Press Release
February 22, 2018

TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW WITH SEN. FRANCIS PANGILINAN AT CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY ON VARIOUS TOPICS

CHA-CHA HEARING

SEN KIKO PANGILINAN: Mas marami concon kesa sa conass. Concern nila yung magiging agenda, lalo na nung mga miyembro ng Kongreso at Senado dito sa charter change. Ang issue dito ay tiwala. At kasama, palagay ko, sa tiwala ang pagiging bukas, pagiging transparent ang proseso, at ipakita talaga: ano nga ba ang gustong baguhin sa saligang batas. Pati nga yung federalism eh. Ano bang klaseng federalism ang gusto nila? So maliwanag, at naunawaan ko bakit. Dahil marami talaga sa ating mga kababayan ay hindi pa alam yung mga usapin at issue ng charter change.

Q: So pano yun sir, paano nyo ia-address yun? Kasi iyan obviously ang magiging feedback sa inyo?

SFNP: Well, hopefully, through you. Through the media, na isinisiwalat sa inyong mga media outfit, sa iyong mga pahayagan, sa inyong mga estasyon. Eh unti-unti ay magkakaroon ng mas malaking awareness ang ating mga kababayan sa usapin ng charter change. So tuloy tuloy lang ito as far as the senate is concerned. At bibigyan pa natin ng emphasis. Also additional hearings, maybe in the regions na nabanggit natin, baka kinakailangan na meron pang mga dagdag na hearing kahit sa Senate on other issues. For example, may nabanggit dito, yung no-el, term extension no-el. I think we should invite more people, more resource persons. Ito ba ay kasama sa agenda? Dapat mapag-usapan ito.

Q: One of the resource persons raised the idea ng kahalagahan ng political dynasty provision.

SFNP: Well, kaya nga natin tinutulak din sa isa pang komite ang electoral performs committee, yung anti-dynasty law. At least sa Senate, na hopefully maisabay yan at maipasa dahil 31 years nang may prohibition ng political dynasty sa ating saligang batas pero di pa nadedefine by law -- which is really Congress' responsibility.

Q: Senator, what is your response that it should be sped up for the implementation of federalism come 2019?

SFNP: Well, yan ang working target ng administration. Pero palagay ko nga, dapat talagang magkaroon ng masusing public awareness campaign, education campaign, para talagang mas mapalalim. Kasi lumalabas dito, marami pang hindi nakakaindi o nakakaunawa ng usapin ng charter change

Q: So you think the Senate should study on these changes?

SFNP: This is what we're doing. Hindi naman tayo nagiging pabaya, tungkulin at trabaho natin yan bilang Chairman ng Komite at ginagawa naman natin yan. Kaya nga next week nasa Cebu, the following week, if I'm not mistaken, if hindi Cotabato ay Baguio. Then we will assess if kailangan pang dagdagan ang mga areas.

Q: Sir anong implications na maraming gusto concon? Hindi ba mababaliwala yung ginamit na ninyo sir sa pag hearing?

SFNP: Ay hindi, kami rin naman ang mag de desisyon kung concon. Under the charter, a vote by the Senate and the house, 2/3 vote to call a constitutional convention. So kami pa din ng mag dedesisyon pag ayan ang lumalabas. Pwede ang lumabas dito sa committee report, na base sa consultations na mas madami ang mag titiwala sa proseso ng charter change kung constitutional convention and then we will see if ayun ang magiging outcome ng committee report after all the consultations.

Q: Sir pero mula dun sa first hanggang sa eto fourth or fifth, talagang laman yung concon?

SFNP: Yes, yun yung lumalabas sa mga resource persons, input, mas panatag loob nila pag concon kaysa sa conass.

Q: Safe to say na ba that the direction is going to...

SFNP: Wala pa because we still have Cebu, so hintayin natin ang magiging resulta dito pa sa mga ibang areas. These are urban centers, in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. So talagang we made it to a point na magiging urban center siya. Although syempre, kaya natin ni llive stream din, kaya din natin inanapela ang media na tulungan tayo sa pag desiminate ng information, gusto natin na mas malawak pa ang maabot at hindi lamang sa mga ciudad.

