ALVIN BALTAZAR/RADYO PILIPINAS: Good afternoon, MPC. Magandang hapon, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel and Spokesperson Salvador Panelo. Magandang hapon, sir.
SEC. PANELO: Good afternoon. Good afternoon.
HENRY URI/DZRH: Sir, what’s the latest sa Chief PNP; mayroon na ho bang napupusuan ang Presidente?
SEC. PANELO: Wala pang—baka mamaya sa Command Conference baka mayroon siyang—mayroong Command Conference mamaya eh, tatanungin ko.
HENRY URI/DZRH: So, any possibility na mamaya sa Command Conference mag-announce na ang Pangulo?
SEC. PANELO: Hindi ko alam, but I’ll ask him kung mayroon na siyang napupusuan.
HENRY URI/DZRH: Okay. Sir, another question. Kahapon nabanggit ninyo si Architect Palafox, interesado ba ang Malacañang na kunin siya as what; I don’t know, consultant or member of the Cabinet or what?
SEC. PANELO: Wala naman akong alam doon, but—
HENRY URI/DZRH: Traffic czar.
SEC. PANELO: Magandang tanong iyon. I will ask the President too.
HENRY URI/DZRH: Traffic czar, baka may napag-uusapang ganiyan. Wala pa ho?
SEC. PANELO: Wala pa.
HENRY URI/DZRH: Alright. Thank you.
TINA MENDEZ/PHILIPPINE STAR: Sir, na-mention si—sabi raw ni Senator Bong Go, apparently the President asked Secretary Año to ask Albayalde to step down. What’s the real score, sir?
SEC. PANELO: Pero ang sabi naman ni Secretary Año bago pa nakipagkita, sinabihan na siyang he wants to step down and file a terminal leave.
TINA MENDEZ/PHILIPPINE STAR: What was the President’s statement, sir?
SEC. PANELO: Wala pa. Mamaya I will know kung ano ‘yung—pero ‘yun ang sabi ni Secretary Año eh.
TINA MENDEZ/PHILIPPINE STAR: So binigyan sir ng easy way out si General Albayalde?
SEC. PANELO: Eh kung nauna iyong desisyon ni Albayalde, ‘di—kasi parang sa statement ni Secretary Año, naunang mag-decide si—bago pa sila nag-usap ni Presidente parang sinasabihan na siya na iyong ang plano niya.
TINA MENDEZ/PHILIPPINE STAR: Any update sir on the ninja cops, iyong nasa active service which were mentioned by the President previous weeks?
SEC. PANELO: Wala pa akong alam, but I will ask the new OIC.
TINA MENDEZ/PHILIPPINE STAR: Thank you, sir.
MJ: Sec., Palace reaction lang po. Senator Richard Gordon said the Senate Blue Ribbon may endorse the filing of administrative charges against General Albayalde and it will be a national disappointment daw po if Malacañang will not react on the endorsement. Reaction lang po.
SEC. PANELO: Bakit naman will not react? ‘Di ba the President is the number one enforcer of the law, so if there is evidence against any wrongdoing, then it behooves the government to file and prosecute.
JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7: Sir, ‘di ba ang sabi ni PRRD hintayin niya iyong DILG investigation. So with the resignation, wala nang DILG investigation?
SEC. PANELO: Sa administrative kasi tapos—
JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7: Mayroon pa rin, sir? Admin lang?
SEC. PANELO: Wala na, kasi kung wala na siya sa PNP…
JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7: So, criminal—mayroon bang criminal offense?
SEC. PANELO: Kung mayroong probable cause. That will be determined by the prosecutor.
JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7: DOJ level PI?
SEC. PANELO: Oo DOJ, siyempre.
JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7: So, complainant would be who?
SEC. PANELO: Kasi ‘di ba ang—either mag-recommend ang Senado or prosecution o iyong DILG and then bahala na ang DOJ.
JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7: May criminal liability ba si General Albayalde given the circumstances as what we heard from the Senate?
SEC. PANELO: Mahirap magsalita diyan kasi hindi naman tayo ang investigator. It’s the prosecutor who will determine the existence of a probable cause.
JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7: Okay sir, thank you.
