SEC. ANDANAR: Magandang tanghali po sa ating mga kababayan at sa Malacañang Press Corps.
Umpisahan natin ang press briefing ngayon araw sa isang pakikiramay: Nagpapaabot ng pakikiramay ang Malacañang sa mga taong nawalan ng mahal sa bahay dahil sa trahedyang nangyari malapit sa Port ng Real, sa Probinsiya ng Quezon kung saan ang isang passenger vessel ay nasunog. Pinapanalangin din namin ang mabilis na paggaling ng mga pasaherong nasugutan dahil sa insidenteng ito.
Ayon sa Philippine Coast Guard, lahat ng pasahero at mga crew members ay all accounted for. Gumugulong na ang imbestigasyon para maliwanagan ang lahat sa pangyayari.
Pumunta naman tayo sa Talk to the People address ni Pangulong Rodrigo Roa Duterte kagabi. Ito ang ilan sa mga naging highlight ng nasabing pagpupulong.
Iniulat sa Talk to the People address kagabi ni Department of Health Undersecretary Abdullah Dumama Jr., na nasa minimal to low-risk classification sa buong bansa at sa mga rehiyon. Ang national severe at critical cases among total hospital admissions ay nanatiling nasa less than 1.5% ng total admissions. Kaugnay nito, hinihikayat ng ating Health Department ang pagpapabakuna at pagpapa-booster, lalo na at nakapasok na sa bansa ang Omicron BA.4.
Ini-report naman ni Testing Czar Secretary Vivencio Dizon ang magandang balita na naabot na ng Pilipinas ang target nitong mabakunahan ang 70% ng ating eligible population bago matapos ang termino ng Pangulo. Nasa 77% na po tayo ng ating target, at dagdag ni Sec. Dizon, mayroon na silang paghahanda na ginagawa para sa transition. Kasama na rito ang management ng vaccine supply, demand at administration, ang special vaccination days para sa Region XII at BARMM, administrasyon ng boosters para sa edad disi-otso at pataas, pediatric vaccination at 2nd boosters.
Nasa 811 naman ang mga siyudad at munisipalidad na nagsasagawa ng house-to-house vaccinations, as of May 22, 2022; habang nasa halos dalawang milyong COVID-19 vaccine doses ang na-administer ayon sa report ni Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año.
Sa usaping bakuna pa rin. As of May 23, 2022, nasa mahigit 73.5 million ang naka-first dose, habang nasa mahigit 69 million ang fully vaccinated ayon sa national COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard. Nasa mahigit 13.8 million naman ang naka-booster shots. Overall, nasa mahigit 149.5 million ang total doses administered.
Sa mga tsikiting na edad lima hanggang labing-isang taon gulang, nasa 2.6 million na ang fully vaccinated, samantalang ang mga batang dose hanggang disi-siete anyos, nasa higit 9.3 million ang fully vaccinated as of May 22, 2022. Sa ating mga lolo at lola, nasa 6.7 million ang fully vaccinated seniors as of May 22, 2022.
At panghuli, ini-report din kagabi ni Climate Change Commission Secretary Robert Borje ang Duterte legacy upang labanan ang climate change. Kasama na rito ang pagsasara ng Boracay, ang Comprehensive Manila Bay Rehabilitation Program, at pagtitiyak na mayroong moratorium sa new coal-fired power plants. In-operationalize din ang greenhouse gas inventory, ang pagratipika sa Paris Agreement on Climate Change, pagkakaroon ng climate policies tulad ng National Climate Risk Management Framework at iba pa.
Para po sa ating other matters. Mabuhay ang galing ng atletang Pinoy sa Hanoi. Nakapag-uwi po ang ating mga pambansang atleta ng 52 gold medals, 70 silver medals at 107 bronze medals sa pagtatapos ng Southeast Asian Games sa Vietnam. Pang-apat po ang Pilipinas sa labing-isang kalahok na bansa.
Maraming-maraming salamat po sa karangalang ibinigay ninyo sa Pilipinas.
Pumunta naman tayo ngayon sa mga tanong ng Malacañang Press Corps.
Magandang tanghali sa iyo, Undersecretary Rocky.
USEC. IGNACIO: Good afternoon Secretary Martin at sa Malacañang Press Corps.
Unang tanong mula po kay Llanesca Panti ng GMA News: Comment daw po ng Palace on a report by Innovation for Change-East Asia detailing at least seven instances where the President made false claims on COVID-19, “It will die a natural death, but gasoline can be used as disinfectant among others.” The report says, “Such misinformation was echoed by the President’s allies and that the government is symptomatic of an information problem, one that might have existed way before COVID-19, that it plays [with] facts and use with facts, disregard expert opinion and willing to do anything to keep public perception in favor of Mr. Duterte and his allies against all odds.”
