Transcript of the Majority Leader's press conference

Opening Statement:

Unang-una natutuwa po ako dahil napirmahan na ni presidente kanina ang extension ng ating Rent Control Act. It is now Republic Act 9653. So, maganda po ito sa ating mga kababayan na nangungupahan. Almost 1.5 million sa last NSO statistics, NSO report na 1.5 million families ay nangungupahan sa ating bansa. At ang apektado po dito sa ating bagong bansa ay 1 million families that are renting below P10, 000. So, malaking bagay po ito this is part of the anti-poverty pro-poor measures na isinusulong po ng Senado para at least matulungan po natin iyong mga apektado ng krisis sa ngayong. So, I'm very very happy. The salient provisions of the new Rent control Law ay 7-percent na lang po ang increase dati po ay 10-percent lalo po namin binabaan dahil krisis ngayong at hirap na hirap ang taong bayan sa napakataas na pagtaas ng basic commodities including housing. Pangalawa, 5-years po ang extension hindi lang 3-years. Limang tao na po ang Rent Control Law na ma-e-extend at pangatlo HUDCC po ang ahensya at ang HULRB at officials to the barangay units will be those in charged of the monitoring nitong bagong republic act na ito. So paalala po sa ating mga kababayan in place na po uli ang Rent Control dahil na-lapse po siya January 1, 2009. So, we are hoping through the help of media ma disseminate nating itong bagong batas RA 9653.

Question and answer:

Cue: Paano iyong mga nagtaas na prior to the ...?

SJMZ: We try to make it retroactive pero legally speaking baka mahirapan kasi nag-lapsed na iyong mga contracts nila so wala na po tayong mgagawa doon legally. However, kapag hindi pa nila inaangat iyong kanilang mga rent nila for this year well and good. Meron din tayong moratorium. There's a one year moratorium of raising of rent. So, between now and next year wala munang pagakyat ng upa. Magandang balita po iyan.

Cue: Sir iyong mga lalabag?

SJMZ: Well may penalties. There are penal provisions. I'll read the exact provisions. Hindi naman masyadong harsh siyempre ayaw naman din natin magka-problema ang ating mga rental unit owners. The fine is not less P25,000 to not more than P50,000 or imprisonment of less than one month one day to six months. So, they impose on any person natural or juridical found guilty of violating any provision of this act. So, may kulong one month to six months at may fine na P25,000 to P50,000, but at the same time meron din kaming inilagay na provision na pabor dun sa mga rental unit owners. For example iyong judicial ejectment kapag hindi nakabayad ng dalawang buwan iyong nangungupahan sa inyong tahanan pede niyo nang paalisin under this new law. Also subleasing, mahilig kasing mag-sub-lease ang mga ta0. Hindi ba uupa sila ng apartment unit na three bedroom, isang bedroom lang ang gagamitin nila tapos isa-sublease pa nila iyong dalawang pintuan na hindi alam ng mayari that is grounds for ejectment. Arrears pala in payment of three months kung three months hindi nakakabayad pede silang paalisin kaagad. And kung kailangan din ng mayari na i-repossess iyong property niya para i-repair kung condemn na iyong building pede po niyang paalisin iyong mga nangungupahan sa bahay.

Cue: Lina Law?

SJMZ: Iba yata iyong sa Lina Law more on squatting iyong Lina Law. It does not enter into the realm of squatting or informal settlers, but nevertheless itong batas na ito is also applicable to areas of informal settlers. For example naka-squat sila doon sa lupang iyon matagal na sila doon they don't have legal claim to the area pero nagpapa-upa sila they are still affected by this law. They are still under this law.

Cue: Di ba covered lang iyan cap na ....?

SJMZ: P10,000 and below

Cue: What if you're renting a P12,000 apartment?

SJMZ: Hindi na sila kasama. Because we have to justify that the rent control is mostly for medium and low level wage earners. Kasi kapag mga P15,000, P12,000 medyo upper class wage earners ka na, so we would like to avoid ...

Cue: for the benefit of at least 1 million

SJMZ: Under the NSO statistics those 1.5 million families renting now 1 million are going to be benefitting from the law. They are leasing between P10,000 and below.

Cue: Covered din iyong mga deposits?

SJMZ: Yes nandito iyong deposit. Under the law the legal amount for deposit is one month advance, one month deposit bale two months.

Cue: Paano iyong ayaw magbalik ng deposit?

SJMZ: Ay hindi kasama din iyan they have to return the deposit. It's part of the law.

Cue: Paano sir iyong sumobra na sa P10,000? Nagupisa sa P7, 8, 9, 10 umabot na sa P10,000 sa kaka-increase ng 10-percent a year?

SJMZ: Kapag umabot na ng P10,000 at sumobra na sa P10,000 graduate na sila sa program because the understanding is that tumataas din naman ang income nila they can afford the housing unit that is more than P10-percent. Pero as of now all those individuals renting P10,000 and below may moratorium sila tigil muna sa pag-i-increase.

Cue: Nasa pagpapa-pirma ba iyon kasi iyong Retail price of medicine hindi pa napipirmahan ni presidente?

SJMZ: Ah the executive order. Hindi pa ba? Hindi ko alam iyan issue na iyan gentleman kakauwi ko lang kahapon.

Cue: Sir tatakbo ba kayo?

SJMZ: Saan?

Cue: Vice president?

SJMZ: Wala po tayong ambisyon na tumakbo. Happy na happy na ako nakapasok sa senado. I'm just doing my work. Trabaho lang.

Cue: Iyong meeting ni GMA with Obama?

SJMZ: Hindi ko alam. July 30 di ba? I have no clue. Nalaman ko lang iyon sa newspapers today.

Cue: Makakatulong ba iyon?

