Press Release
October 29, 2019

Ambush interview on GMRC, PRRD & VP Leni drug-war remark and Water crisis

[start recording]

GMRC

Q: Yung values education po ba Sir, kailangan na talagang ibalik?

SEN. WIN: Yes, kailangan na nating ibalik ang values education, kasama sa values education ang good morals at right conduct dahil nakita natin na over the last 49 years, naging paiba-iba ang pagtuturo ng values education at ngayon, 30 minutes na lang ang pagtuturo sa elementary at 2 hours sa high school. So importante na bigyan natin ito ng emphasis dahil ang nabibigyan lang ngayon ng emphasis ay ang traditional subjects-Math, Science, English. So ang gusto natin ngayon ay bigyang emphasis naman ang values education dahil ito ang magbibigay ng tamang pag-asal ng ating mga kabataan at sila ang susunod na henerasyon na magdadala ng tamang asal na ito.

Q: Kung maibabalik ang GMRC, stand-alone subject po ba siya?

SEN. WIN: Yes, magiging stand-alone subject siya, one hour per day for elementary at sa high school, ganun din. Ang importante ngayon ay ang mga magtuturo dahil ngayon, ang mga nagtuturo ay hindi sila certified sa values education. Kailangang certified din sila sa values education para ang pagtuturo ay maayos.

Q: Sir, how do we measure such kind of values education?

SEN. WIN: Correct, mahirap i-measure yan because how do you measure good manners and good values? Pero ang gusto natin ay magkaroon naman ng kaunting indicator benchmark para makita natin ang pagtuturo ng values education kung effective or not. We will ask the experts na magbigay ng some form of benchmarks at itong mga ganitong good manners at right values makikita natin yan sa pagkatao at sa ating lipunan. Kung ang ating lipunan ay maayos at mabuti, nagiging mas progresibo.

Q: Namention po ba kanina kung ano ang basis bakit natanggal siya or namodify in the past?

SEN. WIN: In the past, nakita natin na namomodify siya, nag-iiba siya dahil yung leadership din ay nag-iiba at nakita natin na ang concept ng values, nag-iiba rin depende kung sino ang nakaupo. Ang batas na ito ay magbibigay ng institutionalization, ibig sabihin, kahit sino man na nakaupo diyan, magiging core fundamental na ang values education.

Q: Sa pagbabago-bago, ano po yung naging impact nun?

SEN. WIN: Isang impact nun is yung mga teachers na nagtuturo, hindi sila necessarily values education teachers. Any subject. In fact, kinuwento ng mga resource persons natin kanina na yung ibang mga teachers na hindi nagpeperform, doon nila nilalagay dahil they view values education as no value or less value. For example, kung yung binibigyan natin ng emphasis ay Math, math experts yung nilalagay. Yung values, dahil hindi nabibigyan ng importance, kung sino-sino na lang ang nilalagay. Yun ang lumabas sa hearing at nakita ko na mali dahil we have to treat values education the same as math, science and other subjects.

Q: What subjects do we have right now na parang GMRC din?

SEN. WIN: Ang tinuturo ngayon ay ang Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao (ESP), ito yung 30 minutes a day sa elementary. Again, yung nagtuturo nun is hindi values education teacher and 30 minutes is very short. Kasi yung other 30 minutes, ikakalat sa ibang subjects. Kapag nagtuturo ka ng Math, ang hirap na rin ipasok doon ang values. So nakita natin na lumabnaw yung pagtuturo ng values education so we want to make it whole and to strengthen it.

Q: How will the new GMRC curriculum be different from the old one?

SEN. WIN: It will definitely be different from the GMRC before because right now, we have technology. This is going to be a 21st century values education. We have to remember ngayon, ang generation ay iba na, generation Z na iba-ibang na sa ating lahat. Meaning, we have to adapt values education to how the next generation is absorbing it so we have to take into account also this kind of nuances.

Q: Kanina po ay nabanggit ang tumataas na suicidal rate sa mga kabataan. Kasama po ba yun sa mga pwedeng ituro sa GMRC?

SEN. WIN: Indirectly ay maituturo yun dahil sa values education, ituturo ang pagpapahalaga sa sarili, bakit ba tayo mahalaga sa ating lipunan, pamilya at bansa so kasama na rin yun, indirectly. Yung mga nagkakaroon ng suicidal issues is because yung values also for oneself. Indirectly, it will be part of values education. Magbibigay tayo ng core fundamental values, ito yung core na ipapasok sa pagtuturo ng values education but we will leave room for DepEd to also impute dynamic values. Ito yung mga values na natututunan natin along the way. For example, teamwork. Teamwork is a good trait and character so dapat mayroon tayong room for flexibility so iiwan natin yan sa DepEd.

PRRD AND VP LENI DRUG-WAR REMARK

Q: Sir, can you react lang po doon sa sinabi ni Pres. Duterte na ita-transfer nya yung authority to implement the law kay VP Leni, sya na lang sa war on drugs ang magpatupad after her criticisms on the war on drugs?

SEN. WIN: Well, I think the President is making a statement na itong war on drugs is a very complicated issue and it has to be continuous and sustain manner. I think, binibigyan nya lang ng emphasis na dapat ma-experience rin ng ibang officials ang ganitong paglaban sa droga dahil mahirap sya at complicated. Ngayon, ang pagta-transfer, I think that should be left to the President and the Vice President because it is an executive delegation, hindi naman ito unusual dahil the President can delegate certain tasks and powers to a specific cabinet official so dapat mapag-usapan lang nila ng mabuti.

Q: do you thing the VP has onting appreciation doon sa war on drugs?

