Press Release
June 22, 2022

AMBUSH INTERVIEW OF SENATOR WIN GATCHALIAN WITH SENATE MEDIA ON INCREASING FUEL PRICES AND K-12

Q: On TRO on unbundling

SEN. WIN: Meron kasing circular na inilabas sila to unbundle the prices. So ang ibig sabihin kung magkano binebenta sa gasolinahan, ide-declare ng oil companies kung saan pumupunta yun. And nagkaroon ng temporary restraining order against that circular. Hindi nila ma-implement. In order to strengthen the legal basis of that circular, they want legislation. And that's one of their proposal to amend the oil deregulation law. My take on that is I agree with transparency. Kailangan din magkaroon ng transparency in terms of pricing, in terms of volume ng oil companies. Pero we also have to respect their yung tinatawag nating proprietary secrets and business transactions. Dahil marami dito sa mga kontrata nila are proprietary in nature. Mga negotiations nila yan. We have to respect that. We will balance transparency and also balance the proprietary information of the oil companies. So babalansehin natin yang mabuti.

Q: Oil companies are saying baka mabawasan ang market competitiveness kung ididivulge ang price.

SEN. WIN: To a certain extent yes. Because nga, for example ako si oil company A. Kapag nagnenegotiate ako, trade secret ko yan, proprietary information ko yan. Ako lang ang nakakaalam niyan. So kapag yan ipinaalam ko sa kalaban ko, alam niya magkano kinikita ko. Alam niya saan ko kinukuha yan. Lalapit siya doon sa supplier at makakakuha siya ng the same price. So ibig sabihin mawawala ang competitive advantage ko so to a certain extent I agree with them. Pero I also agree dapat i-disclose din ang volume at ibang information that will help us prevent abuse. For example, kapag bumili ka langis today, hindi naman dapat taasan ang presyo today dahil darating pa yun after 30 days. So yung mga ganitong information kailangan malaman ng gobyerno para alam natin na hindi sila nang-aabuso.

Q: Pwedeng i-declare ang ibang information?

SEN. WIN: We will balance it and we will also strengthen the provision on leaking proprietary information and trade secrets. For example, kapag nagbigay sila ng information sa gobyerno at ni-leak ng gobyerno, mali naman yun. Government should do everything it can to protect information and not to leak it out.

Q: Kapag nag-unbundle and then nirelease nila ang volume paano makakapagpababa ng presyo?

SEN. WIN: Okay, ang theory kasi doon may nang-aabuso. The unbundling will not lower down costs but it will prevent abuses. Kasi nga may mga cases na katataas lang ng presyo sa Dubai, dito sa atin nagtataas ng presyo kaagad. Eh yung order nila darating pa after 30 days. So may mga ganitong pang-abuso na kapag tumaas ang presyo sa international market, nagtataas kaagad sila ng presyo. Ang gusto malaman ng gobyerno magkano mo ba binili yung cargo mo? Kailan dumating yan? At ang hawak mong imbentaryo, magkano yan? Yun ang kailangan malaman ng gobyerno so that government can prevent abuses in times of abnormal international pricing. Kapag nagpa-fluctuate ng masyadong malaki ang international pricing, doon nagkakaroon pang-aabuso. And government needs to safeguard on that.

Q: Maraming gas station ang nang-aabuso?

SEN. WIN: Yes. Mga consumers natin, hindi kasi kabisado yung fluctuations ng international market. So this is the time to be vigilant. Dapat ang DOE merong hotline so that consumers can report abusive gas stations. May mga naririnig ako na kakataas pa lang ng gas prices, mamayang hapon tataas na agad ang kanilang presyo. Ang hawak nila imbentaryo two weeks ago o three weeks ago pa. At binili nila yan at old price so the DOE should intensify their crackdown kung merong mga gas stations na umaabuso i-revoke ang kanilang mga permits.

Q: Wala pang provision sa batas ngayon?

SEN. WIN: Meron. In terms sa ganitong abuses, meron sa oil deregulation law, meron din sa natin. So kasama yan. Ang wala lang sa oil deregulation law ay yung unbundling na sinasabi nila. Pero obvious naman kung gas station mabilis magtaas ng presyo or yung oil company itself, mabilis magtaas ng presyo obvious na nang-aabuso yun.

Q: When will the unbundling happen?

SEN. WIN: It cannot happen without a law because may temporary restraining order against that concept. So that's why yesterday Usec. Arquiza recommended to amend the oil deregulation law to include unbundling in that existing law.

