Transcript of Interview with Sen. Alan Cayetano

Create Emergency Response Department (ERD) to strengthen NDRRMC law on disaster preparedness and response

The functions of the NDRRMC will be transferred to the ERD (Emergency Response Department) which will focus on disaster preparedness and quick response 24/7, 365 days a year. So in times of calamities, we will know who is in charge. There will only be one person in charge para walang confusion and we can be sure there will be an effectively quick response.

I think the law creating the NDRRMC is a good law. But I think it's a perfect time, after our experience with Yolanda, that in this administration, the strengths of our laws be made stronger and the weaknesses fixed.

Ano ba ang problema? The problem is command. [During Yolanda,] how many times have you asked who was in charge and in command? Hindi masagot...

Sa batas ng NDRRMC, ang namumunong ahensya ay ang AFP. But the DILG is on the ground. Can you imagine if the Zamboanga standoff happened at the same period of time as Yolanda? Can you imagine if, two days after Yolanda hit the country, the Zamboanga standoff occurred? Anong mangyayari sa atin?

I think this is one of the benefits of having a full-time, focused department for disaster management.

First of all, they are focused. They have no other reason for existence [other than preparing for and managing disasters]. The DILG focuses on local governments, anti-crime programs, and the like. The DND focuses on national defense. The DSWD takes care of the conditional cash transfer program, violence against women projects, and so on.

We need an agency whose only reason for existence is disaster risk mitigation and management, including emergency response. All throughout the year, when there are no calamities, the department will focus on training personnel, having discussions with building officials to not allow the building of structures in areas that are disaster-prone, and the like. All year round, the department can focus on teaching volunteer groups disaster preparedness plans.

Also, when disasters hit the country, we will know who is in charge. When we look at its structure, the ERD has regional offices. Katulad ng DSWD, meron sila hanggang regional. As for the provincial, city and municipal districts, they still have supervision. Halimbawa, sa Taguig merong CSWD (City Social Work and Development). They are appointed by the local government but they follow the policies of the national department.

Halimbawa, katulad ng sa Tacloban na bumagsak ang siyudad. The region can take over right away. The region can coordinate. But in this case, it was not only Tacloban that was hit, but also the province, not only one province, but several provinces, almost the whole region. And no one stepped up after that.

In having an ERD, issues surrounding accountability and command will be greatly minimized, if not totally eliminated

The NDRRMC said it has no satellite phones. They said they will buy 17 satellite phones next year. That's like one (unit) per region. Para tayong bumalik sa panahon na yung tali ay lalagyan mo ng lata tapos mag-uusap tayo gamit yun. We have 100M Filipinos and over 7,100 islands. You're telling me that we cannot communicate well when a national disaster happens?

Above all, the President is in charge. But the president cannot do everything by himself. Remember, we are not talking about the Aquino administration alone. We're talking about institutions here.

Sa Amerika, yun ang naging problema ng 911. The NSA is separated from the CIA and the FBI. Nung inatake sila, nagkaroon ng failure of intelligence. Kaya nagkaroon ng Homeland Security Department. This is a regular department.

With all due respect to my fellow senators who said that we need a FEMA-like system, the NDRRMC is like the FEMA. Hindi natin kailangan ng parang FEMA, meron na tayong parang FEMA. Ang kailangan natin ay parang Dept. of Homeland Security. Kaya lang, kaya ko hindi ginawang parang Homeland Security ay maghahalo siya sa DILG. Sa atin, ang NDRRMC ay nasa ilalim ng DND. At sa ilalim naman ng DILG ay ang PNP. Kaya naging magulo.

Dito, kung may departamentong ganoon, alam na natin kung sino ang tutugon. It will be their job to coordinate with everyone. They will not have their own police force but they will be in charge of coordinating with the PNP. They will not have their own military force but they will be in charge of coordinating with the Philippine military.

Another unique feature of this is that the calamity funds will be under their supervision. Right now, we do not know how and where to allocate our calamity funds.

If we have one department that focuses on these disasters, we would know who is in charge.

There is confusion in the structure of the present system

I'd rather have everything be done first then we can have an assessment. But definitely, they are doing their best, yet there is still confusion and debate. I think part of that [problem] is the structure.

That's why I think the problem of the NDRRMC is that it does not suit our culture well. Maiintindihan mo ba kung ang executive director ng ahensyang ito ay inuutusan ang sekretarya ng isang departamento?

Also, you can't expect us not to be prepared. We have 20 typhoons a year. Command and communication are very basic necessities. But those two were missing during Yolanda.

This is not the time for finger-pointing but it is a time to fix the problems

But I agree with the CBCP that this is not the time for finger pointing. But I'm saying this not to finger point but to fix the problem.

And even the secretaries now, do you think Secretary Roxas, I know he wants to help people but do you think he wouldn't be running the DILG for all the other concerns. Can you imagine kung masabayan ito ng ibang crisis, di ba? Dito pa lang, severely criticized na. So I really believe that if you have a department na diyan lang nakatutok, the rest of the government can focus, while that department siya ang abala.