ARIANNE MEREZ/ABS-CBN NEWS.COM: Hi, sir. Sir, Mayor Sara Duterte said that—she sent a letter daw po to the Office of the President last August 7 seeking to exempt Davao City from martial law in Mindanao. Do you think—what’s the Palace take on this, sir?
SEC. PANELO: Wala pang ano… I do not know the position of the President yet. I intend in fact to ask him when I see him this afternoon.
ARIANNE MEREZ/ABS-CBN NEWS.COM: Okay, sir. But don’t you think sir that this is parang nagsi-seek ng special treatment for Davao City?
SEC. PANELO: Hindi naman siguro. Mayroon silang mga reasons for so doing. It was even recommended by the Regional PNP there. Tingnan natin kung anong magiging posisyon ni Presidente.
ARIANNE MEREZ/ABS-CBN NEWS.COM: Tapos sir, until end of the year na lang po kasi iyong martial law sa Mindanao. Do you think sir that the President would want to extend it again?
SEC. PANELO: Depende. Hindi ba palagi niyang sinasabi, depende iyon sa rekomendasyon ng mga ground forces.
ARIANNE MEREZ/ABS-CBN NEWS.COM: Okay sir, thank you po.
RIA FERNANDEZ/TV5: Hi, sir. There is this animated move entitled ‘Abominable’ which Vietnam pulled out from cinema because it features China’s Nine Dash-Line covering Vietnam waters and even Philippine waters. If it’s shown in the Philippines or if it’s already being shown in the Philippines, will the government consider or follow what Vietnam did to the movie?
SEC. PANELO: Ah, depende siguro ‘yan sa MTRCB kung anong assessment nila.
JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7: Pero sir, question on policy and positions. Do you think abominable iyong paglalagay nila ng Nine Dash-Line and should our countrymen see that because that’s a lie technically?
SEC. PANELO: I will leave that to the Secretary of Foreign Affairs. I’ll defer to him.
JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7: Yes sir, thank you.
JOYCE BALANCIO/DZMM: Good afternoon, sir. May statement po si Bayan Secretary General Renato Reyes and he said, “Hinahamon ng bayan ang Palasyo na magbuo ng komprehensibo at pangmatagalang plano para lutasin ang mass transport crisis na kinakaharap ng Metro Manila. Hindi sapat ang Build, Build, Build dahil listahan lang ito ng infrastructure projects.”
SEC. PANELO: Ang alam ko mayroong plano ang gobyerno diyan; baka si Renato mayroon siyang mungkahi para makatulong.
JOYCE BALANCIO/DZMM: So sabi niya sir, iyong mga plano natin for Build, Build, Build it’s not enough. Ano po ba ang—
SEC. PANELO: Hindi naman niya alam iyon eh. Ang problema naman kasi sa kaniya, ‘di tanungin niya; gumawa siya ng formal letter inquiring from these departments kung anong plano. And then kung walang response saka siya mag-criticize na wala. Until such time, give the benefit of the doubt to these departments that they have a comprehensive plan.
JOYCE BALANCIO/DZMM: But sir, kailan po ba mararamdaman po ng publiko iyong pinakaresulta ng Build, Build, Build projects in terms of traffic and transport crisis?
SEC. PANELO: Eh paulit-ulit naman ‘yang tanong na ‘yan. Ikaw naman para namang… Hindi ba sinabi na nga natin, mahirap at matagal ang—‘di ba sinasabi nga ng mga expert eh mga 15 to 20 years. Basta ang importante, may ginagawa ang pamahalaan. Kumbaga, hindi lang nakaupo diyan at nakatunganga.
JOYCE BALANCIO/DZMM: But can we assure, sir, na within the term of President Duterte given ‘tong mga Build Build Build Projects, mararamdaman—
SEC. PANELO: O, ‘di ba sabi ni Presidente sa tingin niya kung traffic ang pag-uusapan baka tapos na ang term niya hindi pa matatapos ‘yan; kasi nga infrastructure ang kailangan mo eh. Experts na nga nagsasabi it will take you fifteen years to solve the entire complex problem—
JOYCE BALANCIO/DZMM: Okay. Sir, maliban daw po sa traffic—
SEC. PANELO: —on traffic.
JOYCE BALANCIO/DZMM: Maliban daw po sa Build Build Build ay dapat daw pong maging integrated ang transport network natin mula tren, bus, hanggang jeeps, according to Bayan?