Q: Will it take time?

SEN. WIN: It will take time. That's why the solution to amend oil deregulation law is not an immediate solution. It's a long term solution. In fact, we will have to discuss that. The immediate solution is to expand the Pantawid Pasada. Ang proposal ko is P3,000 a month for the next 5 months. That will cost us about P4 billion. Still cheaper than removing excise tax. Excise tax is about P150 billion. And then we can also expand libreng sakay program ng gobyerno so those who stop plying their routes or plying the roads can be contracted by the government to serve the riding public.

Q: Yung Ayuda po, hindi raw nakakatanggap ang mga driver?

SEN. WIN: Ako naman ay nakikiusap ako sa ating mga drivers and operators na ayusin dokumento. Dahil ang pagbibigay ng ayuda diretso yan sa ating mga drivers. Kung ang driver natin ay kulang sa dokumento, for example, yung registration, hindi sa pangalan nila, hindi sila mabibigyan ayuda. So dapat maayos ang dokumento and LTFRB, in fairness to them, has been helping out the drivers to fix their papers. To fix their documents. Yung mga colorum wala tayo magagawa, colorum talaga yan. Pero yung mga existing drivers natin kailangan maayos at least man lang yung registration, yun ang pinakaimportante yung registration ng mga sasakyan.

Q: Dapat i-resume ng LTFRB kasi yung mga existing Pantawid Pasada card sila rin ang gagamitin?

SEN. WIN: Ang klinose nila yung tinatawag na yung pagbebenta ng prangkisa. Ang nangyari kasi binigyan nila ng window para ayusin ang pagbebenta at sinara na ang window. Kasi kung hindi bentahan ng bentahan, hindi matatapos ang bentahan. So yun ang isinara nila. In short, may responsibility yung drivers na ayusin kanilang dokumento at of course yung LTFRB dapat tulungan nila ang ating mga drivers lalo na sa ganitong panahon na kailangang-kailangan ng mga drivers natin ang ayuda.

Q: Target timeline for ayuda?

SEN. WIN: Ako, I'm quite disappointed doon sa first handout ng Pantawid Pasada. It took them four months, March to now nagbibigay pa ng Pantawid Pasada hanggang ngayon. And nagkaroon tayo ng hearing dito, I remember kakaumpisa pa lang ng bigay nila. Pero doon sa information na nakuha namin ngayon, only 88% ang nabigyanm hindi pa 100%. So we have to strive for a 100% distribution. Ang assurance yesterday naman na binigay ni Chairman Delgra, yung first tranche, learning process, meron nang records ang ating mga drivers. Itong second tranche mas mabilis, 2nd wave ika nga mas mabilis ngayon.

Q: How mabilis is mabilis?

SEN. WIN: Well hopefully, when we allocate funds, hopefully in one week mabigay na lahat kasi ang importante ngayon may card na ang mga drivers, ike-credit na lang doon sa card. Pag punta nila sa ATM makukuha nila ang kanilang Pantawid Pasada.

Q: Yung funding ng ayuda, BBM na ba?

SEN. WIN: There are ways to fund that. Yung ating proposal na P4 billion, we can do a supplemental budget. Or we can get from the unobligated amounts in different departments. One of which is LTFRB and DOTR. So it's not so big, P4 billion, I think makukuha naman natin sa mga unobligated accounts.

Q: (inaudible)

SEN. WIN: No need na kapag interdepartamental walang kailangan yan. Pero kung kukulangin we have to file the supplemental budget para mapondohan ang Pantawid Pasada.

Q: Yung proposal sa lahat ng drivers?

SEN WIN: On the average, sa lahat ng drivers, Public Utility Jeeps, Public Utility Buses, pati taxi at pati PUVs.

Q: P1000 sa tricycle...

SEN. WIN: Sa tricycle P1000 ang amount na ibibigay, mas maliit ang ibibigay pero sa LGU bibigay yan. Kasi LGU ang regulator ng tricycle natin/

Q: Hindi mas malaki sa taxi? SEN. WIN:Ang problema kasi sa taxi hindi mataas ang fares. Kapag hindi mataas ang fares, pumapasok ang gobyerno para magbigay ng subsidies. So far yun pa lang ngayon. Yun ang aking proposal but we have to talk to Cong. Suntay who is the President of the taxi operators kung ano ang reasonable amount para makatulong tayo sa mga taxi driver natin. Almost 30k plus ang nawalan ng trabaho na taxi drivers.