Aaminin ko isang aspeto lang ito pero tingin ko isang mabigat na aspeto ito. For example kahit mag-create ka ng department kung hindi naman popondohan yung training at hindi naman bibigyan ng resources, eh wala rin. But what I'm saying is yung system ngayon masyadong magulo. Hindi mo alam, kung baga sa presscon eh sabay-sabay na magsasalita tapos sasabihin who's in charge? Sabihin ko lahat kayo in charge. Sa isang disaster hindi ganon, sa disaster you need a calming voice na kapag may nagsalitang isa, you may agree or not agree pero yun ang susundin mo.

Calamities are fast becoming the "new normal" in the country

Kung titingnan ninyo yung statistics dun sa bill, sa countries nasa top 5 tayo ng maraming risks eh, whether it's landslides, flooding, and the effects of climate change are just getting worse. So it's a question of will we tell ourselves like, what we told ourselves nung Ondoy? Nung Ondoy sabi natin once in a lifetime lang ito and then nangyari yung Habagat. Sabi natin sa sarili natin once in a lifetime din ito, the next year nangyari ulit so nangyari yung earthquake sa Baguio--once in a lifetime ito, if I'm not mistaken that was 1990 or 1991, tapos pumutok ang Pinatubo, now the earthquake happened in an area we were not expecting di ba, kasi hindi naman active yung, or at least sa pagkakaalam natin hindi active yung ano don.

So that's why the feature of this is the supervision of the attached agencies nung Emergency Response Department yung Phivolcs at Pagasa. Hindi lang para parangalan ang Pagasa at Phivolcs to really elevating them into independent agencies, but also because these are the people who have to 24/7 work with the Secretary. For example sa atin, we learned too late but hindi natin na-explain kung ano ang storm surge hindi ba, and definition of terms lang yan.

There is rhyme and reason for the proposal to have a Cabinet Secretary working full time in disasters

Pero I think if full time yung Secretary doon mapapaalam na ang tsunami at ang storm surge... kasi sa lahat talaga tsunami yan, di ba, mas magpapanic in a good way yung marami hindi ba? It will move you to do more, I mean kung tayo kumakain tayo sa pantalan, malapit sa Senate at sinabing may storm surge, di ba, baka manood ka pa eh. Pero kapag sinabing may tsunami, hahanap tayo ng pinaka-malayo sa tubig.

I am saying that simple things like this: na kapag full-time, walang ginawa yung Secretary kung hindi umikot sa bansa, lahat ng imbitasyon niya tungkol diyan. Sa humanitarian aid, di ba, he can also have the best practices.

Expect ing more support for the ERD bill in the Senate

Naka-focus sa budget ngayon pero kung titingnan mo, I'm expecting that more will either support or will file their own version kasi ilan na rin ang senador na nagsabing kailangan ng focus.

I realized you cannot put a price on life. Kung mayroon kang ibang departments that deal with enhancing human life, why can't you have adepartment that is about saving human lives.

In times of emergencies, recall is very important

Ang NDRRMC, pagka kalamidad o emergency, kaya mo pang sabihin ang NDRRMC? Tapos hindi mo masabi sinong in charge dun di ba? So samantalang 911 or ERD, Red Cross, ang daling sabihin. So even these things napagisipan natin na kailangan.

Ang city of Taguig humihingi sa NTC ng three numbers for their emergency, ayaw bigyan kasi ang gusto nila yung national government daw o yung sa pulis ang gamitin. Eh ang 911 hindi yan minahal ng tao dahil 911 siya, minahal siya ng tao dahil sigurado kapag tinawagan mo siguradong may darating sa iyo.

Pero pinagaralan yan, na kung pito o anim na number yan, makakalimutan. Kung isang number yan magkakamali lang ang tao, baka panay wrong number, mag-jam. Kaya tatlong number yan, because the mind can remember three things--even our choice of the name: ERD, I am open to another name but it should only be three letters.

The ERD bill needs the support of the President

Well, it really needs the support of the President. Kung sasabihin niya na urgent ito, marami akong nakakausap na rin na kongresista, eh excited din sila about the idea especially dun sa mga may coastal, dun halimbawa sa Bicol.

Funds for scholars, indigent patients and relief operations can be sourced by government now that the PDAF is abolished

Beneficiaries need not worry, we can take care of their needs through the budget.

Ang maaapektuhan nito ay ang mga beneficiaries who should not worry kasi we can do that naman through the budget pero wala lang epal. Wala lang credit sa mga senators. Ang mga kongresista ang mahihirapan dahil direct sila sa constituency nila but having said that, there is a way to get three things: scholarships, medical assistance, and emergency relief to have these funded na hindi naman pork barrel.

