Transcript of Senator Nancy Binay's Interview on The Source, CNN Philippines (hosted by Pinky Webb)

Sen. Nancy Binay-Angeles (SNBA): ...Magandang umaga sa lahat ng nanonood sa The Source.

Q: Pag-usapan po natin, I know this hits close to home sa inyong pamilya. A couple of weeks ago, your Mom tested positive and the whole family had to isolate, but a bit of good news, according to the OCTA Research Group dahil na po 17,000 cases tayo kahapon, that was recorded yesterday, yung reproduction number has gone down to less than one percent. Pero sabi po ng Philippine College of Physicians, mag-ingat pa rin dahil puno pa rin ang mga ospital. What are your thoughts on the progress of the weeks, from ECQ, MECQ, and then now to Alert Level 4 with granular lockdown.

SNBA: For me welcome development na the numbers are going down but we should also remember na this is because of ECQ. This is not because of the Alert Level so para sa akin kasi narinig ko kanina si (DILG) USec. Densing na since bumababa na, ang pinag-uusapan na naman ay yung pagluluwag. And ang parang dahilan niya is, for him, successful na itong Alert Level but the cause kung bakit bumababa is not the Alert Level but it's the ECQ. So sa akin, talagang dapat, kumbaga, let us be cautious about opening up.

Q: Huwag muna tayong magbukas para po sa inyo Senator. For you, obviously, hindi pa nagre-reflect itong Alert Level 4 with granular lockdowns.

SNBA: Sa akin Pinky, ok lang naman magbukas tayo dahan-dahan but as of now, yung pagsasara natin walang kaakibat na free testing, contact tracing, di ba? For as long we don't have that, mahihirapan tayong to sustain our opening up. We will still end up yung close, open, close, open and kasi nga yung protocols like free testing e wala doon.

Q: It's good to talk about that especially later on during our interview because I know you have been looking into the 2022 budget of the government. And sabi mo nga, doon sa mga nakita ninyo so far dapat unahin itong COVID response. I just want to stick to the COVID numbers right now.

Face shield, sinabi na po ni Pangulo na hindi na po kailangan ng face shield dun sa 3Cs na tinatawag. In reports yesterday na lumabas, and kahapon po lumabas yung balita, marami pa rin pong nalilito. 'Pag naglalakad ka, pwede nang hindi mag-face shield. 'Pag pumasok ka ng mall, obviously, dahil close part yun ng 3Cs, ay kailangan suotin ang face shield. Ano ho ang inyong stand dito sa face shield and was it a good idea na tanggalin na 'to in certain areas.

SNBA: Ako kasi Pinky, together with my colleagues, matagal na namin kino-question 'tong pagiging mandatory ng pagsuot ng face shield. Welcome development ito kahit na may colatilla yung pagsusuot o hindi pagsusuot ng face shield. But for me, going back to the same problem, paulit-ulit, ang gulo kasi ng messaging natin di ba? Kaya yung mga kababayan natin, nalilito na rin sila kung ano ba yung health protocols na susundin nila when it comes to COVID dahil katulad nga ng nabanggit mo, ang pagsusuot ng face shield, parang ang consistent lang ay is the inconsistency. Di ba yung di mo pwedeng suotin when in public places, pero I assume pagpasok mo sa bus, kailangan mo nan naman suotin so by the end of the day, kailangan pa rin bumili ng ating mga kababayan ng face shield. Which for us, mukhang hindi naman kailangan kasi di ba, paulit-ulit na sinasabi na tayo lang ata yung bansa na nagrerequire ng face shield.

Q: Limited face-to-face classes Senator, para po sa inyo, of course wala pang date, specific date on when this will be implemented pero binigyan na po ng go signal. One concern if you talk to people and look at social media, is hindi po nagiging mandatory for teachers to be vaccinated. Do you think that is wise, considering kayo po, mayroon kayong mga anak.

