Win transcript ambush interview on Russia & Nuclear energy, Inflation and SLEX traffic

Russia

Q: Agreement na nilagdaan ukol sa Russia possible na bang mag construct ng nuclear power plant dito sa bansa?

SEN WIN: Nabasa ko nga yung agreement with Rosatom, nuclear power plant company in Russia. Ang position ko ay dapat magingat tayo and take extra pre-cautionary measures in entering into nuclear power dahil unang-una kulang tayo sa mga batas na mag propromote ng nuclear power dito sa bansa. Kailangan ng maraming batas for example nuclear safety, kailangan din ng batas paano i-transport itong mga nuclear waste, saan itatago yung nuclear waste. So, we have to be very cautious in moving forward, kulang pa tayo sa framework. Having said that, ang nuclear power din ay mataas ang risk at kailangan siguraduhin natin may kakayahan tayo. If you remember what happened sa Fukushima, nag evacuate sila close to 6,000 tao doon at hanggang ngayon naglilinis pa rin sila, ang tanong may capability ba tayo in an event merong problemang mangyayari.

Q: Is there a need for a creation of a nuclear power plant?

SEN WIN: In my opinion, we can study nuclear power kung kaya na ng ating bansa. Yung technology for power nagiging mas mura, magiging mas advanced, so pwede natin pag-aralan but for now ang importante meron tayong mga safeguards, batas, nag mag-reregulate nitong nuclear power dahil kulang pa rin tayo talaga. It will take a few years to come up with those losses--

Q: Allowed naman sa Constitution natin to create power plants?

SEN WIN: Allowed naman sa Constitution natin, ang bawal sa Constitution natin is nuclear weapons ang pwede sa Constitution natin is nuclear energy.

Renewable Energy

Q: (inaudible)

SEN WIN: Ang renewable energy may pros and cons din for example ang solar sa araw lang, ang wind sa hangin lang, that's why pagdating sa power it should be a mix ngayon ang tanong can nuclear be part of our mix? dapat pag-aralan mabuti because it's very risky and itong nuclear power kailangan ng maraming safeguards. Unlike for example solar, kakabit mo lang kaya na niyang tumakbo pero with nuclear kailangan may batas ka na magreregulate dito, for example lang is nuclear waste, kahit itago mo yan its very dangerous pag nagkaroon ng leak problema tayo kaagad at ang nuclear waste hindi nawawala yan for more than thousands of years.

Q: So saan makakarating yung deal sa sinign ng Russia if may problema pala tayo with inadequate loss?

SEN WIN: Without looking at the deal that they went into ang pwede nilang umpisahan ay pag-aralan unang-una yung feasibility, safety and possibility kung pwede ang nuclear sa ating bansa. I'll give you another case in point. Saan mo itatago yung nuclear waste? We were one of the most dense countries in the whole world, lumabas yan in many studies, saan natin tatago yung nuclear waste hindi malapit sa urban centers? Tapos we're a tropical nation also, so saan natin ilalagay yan na hindi magiging environmental issue. So pwede umpisahan yan sa pag-aaral, pwede umpishan yan sa in-depth study dahil ang Russia ay meron din experience and meron na silang second biggest nuclear generating country in the whole world, but then again, there was a Chernobyl incident in the past but Russia, tatlong bansa na lang ang malaki sa nuclear; China, Russia and Korea yung tatlong bansa. Russia really has the technological capacity.

Q: Revival ng BNPP?

SEN WIN: Well pinondahan natin with 40 million but wala pang conclusion doon sa pag-aaral ang last ko narinig early part of this year na transmit na yung pag-aaral kay Presidente and the President needs to make a decision kung tutuloy natin yung nuclear power o hindi. So nagkaroon ng pre-feasibility study na kay Presidente na but he has not acted on it yet--

Q: Are you privy on the details of the study?

SEN WIN: Hindi pa, in fact we requested DOE to brief us but ang sabi aprubahan daw dapat muna ni Presidente pag naaprubahan na then they will disclose it to the Committee and the public.

Q: is the President in favor of nuclear?

SEN WIN: Hindi ko rin alam baka si Presidente is taking very cautious steps to move forward. Baka may constitutional issues ang ating Pangulo regarding this kaya he is very cautious in nuclear both legally and technology-wise.

Q: Sabi ni Russian Ambassador the plan for the revival is definitely outdated technology?

SEN WIN: For the Bataan power plant, it is more than 40 years old. Just like any technology, pag luma na mas delikado at hindi nagagamit. Mas mabuti pang gumawa ng planta na safe at bagong technology. Kaya yung sinabi ni Russian Ambassador makes sense.

Q: Is it better to pursue other renewable energy sources?

SEN WIN: Energy is a science and we should pursue research in any forms whether its nuclear power or renewable energy or even fossil fuel dapat pag-aralan niyan kung ano yung pinaka bagay at pinaka mura sa ating bansa. So tuloy-tuloy yung research, in fact, for nuclear energy marami nang bagong technology na lumalabas so dapat tignan din natin yun.

