SEC. ABELLA: 
Good morning. I’d like to touch on a few talking points this morning.

I’d like to begin with the press statement of Secretary Jess Dureza, OPAPP regarding his visit to Malaysia. He expressed that the Prime Minister of Malaysia was confident of peace in Mindanao through PRRD, and that he also made possible—he also made promises that it was possible that Malaysia would make contributions to help peace and development efforts especially in Mindanao.

They also touched on regional cooperation, especially regarding ICIS[?] and extreme terrorist groups. And they are also supportive of PRRD’s statement that he would deal decisively with ASG.

On the other hand, while they would do so or he would do so, it was also stated that the Philippine government would promote moderation to other—would use moderation in terms of exercising this pursuit.

Also, it was discussed that—it was also stated—no, floated that Malaysia may be the first planned visit of PRRD in the region, to Malaysia. Alright.

Next. The next point is that President Duterte met with Satur Ocampo in Malacañang. The President’s meeting with Satur Ocampo and the NDF personalities was warm and cordial, and it set a positive-looking mode as government and the NDF were set to revive the peace negotiations in Oslo, Norway on August 20.

Regarding—and also, tomorrow will be the launch of the PCOO project called “50 First Days.” It will be launch in Davao and it set to highlight what PRRD has accomplished over the past 50 days. Thank you.

JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7:
Sir, sundot na kami sa ano, Marcos. How much is the government going to spend for the burial?

SEC. ABELLA: 
I don’t have the details regarding the expenses.

JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7:
But it is the government?

SEC. ABELLA: 
It will go through the various departments that will…

JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7:
Iyon pong mga Marcoses ang gagastos?

SEC. ABELLA: 
I don’t know. I don’t have the details regarding that.

JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7:
Okay sir, just to continue on the topic. Sir, what does the President think of the Supreme Court petition, and will this—and the public outcry, will that maybe change his mind or naka-set na talaga?

SEC. ABELLA: 
Well, let’s put it this way. The President will abide by the decision of the court as stated by Presidential Legal Counsel Sal Panelo.

JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7:
Is it going to be bad if we don’t bury Mr. Marcos at the Libingan?

SEC. ABELLA:
Actually those are general statements, and you know I don’t have any opinions regarding that. But where the President is coming from, he believes that the nation ought to move on – that is where he stands. Okay.

INA ANDOLONG/CNN PHILIPPINES:
Hi, sir. Sir, did the President consider having the former President buried in Batac, considering that during the time of former President Marcos, it was a condition set by the former President when he allowed the return of…?

SEC. ABELLA: 
I don’t know if he considered that. I’m sure he was pretty aware—I supposed he was aware of that, but that was belonging to a different administration. So, let’s take it from where he is at this stage.

MARICEL HALILI/TV5:
Hi sir, good morning. Sir, there was a resolution filed by Senator Risa Hontiveros before the Senate na parang against doon sa burial ni former President Marcos sa Libingan ng mga Bayani. What’s your reaction about this, and will the President wait for the resolution?

SEC. ABELLA:
Well, let’s put it this way. You know, if there are any motions and any cases have been filed, then let it proceed, and then the President will respond as he sees fit.

LEILA SAAVEDRA/INQUIRER:
Sir, will the Supreme Court cases pending against the burial, will the administration consider postponing?

SEC. ABELLA:
Like I said, like the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel said that the President would abide by the rulings.

LEILA SAAVEDRA/INQUIRER:
But, if the case hasn’t been finished and the date has been set, itutuloy iyong burial sir?

SEC. ABELLA:
Well, the process is—apparently, the process is ongoing. But you know, nobody’s rushing anything, it’s just that people need to respond as appropriately as possible.

LEILA SAAVEDRA/INQUIRER:
Sir, may date na pala?

SEC. ABELLA:
Ah, wala pang official date.

JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7:
Sir, just to press on the Supreme Court petition – suppose walang TRO na lumabas after the oral arguments next week, and there’s a floating date of September 18, will the burial push through?

SEC. ABELLA: 
Well like I said, it seems that everything is starting to move according to arrangements. So, unless somebody—unless there’s a TRO or anything like that, it will proceed as planned.

TED TUVERA/DAILY TRIBUNE:
Sir, regarding po sa NDF. Sir, ano po iyong statement po muna ni—or response ni President doon sa sinabi ni Jose Maria Sison kanina sir na he is, parang nagbalik iyong friendship nila sir?

SEC. ABELLA:
Ang alin?

TED TUVERA/DAILY TRIBUNE:
Iyong pagiging friendly nila sa isa’t isa, sir.

SEC. ABELLA:
Well, let me just quote from where negotiator Jalandoni said, you know. He said that, “in general the relationship between the revolutionary movement and Duterte is excellent. Glitches like these,”—they consider it glitches or hiccups, “like these can be fixed through peaceful dialogue. I suppose, that’s what happening.

