Press Release
July 24, 2012

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT Senator Cayetano's take on the
SONA and priority policies (FOI, K+12, RH, Mining, etc)

Reporter: Ano po ang masasabi niyo sa State of the Nation Address ni Pangulong Noynoy?

ASC: Magandang hapon po sa ating lahat. Kinuha ng Presidente ang opportunity na mapakita niya kung ano yung mga bunga ng itinanim niya over the past two years. He stated the victories and accomplishments done for our people and encouraged them that there are also much to be done.

Ang akin lang masasabi na gusto ko sanang marinig ay yung mga problema at yung tinatawag na True State of the Nation para mapagtulong-tulungan na ito. I think that he is so popular and that he can get people to move. But then, palaging mayroong deterrent sa lahat ng naging pangulo o may pagka-alangan sila na ipakita kung gaano kasama o gaano kalaki ang mga problema ng ating bansa.

Reporter: What's your say on the statistics presented?

ASC: I think, he has all the time to say what he has done to get people to believe that we can do more. Having said that, I am wondering why in the last 15 years, yung halos lahat ng SONA na na-attend-an ko, parang may naghohold back sa president na sabihin yung true state of the nation. Example, sinabi niya na by 2013, wala nang classroom shortage. Bakit hindi na-explain ang ilan bang classrooms ang kulang at kung matapos yung classrooms, teachers naman. Kung meron mang teachers at mayroong libro, eh yung ibang mga bansa may computers na eh tayo wala. I feel that he's the kind of president so popular, na pagsinabi naman niya sa tao maiintindihan naman siya, nagsasabi ng totoo at makaka-garner siya ng simpatya na tulungan siya. Unang una, sa simula ng term mo, walang sisisi sayo dahil hindi naman ikaw yung nag-create ng problema, but somehow kapag nandun na yung mga pangulo, parang dinedeny nila yung sarili nila na oportunidad pagSONA na ilabas lahat ng problemang ito. I am giving him the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the facts and figures or statistics presented because these probably came from the respective agencies. One example of what was glaring for me and I'd like to check this out, is when he said that crime rates have gone down. Kasi kahit saan ka pumunta, kahit barangay captain, Mayor , governor o kongresista na tinanong ko, lumalala yung crime sa mga lugar nila. Baka naman ang nangayayari kumokonti ang nag-rereport ng crime pero yung actual crime dumarami. Then yung doon sa PhilHealth, yung 85% ang covered. I don't know kung sa amin lang ang napakaraming walang PhilHealth but I doubt if around 8 out of 10 Filipinos all over the country are already covered by PhilHealth. I'm hoping that's true.

I'll give the benefit of the doubt today. But I'll be giving the Kontra-SONA on Monday to verify.

Reporter: Any other topics that you hoped would be included in the SONA?

ASC: Madami. The SONA is always about opportunities. As I said before, let us be positive first. People need something to build on. The President has to show that he is for anti-corruption, that he's accountable and transparent and that his tuwid na daan can bear fruit. So he had to do part of what he showed here today so that he can show the people that the good guy can finish first.

Having said that, to be able to solve problems the first part is admitting that there are problems. So kung baga sa adik, kailangan umamin ka muna para masolusyunan ang problema. For the last 15 years, from the SONAs I've been able to watch and hear, the presidents have always seemed to be reluctant to show the true state of the nation.

Halibawa, pinili niyang sabihin na by 2013, wala nang shortage ng classrooms without saying kung ilan ba talaga ang classroom shortage. Pero kapag nasolusyunan mo ang classroom shortage, short ka na rin sa teachers. I would have preferred that you state the whole problem.

As far as the statistics and reports are concerned, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. But I have to look into it.

Reporter: What's your take on our government's performance so far?

ASC: Compared sa Thailand, Vietnam, marami pa tayong hahabulin but to be fair naman sa kanya, ditto palang nagsisimula yung mga tinanim niya.

Reporter: Pero, overall na-satisfy po kayo?

ASC: Kung ano expectation natin nung first two years ay x3, x4, o x10 in the next two years onwards because the first two years is considered the Honeymoon Period. Yan yung mga may problema pa, binubuo mo pa ang kabinete, etc. but in the next two years, eto talaga yung gitna nung term kung saan mas mataas na ang expectations kasi pagdating ng 2015, 2016 elections na naman pag-uusapan. Yung political will, yung pondo na kailangan, yung direction ng gobyerno, eto yung panahon na dapat bigyan na ito ng pansin. That's why I'd like the cabinet in the next few days to perhaps articulate the directives that the President mentioned in his SONA and also state the problems, the solutions, and how we can achieve the vision.

Reporter: Sir, yung mga sinusulong ninyong mga legislation? What is the status of the FOI bill and how does it fit in Aquino's SONA?

ASC: Tingin ko magiging mabigat na debate ito. Katulad nga sa tax, alam niyo ba na sa 5 araw na pagtatrabaho ng pinoy dalawang araw nito ang napupunta lang sa buwis o sa gobyerno? Tatlong araw lang sa pamilya mo kasi ang income tax ay 25-30%. Ang matitira sa pera mo, 12 % of what you spend goes to VAT. Lahat ng gawin mo, bumili ka ng bahay may real property tax ka, manuod ka ng sine may amusement tax ka, may sedula pa and everything. Hindi lang dapat pag- usapan yung specific na proposal, yung sistema ang dapat na pag-usapan. Katulad din ng napag-usapan na dahil walang corruption, maganda na ang collection. May question dyan kung maganda ang koleksyon ng BIR at Customs mas maganda kesa kay GMA. No doubt may reforms; no doubt they're better. But have they reached already their best without rating taxes?