Q: Sir, with the absence of safety frameworks for nuclear power source, you are partial to which one Sir? Fossil, renewable or what Sir?

SEN. WIN: It's a mix. For now, it should be a mix but definitely, renewable should take priority because we are blessed with so much energy sources like solar, wind, rivers, and geothermal so it should take priority but like I said, renewable cannot solely be the source dahil may limitation din then dito na papasok yung ibang sources like fossil fuels.

Inflation

Q: Yung mababang inflation, what is it because of?

SEN. WIN: Primarily, because of fuel, pangalawa, bumaba ang presyo ng pagkain--bigas is number one.

Q: Mahal pa rin ang pagkain Sir pati pagkain sa mga restaurants.

SEN. WIN: I think, in general yung presyo ng pagkain ay bumaba primarily, rice. Rice kasi is a staple component ng inflation so ang pagbaba ng presyo ng fuel at rice kaya bumaba rin ang inflation. Ang forecast is below 1% -- 0.9%, yes.

Q: So anong forecast niyo Sir? Hanggang matapos po ba ang taon?

SEN. WIN: By end of the year, ang tingin ko, within the target of between 2-3% even below pa kung tuloy-tuloy ang pagbaba ng fuel but you have to remember, Christmas is also a buying season so when you buy, tataas ang presyo, hindi naman lahat pero yung iba, and that will push up the inflation. So sa akin, within the range between 2-3% and it's good for us, kapag mababa ang inflation, mababa ang interest rates, kung mababa ang interest rates, ang negosyo, pwedeng mag-expand, ang consumer, pwedeng bumili ng sasakyan or motorcycle so it's good for the economy because we consume more.

Q: After hearing the positions of the stakeholders, what do you think are the challenges sa further development of the e-vehicle?

SEN. WIN: E-vehicle is good for our country. Number one, bababa ang pollution, bababa ang house gas emissions sa ating bansa. Kapag umikot ka lang ngayon, ang mag jeep at bus, ang iitim ng usok and that's pollution. With e-vehicles, mawawala lahat ng yun. Pangalawa, hindi na kailangang mag-import ng oil, ngayon kasi almost 98% ng oil ang iniimport natin kaya't noong magkaroon ng problema sa Saudi, nagtaas ang presyon. These are the two benefits of e-vehicle that's why we want to promote it para guminhawa ang pamumuhay ng mga kababayan natin. The challenge is cost, mahal ang e-vehicles kaya ang request ng industriya ay tulungan sila with subsidies and fiscal incentives. Ibig sabihin, tanggalin na ang excise tax at import duties para mas mura ang e-vehicles at affordable sa lahat ng kababayan natin. We are entering into a technical working group (TWG) two weeks from now and by November, magfa-file na tayo sa floor. Hopefully, ma-approve ito within the year considering na five Senators aang may ganitong bill. Papunta na ang buong mundo sa e-vehicles eh. The technology is moving towards that direction so it's really a matter of time na papunta na rin tayo doon. Ang gusto lang natin na nandiyan na ang batas para kapag dumating ang time na parehas na siya ng presyo ng ordinaryong sasakyan, nandiyan na ang batas at imprastraktura.

SLEX Traffic

Q: Are you aware of the horrible traffic in SLEX?

SEN. WIN: Yes, I read about it kasi may mga ginagawang construction and this is when planning plays a very important role dahil dapat i-anticipate na ang volume ng sasakyan. Nagtataka ako bakit hindi na-anticipate. Alam na natin na from South papuntang Metro Manila, ang daming sasakyan so bakit hindi gumawa ng mitigating measures para hindi maperwisyo ang mga kababayan natin. Dun ako nagtataka dahil predictable naman ang traffic pero nangyari pa rin.

Q: Pabor po ba kayo na i-slash muna ang toll rate? Kasi parusa sa mga motorista eh.

SEN. WIN: I think yung nag-contruct nyan is yung may-ari rin ng toll road eh, so para mabigyan naman ng kaunting relief ang mga kababayan natin, I do recommend na i-slash or suspend muna ang toll rates dahil sila ang nag-construct, sila rin ang nakaperwisyo so parang ganito ang nangyari sa tubig natin. In line with that principle, para mabigyan naman ng relief ang ating mga commuters, suspend muna ang toll rates.

Q: Kaya ba yun Sir?

SEN. WIN: I think, they have to justify it. There has to be a complain first and the complainant should also justify it also kung kailangan. TRB can also call for a hearing. In fact, dapat ang TRB ay minomonitor itong situation dahil ang lahat ng construction ay dumadaan sa kanila eh. They should call for a hearing and then analyze kung dapat bigyan ng relief ang ating motorists. I think it's within the powers of MTRB.

Q: Slash or suspend Sir?

SEN. WIN: Depending on the hearing, it can be slashed, reduced or suspended also.

Q: Pero mas mabilis kung magpalabas ng executive order?

SEN. WIN: Well, TRB is the regulator so they can investigate moto proprio.