AMBUSH INTERVIEW | DUTERTE & GOD | PCOO BLUNDER | ANTI-PASAWAY CAMPAIGN | GOVERNMENT MANDATORY DRUG TEST | FOREIGN INVESTMENT ACT REVIEW

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Duterte & God

Q: Sir, yun munang reaction nyo doon sa cursing of God ni Pres. Duterte.

SEN WIN: I have a lot of respect for the President, in fact, sinusuportahan ko ang karamihan sa mga policies niya, at nakita ko ang kanyang sincerity sa paglaban sa droga, krimen, but coming from a Christian family and that we came from a family of Pastors, para sa akin ay hindi tamang murahin ang Panginoon dahil we have to respect each other's faith and beliefs. Kagaya naming na nanggaling sa isang kristiyanong pamilya, masakit para sa amin dahil yun ang tinuturo namin sa Christian school at sa aming mga kasama.

Q: Some religious leaders are saying na nag-eencourage siya lalo ng animosity within the society kasi meron pa rin syang mga loyal supporters defending him kahit ano pa ang sabihin niya.

SEN WIN: I think ang pinakamahalaga rito ay pagbibigay respeto sa paniniwala ng bawat isa. I know the President is very sincere in public service. Tingin ko minsan ay nadadala siya sa kanyang emosyon pero dapat ay tandaan natin na may kanya-kanya tayong paniniwala, kapag sinabi nating Panginoon, hindi yan tinitignan kung katoliko o kristiyano ka, cover yan ang lahat. In our family, my mom every Sunday ay nag-pipreach siya about God, our faith tapos kung ganito na may mga hindi magandang nasasabi tungkol sa ating Panginoon, masakit para sa mga kristiyano.

Q: Dapat po ba Sir ay mag-refrain na siya from attacking the church in general?

SEN WIN: He has his own belief, I think ang pagmumura sa Panginoon ay very painful to many Christians including Catholics, I think that should be refrained at hindi na dapat mangyari dahil maraming devoted Christians ang nasasaktan sa ganitong mga pangyayari.

Q: Excuse po ba iyon na magti-three years na siya as President ay nadadala pa rin sya ng emosyon?

SEN WIN: Sa aking analysis ang ating pangulo ay very emotional. I heard him speak a few times in person and on tv and he's very passionate with his public service works. So sa tingin ko, kapag nagsasalita siya ay nadadala rin siya. I think mas maganda kung makausap din siya ng kanyang mga kasama sa trabaho, his communications team, ang mga malalapit sa kanya, his secretaries, his personal friends, I think it is just a matter of respect. Ako, I respect him as a leader, I try to cooperate with him as much as I can, his policies but at the same time, dapat ay respetuhin niya rin ang paniniwala ng mga kasama niya including devoted Christians.

Q: Hindi po ba't parang self-destruction ang ginagawa ni President? Imbes na i-unite ang sambayanang Pilipino ay parang gusto niyang paghati-hatiin?

SEN WIN: I don't think that is the intention of the President, nakita ko naman ang ibang mga statements niya, it's about working together. We all know he's very emotional and a passionate person, I think nadadala lang siya. Again, the best people to reach out to him are his families, and the people that surround him.

Q: Some groups are asking na siguro it's about time na makipag-dialogue kay Presidente sa iba't-ibang religious groups so that he would understand where they're coming from?

SEN WIN: Correct, that's a good measure na makausap niya ang iba't-ibang religious leaders. Dito sa atin we have three big religious groups-the Christians, the Catholics, and the Muslims. Ito ang pinakamalalaking grupo at maganda na makausap niya. Si Presidente, nakita ko naman na he realizes it is a mistake and nakita ko he is owning up to his mistake at mabilis siyang nag-aapologize. So sa tingin ko, it is just a matter of opening up the communication lines and making him realize na may mga nasaktan.

Q: Should the President apologize?

SEN WIN: I think he needs to realize first that people were hurt especially those who devoted their lives in the teachings of the Lord. I think he realize at one point na may mga taong nasaktan sa nasabi niya.

Q: Knowing the President, open po ba sya sa mga ganung advice?

SEN WIN: I think so, local government siya eh, open naman yan kasi ang trabaho nila makipag-usap sa tao and in many cases, he apologize kapag narealize niyang may mali siya, talagang walang paligoy-ligoy, talagang nag-aapologize siya.