TED TUVERA/DAILY TRIBUNE:
Sir, follow and related pa rin po sa NDF. Sir, ano po iyong expectations ng Palace knowing na may mga ire-release na mga NDF detainees kung—sasama po ba sila sa sir sa Oslo sir, iyong mga—

SEC. ABELLA:
Iyong mga kailangang pumunta are being allowed to do so. Those who are needed as advisers and consultants are being given safe passage. Mayroon po silang tinatawag na JASIG yata.

TED TUVERA/DAILY TRIBUNE:
Lahat po ba iyon sir, iyong 22 na iyon sir?

SEC. ABELLA: 
I’m not sure about the exact number, but those who need to be there, will be allowed to go.

TINA MENDEZ/PHIL. STAR:
Good morning, sir. The question now is, will the government be spending for the travel expenses and accommodation of the NDF panel?

SEC. ABELLA:
I’m not entirely sure about how they break it up, but they will be allowed safe passage.

TINA MENDEZ/PHIL. STAR:
I mean, expenses.

SEC. ABELLA:
That’s what I said, I’m not privy to the expenses, okay, but they will be allowed safe passage.

MARICEL HALILI/TV5:
Sir, can we just have a more detailed information about the issues that was discussed during their meeting last Monday?

SEC. ABELLA:
It was more or less a closed meeting. So, it was between them.

MARICEL HALILI/TV5:
But, why is there a need for a meeting inside the Palace?

Q: 
Who initiated it?

SEC. ABELLA:
I’m not entirely sure about that, you know.

ROSE NOVENARIO/HATAW:
Sir, kasabay noong meeting ng NDF panel kay Presidente—o nauna o mas nahuli, ka-meeting din ni Presidente iyong ibang representatives ng Lumad groups, na allegedly ay nagsumbong tungkol sa harassment ng paramilitary and ilang security men ng isang influential religious group sa Davao City. Ano po iyong instruction ni Presidente sa AFP or sa PNP regarding the issue?

SEC. ABELLA: 
Wala pong details na na-release patungkol sa meeting na iyon.

ROSE NOVENARIO/HATAW:
So iyong—kasi po, July 25 po after the SONA, nakipag-usap din po siya doon sa Lumad leaders. So from there, July 25 to noong August—noong Monday, parang hindi po yata nagbago iyong sitwasyon nila, at nasa—displaced pa rin sila. Nasa UCCP pa rin sila po Compound sa Davao City.

SEC. ABELLA: 
I see. Okay.

ROSE NOVENARIO/HATAW:
So, wala pa pong…?

SEC. ABELLA:
Wala pa po, pero ang alam ko rin po is UCCP pastors also met with the President – lately, I think.

DEXTER GANIBE/DZMM: 
Sir, iyong 50 days tomorrow. Nandoon ba ang Pangulo sa launching, sabi ninyo sa Davao po isasagawa?

SEC. ABELLA: 
It0 will be launching in Davao. As far as I know, it’s going to be launched at 12 noon at Ateneo de Davao under the auspices of the university, and Father Joel Tabora will be there.

DEXTER/DZMM: 
Si President will also be there?

SEC. ABELLA: 
He is supposed to be in Davao. I think he will be in Davao. He will be speaking to the summit.

DEXTER/DZMM: 
Sir this is a documentary or audio visual presentation?

SEC. ABELLA: 
It’s an AV(audio visual).

DEXTER/DZMM: 
Gaano kahaba ito, sir?

SEC. ABELLA: 
I think 30-40 minutes.

INA ANDOLONG/CNN PHIL: 
The President will be there tomorrow in Davao?

SEC. ABELLA: 
He was slated to address – in other words he is scheduled to address, I think. He may or he may not be there, but he is scheduled to address, tomorrow.

TINA MENDEZ/PHIL. STAR: 
Sir, can you please expound on the proposed sea lanes ba iyon, or the trilateral agreement between Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines as a result of the talks with the Prime Minister?

SEC. ABELLA: 
Basically, I think they—I cannot fully expound on it. But it’s basically having to deal with keeping safe; keeping safe the porous points, keeping safe from terrorist groups, and making sure that there is secure sea passage in the area… I’m sor… those borders in which they share.

JP BENCITO/MLA STANDARD: 
Sir good morning. Sir related po sa drugs. Sir PNP Chief Dela Rosa has said na meron daw pong scientific evidence ang PNP, ang Palasyo with regards doon sa spate nung extra judicial killings and it’s not perpetrated by the police, but instead vigilantes. Can we know more about that, sir?

SEC. ABELLA: 
Well, basically, I think the—well ang puno’t dulo noon is that these are not entirely a vigilante killings but maybe internecine killings – internecine, meaning to say related to one another, especially those who seem to be, indirectly connected with drug trafficking.

