Transcript of Sen. Cynthia Villar's press conference (RCEF, coco levy bill, Department on Disaster Resilience, WPS, divorce bill, single-use plastic, lotto closure)

Q: BOC started collecting from rice imports...

Villar: Under the rice tariffication, whether they collect or not, they will give the farmers P10 billion a year. That's according to the law. So kapag sumobra ng P10 billion, susumahin iyon tapos ia-identify sa GAA kung saan dadalhin yung beyond P10 billion. But the P10 billion, whether they collect or not, they have to give the farmers P10 billion a year.

Q: Under the 2019, meron na?

Villar: Meron na.

Q: Kailan magsisimula na magdidistribute ng machinery..

Villar: As soon as the money comes. Nagbigay na nga sila noong bandang December kaya magi-investigate ako para malaman ko kung saan dinala iyong P5 billion. But this time they have to give another P5 billion.

Q: Do you think this time meron na sila dapat ipapakita..

Villar: Under DBM iyan, they have to give. Ang pupuntahan ng pera is 50 percent to PhilMech, kasi sila ang magdi-distribute ng machinery to 960 rice producing towns at the rate of P5 billion a year divided by 960, around P5 million per town in terms of machineries. Iyong 30 percent or P3 billion will be given to PhilRice para turuan nila ang rice farmers to produce inbred seeds. Para lumaki ang production nila by 50 percent. Kasi iyong inbred seeds can raise the harvest from 4 metric tons to 6 metric tons per hectare. Ngayon ang bibigyan nila doon iyong pagtuturo, at saka magbibigay sila ng mother seed. Kasi gagawin nating seed growers ang mga farmers that they do not have to buy seeds, they just make their own seeds. This is better kasi this is more productive than the ones they are using.

Q: Wala nang discretion ang government...

Villar: No discretion, it was described in the law. P5 billion to PhilMech, P3 billion to PhilRice, P1 billion to be divided between Landbank and DBP for cheap credit to farmers. And then P1 billion to be divided--P100 million sa ATI, P100 million sa PhilMech, P100 million sa Philrice to train the trainors and then P700 million to TESDA to pay for the tuition of all the rice farmers who will study under the trainors in the farm schools.

Q: So any deviation from the law...

Villar: That's against the law. That's why I have to exercise my oversight function to make sure they follow the law. Kasi this is very important, this is the competitiveness of our farmers. We have liberalized theimportation of rice so we have to make our farmers as competitive as soon as possible. Kasi iyong Vietnam na kalaban natin, they produce palay at P6/ kilo. Ang Philippines, P12/ kilo. Ang difference ng cost of production nila is the labor, which is P3.40 iyon ang iso-solve ng mechanization, then technology which is around P2, iyon ang iso-solve ng inbred rice seeds. And then iyong training at cheap credit, that will be additional benefit. Kasi this is based on studies, why we are not competitive.

Q: So after one year ng implementation, ia-assess ninyo?

Villar: No, three years. I will do my oversight but after three years, we review if there is a need for amendment. And then kung wala naman after six years kung successful kami, then I can move na i-extend yung Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund. Kapag sumobra sa P10 billion ang collection nila there is a provision in the law, that it will also be given to farmers but under those additional needs of farmers. And then nagbigay din kami ng special power sa President na habang hindi pa competitive ang farmers, pwede siyang gumawa ng mga bagay. Like for example, huwag mag-import kapag harvest season. That is his special power.

Q: Doon sa resolution ninyo may sinabi kayo na na-delay ang guidelines ng PhilMech?

Villar: I want them to show me anong equipment ang ibibigay nila to make sure iyong ibibigay nilang equipment is really needed by the farmers. Ano iyong ibibigay nila every town kasi pare-pareho iyon, hating-kapatid. The Philrice, i want them to tell me what will they do. Magkano gagastahin nila sa ganito, magkano gagastahin nila sa ganoon. That is very important so we make sure that the money is spent properly.

Q: Is it also part of the objective to lower the age of farmers, kasi ang average age is 52...

Villar: You know, iyong mga bata ayaw na nila to work with their hands. They rather go sa mga BPO, mga ganoon, than farming. Kaya nga magme-mechanization tayo kasi now with machines, they don't have to work with their hands. They just have to learn how to operate the machine.

