of it all."

Q: "Sir, paano po yun. Yung kay General Napeñas, under oath po siya nun, tapos hindi niya sinabi ang lahat. Bakit ngayon lang niya sasabihin?"

BBM: "Kung mayroon man siyang hindi nasabi, sa palagay ko ay dahil hindi natanong. Wala naman akong nararamdaman na tinatago niya. Wala naman akong nakikitang pinoprotektahan niya. I think if ever there will be new details na lumabas, it's not because tinatago sa amin. Sa palagay ko ay dahil hindi natanong. Kaya sabi ni JPE itanong natin. "Bakit hindi niyo tinanong ito?" Parang ganun ang feeling niya. May mga bagay-bagay na kung ako'y (Enrile) ang nandoon, naitanong ko (Enrile). I think General Napeñas was very forthcoming in all the hearings. I think he was able to clarify how things happened and who was involved. So if there are more details, we should hear them."

Q: "Yung giving of Medals of Honor sa SAF 44 one year after, is that a little bit late?"

BBM: "Well, it's very late and I don't know if that's the correct way to recognize the courage of our policemen. Usually iyan kapag maraming na iinvolve, mayroon tayong nakikitang mga exceptional ang kanilang performance. So binibigyan natin ng decoration. Pero, palagay ko ang dapat nating gawin ay bigyan sila ng unit citation because the entire unit was involved. The entire SAF was involved. There were many commanders, there were many officers, men and women that were involved in the operation. And they displayed great courage in the face of overwhelming odds and that should be recognized, not only individually, but as a unit. Usually, kapag may operation na malaki at maganda ang performance ng isang unit, they have a unit citation. And I think they definitely deserve it." (29:28 MARK)

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