JP/MLA STNADARD: 
Sir, meron po ba tayong figures kung ilan iyong involved doon sa interrelated killings, sir?

SEC. ABELLA: 
Numbers?

JP/MLA STANDARD: 
Numbers, sir, or figures.

SEC. ABELLA: 
Right now, I think the numbers are rather fluid, let’s wait for them to come up with exact number.

TED TUVERA/ RAPPLER: 
Sir doon pa rin po sa drugs. Kasi sinasabi po parati ni Atty. Panelo na iyong mga nagpapatayan, iyong mga drug pushers po mismo. Sir, saan po nanggagaling iyong information na ito, sir?

SEC. ABELLA: 
They have intelligence reports.

VANZ FERNANDEZ/POLICE FILES: 
Sir, is there any possibility that Duterte administration will go after the illegal gambling like the jueteng in Luzon and masiao in Visayas; and also, we have this STL, as we call it as jueteng also. Now, there are behind this some members and board members of the PCSO that are allegedly involved with the corruption. Will you look into it?

SEC. ABELLA: 
I think, I believe the President made mention regarding that matter already some time ago. He said—I think he actually said that after the drugs, he will go after these other crimes.

VANZ/POLICE FILES: 
But will you also look into it that there are, allegedly, that there are Chinese involved in this STL?

SEC. ABELLA: 
Whoever is related to it, it will be looked into – whoever is connected to it.

JOSEPH MORONG/GMA-7: 
Sir, iyong second wave po nung names ng mga narco- politicians, kelan po natin inaasahan?

SEC. ABELLA: 
We’re not entirely sure kung kailan lalabas, pero he is bound to reveal it soon.

TED/RAPPLER: 
Sir, iyong CHR po nung weekend nagsabi po na bakit hindi po nagpa-file ng mga kaso laban sa mga narco-politicans. Sir, kailan po magpa-file ng mga kaso laban sa kanila at sino po iyong inaatasan na magpa-file ng mga kaso po laban sa kanila?

SEC. ABELLA: 
It will all follow the process—in other words walang hinihindian, walang ina-avoid, it’s just being cued.

TED/RAPPLER: 
Pero, sir apparently, iyong isa sa mga narco-politicians, iyong si Espinoa nga po ng Leyte, ngayon, despite ng mga nahuli sa kanya, nakaupo na po siya ulit ngayon, sir?

SEC. ABELLA: 
Right, ang ano po niyan, in charge niyan DILG. So it will have to come from DILG. So wala pa naman kaso, wala pa naman kasing formal na kaso na na-provide sa kanya from ano. So in other words, meron ng —he was brought in for investigation by PNP and then now that ano, ang susunod po niyan iyong pagpa-file na nga ng mga kaso.

TED/RAPPLER: 
Pero, Sir, what’s keeping the government from filing the charges against them?

SEC. ABELLA: 
There is nothing keeping them, it’s just they are following due process.

BENJIE LIWANAG/DZBB: 
Good morning, sir.

SEC. ABELLA: 
Good morning.

BENJIE/DZBB: 
Okay, on the meeting between the President and senators, number one, will the President pursue the increase of the 12% Vat to 15 as recommended by the Finance Department. And number two, will the senior citizens be affected of the increase and exemptions?

SEC. ABELLA: 
There were talks about this, but nothing is final yet. It will have to be discussed.

BENJIE/DZBB: 
But it is recommended by the President to some senators? It was the Finance department who brokered for that meeting, sir?

SEC. ABELLA: 
Right, that is why there needs to be a discussion, and then they will have to work out the details of what they discussed. Nothing is final yet.

JP/MLA STANDARD: 
Sir, what was the rationale behind the lifting of the thirty exemptions with the VAT? Why is it that we need to lift the thirty exemptions?

SEC. ABELLA: 
The what? The exemptions

JP/MLA STANDARD: 
Iyong exemption, sir, sa VAT.

SEC. ABELLA: 
You know, this is not policy; what I am going to say is not policy, but apparently it’s a balance of if you are going to be reducing here and taking away here and giving. It’s a question of household… it’s ‘household accounting’.

JP/MLA STANDARD: 
Sir, kelan po ire-release ng budget department or the Palace iyong parang tax reform package niya to Congress?

SEC. ABELLA: 
I think they have it on cue already, no exact dates.

VANZ FERNANDEZ/POLICE FILES: 
Another question, sir. How would you justify the increase in the proposed budget of the Office of the President?

SEC. ABELLA: 
How would I justify?

VANZ/POLICE FILES: 
Yes.

SEC. ABELLA: 
The needs have increased.

VANZ/POLICE FILES: 
Yes.