SEC. ANDANAR: No one in the world knows about COVID-19 during the onset of the pandemic. What is important, Llanesca, is our success in balancing the health of the nation and the economy on the other hand. In the end what is important are our milestones. First, we are able to surpass our 70% vaccination of the eligible population before the end of the President’s term – it is now 77%. Second, our economy grew by 8.3% in the first quarter of this year. We have surpassed the pre-pandemic growth levels. Iyan po ang good news at ito po ang mas mahalaga na tingnan natin.
USEC. IGNACIO: Opo. Susunod pong tanong mula kay Job Manahan ng ABS-CBN: May update na ba sa Vape Bill? Na-transmit na ba ito sa Malacañang?
SEC. ANDANAR: Job, wala pa ito sa Malacañang Records Office.
USEC. IGNACIO: Opo. Mula po kay MJ Blancaflor ng Daily Tribune: What steps will be taken by the Duterte Administration to urge the incoming administration to explore nuclear energy? Iyong current study po ba under EO 116 which was signed by the President in 2020 will be given to the incoming administration?
SEC. ANDANAR: Salamat sa tanong, MJ. Lahat ng department, including the Department of Energy, have formed their own transition teams and we are sure this matter on nuclear energy will be part of their report.
USEC. IGNACIO: Isunod ko na lang po itong tanong ni Sam Medenilla ng Business Mirror: Nakipag-meeting na po kaya ang Presidential Transition Committee sa camp ni presumptive president Bongbong Marcos? If yes, kailan po [nangyari] ang meeting at ano po ang mga matters na napag-usapan during sa nasabing meeting?
SEC. ANDANAR: Ang alam ko ay hinihintay pa natin ang official proclamation.
USEC. IGNACIO: Opo. Ang susunod pong magtatanong ay si Pia Rañada ng Rappler via Zoom, Secretary.
PIA RAÑADA/RAPPLER: Hello, Sec. Good afternoon.
SEC. ANDANAR: Hi, Pia. It’s good to see you again.
PIA RAÑADA/RAPPLER: Yes. Secretary, my first question will be about the transition. You actually already mentioned it earlier but I just wanted to follow up. Sir, si Presidente Duterte po ba, has he made any comments or given any insights about the transition process, maybe Marcos’ choice of Cabinet members? Has he given feedback on that at all?
SEC. ANDANAR: Pia, wala naman kaming napag-uusapan during our Talk to the People address or mini-Cabinet meetings. Walang binabanggit ang ating Pangulo sa mga naglalabasan sa pahayagan about the choices of the presumptive President.
PIA RAÑADA/RAPPLER: Uhum. So, he hasn’t given any marching orders to his transition team about how he wants the transition process to proceed? If for example, itutuloy po niya iyong ‘T’, iyong magmi-meeting daw po siya with President-elect Marcos – when will this happen po, kaya?
SEC. ANDANAR: Ang marching orders na ng Presidente dalawa iyon – iyong una ay doon sa inauguration; pangalawa, iyong kaniya-kaniyang transition ng iba’t ibang departamento or iyong mga Cabinet portfolios. So far, iyon lang naman ang transition orders na binigay sa amin. As to the mode of transition, we are given freehand.
PIA RAÑADA/RAPPLER: Okay. Sir, just quickly! Iyong inauguration, what exactly did he say about it?
SEC. ANDANAR: The President only gave marching orders and then the Office of the President, based on the order that was released, I believe a couple of weeks ago, nag-assign ng mga Cabinet members depending on what area. So for example sa PCOO, we are in charge of the tri-media at production.
PIA RAÑADA/RAPPLER: Okay. Sir, just on his comments last night: Is he serious, Sir, about joining the next climate change conference? Kasi I understand, these are happening in June, iyong sa Bonn and sa Stockholm, how serious is he, in joining those conferences?
SEC. ANDANAR: Noong una, sinabi ni Presidente na he is interested pero after mag-report ni Secretary Borje ay wala nang napag-usapan. So hintayin na lang natin kung anong magiging opisyal na pahayag ng Office of the President at kung ano iyong orders na ibibigay sa amin, kung talagang seryoso siya na pupunta siya doon sa Bonn.