Q: Mago-August na, ano ang iniexpect ninyo na na-achieve nila by this time?

Villar: We do not know kasi hindi daw binigay sa mga agency. That is why we will have a hearing, saan dinala?

Q: Initailly, ano ang narinig ninyo?

Villar: Sabi niya hindi pa passed ang rice tariffication noon, hindi naman daw for rice tariffication iyon. Kaso sabi ng DBM it's for rice tariffication. Hidi daw para sa RCEF iyon pero sabi ng DBM para sa RCEF iyon so we will know who is telling the truth. Kasi in conflict iyong sinasabi nila.

Q: Sino po ang nagsabi na hindi para sa RCEF?

Villar: DA. Tapos sabi ng DBM para daw sa RCEF.

Q: Saan daw ginamit ang pera?

Villar: Hindi ko nga alam.

Q: Hindi ba pwedeng gamitin sa ibang bagay iyon?

Villar: Hindi nga natin alam. We have to hear it from DBM and we have to hear it from DA. In conflict iyong sinasabi nila.

Q: Kung hindi napunta sa farmers...

Villar: I'm sure napunta sa farmers kasi DA but kaya gusto namin may earmarking kasi kapag walang earmarking, kung saan nila gustong dalhin doon nila dadalhin. It doesn't solve the problem.

Q: Assuming initail reports are accurate, may violation of the law agad...

Villar: Kasi in fairness, magulo sila noon dahil hindi pa napapasa ang law. The law was signed in February 2019. Ngayon sana kung sinabi ng DBM na for RCEF, hindi nila ginasta hinintay nilang mabasa iyong batas. Kaso ginasta na nila.

Q: So magko-conduct po kayo ng hearing?

Villar: Siguro a week or 2 weeks from now. Nag-file na kami ng resolution to investigate.

Q: Invite ninyo DA at DOF?

Villar: DBM.

Q: May reports ba na nagastos na iyong P5 billion?

Villar: Hindi ko alam kung nagasta nila pero ang sinasabi nila it's not for RCEF. Sabi naman ng DBM, it's for RCEF. Liwanagin natin iyon kasi P5 billion iyon, ibig sabihin ibibigay na lang ngayon ay P5 billion na lang? Hindi pwede iyon. Kung hindi naman ginasta sa RCEF, dapat P10 billion iyon.

Q: Pwedeng liable sa technical malversation

Villar: Kung sasabihin ng DBM, nandoon sa release paper niya sinabi nyang RCEF, dapat hindi ginasta hinintay iyong RCEF.

Q: Under the 2020 budget may allocation...

Villar: Basta every year P10 billion. That's the law. So pag nagbigay sa 2019 ng P10 billion, bibigay uli sa 2020... six years. Kasi dapat iyong program continuing para by six years dapat iyong ating mga farmers competitive na. Kawawa naman sila, talong-talo sila ng imports.

Q: On coconut levy bill

Villar: We are refiling.

Q: Kelan po uli nirelease iyong unang P5 billion?

Villar: Parang December.

Q: Reaction sa sinabi ni President sa Landbank na maglaan ng funds para sa farmers...

Villar: Yes, I agree with him. Kasi iyong Landbank, I went to Indonesia. Meron akong nakita doon iyong Bree Bank, equivalent of landbank in our country. That's the landbank of Indonesia. Sabi nila ang portfolio nila ng small and micro, 85 percent. Ibig sabihin, iyong bank na mas malaki pa sa Landbank, iyon ang kanilang pinagbibigyan ng loan. Sana ang Landbank natin ganoon din. Kaya sabi ko, you better go to Indonesia and find out how they were able to do this. Kasi I remember, I went to a barrio in Indonesia, may isang store doon binigyan siya ng Bree Bank ng isang parang computer, tapos naga-accept siya ng deposit, nagbibigay siya ng receipt. Kasi iyong kabila bilihan ng cacao, pagkatapos dinedeposit sa kanya yung proceeds. Siguro kaya kahit hindi bank sa barrio, may record sila ng income ng small farmers. Kaya siguro sila nakakapagpautang sa small farmers, they have a record of that income and the transaction of small farmers so that will form a basis by which they grant loans, may deposito sa kanila. Ngayon sa atin kasi, iyong Landbank hindi naman siya magba-branch sa barrio. So how can the small farmers deposit sa Landbank? Dito hind branch, meron lang machine. Baka pwedeng i-adopt natin para iyong farmers natin magkaroon ng way of depositing their money thereby iyong banko would know ano ang income nila, and on that basis, they can be given out loans. Nagkakaroon ka ng financial record.

