Press Release
July 4, 2018

Transcript of Sen. Win Gatchalian's Ambush Interview (DOH Health Stations, Mayor Killings)

SEN WIN: This is important because the contractors, they are also doing other projects, nasabi nga ni Senator JV na sila ang nag-construct ng controversial Macapagal road dito sa may Bay Area. So we don't want this type of contractors doing business with the government especially kung niloloko ang gobyerno at ang taong-bayan.

Q: Anong klaseng irregularity po ang nakikita niyo aside from naniningil na wala naman talagang existing na accomplished projects?

SEN WIN: I think the biggest problem here is the misrepresentation of the contractor, sinasabi nga niya na tapos na ang trabaho niya pero hindi pa naman pala, that's the biggest issue here. Second is the planning, lumalabas sa hearing na nagbigay na pala ng pera sa contractor, nag-bidding na tayo, tapos problema pa pala ang lupa kung saan itatayo itong mga health centers. So it wasn't planned from the start kaya nagkakaroon tayo ng problema.

Q: Ang paggamit ng savings as funds para sa projects, nakikita niyo rin po bang irregularity?

SEN WIN: Correct, that's the third. As admitted by the DBM it is a lump sum fund. Alam naman natin na ang lump sum ay kung saan-saan dinadala. So im just questioning kung bakita nagkakaroon ng ganitong lump sum fund almost every year, nagamit sa dengvaxia, ngayon naman nagamit na rin dito sa barangay health stations. So the practice of putting funds in this account, itong personal benefits, is not the proper way dahil nagagamit yan sa iba't-ibang projects na hindi naman dumaan dito sa Senate.

Q: Ano likely ang magiging recommendation niyo aside from what you said na you are bound to recommend the blocking or the blacklisting of that company?

SEN WIN: I'm personally inclined to recommend the blacklisting of this company to all government projects because if they can do it here in DOH, definitely they can do it in other government projects. This is not to the best interest of the Filipino people because of their misrepresentation, hindi tama ang ginawa nila. I think there will be a next hearing, tingin ko isang hearing na lang ang matitira.

Q: Although the Blue Ribbon has the authority to recommend charges.

SEN WIN: Itong resolution went to the Committee on Health. So there will be no conflict kasi hindi naman siya joint, Chairman Ejercito took over as a Chairman of the Committee on Health so ang recommendation niya ang ma-rerecognize.

Q: Pero Sir, the filing of possible charges will not happen here?

SEN WIN: They can still recommend. It's up to the plenary to adapt this recommendation.

Q: Is it likely to happen? kasi parang apparently mayroong collusion na nangyayari?

SEN WIN: We have to study that carefully. Ang allegation of collusion kung, mayroon talagang discrepancy in the building of those 156 na health stations. I was running some numbers, it's an equivalent of 250 million pesos na sinisingil na hindi pala dapat bayaran, kaya titignan din ang anggulo na yun.

Q: Sabi ng PNP dapat isolated cases lang daw ang pagpatay sa mga mayors, yung grupo ng mga mayors na nangangamba para sa kanilang security.

SEN WIN: Definitely, two mayors in two days, I think in this case, it may not be a coincidence. We have to really analyze the situation dahil ang mayors natin at mga kapitan ay ang front-liners eh. Kapag may policy ang gobyerno, sila ang nag-eexecute eh, so kung may policy against crime, against drugs, sila ang gagawa ng paraan. So this doesn't send a very good signal to our mayors dahil hindi sila nabibigyan ng tamang proteksyon at ang mga taong gustong saktan sila ay nandiyan lang. So we really have to improve the investigation and prevention of the PNP.

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