SNBA: We've discussed this sa committee ni Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, and you know, we've been asking DepEd, labas ninyo na yung protocol para din malaman ng ating mga kababayan kung ano ba ang magiging rules when it comes to face-to-face. Number one, I don't agree na hindi dapat kailangang bakunado yung mga teacher natin. During the last hearing namin, we in fact asked DepEd kung ano na yung percentage ng nababakunahan sa mga teacher and sad to say, they couldn't give us a number and kaya nga I raised an issue na parang bakit parang wala tayong naririnig from DepEd na talagang pinaglalaban nila yung mga teachers natin to avail of the vaccine, or to make it available to them. Kung hindi nila alam kung ilan na yung nababakunahan, e for me, talagang mababahala ako as a parent, siyempre kung gusto ko na magkaroon ng face-to-face isa dun sa proteksyon for both the students and the teacher e yung pagkakaroon ng vaccine.

Q: So para po sa inyo dapat ho ba mandatory ang vaccination for teachers na mangunguna po rito sa face-to-face?

SNBA: Dapat mandatory dun sa magpe-face-to-face. Unang-una, konti lang naman 'tong pilot testing. Remember Pinky, pilot testing muna tayo. So I think kailangan talagang gawing protocol na mandatory na vaccinated yung teachers natin na magiging bahagi ng pilot face-to-face. But more than that, I think our teachers deserve access to COVID-19 vaccines kaya dapat yung DepEd ipaglaban nila sa IATF na kumbaga, kasama sila sa dun sa priority na mabibigyan.

Q: I guess it comes to mind also 'no, certain industries that want to open or have opened. For example, the Department of Tourism, we have Sec. Berna Romulo, very proud 'no, seeing that many of the employees, workers rather of the Tourism department have been vaccinated. So I'm assuming ganun din po yung gusto ninyo sana na marinig sa DepEd.

SNBA: Yes, and Pinky hanggang ngayon, parang wala pa tayong naririnig na ganun sa DepEd. Di ba, in fact ang naririnig natin, hindi mandatory yung vaccination which brings us to question na baka nga mababa yung vaccination rate ng ating mga teachers.

Q: But ano ho yung sagot nila? Bakit walang datos doon sa mga number of teachers who have been vaccinated considering that this discussion or this proposal of pilot, limited face-to-face classes has been on the table that the President had denied in the past.

SNBA: During the hearing the answer was parang they'll collate pa the data but hopefully during their budget deliberation e mabibigyan na tayo ng percentage kung ilan talaga sa mga public school teachers natin ang vaccinated. But more than that, kasi nga Pinky, ang tagal na naming pinag-uusapan sa Senado 'tong face-to-face classes and we told them na hindi naman 'to overnight na iimplement di ba? It involves certain retrofitting. Di ba yung mga eskwelahan na gagamitin dun sa pilot testing kailangan i-check or kailangan, baka kailangan ayusin para well-ventilated. Kung walang access to water baka kailangan ayusin yun. So dapat, kumbaga, a few months ago, kahit wala pang go signal coming from the President, in place na yung mga ganung requirements. And dapat, during this time, yung mga ganung facilities, ready and available na dun sa mga napili nilang schools for pilot testing.

Q: There is also, just on a related subject, kasi nga sabi ni Sec. Galvez, hopefully by mid-October uumpisahan na sana, or the goal is to be able to start vaccination of the 12-to-17-year-old students, ano po. Do you think masyado po, or are you happy with this kind of pace na, hopefully, mid-October, that's with no certainty, or do you think, dapat buksan na yung vaccination to the general public, which they plan naman in November.

SNBA: Siguro mas maganda i-open na lang to the general public, kasama na doon yung 12 to 17 as part of the general public kasi nga I think si World Health Organization nababahala pa rin sila kasi marami tayong mga senior citizen na at the moment, hindi pa din nababakunahan, so isang concern din yan. For me, mas maigi siguro na lang to the general public itong vaccination program natin. But balikan ko lang Pinky dun sa limited face-to-face, dun din sa hearing namin sa Senado, isa pang nakakabahala, we found out na DepEd was not coordinating with the private schools when it comes to limited face-to-face. E alam naman natin, yung mga private schools meron din silang different set of rules. Hopefully, sana naman ngayon, makapag-usap na sila kung paano din magbubukas itong mga private schools natin.

Q: May I find out the reason they gave why they did not coordinate with the private schools?