Q: Are you confident that his apologies are forthcoming?

SEN WIN: I'm confident, observing him and looking at the past events, nakita ko na ang mga events that led to his admission and to his apologies and he's man enough to do it.

Q: He never apologized to the Catholic church hindi po ba? Never.

SEN WIN: I think that should be part of the dialogue, not only the Catholic church but the entire religious sector. Someone should open it up and should serve as the bridge between the religious group and our President. I'm sure he is willing to listen, to talk, and to understand the feelings of the religious sector.

Q: Do you also agree that this is the worst Sir? Vs. the church, vs. the priests, now talagang kay God na?

SEN WIN: I want to give the President the benefit of the doubt, I don't think he meant it as how it came out of his speeches, it's really out of passion and emotion, I think the best way to move forward is to have a dialogue with the religious groups.

Q: Di po ba Sir, bilang Presidente, iba daapt siyang maghandle ng emotions?

SEN WIN: Iba-ibang tao, iba-iba ang pagkontrol ng emotions eh, I think the President has a really different way of dealing with emotions so let's just see how he can move forward and learn from what happened.

PCOO blunder

Q: Sir, you mentioned kanina po na dapat pati communications team niya ay dapat magparticipate but what can you expect from this?

SEN WIN: To segue way from what had happened, I think over the last seven days, may mga ilang mga blunders na nangyayari sa PCOO at nasabi ko na ang PCOO kasi hindi ordinaryong communication office, this is the Presidential Communication Office so mabigat ang kanyang titulo at responsibilidad. A very fundamental element of the PCOO is accuracy, very important na accurate ang kanilang information at mga pangalang lumalabas. Ngayon, with the help of the internet ay mabilis namang mag-research kung hindi mo matandaan ang pangalan ng tao. Pwede mong i-google eh but then again, the more they will have blunders, the more their credibility will be affected and nakita ko naman ang mga blunders recently ay staff work ito eh. I don't think si Secretary Andanar had anything to do with it kasi strategic ang role niya. Then again, this is a learning process for the PCOO and to move forward, dapat matuto sila sa mga nangyari at ayusin nila ang kanilang SOP.

Q: Nag-apologize naman po sila sa inyo?

SEN WIN: Yes, somebody texted me, Mart ang name. Siya ang nag-text pero hindi ko alam kung siya ang writer.

Q: A staff apologized to you not the head of the agency?

SEN WIN: Not yet. Sa akin naman, I don't want to make a big fuss of this small error but definitely, they have a lot of things to learn and I hope ito na ang pinakahuli dahil hindi naman nagkulang ang Senado sa pagbigay ng pondo sa kanila. In fact, they were given almost 1.3 billion to run their office and I would like to treat this as a learning process for them and last na san ito dahil ang reckoning point, pagdating ng budget season, I'm sure lalabas ito. Part of their learning process is reorganization of their procedures, of their team, even yung taong kinukuha nila should be qualified for the communications job. Alam naman natin na specialized ang communications eh, you have to be very good in writing, in information-gathering and research, these are the qualities that they need in their office. Also, it's about time to review the qualifications of their team.

Q: Ano exactly ang laman ng apology?

SEN WIN: Ang personal text ng person, they apologized and rest assured they will improve their SOP, I would assume na ito yung proof-reading. So yun ang pinaka basic concept ng apology niya. Pretty much exactly doon sa erratum na pinost nila sa website nila, yung message na pinost nila apologizing its exactly the same dun sa text.

SEN WIN: Are you optimistic that nothing will happen again?

Q: I think if it happens again then it goes to show that we have a very serious problem. This issue is probably the most media covered PCOO blunder to date. So they should already learn from this, kung meron pang mangyari then meron na talagang malaking problem yung office nila. There is now a problem from management all the way down to the staff level.

SEN WIN: Sa akin, they carry the name of the President, it's a presidential communication operations office. The credibility of the President is also in line and at stake with these blunders that has been happening in the past. It's the President's face, because it carries the presidential name, so it's no ordinary communication's office, it's a communication's office that the President uses to broadcast what he has in mind. So lahat ng mga lumalabas doon in effect galing sa president din.

Q: You think it's an honest mistake?

SEN WIN: I would give them the benefit of the doubt that this was an honest mistake. I don't think people in there will try to sabotage their operations so I will give them the benefit of the doubt.