PIA RAÑADA/RAPPLER: And lastly, Sir, last for me. What does the President think of the decision of his daughter, si Vice President-elect Sara Duterte, to hold a separate inauguration in Davao City on June 19? Does the President, for example, plan to go?
SEC. ANDANAR: Wala ring comment si Presidente about the inauguration of the presumptive vice president, hindi namin napag-usapan iyon, Pia.
PIA RAÑADA/RAPPLER: All right. Thank you, Sir.
SEC. ANDANAR: Thank you. Usec. Rocky…
USEC. IGNACIO: Yes. Thank you, Secretary Martin. Thank you, Pia.
Susunod pong tanong ay mula kay Jinky Baticados ng IBC-13: Secretary Martin, the President asked for an apology in his speech the other day on the possible shortcomings he committed during his term of office. He said if he failed to do things, is it because six years isn’t enough to finish all the projects. As one of the members of his Cabinet, what are the marching orders of the President to all his alter egos before stepping down from the office?
SEC. ANDANAR: Ang marching orders ni Presidente, again, is for us to transition professionally. I can only speak on the behalf of the Presidential Communications Operations Office at ang ating Office of the Presidential Spokesperson. Ito naman ay napaghandaan natin, December pa lang ay mayroon na tayong proseso na ginawa to professionalize the transition sa departamento natin and we are ready. We’re just waiting essentially for the pronouncement of Attorney Vic Rodriguez.
USEC. IGNACIO: Opo. I-follow up ko na lang po. Pareho lang po sila ng tanong ni Naomi Tiburcio at ni Jinky Baticados: How is the preparation, or where are you now in terms of preparation for transition for the new admin? Ang tanong po ni Naomi Tiburcio: Ano na po ang update sa administration transition for PCOO? Kumusta po ang process ng transition at paano po masisiguro na hindi apektado ang government services during the transition stage?
SEC. ANDANAR: Magandang tanong iyan. Noong December pa lamang ay nagbigay na ako ng order sa ating departamento, particularly sa ating mga undersecretaries. Nagbuo tayo ng isang transition committee noong December pa lamang at noong Enero ay gumugulong na ito.
Ang ating marching order ay bawat division ng PCOO, bawat dibisyon ng Office of the Presidential Spokesperson, lahat ng ating mga attached or line agencies ay dapat may report para sa papasok na team ng presumptive President. Kailangan ay ma-explain ng husto, iyong mga current projects, the rationale of the projects of the Administration of President Duterte. Give them the reason why we have engaged or we have implemented these projects nang sa ganoon ay maintindihan ng papasok na team ng presumptive President kung bakit natin ginawa ito with the hope that, matutuloy iyong mga projects na para naman sa ikagaganda ng PCOO at ng Office of the Presidential Spokesperson.
At ikatlo, para din mapakilala sa ating presumptive President or sa team na papasok kung sinu-sino ang nasa ilalim ng plantilla ng PCOO at ng Office of the Spokesperson para makilala nila nang sa ganoon ay hindi na sila mangangapa pa kung sino iyong in-charge nito or in-charge niyan. And who among our people, dito sa PCOO ang talagang maaasahan at ‘ika nga ay who will never drop the ball, kapag dumating ang panahon na mayroong pangangailangan na masagot ang mga krisis na puwedeng mangyari sa ating bayan.
USEC. IGNACIO: Opo. Sunod pong tanong ni Jinky Baticados ng IBS-13: Do you think the campaign slogan of the President last 2016, which says ‘change is coming’ has been fulfilled?
SEC. ANDANAR: Oo naman. Kita naman natin sa Duterte legacy report ng Presidential Communications Operations Office at ng lahat ng mga departamento.
Halimbawa na lamang sa Build, Build, Build, ilang porsiyento ang ginagastos ng ating pamahalaan of the GDP na napupunta sa Build, Build, Build.
Pagdating sa number of drug-user surrenderees na nagpa-rehabilitate. The amount of hard drugs na nahuli ng ating Philippine National Police, ng ating PDEA.
Ganoon din sa ating poverty incidence, sa pagbaba nito mula 24 to 14 to 13 pre-pandemic. At makikita natin ngayon, ang pag-angat muli ng ating growth sa ating GDP for the first quarter.
USEC. IGNACIO: Opo. Sunod pong tanong mula kay Margot Gonzales ng SMNI News: Ano daw po ang plano ngayon ng pamahalaan, gayong may panganib mula sa Monkeypox, maghihigpit po ba ulit tayo ng border control?