Q: Nakafocus lang sa PUVs paano sa lower middle class?

SEN. WIN: Totoo yan. Dahil ang ating Pantawid Pasada nakatarget yan sa ating mga public utility drivers. Ang ating direct subsidy nakatarget sa ating mga farmers, mga fishermen. Kaya ganun dahil dito sa urban areas, almost 80% ng commuters natin sumasakay ng public transportation. 20% lang ang may sariling sasakyan. And I admit ang ating middle class, naiipit din sa gitna dahil mataas na ang presyo ng langis. This is where we are looking for an efficient way to reach out to our middle class commuters, drivers para mabigyan din sila ng tulong. Hindi ko inaalis ang suspension ng excise tax but its a last resort. Because yung suspension of excise tax can also help our middle class in that respect. But last resort na natin yan kung talagang tumagal pa ang pagtaas ng presyo ng langis.

Q: Under consideration na?

SEN. WIN: We have to study very carefully kung paano natin ma-reach out itong middle class sector natin. it is possible but we have to study that very very carefully.

Q: Sen Pimentel's statement

SEN. WIN: Actually, ang excise tax, if you remember, kung presyo ng langis mababa, walang problema excise tax. Nagiging problema lang yan kapag tumataas ang presyo ng langis at mabilis ang pagtaas ng presyo ng langis. So scrapping it, is too drastic dahil malaki ang kita ng gobyerno dyan. Almost P300 billion a year. And I agree with him we have to do belt tightening. Ang importante dito naman ay ang fiscal space na tinatawag so hindi lang revenue ang dapat pataasin kundi pababain ang expenses. At maghanap tayo ng paraan para mapababa pa ang expenses ng gobyerno. I'll give you an example, yung travelling pwede nang tanggalin muna ang travelling at mag-zoom muna dahil travelling expense napakalaki rin niya. So we can encourage to conduct meeting via Zoom. Instead of flying to one place to the other.

Q: What will it take to suspend excise tax?

SEN. WIN: Right now, I have a formula in mind but I'm not gonna discuss that for now because I am looking at that as a last resort. It's not one of the tools I am looking at because the impact to government revenue is too drastic. We have to remember that our credit rating is always high because efficient mangolekta ang gobyerno o may mga nakokolekta ang gobyerno. Kapag tinanggal mo yan it will affect our credit rating because our fundamentals will be affected. Ito ang last resort that I am looking at.

Q: Last resort kapag?

SEN. WIN: Las resort kapag for example talaga ang presyo ay napakataas na at humaba pa itong scenario, let's say umabot ng maybe years. Yan we can think about that.

Q: If reaches P100

SEN. WIN: Well yun mataas na talaga yun.

Q: P90 plus na ngayon Sir.

SEN. WIN: I'll get back to you on that. Ayokong mag-signalling to the market. Pero open ako. I'm not closing that avenue kasi alam ko na malaki ang spillover effects nitong presyo ng langis, on inflation, on food, on other things.

Q: But right now?

SEN. WIN: Well kaninang umaga the CEO of Exxon Mobile said this might go as long as five years. This type of scenario, and this is the CEO of the biggest oil company in the world. Malaking oil company ito. So I hope he's wrong. I hope he is incorrect because napakahirap talaga, not only for us, but for the world. We just have to prepare, we just need to make sure that the 2023 budget will have enough Pantawid pasada and ayuda. I think ang ayuda natin ngayon hindi dahil sa pandemic kundi dahil sa pagtaas ng presyo ng langis. Ayuda will come in the form of pantawid pasada and vehicle subsidy.

Q: Bagsak ang stocks

SEN. WIN: Well hindi natin makonek ang pagbagsak ng stocks kay President Marcos. Globally inflation is a big problem. Ang US eight percent ang kanilang inflation. Dito satin lima. It's a global problem. That's why the stock market all over the world being battered. Kapg nagtaas kasi ng interest rate sigurado bababa ang stock market because people will move bonds, to fix income. That's the common trend. That's why bumababa siya because nagtaas ng interest rate ang America and nagtaas din tayo dito. So we will see further decline in stock markets because interest rates are going up.

Q: Affected din ang power?