Q: You think they will have a hard time defending their budget?

SEN WIN: Definitely hihingiin na ng mga Senators yung mga ginawa nila to demonstrate to the Senators. Naglagay tayo ng 1.3 billion-saan napupunta yun? And ano yung mga reforms na ginawa nila para hindi na mangyari ito ulit. We will really demand, during the budget season the reforms they have instituted now until the budget season.

Q: Thoughts about the Andanar?

SEN WIN: I see Adanar doing a lot of strategic activities-and yan naman talaga ang trabaho ng nasa taas eh, more on the strategy more on the macro-level. Yung spelling and pangalan ng tao, nasa staff level na yan. I'm sure he entrusted his supervisors that the quality is being reviewed, may mga editors din yan eh.

That's why I think the qualifications should be reviewed because I would assume if you work for the presidential office you are part of the best and the brightest. I would also assume that they will review whether the qualification is right for the responsibility. I would still give them the benefit of the doubt however, we have to always remember this is the highest communications office in the country, it carries the weight of the President, so I assume their hiring process is very stringent, hindi ka dapat basta basta makakapasok doon.

Q: Possible oversight hearing if another blunder happens again?

SEN WIN: I think kung may mangyari na naman na mistake they will have to justify their budget to the last centavo because in my opinion it is not worth giving them 1.3 billion anymore if they commit the mistake over and over again.

Q: So pwede mabawasan yung budget?

SEN WIN: Pwede mabawasan, or its possible to have a drastic change like to create another office-it can be possible. Being an aggrieved party i think have the stronger voice to require them to justify their budget.

I think this coming budget season we will scrutinize it. Of course pag meron nangyari we will definitely scrutinize it even more most especially the reforms they are proposing or have proposed. 'Anti-pasaway' campaign

Q: Call for 'anti-pasaway' campaign, will PNP participate?

SEN WIN: Anti-tambay kasi is very confusing, ano ba yung definition of tambay. So instead of the 'anti-tambay' gawin na lang 'anti-pasaway' because it is clearer in that campaign na may ginagawa kang hindi maganda. Ang pasaway naman in many cities naka-identify na yan, nag-iinuman sa labas ng kalye, in some cities bawal na nga mag karaoke after 10pm. This is a local activity, a local issue, hindi na kailangan ng police manghuli-barangay tanod pwede na manghuli under the ordinance, pero malaking tulong if ang PNP ay sususporta dahil marami din talagang matitigas ang ulo. The local police force should strictly enforce the local ordinances.

Q: PRRD did not give the order to arrest?

SEN WIN: That's why it's confusing dahil ano ba ang definition ng tambay? That's why I think there is an inaccuracy in the brand ng 'anti-tambay' that's why I think it's better to use the 'anti-pasaway' dahil pag pasaway ka pwede kang huliin, pwede ka ma-detain or pwede ka mag community service-- In some cities nga pagwawalisin ka kapag nahuli ka, i-require ka mag-attend ng seminar or pwede ka dalhin sa barangay hall para bigyan ng lecture and normally may multa na kaakibat yan.�it really depends in the ordinance. In some cases if you resist yung pag saway you can be arrested. Hindi pa ko nakakita ng local ordinance na nagkukulong.

Government officials mandatory drug test

Q: Congressman Barbers: all government officials should undergo mandatory drug test?

SEN WIN: Ako open ako doon since mahigpit tayo sa anti-drugs campaign dapat manguna ang mga namumuno including elected officials. We can take it from President all the way down to the kagawads na gawin natin mandatory before assumption of office. Maybe every year dapat mag undergo ng mandatory drug test. I support that, maganda makita ng taong bayan na willing ang mga officials magpa drug test.

Foreign Investment Act review (FIA)

SEN WIN: The focus is there is to review the foreign investment act because then after 1991 it was never reviewed. So we want to see if this FIA is still appropriate in the present times and if were reaping the rewards of this law. Wala pa talagang honest to goodness if this law has already delivered what it intended to deliver.

I think what we need to amend in this act is the promulgation of foreign investment negative list. I think that should be on a regular basis and that should be reviewed regularly kasi parang wala siyang set time frame eh-it has to be regularly revisited and hindi lang dapat issuance, dapat meron din consultation not just for compliance pero for review talaga-reasons why it is on the negative list and ano yung impact kung nasa negative list.

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