SEC. ANDANAR: Kagabi ay nabanggit iyan ni DOH Undersecretary Abdullah Dumama Jr., sa Talk to the People address na pinapaigting ng Department of Health at iba pang national agencies ang ating four-door strategy at pagtitibayin rin ang screening process sa ating mga borders upang maiwasan ang pagpasok ng Monkeypox dito sa ating bansa.
Para naman sa ating mga kababayan, patuloy lang po sa paghimok na mahigpit na sundin ang minimum public health standards. At ini-explain din sa atin, kagabi ni Undersecretary or Dr. Dumama na hindi ganoon kadelikado itong Monkeypox. Sabi niya, 1% iyong fatality at ito ay hindi bagong sakit.
USEC. IGNACIO: Opo. Mula kay Maricel Halili ng TV 5: Will President Duterte meet with presumptive President Marcos before June 30?
SEC. ANDANAR: Wala pa naming sinasabi. We will wait for further announcement.
USEC. IGNACIO: Opo. What are the plans of President Duterte on the inauguration rites?
SEC. ANDANAR: You know, iyong inagurasyon naman ay nagdedepende rin sa presumptive President at ng kaniyang team kung saan gagawin ito. Mayroong tradisyon, mayroong mga protocols and I am very certain na those protocols and the tradition will be followed. Like for example ay iyong pag-welcome ng isang Pangulo or iyong isang papalabas na Pangulo sa bagong Pangulo.
USEC. IGNACIO: Opo. Kay Maricel Halili pa rin po ng TV 5: What are the protocols for co-terminus officials and employees? How about appointed officials that are not co-terminus, will they be asked to submit a courtesy resignation?
SEC. ANDANAR: Co-terminus officials and employees are until June 30, 2022, unless extended by the officials of the incoming administration. Therefore, iyong mga co-terminus officials ay i-exit sila, pag-exit din ng Pangulo. They don’t need to submit any courtesy resignation, kasi automatic na iyon eh – deemed resigned sila. On the submission of courtesy resignations of appointed officials, this is best answered by the incoming administration, lalung-lalo na iyong mga opisyal sa GOCCS.
USEC. IGNACIO: Opo. Maricel Halili pa rin po: What are the other activities of President Duterte in his last month in Malacañang? What are his plans?
SEC. ANDANAR: You know, the President will be the President until June 30 of 2022 at exactly 12 noon. So, kung anuman ang mga naka-schedule sa kalendaryo ng ating Pangulo, lahat ng mga opisyal na mga events, lahat ng mga dapat niyang i-meet, lahat ng mga dapat niyang pirmahan ay the President will manage the Executive Branch until June 30, 2022 at 12 noon.
USEC. IGNACIO: Opo. Sunod na tanong mula kay Job Manahan ng ABS-CBN. Although natanong na po ito, Secretary ni Pia about doon sa possible attendance ng Pangulo sa Climate change Convention. Tanong po ni Ivan Mayrina ng GMA News: Will the President sign the bill on permanent validity of birth, death, marriage certificates?
SEC. ANDANAR: Ito ay naaprubahan ng Senado kahapon, wala pa pong nakakarating sa Palasyo na dokumento.
USEC. IGNACIO: Opo. Iyong sunod pong tanong ni Ivan Mayrina, although may nasagot na kayo, Secretary, baka may dagdag lang po kayo at basahin ko na lang din po: Has there already been preliminary meetings between the transitions teams of the current and the incoming administrations?
SEC. ANDANAR: I can only speak on behalf of the Office that I hold at ito ay hihintayin natin na ma-announce nang opisyal ng tanggapan ni Atty. Vic Rodriguez.
USEC. IGNACIO: Opo. Tanong po ni Naomi Tiburcio. Mayroon po bang itatalaga si President Duterte na Commissioner ng CHR? Ano po ang katangian na kinakailangan ng maa-appoint na Commissioner sa CHR?
SEC. ANDANAR: Wala akong information pagdating diyan sa tanong. But we will get back to you for the answer after the Cabinet meeting next week.
USEC. IGNACIO: Okay, thank you, Secretary Martin. Salamat din po sa Malacañang Press Corps.
SEC. ANDANAR: Maraming salamat din, Undersecretary Rocky Ignacio. Maraming salamat sa lahat ng miyembro ng Malacañang Press Corps.
Dito po nagtatapos ang ating press briefing. See you again on our next briefing. Stay safe and health everyone.
Tandaan: Basta’t laging handa at sama-sama, kaya natin ang anumang pagsubok.
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SOURCE: PCOO-NIB (News and Information Bureau-Data Processing Center)