SNBA: Wala silang binigay na dahilan. In fact, during that hearing, dun lang, kumbaga, nag-appeal itong COCOPEA na kung pwede e upuan din sila and bigyan sila ng different set of rules when it comes to limited face-to-face. Alam naman natin yung mga private schools they can afford to have more open spaces. In fact ang ganda nga nung isa nilang suggestion na baka pwede, to open up certain facilities dun sa mga private schools, like for example, yung library. Baka pwedeng gawin by schedule yung mga estudyante, they can go to visit the library, or yung mga laboratory, or yun gym nila for them to do certain exercises. Yung mga ganung detalye which hindi nga sila nag-uusap.

Q: I remember one part of that hearing, Senator na, not these exact words, but you really questioned na bakit parang hindi pa kayo prepared?

SNBA: Yes, and (walang) sense of urgency. Imagine Pinky, in the whole, sa buong mundo, I think by the end of the month tayo na lang yung hindi nagbubukas. Nung hearing namin a few months ago five pa yung di pa nag-oopen. But by next month, tayo na lang yung di nag-oopen because I think Venezuela will open by October. E tayo at the moment wala pa ngang date kung kelan tayo magbubukas.

Q: Last I saw it's supposed to be the Philippines and Venezuela na hindi pa po nagkakaroon ng face-to-face classes. Nauunahan na po pala tayo ng Venezuela.

SNBA: Yes.

Q: Alright, we need to take a very short break. Let's talk about the budget because you had mentioned dapat ang ipinaprioritize dito ay ang COVID response for 2022. We will be talking about that after the break.

...The Source on CNN Philippines, I'm Pinky Webb. Our guest today, Senator Nancy Binay. So balikan ko po yung 2022 budget, you had a lot of questions here. And you said, bakit ganun parang hindi natin pinaprioritize ang COVID response para sa susunod na taon. And even earlier during the show, sabi nyo nga po, itong pagbukas at pagsara ng ekonomiya is not going to work, kailangan meron tayong testing, contact tracing, isolation and treatment. Very important, I know you've mentioned, bakit nawala yung budget for contact tracing. What did you find out?

SNBA: During the DBCC briefing, in fact si Sec. Chua said na ang premise nila for next year's budget was COVID will not go away anytime soon. So without pronouncement, we expected na yung budget would address yung mga needs for COVID and then when we asked about contact tracing, ang sabi nung taga DBM there's no budget for contact tracing so we asked bakit nawala and then they said was because DILG did not ask for it. So sa akin, porke't hindi hiningi ng DILG, hindi niyo man lang tinanong bakit wala tayong budget for contact tracing? And they just said kasi nga walang nagrequest. So parang hindi nila inuupuan para pagusapan kung ano ang mga needs. Bakit kelangan or how come nobody even bothered to ask why there was none.

Q: How are we supposed to go about next year without a budget for contact tracing?

SNBA: Well I guess hindi pa naman tapos yung budgeting process. Dito talaga lalabas yung power of the purse ng senate to realign or reallocate certain funds for our COVID response. At may commitment naman ang aming chairman na si Sen. Sonny Angara na mukhang maraming mababago dito sa 2022 budget because kulang nga ang response for COVID. Like yung PCOO, they have this budget of P200 million for their media hub which for me is not a priority for next year right? So I am sure isa ito na for the mean time suspended muna ang project na ito and we'll see in 2023 if we are in a better position baka pwedeng ituloy but for the moment I don't see the sense of urgency of building a Visayas media hub.

Q: The P200M na capital outlay is just the start kumbaga, meron pa definitely idadagdag dyan eventually...

SNBA: In fact sa Mindanao media hub may kulang pa na P50 plus million so they are also requesting for budget for the operation of that Mindanao media hub. Isipin mo Pinky yung nakakalungkot, yung RITM which supposed to be yung reasearch natin not just for COVID but for other tropical diseases, zero yung capital outlay nila for laboratory isipin mo even if you really want to augment since zero yung nilagay sa kanila di sila ma-aaugment. Buti na lang nakita namin yan and for sure malalagyan ang capital outlay budget ng RITM.

Q: Please correct me if I am wrong pero ang nabasa ko is nabawasan ang budget nila ng P170 million?

