Press Release
July 11, 2017

TRANSCRIPT AMBUSH INTERVIEW ON MARTIAL LAW EXTENSION AND PACMAN VS HORN

[START RECORDING]

Q: May parang proposition si Speaker Alvarez na i-extend ng five years ang martial law, what do you think about it Sir?

SEN WIN: Sa akin, walang basis ang five years, dahil we want to get this over as fast as we can at gusto natin na magkaroon ng sense of normality na sa Mindanao at sa buong bansa. So I think ang interes ng bansa is really to get back to normal as soon as possible.

Q: Ano ang mga possible issue or mga excesses na pwedeng mangyari within that five-year period kapag natuloy man 'yon?

Sen Win: I chair the Economic Affairs Committee, from my economic standpoint, hindi rin maganda na alam ng buong mundo na five years ang ating martial law kasi it sends a wrong signal to potential investors especially to Mindanao. Prior to the martial law, I know for a fact maraming gustong mag-invest sa Mindanao considering that the President is from there, pinu-push niya talaga but if you have a five-year martial law, yung mga potential investors will now hesitate and will think twice before going in Mindanao. So again, it sends the wrong signal to the business community.

Q: Open naman kayo to extend martial law in Mindanao?

SEN WIN: I think open but is hinged on the briefing that will be given to us later on. Importante na malaman natin kung anong nangyayari sa Marawi, sa Mindanao, ano na ang updates? Admittedly, every day is a different day in Marawi and in Mindanao and the situation of terrorism in the Philippines ay nag-iiba eh, nag-iba na ang anyo ng terorismo dito sa atin eh. Yung introduction of foreign fighters has changed the dynamics, at ngayon na may experience na ang ating military intelligence, dapat malaman din ng mga senador, mabigyan tayo ng briefing kung ano ang kanilang mga nakita doon sa Mindanao.

Q: Sinabi nyo may negative effects sa mga investors kung magiging five years, but as early as now, do you see negative effects?

Sen Win: Meron, malaki ang negative effects. I'm quite confident also that itong mga regional investors natin can now distinguish saan ang Metro Manila, saan ang Mindanao. But considering Mindanao, one of the poorest islands in the country, gusto natin mas marami pa ang pumasok na mga negosyante, even domestic investors. But if you have uncertainty in that area, unstable ang area, mahihirapan tayo even domestic investors natin ay mahihirapan pumunta doon at maglagay ng investments.

Q: Nararanasan na yan ngayon Sir?

SEN WIN: Yes. Ngayon, nararanasan na yan. I think, maraming put on hold. Ako, marami akong mga kausap na investors, fund managers, at kahapon lang lumabas sa Bloomberg na wini-weigh down nila ang growth ng Philippines because of the Marawi crisis. May mga ganitong analysis na lumalabas sa mga investment banking committee, so we really need to get back to normal as soon as possible get back to normalcy as soon as possible.

Q: [inaudible]

SEN. WIN: I want to reserve that answer for that question because that's hinged again on the briefing ibibigay satin ng security cluster. They all have the information and intelligence and we need to understand those intelligence. Kailangan natin malaman fully kung gaano kalalim yung problema na ito.

Q: Sir may schedule na ba yung security briefing?

SEN. WIN: Wala pang definite schedule but that's the clamour a lot of our Senators, kausap ng ka-grupo natin at yun din ang consensus. Hopefully before SONA na magkaroon tayo ng isang extensive briefing?

Q: and you wll ask the President to send his officials?

SEN. WIN: last time pinadala yung security cluster and I think we had a 6-hour briefing that time. Same briefing should be conducted. Now with the latest information and intelligence mas magiging malawak ang decision dito.

Q: Off-hand time frame that you can agree on extension or another 60 or prior to this day?

SEN. WIN: Again no, I want to reserve the answer to weather to extend or not. I think what is important here is the process, and the process and it really calls for a security briefing from the security cluster.

Q: Yung 5 year extension madaming nakakakuha ng support from Congress kasi according to Speaker Alvarez he will persuade Congress?

SEN. WIN: ako, personally I'm not inclined to have a protracted martial law. I think this may not be a clear signal to other countries. Martial Law sends out a different connotation to other countries. Even though they say that Marital Law is different from the previous Martial Law, or Martial Law from the other countries, Martial law is still Martial Law and serious investors will not come to Mindanao if they know Martial is law is being operated in that area.

Q: Sir, given the sentiment among Senators that they don't like the 5-year Martial law, would it really matter if you are voting jointly, you are 23 and house members are 297?

SEN. WIN: I think the debriefing will be very important from the executive side. I think the Congressmen and Senators will think carefully before deciding on anything. I understand there are about 60 plus Mindanao Congressmen, gusto rin nila makita umunlad yung lugar nila, na dumami yung pumasok na investors and I'm sure they're inviting foreign companies to come in. Ako I've talked to different foreign organizations here and that's one of their worries, unstable eh. That's why before they come into Mindanao normal na dapat operations doon.

Q: Do you think the President will talk about the economic matters too since you're talking about the economic aspects?

SEN. WIN: I think you they should, I think they're also in touch with different companies and organizations. They're also in touch with the various global organizations that deal with trade and investments. When the trade secretary goes out to do a road show lumalabas siya, nag i-invite siya ng potential investors, pumapasok yung issue sa Mindanao. Lumalabas yung tanong kung 'paano kami pupunta doon?'

Q: Sir, yung mga alanganin na investors, sa Mindanao lang?

Sen. Win: I think dito sa region, ASEAN, Asian Pacific, na di-distinguish na ang Metro Manila and Mindanao because they're in the region and marami sa kanila may alam na sa bansa satin. But if you come from the US or the Middle East, hindi nila ma-distinguish saan ang Mindanao, saan ang Metro Manila. When they say Martial law in the Philippines, they think it's the entire country. It's very hard to explain that when you're in the US or Middle East for the road show. Mahirap i-explain itong ganitong complexities. Mas maganda sana if buong bansa mabalik na sa normal and then they go back to business.

Q: According to WBO, Horn won against Pacman? Ano sa tingin niyo ang dapat gawin ni Senator Manny.

Sen. Win: Ako talaga I was rooting for Senator Manny, nakita ko yung kanyang dedication. Nakita niyo naman even though it was time for him to train wala siyang absent, nagpapa- committee hearing pa siya. Nakita ko yung dedication sa trabaho niya he really tried to manage his time for both in the boxing profession here in the Senate. Sa sports, ganyan talaga may nanalo may natatalo we just have to accept the outcome. As a friend, I would really advise Sen. Manny to really think about itong dalawang mabibigat na trabaho. Senate is not an easy task, napaka-bigat ng pressure dito. He has to really analyze kaya ba niya talaga i-manage yung dalawang napaka-bigat na responsibility. It's really up to him now to assess his time and capabilities and the efforts his putting into these two big responsibilities. It's really time to assess yung mga ganitong disruption sa buhay, dapat mag assess talaga tayo anong landas yung dapat natin puntahan.

[END RECORDING]

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