DIVORCE BILL

Q: Sir other issue lang, kahapon pinasa na, although committee level pa lang yung absolute divorce bill sa house.. Meron na ba kayong kinoconsider? Meron na ba bill sa senate?

SFNP: Wala pa. I don't know. I have to check. Sorry. Pero ang alam ko madami sa senate Would be interested in the issue of how do we alam mo may mga marriages kasi na sampu, labing limang taon, may kanya kanyang partner na, may iba ng kinakasama, pero hindi ma dissolve yung kasal. Dapat ata may effort to address that. Ayaw natin magkaroon ng mockery ng ating marriage as an institution. But at the same time we have to recognize that there are some unions that are no longer marriage and needing the solutions. So tignan natin kung ano mangyayari sa senate. Pero ang alam ko marami sa senate, would be interested sa issue.

Q: Is it about time na medyo buksan natin ang usapin... ?

SFNP: We have to review how we can address itong mga marriages na 15-20 years na hindi na sila nagkakasama pero dahill very strict yung ating Family Code on marriage and baka kailangan masulosyunan na din to.

RAPPLER'S PIA RANADA

Q: Sir, can we get your comment on Rappler's issue si Pia Ranada last night lumabas ng buong Malacanang Complex, hindi na po sya pwede pumasok.

SFNP: My position there is that: The Constitution protects and grants the right, protects the right of free speech and free press. Kaya sa akin, nakakalungkot itong development na ito na binaban ang isang reporter, isang journalist dahil dito sa pangyayaring ito. We believe that the Constitution precisely upholds the right to free press and freedom of expression. This is a serious concern for us.

THREAT TO DEMOCRACY

Q: What is your insight po sa sinabi po na si President Duterte ay threat ng democracy po sa kanyang distinction?

SFNP: Well ang US, lahat ng sasabihin ng US ay base sa kanilang interes, siguro concern din nila itong pivot to China dahil sila ang sabihin na nating malalaking superpower sa region. So sa akin the country should take note of it, and see kung meron bang katotohanan at ano ba ang naging basehan dito. Mas maganda sigurong mapag aralan bakit nila sinabi ito para maunawaan natin if the US still our treaty allies.

Therefore, kinakailangan din bigyan ng pansin ang mga reports na ito, at kung kinakailangan din busisiin at aralin para mas maging epektibo ang ating gobyerno na itinutulak ang interes nya.

EDSA PEOPLE POWER

Q: ...

SFNP: Well alam mo yung people power hindi naman dilaw lang. Lahat ng mga tumutol sa diktadura noong panahon ni Marcos,lahat ng mga inapi, nasaktan, at lumaban, hindi naman dilaw lang yun eh so walang problema.

Ang totoo nyan hindi nga naman usapin ang Dilaw vs anumang kulay. Yung People Power was democracy versus dictatorship.

It was a struggle not between colors. It was a struggle against an abusive, corrupt dictator and everyone who participated in opposing that corrupt and abusive regime should be welcome to participate.

Q: ... Pagbibigay ng kulay, sa palagay ko, is a disservice to all those who sacrificed their lives, who gave up their lives to oppose the dictatorship. I was a student leader and activist nung panahon ng diktadura, I risked my life. I wasn't yellow. To say na yellow lang yan, hindi totoo yan. It's not about colors, it's about opposing a corrupt dictator. Anybody who loves democracy and anybody who cares for human rights and our freedoms should be part of that celebration.

Q: Is it more necessary to join this year's celebration dahil sa people power?

Ako, every year we celebrate it because every year, it is a commemoration of a people who ousted a corrupt regime in a peaceful manner and the restoration of our democracy and our freedoms.

You cannot be interviewing me this way and all of you here, wala kayong lahat na trabaho -- kung hindi sa gobyerno kayo nagtatrabaho or crony ni Marcos nung panahon na yon. Kaya, you are all enjoying this freedom of expression and the press precisely because we fought the dictator and we ousted him in February of 1986. So we should all be thankful. It is not just about yellow. Whether you are blue, red, white, or green, lahat dito sa inyo, you are all, you, we are all benefitting from the freedom that we are able to regain after the ouster of dictatorship. So we should all be thankful.

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