SJMZ: Well makakatulong talaga iyon dahil unang-una kailangan mag-set muna tayo ng political ties with Obama dahil hindi pa sila nagkikita ni presidente. Whatever outcome will be I believe itwill be beneficial sa Pilipinas, sa ating mga kababayan. Iyong pagme-meeting nila hindi naman natin kailangan lagyan ng political color kundi sigurado po ako na ang ating pangulo for whatever its worth ay hihingi po ng tulong para sa ating bansa. At napaka-importante po iyon.

Cue: Going back to Rent Control Law naka-include pa rin diyan iyong right ng mga nagre-rent na pede pa rin sila ...

SJMZ: Yes basta meron sila kasi sinama namin dito iyong bed spaces at dormitories. So iyong bed spaces at dormitories hindi naman yearly iyong kanilang kontrata for example iyong dormitories ng estudyante minsan six months lang iyan. Ang importante meron kayong resibo not necessarily may kontrata kayo. Let say nagbayad kayo ng one month P1,000 susunod na buwan sisingilin kayo ng P1,500 hindi puwede iyon kasi dapat for the whole year P1,000 lang ang sisingilin sa inyo hindi puwede iyon. And then after that one year of receipts diyan lang siya pedeng umangat ng seven percent. So ang angat niya ay P1,070, she cannot go P1,100. Kasama ang dormitory, bedspacers, apartment units, housing units.

Cue: Clarification lang pag-sign ng law iyong 10-percent increase after ma-aprubahan puwede na?

SJMZ: No there is one year moratorium.

Cue: Basically mag-increase 2011 pa?

SJMZ: 2010, of July 2010 tsaka pa lang pedeng mag-increase ng seven percent. Ngayong moratorium muna.

Cue: normally nakakaligtas sila sa BIR...

SJMZ: It doesn't necessarily in receipt na official it could be in writtern form. Payag na ang HUDCC na imbestigahan iyan at kasuhan sila.

Cue: Iyong leader ng ASG humihingi ng amnesty sa gobyerno?

SJMZ: Hindi siguro. Alam mo sinusuportahan ko iyong all out, not all out war but all out apprehension of the leaders of the Abu Sayyaf kasi iba iyong MILF. Ako, I full support sa all out peace effort and negotiation sa MILF pero pagdating sa Abu Sayyaf hindi dapat natin mabigyan ng pagkakataon na maka-regroup sila, na makapahinga sila, dapat magkaroon po tayo ng surgical strikes at i-support natin ang military on surgical strikes to apprehend the leadership of Abu Sayyaf Group. Iyong ginawa nila nagbigay sila ng malaking perwisyo sa imahe ng ating bansa. Alam niyo galing po kaming official mission in London, kausap namin iyong speaker at mga members ng House of the Common iyon yun members ng parliament sa England at lahat ng tanong nila was about the Abu Sayyaf at iyong kidnapping ni Vagni at iyong ibang Europeans. Iyan ang nakikita nilang imahe sa Pilipinas. Kapag tinanong mo sila kung ano ang kanilang impression dito sa ating bansa ang naiisip nila kidnapping, terorista kaya dapat iyan hulihin na. At sinusuportahan ko po iyong instruction ni Sec. Teodoro na diinan na sila at gawin na nating lahat ng magagawa ng military at civilian authorities para mahuli at maitigil na ang terorismo dito sa isla ng Sulu, Basilan at mga areas ng Mindanao.

Cue: Dapat iyan carpet bombing

SJMZ: Huwag naman kasi maraming to whom it may concern iyan. Surgical strike. It should be surgical strike. Again let me repeat as a senator from Mindanao I support of all out peace negotiation with the MILF, but I'm also in full support for an all out surgical strike against Abu Sayyaf. Let's talk peace with the MILF and let us pulborize the Abu Sayyaf. We should not tolerate terroristic activities dahil sumasa lalo ang imahe ng ating bansa sa international community.

Cue: Kailan kayo dumating kayo sir?

SJMZ: Kahapon.

Cue: Nagpa-quarantine kayo sir?

SJMZ: Nagpa-check up na ako sa doctor. Mas delikado pa nga yata ang senador dahil may AH1N1 dito.

Cue: Ilang linggo kayo sa London?

SJMZ: One week

Cue: Ilang senator kayo doon?

SJMZ: Si Senator Jinggoy, Lacson tsaka Sen. Honasan.

Cue: Sir tantamount to all out war?

SJMZ: Hindi naman all out war. Let us clarify no an all out war kasi will mean displacement of thousands of families. Ayaw natin iyan surgical strikes lang dahil ilan lang naman ang Abu Sayyaf. So, magpapadala tayo ng rapid reaction units doon, our elite team para habulin sila and no let up. Huwag naman iyong all out war kasi like I mentioned earlier would mean carpet bombing. The reason why kasi Afghanistan is ddi ba nagkaka-problema ang Americans ganyan ang ginagawa nila lalong dumadami ang kalaban nila. Lalong lumalakas ang Talibans ngayong foot soldiers na ang pinadala. So we have to consider peace negotiations with the MILF but a surgical strike to the Abu Sayyaf but with no let up. Alam naman ng Abu Sayyaf ang ginagawa nila. Hindi naman nila gagawin iyon consequences of their actions.

Cue: Sir priority bills?

SJMZ: I have a list of priority bills guys, ladies and gentlemen. We have six bills pending sa bicam ito iyong CARP extension and reform, iyong isa mainstreaming climate change, creating the climate change commission, pangatlo real estate investment companies, providing regulatory framework for real estate investment companies, pangapat magna carta for homeowners and homeowners and association, panglima additional branches of courts, pang-anim is the creation of municipality of San Jose,bDinagat island.Maganda naman ang trabaho naman inspite of our political differences we're thankful that the minority are very supportive of our measures.