On the FOI Bill, I am hoping kaya hindi binanggit ito dahil in the bag na ito. Dahil binigay na nila yung version nila so I am hoping he will have a statement in the next few days. Lalo ang house very sensitive kung ano ang priority ng Presidente. Sa Senate naman, sinimulan na ni Sen.Gringo Honasan yung sponsorship nito. In fact, tomorrow continuation nung sponsorship. Ang problema sa anti-corruption campaign ng Pangulo, it is a very personal campaign, hindi institutional. With the FOI Bill, meron ka nang institutional support. Meaning, hindi ka na kailangan na mag-rely na pag sinabi ni Presidente, "oh, eto si GMA malaki to, habulin!" "O eto si CJ malaki to, habulin!" Every citizen can be a graft buster.

Reporter: What is your take on Taxes on Mining?

ASC: It could be a good chance to look at it, spark the debate further, and then to look at both sides of mining -the destructive side, environment as well as displacements. But it's also good to look at the side na eto rin yung ginamit na sagot para pagandahin yung buhay ng mga mamamayan nung ibang mga bansa. We should not look only at the side of taxation but also the best practices around the world and what should and should not be allowed in our country.

Reporter: What's your take on the Employment Rate?

ASC: Naniniwala ako dun sa rate na yon pero ang sinasabi ko ay all over the world, binabago na yung ginagamit na basehan. Example ay yung ginagamit ng mga ekonomista na GNP at GDP pero pwede naman kasing isang sector o isang grupo lang yung yumayaman sa bansa e -yung mga mayayaman lang, yung mga may-ari ng business. Yun yung tinatawag na hindi siya inclusive group. GNP and GDP mo, tataas parin pero hindi ibig sabihin na yung buong bansa uunlad, ganun din sa employment. If you'll follow the statistics theoretically, tama yon pero tanungin mo ang tao diretso, halos kalahati walang trabaho kasi under the law magtrabaho ka lang ng isang oras sa isang linggo may trabaho ka na pero actually it is not enough para ang pamilya mo buhayin. Yun yung sinasabi ko na it's good to show people and the rest of the world investors na gumaganda ang statistics at ranking ng Pilipinas but I'd like our people to know the other side of the story as well.

Reporter: So do you think that Aquino's mention of Responsible Parenthood would affect the passage of RH bill?

ASC: I think these bills that are as controversial as the RH bill would have to be shepherded every step of the way. Parang relay yan na every step of the way kailangan yung runner mo magaling at desidido. Kaya i-expect mo na kahit sampung beses banggitin sa SONA yan, mayroong against, mayroong for kaya kailangan pang ulit-ulitin.

Reporter: Hindi naman po nagmukhang nag-soften si Presidente dahil hindi niya binanggit na bill? ASC: Doon sa mga purists na RH bill proponents ang tingin nila ay nag-soften. Doon sa mga purists na anti-RH tingin din nila nag-soften. Pero doon sa mga naniniwala lang that we need a Reproductive Health bill or that we need a Responsible Parenthood bill, it was a clear message that the debates are important.

Ako, knowing the President personally and knowing his body language, for me it was very clear na tinatawid niya sa mga Congressmen na kailangan ito mapag-usapan at iprioritize. Pero tinatawid din niya sa mga bishop at sa mga iba na we'll be sensitive whether sa language or sa laman ng bill.

Reporter: What's your take on the implementation of the K+12?

ASC: In a nutshell, nakikita ko yung benefits ng K+12 at maganda naman ito. But we should also consider the other side. For example, sa lugar namin sa Taguig, maraming schools ang 2 or 3 shifts. So kung sasabihin ko kasi yung ibang bansa ay 7 or 8 years sa elementary tapos 4 or 5 years sa high school, samantalang tayo 6 and 4 years, hindi lumalabas na full 6 and 4 years iyon. Kalahati or 1/3 tayo ng 6 and kalahati or 1/3 tayo ng 4. Bakit? Two or three shifts eh. So actually, hindi automatic na solusyon agad sa ngayon na kailangan magdagdag ng years sa mga schools na mga ito, kailangan mong matanggal yung mga shifts. Kung sasabihin mong mag-grade 7 ka o mag-fifth year high school ka sa iba, that's assuming that 8 hours a day ka nag-aaral. Maraming schools, 4 or 3 hours lang nag-aaral kasi punong puno.

Reporter: But that should not apply to private schools kung saan pumapasok ang mga bata ng 8 hours.

ASC: Well, that's what I'm saying naman na if ganoong private school naman na 8 hours, valid naman yung sinasabi niya na sa ibang bansa mas mahaba pero pag-graduate mo sobrang marunong na yung bata hindi mo na kailangan mag-college. Valid naman yun. Ang sinasabi ko lang na ang reality on the ground ay hindi lahat ng lugar ay pareho. May mga lugar na ang school nila ay walang shifting. Ibig sabihin 8-4 or 7-3 may pasok. Mayroon din naman na may computers, etc. Pero maraming lugar ay 80 sa isang classroom so kahit dagdagan mo ng isang taon, malaki pa rin ang problema because they are only studying 3 or 4 hours instead of the usual 8 hours.

Reporter: So having said that, should there be a selective implementation of this?

ASC: Ako, I'm always in favor of pilot programs. I've always why you have to do one thing across the board all around the country. What works for Pedro might not work for Juan. Iba iba ang sitwasyon.

Reporter: Although di ba kasama doon ang quality?

ASC: That's what I'm saying kanina, that was only one half. By 2013, wala nang classroom shortage. Kung mangyari then very good. But I doubt na pwedeng mangyari or kung mayroon mang classrooms may teacher shortage naman tayo. Right now without the additional classrooms mayroon na tayong teacher shortage na malaki. While the books now has an achieved ratio of one is to one per student, the curriculum may change because of this, so we will have a need for more new books eventually. That's just a part of the bigger picture.

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