SEC. ABELLA: 
The needs have increased, so there’s a…

VANZ/POLICE FILES: 
So what are the necessitate in the increase of this Office of the President?

SEC. ABELLA: 
When the budget comes up, you know, then basically the cost of running the government has increased. So that is basically if you are asking for a justification, the needs have increased.

JP BENCITO/MLA STANDARD: 
Iyong sa OP budget, sir. Sir, meron na bang preparations na ginagawa iyong Palace, kasi ang sabi ni Secretary Diokno was the lump sum budget, sir, iyong dagdag na how many billion is for the ASEAN Summit. Meron na bang initial preparations that the Palace is doing for next year?

SEC. ABELLA: 
Initial preparations for?

JP: 
ASEAN summit, sir, next year?

SEC. ABELLA: 
Well, I’m sure the other line agencies, the other offices are already attending to that.

MARICEL: 
Sir, may we know, what’s the objective of the President Duterte’s visit to Malaysia?

SEC. ABELLA: 
It’s part of the… well, part of it is really the traditional visit, you know of… it’s really part of tradition. In fact, he’d rather stay here (laughs). He’d rather stay here. But it’s part of tradition that the new President visits because we’re also preparing for our leadership when we take over the ASEAN. It’s part of the preparation. After Laos, we’re going to be taking over.

MARICEL: 
Pero what particular issues will be raised during his visit?

SEC. ABELLA: 
Those issues, these are up to them, in that sense, you know. These are part of… part of it is the security which has been raised, the Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippine agreements regarding the porous borders, addressing terrorism, addressing economic possibilities. These are some of the talking points.

MARICEL: 
Sir, ano po iyong exact date ng pagbisita ni President sa Malaysia?

SEC. ABELLA: 
Wala po kaming exact dates for that, but it’s, you know, the groundwork is being prepared.

MARICEL: 
Pero sir, definitely this will be before his ASEAN visit—

SEC. ABELLA: 
Before we take over ASEAN, which is a part in September, I think. September.

JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7: 
Sir, clarification lang. So towards the end of August, we can see the President touring the neighboring ASEAN countries. Napapayag niyo na ba?

SEC. ABELLA: 
Come again?

JOSEPH: 
Napapayag na magtu-tour?

SEC. ABELLA: 
I’m not really sure about that, but this is part of the traditional ano, before we take over the leadership of ASEAN.

JOSEPH: 
Other countries, sir, aside from Malaysia?

SEC. ABELLA: 
Well, if things goes… if things go as tradition goes, it should be the entire seven…it should be. (laughs).

EVELYN QUIROS/MLA BULLETIN: 
Good morning, sir. Sir, kasama po sa 2017 budget iyong apat na 500-bed rehabilitation centers?

SEC. ABELLA: 
Alright. I don’t know if I should… but already in the works are planned rehabilitation centers of… large capacity centers. That’s all I can say at this stage, large capacity centers. Yes.

EVELYN: 
So may amount, sir, kung magkano iyong amount—

SEC. ABELLA: 
This is going to be a private-public-partnership, so I cannot peg you down a particular numb… a particular amount.

Q: 
Sir, under DOH po ba iyong magpapatupad nito, or DPWH?

SEC. ABELLA: 
That’s under DILG po, DILG and DOH partnership.

ROSE NOVENARIO/HATAW: 
Sir, iyong donation po ng San Miguel na 1 billion para doon sa rehab center, part po ba iyon ng PPP agreement ng Duterte administration?

SEC. ABELLA: 
I’m not sure about that. I’m not sure, but the donations are really dedicated to drug rehabilitation.

ROSE: 
Pero tanggap na po ng Palasyo?

SEC. ABELLA: 
Wala pong money exchange iyan.

ROSE: 
Edi natanggap na nila halimbawa iyong pledge, iyong cheke o kung ano man?

SEC. ABELLA: 
I believe the offer but there’s no money exchange here. Wala pong nilipat na pera.

VANZ/POLICE FILES: 
Sir, may last question is, we know that the President is aiming for having this objective of fighting for corruption, crimes and other matters. Now, will the President move to expedite the process of removing some corrupt employees in the government?

SEC. ABELLA: 
Definitely that’s part of his, you know. Like he said, you know, if you are government official or government employee, and you engage in corruption, then you should… you do not have a place in government. So definitely — actually, it is not—his goal is not so much that; his goal is poverty reduction. He wants a peaceful nation. He wants a nation that abides by law and order. He wants people to have a comfortable life. And he really works for common good. I think that’s one of the things we need to appreciate of our President. And basically, his highest value is really working for the common good – that everyone including those who are not usually included in economic gains, should now be part of receiving the benefit of the economic gains of others.

MODERATOR:
Thank you, sir.

SEC. ABELLA:
You have been a wonderful—and also congratulations too.