SEN. WIN: Based on my information kaya mababa ang reserves natin dahil may plantang pumalya at may transmission lines na pumalya. But this is not a good sign. Because after six years of the incumbent, DOE, ganun pa rin, patapos na ang kanilang termino. Red alert, yellow alert, pa rin. Last week may red alert tayo, nagkaroon ng brownout. So the next administration should really appoint a secretary who will deal with these red and yellow alerts. This is very basic. Country like ours should not have yellow and red alerts anymore. With red and yellow alerts, we cannot invite investors. Ibig sabihin wala tayong kuryente.

So this is a fundamental problem that the next DOE secretary should address. And it can be addressed by making sure we have enough supply. Making sure that plants ang operating at 100%.

Q: ON K-12 review.

SEN. WIN: It's about time. The promises of K-12 have never been fulfilled. One of the most important promises is for our senior high school to land a job after graduation. I saw the numbers, the majority of our senior high school cannot be employed. For two reasons, number 1 the skills that we are teaching them are not in line with what the industry needs, and then number 2, the industry finds our k-12 graduates are not adequate in many fronts. So we need to review it. Marami tayong pamilya masakit nagdagdag tayo ng two years pero hindi naman nakakapagtrabaho mga kanilang mga anak nila. Again this is the fundamental problem that we have to look at. But I'm not in favor of going back to the 10-year system. Because the 10-year system is not in line with the global standards. Dapat maayos lang natin ang Senior High School natin which is the two years that we added in the K-12 system.

Q: Dapat review sa curriculum?

SEN. WIN: If you remember, inaprubahan natin natin ang EDCOM II. The second education commission and the focus of this commission is to look at the quality of education and the performance of our learners. Yun lang ang objective niya. So this is in line with the K-12 review. Gagawin din ng EDCOM to look at the K-12 because K-12 is our basic education system so we have to look at that.

Q: Kasama ang curriculum?

SEN. WIN: Yes, titignan natin ang tinatawag nating quality of teacher and teacher quality. We will also look at curriculum itself. And then we will also look at issues surrounding the environment of learning. Kasi may casese ng bullying, mental health. So we have to look at that. In fact, if you have listened to the speech of VP Sara in-outline niya lahat doon, marami siyang sinabi tungkol sa problema ng education system natin. A lot of those are clear problems of our education system that we need to address. So maganda na unahin ang review of the K-12 dahil marami talagang hinanakit ang pamilya natin because wala pa ring trabaho ang kanilang mga anak.

Q: On Review..

SEN. WIN: The law offers a 3 year review. But we already produce some reports and solutions to the government for them to look at. So it will not take the full three years to come up with solutions. We have solutions already. And if you remember nung lumabas ang PISA results, last tayo. Yan talaga ang gumising sa atin. And it goes to show that K-12 is not fulfilling its promise. Promise na matalino ang mga graduate natin, promise na may trabaho sila, promise na employable sila. It's not happening.

Q: (inaudible)

SEN. WIN: Ako I can see that this cannot be solved in one year. Ang aking magiging advise sa kanila is to put the basics in place. Let's go back to the basic. Reading, Mathematics, these are the basics that we need to strengthen. Especially nitong two years na wala tayong pasok. Nakita ko maraming bata nag-regress. Maraming bata na marunong magbasa ngayon hindi na nakakabasa because nag-regress na sila. We need to go back to the basic. Definitely we will look into this problem together with the DepEd thru the second EDCOM.

Q: On Agriculture

SEN. WIN: Well on a broader scale. If you look at the latest appointments, the President himself appointed himself as the Secretary of Agriculture. The highest official of the land is now the Secretary of Agriculture. The second highest official of the land is now the Secretary of Education. Meaning the new administration is giving priority to two important sectors. Agriculture because almost 60% ng employment natin nasa agriculture and education. Because education will drive the future of the country. Itong dalawa rin ang mabigat na problema sa ating bansa. So it's a good signal to the agriculture sector. It's a good signal to education sector. Now, in the case of agriculture, nakita ko na over the past two years, ang kumakalaban sa ating farmers ay hindi lang imported products, kundi imported smuggled products. Dahil ang imported products nagbabayad ng tax yan. Ibig sabihin halos pareho ang presyo nila sa locally produced. Pero ang smuggled walang bayad ng tax yan so ibig sabihin mas mababa ang presyo ng produkto nila, hindi pa naka-contribute sa revenue generating ng gobyerno. So I think the low hanging fruit there would be smuggling in agriculture and I can see if we stop that ang ating mga farmers tataas ang kanilang kita kasi ang smuggling talaga ang pumapatay sa agriculture industry natin.

News Latest News Feed