Q: Kahapon nag-express ng disappointmenta ng inyong mga colleagues sa pag-veto ng security of tenure bill.. iyong coco levy bill ninyo na-veto din

Villar: Binawi namin noong una. Usually you don't do that pero for me, whatever it takes para mapasa natin iyong coco bill, we will do it. Kasi alam nyo ba nacoconut farmers are the poorest in this country. On the average, they earn only P1,500 a month and they are 45% of all the farmers in the Philippines. Sa Philippines, ang 45% ng farmers natin are coconut farmers and 45% are rice farmers. Between the two of them, 90% sila. So kapag natulungan mo silang dalawa, you solve poverty in the Philippines. So sa akin, it's so important that we pass bills which will help the rice farmers and the coconut farmers... Kaya noong sinabi nila na may gusto sila doon sa coco bill, binalik namin sa bicam pinasok uli namin. Iyon pala, kulang pa, hindi nila sinabi sa amin. Ang complaint nila, iyong palang coco levy money P100 billion, iyong P75 billion nasa treasury na. That we can distribute, nandoon ang pera, cash. The P30 billion are assets and they have to be sold. Under our bill, it should be sold in 5 years. Ang sabi nila marami daw kaso. Meron daw executive order na nag-provide kung paano nila reresolbahin ang mga kaso and it was approved by the Supreme Court so ang gusto nila ipasok sa bill. Iyon ang hindi nila sinabi sa amin. Okay lang naman sa akin kasi mabuti nga iyon may way of resolving these cases. Kung sinabi nila sa amin agad, pinasok namin. Kasi iyong P30 billion naman, hindi pa kailangan iyon kasi iyung P75 billion to be given out at the rate of P5 billion a year, that's 15 years. So we will have time to wait for that P30 billion.

Q: Ito iyong lack of coordination...

Villar: Ngayon we are waiting. Baka sabihin nila iyon ang problema tapos may additional problem. We don't want the bill to be vetoed.

Q: Pero na-refile nyo na?

Villar: Hindi pa kasi hinihintay namin na iyon lahat ang question nila para kapag pinasa namin iyon wala nang problema baka mamaya kapag lagay namin noon meron pang ibang problema, maghintay na lang kami.

Q: Magiging priority ninyo?

Villar: Coco bill.

Q: Hindi ba mas maganda na may draft din sila ng gusto nilang version?

Villar: Tiningnan na nila iyong amin. The mere fact na vetoed nila, pinag-aralan na nila. Sabihin na nila kung ano ang ayaw nila at titingnan namin kung acceptable sa amin.

Q: Sa LEDAC ipa-prioritize din nila...

Villar: Yes, certified bill iyan. So i think he will certify it again.

Q: Pero hindi na assurance ang certification ng aaproval.

Villar: Yes. But at least iyong cerrtification kasi namamadali ang process of passing the bill. It's not the content, but the manner of passing the bill, mas mabilis nagagawa ng certification.

Q: To make sure na hindi na mabi-veto, tatanungin na ang executive kung ano ang kulang?

Villar: Of course, hindi lahat nang sasabihin nila ay tatanggapin namin pero yung kaya naming tanggapin, tatanggapin namin kasi may mga provison sila minsan na hindi rin acceptable sa amin.

Q: Sino ang nakikipag-coordinate sa inyo sa Executive?

Villar: DOF. Usec ng DOF.

Q: Iyong PLLO diba iyon ang function nila..

Villar: Mas magaling ang Usec ng DOF. Mga babae. Usec. Karen Singson.

Q: Wala naman kayong ini-expect na possible rice shortage?

Villar: The mere fact na bumababa ang presyo ng rice, that means maraming rice. Kapag may shortgae, tataas ang presyo ng rice. The mere fact na bumababa, then law of supply ang demand iyan. Kapag maraming rice, mura ang rice. Kapag konti Ang rice, mahal ang rice.