Ang sinasabi ko sa CHED, 400,000 ang scholars ng mga kongresista, pwede namang pondohan yun at ayusin yung guidelines na hindi sila mawawalan, pero hindi ito pork barrel.

Fight against corruption does not stop with abolition of pork barrel system

Ang problema, my experience since 1998 is every time mag-clamp down ang gobyerno sa isang proyekto na subject of corruption, lumilipat lang ang mga corrupt. So ang tunay na solusyon is to clamp down on those who are corrupt. That's why yung pagbabawal ng pork barrel is only one-third of the battle. The one-third of the battle is the FOI, prevention, ang makulong yung mga corrupt.

Ibig sabihin yung mga corrupt gigising ba yan: nawala na ang pork barrel ayaw ko nang mangurupt, hindi, maghahanap ng ibang mako-corrupt iyan. That's why si Napoles lumaki, nagsimula siya sa isang programa tapos napunta sa pork lumaki, lumipat sa Malampaya, kung anu-ano kasi entrepreneur yan eh. So ganon ang mga corrupt.

Nung panahon namin, nung panahon ni President Erap, may nang-corrupt sa pondo ng bigas so pinagbawal ang bigas sa pork, eh yung mga nangorrupt ng bigas lumipat lang ng iba, lumipat sa gamot, lumipat sa libro.

That's why I'm saying it's good. Ang problema if it breeds more corruption, masama rin siya, parang fertilizer siya eh. But it's one third, the other two-thirds to make it a triumvirate is 1) remove the programs that breeds corruption and one of that is pork, and 2) is pass the FOI, and 3) is ikulong ang dapat ikulong.

When people see na yung mga nagnanakaw nakukulong, sa US naman at saka sa Europe may corrupt naman eh, ang difference lang, it's just a matter of time nakukulong sila. They get away in one or two years, siguro pinakamatagal five years, kulong sila. Ang difference sa atin kapag corrupt not only do they get away napo-promote pa, pataas pa ang posisyon.

On the slow pace of justice in the Ampatuan massacre case

Now that the pork barrel has been thoroughly discussed in the Supreme Court, now that the DAP and the Presidential pork barrel have been discussed, I think now is the best time to discuss judicial reform. Napakaganda ng ginawa ng SC sa ating bansa na hindi ito naging duwag at hindi nito tinalikuran ang tungkulin niya kahit makabangga niya ang Kongreso at ang Presidente.

Having said that, they also need reforms inside. At isa sa mga repormang ito ay ang tinatawag na continuous trial. Filipinos continue to be amazed not only because they are able to watch on television that in other countries, trials last for only one week or one month and hearings are held everyday, but also because in certain Asian countries and in most Western countries, our OFWs there can witness their justice system.

It's confusing why here in the Philippines, hearings are held every two or three months. Bakit sa apat na taon, hindi pa nangangalahati? I think this is something that the SC would like to look into also.

Kung napabilisan nila ang desisyon sa pork barrel, paano naman sa ibang mga desisyon? Remember, in the SC, those are questions of law and constitutionality. Unlike in other courts, they have witnesses. But the system is not only slow, but also leads to 'ayusan' and delays. The longer that you can bring your witnesses in court, the more probability that there is a threat against his/her life.

Definitely, there should be a judicial reform. I think the Ampatuan massacre should not only be about getting justice for the journalists, should not only be about changing the feudal and patronage kind of politics, but it should also lead to judicial reform.

During the time of President Ramos, my father worked with the Supreme Court. They used to have a special criminal court wherein hearings were held daily and cases for heinous crimes were held within 30 days. Unfortunately, a few years after that, the SC removed the court because judges were being threatened.

Sa tingin ko, dapat ang pag-usapan ng mataas na korte ay hindi ang tanggalin ang ganitong klase ng korte kung hindi protektahan nang mas mabuti ang ating mga hukom. If the SC needs to have a secret service or a US-martial-type of security, then so be it.

Ang nangyayari ay nagiging simbolo ang Ampatuan massacre ng kahinaan ng sistema ng criminal justice sa ating bansa. This is not only a judicial issue, but this also involves our prosecutors and all of us. Itong nangyayari sa Ampatuan na kaso ay nangyayari din sa ibang ordinaryong kaso. More than 50% of people behind bars are not convicted. Napakadami sa kanila, ilang taon nang nakakulong, dalawa o tatlong beses pa lang nakapasok sa korte.

I think the SC should discuss this. Maraming nagsasabi na sa pork barrel scam, walang mangyayari diyan. Maraming nagsasabi, aabutin din ito ng taon. Paano kung nagpalit ng administrayon, ng pamumuno sa DOJ o nagretiro ang Ombudsman? The length of the trial has a direct bearing on justice. A great US SC justice said, "Justice delayed is justice denied."

This has two sides. Think about when someone is guilty of a crime, but because of the slow justice system, he/she remains free. But what if someone is innocent and he/she is put behind bars for a long time also because of the slow hearing process?