SEC. PANELO: Eh, lahat nga ‘yan kasama doon ‘yan sa plano ng gobyerno. That’s why precisely nga… ang suggestion ko sa kanila, why don’t they ask the departments concerned kung anong plano. Kung wala silang response na makuha, o eh ‘di they should start criticizing these departments. Mayroon namang Freedom of Information.
JOYCE BALANCIO/DZMM: Thank you, sir.
MODERATOR: Thank you, Joyce. Secretary, may text question lang para sa inyo: Sec, ‘yun bang statement n’yo na hindi titindig sa korte ‘yung mga sinabi against kay Albayalde ay hindi maikokonsidera na preempting court decisions?
SEC. PANELO: No. Tinanong lang ‘yung aking obserbasyon sa—Alam mo, ang court may sariling isip ‘yun. ‘Yung mga obserbasyon ng kahit na sinong abogado hindi pinapakinggan nun; until such time as those evidence are presented before a competent court, wala…wala kang magagawa doon. Sila ang magdedesisyon doon.
MODERATOR: Thank you, Secretary. MPC, question? Joseph?
JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7: Sir, pang-bangko lang. well—
SEC. PANELO: Bangkok?
JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7: Bangko. I mean, like for later. Sa PET, does the PET…the Supreme Court—
SEC. PANELO: The what?
JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7: Supreme Court po, PET. Presidential Electoral Tribunal, they’re still deliberating on the petition by Marcos versus VP Leni nga in—you know already the issues, ‘no, and there are two ways probably that the Supreme Court can go. One is grant—I mean, dismiss the petition under Rule 65. If it does so, is that okay with—I mean, what do you think what is the Palace think about the decision to follow the Rule 65?
SEC. PANELO: First, as we have repeatedly said, we never interfere with the function and duty and work of any co-equal branch as well as independent constitutional bodies, so, we’ll leave it on that.
JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7: So, whatever the Supreme Court decides—
SEC. PANELO: Whatever!
JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7: —PET?
SEC. PANELO: We will follow as everybody should. In relation to that, I was guest at The Chiefs show on TV 5 yesterday and I was asked about that but I think I misunderstood the question and I opined… because they were asking: What if two justices retire and there are no replacements yet, can they decide? Akala ko nga ang tinatanong sa akin ‘yung electoral tribunal ng mga senador kaya sabi ko, no, kailangang mayroong replacement muna. But hindi… even kung may dalawang retirees. Kahit na wala ‘yun, they can decide kasi en banc naman ‘yun eh. So, I was wrong in my opinion kahapon, in fact, I told Luchi Valdez. So, any—whatever the decision on the court, we will—we should abide by it.
JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7: Sir, ano lang… pigain ko lang. Kasi may third course of action si former Senator Marcos, ‘no and it’s—
SEC. PANELO: Ano ba ‘yung kaniyang third course?
JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7: Nullify votes in three provinces in Mindanao: Lanao del Sur, Basilan, and I forgot the other one. Ngayon, kung sa sixty-five hindi siya maka-recover ng mga votes, ang gusto nilang mangyari is still proceed, not dismiss the petition but proceed with the annulment of votes in the three provinces ‘cause that’s a legal issue.
From your perspective as a lawyer and from the Palace point of view—mukhang alam ko na ang isasagot n’yo, sir.
SEC. PANELO: Eh ‘di magiging inconsistent ako, sinabi ko na ngang we will not interfere eh. Hayaan n’yo na lang sila, we’ll just wait. Let the parties argue their case in court and the PET will have to render its decision.
JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7: Sir, last na lang. Si CJ Bersamin—
SEC. PANELO: Chief Justice?
JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7: Yeah. CJ, Chief Justice. Sa eighteen, ‘no? So—
SEC. PANELO: Eighteen?
JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7: Sa eighteen ba magre-retire?
SEC. PANELO: Eighteen? 1-8?
JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7: 1-8, sir. So, wala pa namang lumulutang na kapalit? Will the President announce before the retirement or after?
SEC. PANELO: Wala pa. Alam ko may—di ba, apat ang pinagpipilian?
JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7: Oo, sir.
SEC. PANELO: ‘Yun lang, wala pa siyang sinasabi.
JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7: And the President will—
SEC. PANELO: All these things I would like to ask him this afternoon.
JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7: What time is the command con? Four?
SEC. PANELO: Alam ko four; but usually nagiging five.
JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7: _____. Sige, sir. Thank you.
JULIE ANNE BAIZA/DZME: Sir, about po dun sa pagpili ng next PCG Commandant, na-forward na po ba ni Secretary Tugade ‘yung—
SEC. PANELO: Sinong commandant?
JULIE ANNE BAIZA/DZME: Commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard, sir. Magre-retire na po kasi si Admiral Hermogino—
SEC. PANELO: Wala namang sinasabi si Secretary. Kausap ko siya kanina wala siyang binanggit.
JULIE ANNE BAIZA/DZME: So, wala pa pong napili si Presidente sa ngayon?
SEC. PANELO: Wala pa rin akong narinig tungkol dun.
JULIE ANNE BAIZA/DZME: Okay, sir. Thank you.
HAYDEE SAMPANG/DZAS: Sir, other matters lang po. May balak po bang dagdagan ng Malacanang ‘yung incentive para kina Yulo at saka Petecio?
SEC. PANELO: I don’t know. Bukas pa ‘yun ‘di ba? I don’t know.
HAYDEE SAMPANG/DZAS: Confirmed na po ba ‘yung courtesy call tomorrow?
SEC. PANELO: Eh, alam mo naman si Presidente. ‘Pag si Presidente, generous sa mga ganiyan. Let’s see kung anong magiging—
HAYDEE SAMPANG/DZAS: So, posible, sir, na madagdagan?
SEC. PANELO: Hindi ko alam kung posibleng madagdagan. Ang alam ko they will be meeting with the President, may courtesy call sila.
HAYDEE SAMPANG/DZAS: Confirmed na, sir, tomorrow?
SEC. PANELO: Huh?
HAYDEE SAMPANG/DZAS: Confirmed na po ‘yung courtesy call tomorrow?
SEC. PANELO: ‘Yun ang sabi, subject to change.
JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7: [off mic] But that’s the initial schedule at least?
SEC. PANELO: ‘Yun ang alam ko.
MPC: [unclear]
SEC. PANELO: Incidentally, si Yulo—first name niya Ramon ba?
HAYDEE SAMPANG/DZAS: Carlos po.
SEC. PANELO: Arnold.
HAYDEE SAMPANG/DZAS: Carlos.
SEC. PANELO: Carlos Celdran. Carlos?
HAYDEE SAMPANG/DZAS: Opo, sir.
SEC. PANELO: Carlos Yulo, on a personal note, congratulations! You’re a fraternity brod, a Sigma Rhoan.
MPC: Is he?
SEC. PANELO: He is. I was informed last night.
JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7: [off mic] Carlos or Arnold?
SEC. PANELO: [laughs]
MPC: [unclear]
SEC. PANELO: Pero ang galing ng ano huh, ‘yung sa pole vault?
JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7: [off mic] Iba pa ‘yun, sir.
SEC. PANELO: Oo nga, alam k0. Iba ang galing niya?
JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7: [off mic] So, dadagdagan n’yo, sir? Brod n’yo eh, ‘di ba?
SEC. PANELO: Wala na. Wala namang koneksiyon ‘yun, kinongratulate ko lang.
HAYDEE SAMPANG/DZAS: Sir, sabi po ni—Sir? Secretary?
MODERATOR: Please.
HAYDEE SAMPANG/DZAS: Sabi po ni Senator Manny Pacquiao kasunod po nung panalo na ito ni Yulo, dapat daw po mas pinopondohan ng gobyerno ang mga weight class na sports.
SEC. PANELO: I agree. Hindi lang ano—dapat talaga pondohan ang sports. Palaging ang dami kong naririnig na ‘yung iba daw parang tinatahi na lang ‘yung kanilang uniporme. Nakakaawa naman. I cannot even understand why we are not funding them. We should!
HAYDEE SAMPANG/DZAS: Thank you, sir.
MODERATOR: Salamat, Haydee. MPC, questions? No more? Maraming salamat, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel and Spokesperson Salvador Panelo. Maraming salamat, MPC.
SEC. PANELO: Thank you.
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Source: PCOO-NIB (News and Information Bureau-Data Processing Center)
