POE TRANSCRIPT
Senate committee of the whole hearing

Sen. Grace Poe: Thank you, sir. Actually, I'm just really observing the hearing today. It's been discussed extensively already, although I would like to say that I still think there's much trust that was lost between the Department of Agriculture and some of our stakeholders. That really needs to be rebuilt. This is a fundamental factor that will enable the success of any future endeavor. Next is, again, my call to the Department of Agriculture and all concerned agencies to please take care of our borders, that it does not remain porous as it already is, because that's really where the problem started. 'Yung mga nakakalusot na mga ganyan, kaya nagkahawa-hawa ang ating mga alaga dito na mga hayop. Maraming nagsasabi na dapat bumaba talaga ang presyo at saka ma-fulfill ang demand... Pero I think there will be other instances when things like this will happen again, and I hope that the answer is not always to allow certain sectors to get away with so much profit at the expense of the income that can go to the government, which can be very well spent on other programs that are needed for our countrymen. That's all, Mr. President, maraming salamat po.