Q: Dahil ba sa rice tariffication kaya mura ang rice?

Villar: Hindi naman. Iyong una, hindi pa sila nagi-import bumaba na ang presyo kasi siguro iyong nag-store ng rice nilabas nang lahat. Kaya nila tinatabi iyon, waiting na mas mahal ang rice bago nila ilabas. Siguro alam nilang liberalized na, nilabas na nilang lahat.

Q: Wala kayong nakikitang possible problem?

Villar: Ang production natin ng rice is 93% of demand of the Philippines. We import 7% para makuha natin ang 100%. 7% is around 600,000 mtn to 1 million mtn. But sinasabi nila ang dami nating inimport, paano tayo magkakaroon ng rice shortage?

Q: Kapag nagkaroon ng ganoon, artificial?

Villar: Artificial. Hindi na rin magho-hoard kasi liberalized na. Kaya noon nagho-hoard, hindi liberalized. Ikaw why will you hoard when anytime you can import?

Q: After ng debate kahapon ni Sen. Drilon at ni Sen. Tolentino, dapat bang ma-advise ang mga neophytes na dapat ready sila kapag nagpi-privilege speech para kapag dinebate..

Villar: Mabuti rin iyong nagga-ganyan para alam mo what to expect. Talagang you learn your lesson from experience. So siguro gusto rin nilang ma-experience para alam nila. There is nothing wrong with that.

Q: Baptism of fire ang nangyari kay Tolentino?

Villar: Talaga namang alam natin na ang legal si Sen. Drilon, ini-specializeniya iyon.

Q: Huwag haharap nang hindi prepared?

Villar: They are allowed to do that kasi you learn from experience. Ako, I don't find it wrong. Kailangan magka-experience ka talaga what to expect from the floor.

Q: So it makes the 18th Congress more exciting?

Villar: Yes, tsaka nag-aaral. Kaysa naman hindi ka na magsasalita, hindi ka na mag-aaral. Talaga namang we have to study.

Q: Iyong ibang neophyte hindi naman nag-express ng takot

Villar: Hindi, nasanay na kami. Kapag topic mo, dapat pag-aralan mong mabuti. Kapag ikaw hindi ka magaling sa topic mo, kasalanan mo iyon hindi ka nag-aral.

Q: Do you think Sen. Tolentino was treated fairly?

Villar: Hindi mo naman ini-expect na you will be treated fairly by the Minority Leader diba. Mas mabait nga daw sa umpisa, mas matakot ka. Sila din ang nagsabi noon, yung mga bata hindi ako.

Q: When you were still a neophyte, nakaranas din kayo ng ganyan?

Villar: Hindi, kasi ako I only go to the floor if the topic is my topic, agriculture and environment. Hindi rin naman sila masyadong magaling sa agriculture, pare-pareho lang kami.

Q: Iyon ang strategy, kung ano ang forte mo, iyon ang idiscuss mo?

Villar: Oo, syempre. At saka sa agriculture, wala namang 100% solution to the problem, unlike iyong law, may provision of the law. Sa agriculture depende din iyan what you say can be true, yung sasabihin niya may be true also. Depende sa nangyayari sa ating bansa.

Q: Si Sen. Tolentino ang expertise niya international law?

Villar: Oo, may master's siya.

Q: Nagkulang lang ng preparation?

Villar: Paano mo naman mame-memorize ang lahat ng batas sa buong mundo? Mahirap din ano? And then itong issue ng West Philippine Sea wala naman itong paga-agreehan kasi tingin ng China kanya, tingin natin, atin. So ano ang pag-aagreehan dito? Parang magulo ito.

Q: Iyong oral agreements dapat ba alam ng Senate?

Villar: Hindi naman siguro iyong kanilang informal agreement para hindi na lang sila mag-away, mag-fish ka, mag-fish ako. Sino ba naman mag-aakala na magbabanggaan ang fishermen natin at fishermen nila?

Q: No need?

Villar: Hindi, kung informal naman. Minsan kasi kapwa head of state meron silang understanding para mabait sila to each other. Tsaka may pinoint out sila na other countries na may ganoon sila, hindi namang nagka-problema. Minalas lang tayo kasi nagbanggaan sila.