SNBA: P170 million. And every budget season lagi nagrereklamo yan kasi lagi silang pinuputulan ng budget. In fact noong nadiscover na polio is back, sariling initiative lang yan ng RITM kahit kulang yung budget nila napansin nila na kulang yung surveillance so on their own they did their own surveillance and doon nila nadiscover na nakabalik na yung polio. So after that experience by RITM, I expected every year tataas ang budget nila. Ang nakakagulat, next year nabawasan pa sila ng P170 million.

Q: Can we expect na di matutuloy ang budget cut na P170 million and aakyat pa ang kanilang budget?

SNBA: Yes. For me if they need more than 170 million I think we need to fund RITM kasi nga for me we are at war with COVID and we need to build our arsenal. And for me itong RITM isa ito sa gagamitin natin in our fight against COVID and other diseases. Meron pa tayong ibang mga problema, we still have dengue, we still have cholera, I think polio medyo nacontrol na sya, but kailangan consistent ang surveillance para di rin kumalat itong ibang problema natin aside from COVID.

Q: Ito pong sa cancer fund pagkita niyo sa 2022, zero po ba ang lumabas na allotment dito?

SNBA: Yes. I guess isa yun sa flaw ng budgeting process na yung mga institutional projects na nilagay ng Kongreso, parang in the next budget automatic dinedelete nila kahit na kita nila na its a worthy project and in fact itong cancer fund na ito bahagi ito ng batas na inasa namin na kailangan may line item for cancer fund. Kaya nagulat kami na for next year naging zero ito and I think ang explanation nila is sinama nila ito sa lump sum ng assistance to indigents kasi may item sa DOH budget where they provide assistance to patients.

Q: Pero mababalik po ba ito?

SNBA: I think so. Kung totoo nga na sinama nila sa isang fund, Congress can just take it out and put it back sa line item.

Q: NTF ELCAC tataas pa po next year to P29 billion. Ano po plano niyo dito?

SNBA: Even last year, well, even for this year's budget, I already introduced an amendment na tapyasan ang budget ng NTF ELCAC kasi nga during the budget deliberations, I noticed na meron doong ano e I noticed na parang pwede magkaroon ng double budgeting. For example, isa sa mga pwedeng project sa NTF ELCAC yung school building and yung DEPED meron din silang project called last miles schools. So when I asked for the listing, may mga lugar doon an parang same barangays ang tinatarget nila. So para sa akin, bakit hindi na lang natin ilagay sa DEPED dahil puwede magtayo si NTF ELCAC ng school building pero di naman naprogram ni DEPED na may teacher sa itatayo nila kaya for me it is better na ilagay na lang sa DEPED. That was my amendment for this year's budget pero di sya nasunod and during the DBM budget hearing, they promised us that they will submit kung ano na yung progress report sa P16 billion fund that was given to NTF ELCAC. I'm sure for next year, matatapyasan itong P28 billion additional budget ng NTF ELCAC.

Q: Do you even want it even lower than the budget from 2021?

SNBA: Ako kung sa akin lang Pinky mas gusto ko na mawala na totally ang budget for NTF ELCAC kasi for me mas kalaban natin ang COVID. DI ko sinasabi na wala tayong problema sa insurgency. Ang sinasabi ko lang, with the lack of resiurces, we need to prioritize. Kumbaga all out muna tayo sa COVID dahil masmalaki, masnakakasugat ang problema natin sa COVID. Remember Pinky di pa natin napapagusapan ang problema natin sa budget na walang ayuda na bahagi doon sa budget and P28 billion i a lot in our fight against COVID. Isa pa sa problema Pinky is that marami tayong mga kababayan na even if they feel certain symptoms, number one di nila affor yung testing kasi mahal, number two, pag nagpositive sila that is minimum 14 days quarantine kapag mild or severe it could go a month e kung no work no pay ka, that is one month of not earning anything. So kelangan na we have to craft something na ok lang na magpatest ka kasi libre, ok lang na hindi ka muna magtrabaho habang positive ka kasi may makukuha kang ayuda na maipapakain mo sa pamilya mo. So this P28 billion can be used for programs like that.

Q: Quickly lang po, ano ho plano ng UNA?

SNBA: At the moment, suspended ang talks sa politics but since the numbers are getting better, maguusap muna kami where will UNA be for 2022.

Q: Di po ba sigurado sa Partido Reporma?

SNBA: At the moment hindi pa namin napag-uusapan.