SEN WIN: I really don't know what the VP is thinking, di ko masyado alam yung kanyang nasa isip but then again, the President wants to emphasize that the fight against illegal drugs should be sustained and should be experienced by other officials who have something to say about this fight against illegal drugs.

Q: What can you say about the President's.. hindi ba dapat mas open siya s criticism?

SEN WIN: Oh definitely kailangan in all government programs, including the fight against illegal drugs dahil ito ay very sensitive to a lot of our people dapat open rin to suggestions, opinions, criticism so that we can improve. I'll give you a case in point for example we empowered the policemen to fight illegal drugs on a sustained manner pero dapat tignan rin nila yung mga tao nila, maraming scawalag and ginagamit itong fight against illegal drugs para sirain ang pangalan ng gobyerno at gumawa rin ng mga kabalbalan sa kanilang hanay.

Q: Is the President over reacting? Dahil nag criticize lang siya mag dedelegate na agad siya ng authority and make VP Leni the anti-drugs?

SEN WIN: I think this is a general statement from the President, we've seen this many times, marami na siyang nasabi na ito. The President would like to make a point and this is one his strong points that he is making.

Q: And in the event na pumayag i-delegate kay VP yung anti-war on drugs you think VP can handle it?

SEN WIN: I think they have to, this is operational na ito eh dapat pagusapan nila mabuti kung talagang seryoso si Presidente na ibibigay ito kay VP Leni dahil hindi lang yung pagbibigay ng assignment, pagbibigay din ng control ng pulis, pagbibigay control ng PDEA, pagbibigay ng budget para ma-implement dahil kung ibibigay lang sa kanya yung assignment at walang suporta, babagsak at babagsak yung tao.

Q: Knowing the President, serious ba yun or nairita lang siya sa criticism ni VP Leni?

SEN WIN: My initial thought will be, this is one his strong statements but it's not impossible kasi may power ang Pangulo nai-delegate ito sa isang tao o sa kanyang kabinete.

Q: Are you satisfied the way the anti-drugs has been implemented?

SEN WIN: I think more so from my opinion is really what the numbers are saying, almost 70% plus of our constituents happy sa drug on war, they are satisfied, but we also have to take note that 70% also are saying ay baka sila ay maging biktima. So merong disconnect, 'ok na yung drug war is effective pero yung problema, pwede pala mangyari sakin yun,' so ibig saibhin there is distrust and that is what is missing right now and makikita natin walang tiwala because maraming issues sa scalawags at yun ang dapat ayusin.

WATER CRISIS

Q: Water crisis, second time na yun this year so it's about time na ban or i-review or i-revoke ang concession agreement with Maynilad and Manila Water?

SEN WIN: Sa Valenzuela we're now experiencing almost 4-6 hours water shortage everyday, depending on the day at malaking pinsala talaga dahil maraming gumigising ng maaga para magiigip, yung iba bumili pa ng mga balde para magigip. To be fair to the concessionaires, part of their support that the government is giving is the source of water at yung source of water is a joint effort between the concessionaire and the government. This is MWSS, maraming na delay na projects, yung kaliwa dam is one of the delayed projects at ngayon marami nang mga unsolicited proposal. I know for a fact that there is unsolicited proposal sa Quezon, dapat bilisan nang tapusin to dahil matagal nang pinaguuspan itong kaliwa dam, hindi lang naman ngayon but also 4-5 years nang pinaguusapan to so dapat ma-implement na.

I just came back also from Singapore at isa sa pinaguspan namin doon, we had a very good opportunity to talk to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, isa sa mga suporta na gusto nila ibigay sa atin is the technology nila sa desalination at yung water. Ito yung nirerecycle nila yung tubig na galing sa gamit nang tubig. For example, yung mga tubig na lumalabas sa mga drainage natin, sinasala nila, pinapalinis nila at ginagamit nila. Medyo kakaiba, sa atin parang medyo kadiri pero sa Singapore they have been using this system for the last, I think almost 7 or 8 years ago. At yung mga ganitong technology dapat na rin nating pag-aralan because ano ba mas mahal? Gumamit ng technology o gumawa ng dam? Kapag gumawa tayo ng dam maraming IP ang madidisplace, gagawa pa tayo ng tunnel para sa daloy ng tubig so ito yung cost and benefit anaylsis na dapat natin pag-aralan.

Q: So mas favor kayo sa desalination?

SEN WIN: Now that I've been to Singapore, I've talked to Prime Minister Lee, mas favor ako sa technology kasi ang technology tatayo mo lang dito, whether desalination or new water, tatayo mo lang siya, less disruption, less right of way problems, ipapatayo lang natin-

Q: But more expensive?

SEN WIN: It might be the same, in my estimate it can be the same because the cost of building a dam tunnel and cost of relocation is probably more expensive than cost of technology dahil ang cost of technology bumaba na ang presyo, but we'll do a comparative analysis on that.

Q: Have you talked to Singpore? Are they willing to share their technology?

SEN WIN: Yes, in fact, noong pumunta dito ang kanilang President two weeks ago, one of the MOA na pinirmahan ng Presidente natin at Presidente nila ay a research on water source at sinabi nila hindi lang dapat natin tignan yung pagpapatayo ng dam, tignan na rin dapat natin yung mga technology ngayon, yun yung gusto nila i-share.

Q: The president also made a strong statement saying that baka gobyerno na rin ulit ang mag provide ng water supply?

SEN WIN: The problem is not in the distribution, the problem is in the source, wala tayong source dahil ang source natin isa lang, ang La Mesa, you solve the source you solve the distribution. So ang missing link natin ngayon is the distribution, we need to find a solution to the source.

[end recording]

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