Q: No need na malaman ng Senate?

Villar: Kung informal, unless ma-question diba? Ang informal kasi baka naman talagang informal, na sinabi na lang, baka pareho lang silang walang intention na sundin. I think they are being nice to each other.

Q: Yung ambassador ng China nag-assure na hindi sa China magsisimula ang gulo..

Villar: Kasi minsan, sasabihin iyon ng mga higher-up pero pagdating sa baba hindi naman pare-pareho ang mga tao, hindi rin naintindihan ng mga tao. I remember, we went to China. Sinabi sa amin dito na we don't have to get a visa dahil wala nang visa requirement ang Filipinos. Pagdating namin sa boarder ng Hongkong at China, hindi pala alam ng mga nag-iimplement sa baba kaya ayaw kaming papasukin. Ibig sabihin, minsan kasi iyong pinag-usapan sa taas hindi pa nag-filter sa baba. Iyon ang nagiging problema. Sa kanila okay, pero sa baba hindi.

Q: Senator Pia is pushing for a bill on single-use plastics?

Villar: Yes, nai-file na. I will amend the National Solid Waste Management law. Anyway, it has been in force for 20 years. Diba pinas iyon noong 2000. I think it's time that we review kasi marami since 2000 so we can adjust. But one of the most important problem is the single-use plastic. Kasi there is a prediction by the UN FAO that in 2050, that is 31 years from now, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. The fish will eat all the plastic and they will all die and our ocean wil become virtual desert. Pwede sigurong mangyari iyon kaya nagpa-panic lahat ng tao. Mawawala ang fish sa ocean diba? And then there's a study also that the biggest producer of plastic in the ocean, number 1 is China; Number 2 is Indonesia; Number 3 ang Philippines, nakakahiya naman. We have to do our share.

Q: Your thoughts on the creation of Department of Disaster Resilience

Villar: Alam mo, this may not be shared by everybody. I don't like creating departments kasi puro overhead iyan. Gusto ko sana we create programs. Iyong programs, kapag binigay mo ang pera sa program, it goes to the people diba. Kapag department, it goes to the overhead of the department. Sa akin ha, that is my personal thinking, which is not the thinking of everybody in the Senate. That's my only personal opinion.

Q: Will you support the divorce bill of Senator Pia as a partymate?

Villar: Iyong mga divorce bill hindi naman iyan party stand. I think yung mga party stand, mga economic , mga anti-poverty. Divorce is social and I think it will have a hard time in the Philippines kasi we are a predominantly Catholic country. Ayaw iyan ng simbahan, maraming gulo. I think it will be filed every Congress and there will come a time that we will pass it but I don't think this is the time that we will be able to pass it. It's a matter of adjusting the minds of the people. Kayo gusto nyo ba iyon?

Q: Kayo po gusto ninyo ba iyon?

Villar: Hindi naman ako magdi-divorce. Kaya nga ayoko nga..

Q: On closure of lotto

Villar: Kasi daw iyong mga lotto, they don't remit to the government, ang liit-liit lang ng nire-remit nila sa government. Why did we legalized something na hindi naman ginagawa. Hayaan mo silang lahat illegal. Then there is a suggestion from Senator Drilon, ibigay na lang franchise and whatever income we think we should get out of it gawin na lang franchise fee. Kaya wala na tayong pakialam kung maglokohan sila doon basta iyong perang ibibigay sa government, definite. Baka better iyon kaysa iyong galit na galit ka palagi na hindi nagre-remit. Ngayon i-project mo kung magkano ba ang expected na income na gusto mo, iyon ang gawin mong franchise fee para ka nang pakialam sa kanila basta ibigay nila ang pera ng gobyerno based on law.

Q: Will it not promote gambling?

Villar: Kapag nga hindi pinasara iyan, tuloy pa rin iyan. Ang hilig hilig nila diyan sa jueteng. Alam mo ang mg Pilipino, diba may feeling na you earn money out of swerte.Diba may gannong feeling. Iyon ang easiest way of earning money. It's a culture. Ako I don't believe in that but majority of Filipinos they believe in that.