PETER MUSÑGI: Si Secretary Martin Andanar.
PAT-P DAZA: Good evening, Secretary.
SEC. ANDANAR: Hello, good evening, Pat—
PETER: Welcome back. [laughs].
SEC. ANDANAR: Salamat po at good evening idol Peter, ABS-CBN news current affairs.
PAT: Naku ginagaya ko o nagboboses.
SEC. ANDANAR: Ginagaya ko talaga itong si Peter Musñgi. ‘Di ba sinabi ko dati na voice image—
PETER: Delikado talent fee ko dito.
PAT: Naku, Secretary.
PETER: Ang susunod po natin na guest [laughs].
PAT: Secretary ito na, well let’s get to the point the right away. Secretary you have been in the news lately. Kasi nga sunod-sunod iyong mgapagsibak ni President Duterte sa mga opisyal na he feels na naging excessive iyong travel.
PETER: Yes.
PAT: Si Rep. Ridon, no hindi na pala siya Rep. although his title Chair—he was before.
PETER: former Chairman—
PAT: Chairman ba iyon and then sa maritime and then—
PETER: Si Madame Licuanan—
PAT: Lately, Madame Licuanan tapos your name just surface recently because I guess may nakasilip na you have been on 10 trips since you sat as Secretary of Communications and you have justify this by saying that it has been approved by Malacañang and it is work related.
SEC. ANDANAR: Yes, oo.
PAT: So why do you think people are thinking that masyadong excessive pa rin ang mga trips mo?
SEC. ANDANAR: I think it’s only Rappler that is thinking that it’s been excessive [laughs]. To begin with, let me just clarify na six of those trips, two of those six trips were personally paid. I went to Australia to visit my family. At the same time kahit personal na biyahe po iyon, ako po ay nakapagmeeting pa rin sa mga government officials in Australia and nakapag-uwi po tayo ng magandang scholarships para sa ating government workers sa media.
Now those two trips, nag-meet po tayo sa mga OFWs etcetera and the migrants. At sarili ko pong bulsa iyon, iyong apat po na natitira libre din po iyon sapagkat ang isa ay sponsored by the government of China. At the same time because of that trip ay nakapag-uwi po tayo ng 70 million pesos worth of donation from China by way of this new equipment for our Radyo Pilipinas.
PAT: Okay.
SEC. ANDANAR: And additional 150 million at iyong isa po, this is a sponsored trip by one of the United Kingdom non-profit organizations. At ito po ay may kinalaman doon sa freedom of information, open government since ako po iyong proponent ng FOI noong tayo po ay pumasok sa gobyerno, so mayroon po tayong libreng trip.
Now iyong trip po na iyon ay dumadaan ng Dubai, UAE. So sinamantala ko na ang pagkakataon na makausap ko po iyong mga distressed OFWs at iyong mga DDS na kailangan nating kausapin, mapulsuhan kung anong mga problema doon sa Dubai. At ganoon din po pagdating ko sa UK. Pagdating ko sa UK, you know iyong France is just, isang tumbling na lang iyon. And iyong mga OFWs gusto nilang magtanong sa akin kung anong ginagawa ng PCOO para salagin iyong mga negative press sa kanila sa Paris.
So ako po ay kumuha ng day trip at mineet ko po sila. At pagdating ko po ng UK naka-meet ko po iyong kanilang DFA doon. And we had a very good briefing of how the United Kingdom, how their manage their communications. So—
PAT: So justified? Feeling ninyo justified?
SEC. ANDANAR: Oo justified po, yeah. [laughs].
PETER: Ito iyong first point Secretary Martin ano. Sabi nila 10 trips ang iyong ginawa in 15 months tapos si Ridon six to eight trips in 13 months pero napakabilis ng aksiyon laban kay Ridon. In your particular case, ang sinasabi nila, that’s even more than eight trips and because it is 10 and then they counted in France, dalawang beses, US tatlong states including New York and LA. Dubai and UAE as you were saying. UK and then in Asia there is China, Hong Kong, Malaysia.
SEC. ANDANAR: So iyong apat po na iyon na binayaran po ng gobyerno natin iyong biyahe sa United States. Ito po ay personal kong ipinaalam kay Presidente dahil tayo po ay nakumbida doon na para um-attend ng Donald Trump inauguration. At the same time, that was January at marami pong mga non-profit organization sa Amerika, mga Philippine-US society na kailangan pong kausapin. Marami silang tanong, kasi those were the tumultuous times between the Philippines and the United States. Kakatapos lang po ni President Obama.
PAT: Obama.
SEC. ANDANAR: So tayo po ay pumunta doon. Now why did I go to New York? Iyan ang tanong… Now New York is the media capital of the United States. So naturally I had to go there as the PCO Secretary para kausapin po iyong NBC, CBS at iba pang mga media outfits, and also the Filipino community.
And now why did I go the LA? Kasi ang LA is almost the media capital of the West Coast also. And I needed to talk to them, at isang biyahe na iyon. So kung ikaw po ay isang government official, kailangan pong isipin natin na kailangan cost-effective iyong biyahe. Nandoon ka na rin, puntahan [mo na], kaysa naman pumunta ako ng Washington DC bumalik ako ng Pilipinas, bumalik ako ng LA at bumalik ng Pilipinas, pumunta ng New York, bumalik ng Pilipinas. So I think that is very logical also for government officials to do that job.
PAT: I’m curious, Secretary. All those official trips, did you take business class or economy as the President has instructed?
SEC. ANDANAR: Economy po.
PAT: Economy, oo.
SEC. ANDANAR: Economy po iyong aking trip. Kaya alam ninyo po hindi po ito ano, kasi doon sa Executive Order po na ipinalabas, ng Department Order na binigay ni Executive Secretary. Kung babasahin ninyo po doon mayroon pong exemptions at exempted po iyong Cabinet officials.
PAT: Exempted saan?
SEC. ANDANAR: Sa biyahe.
PAT: Okay.
SEC. ANDANAR: As long as you can justify your trip.
PETER: You mean, hindi ka nag, wala kang
SEC. ANDANAR: Hindi iyong bago iyong 2018 ‘di ba naglabas po ng bagong DO—
PETER: Pero ano iyon ano, it’s SOP to file.
PAT: Travel authority.
PETER: Oo to seek travel authority.
SEC. ANDANAR: Opo, oo mayroon po talagang travel authority. It just so happened that this PCOO right now, administration we are very active in talking to our counterparts sapagka’t binubuhay po natin iyong government media. And only the best way to do that is to learn from the successful countries, countries that runs successful media outfits.
PAT: So would you say that your predecessor m iyong si Secretary Coloma ba dati iyon? Will he be your counterpart?
SEC. ANDANAR: Yeah, yeah.
PAT: Did he make the same number of trips or you would say that yours is really by far more than your predecessor?
SEC. ANDANAR: I’m not sure kasi hindi ko naman—
PAT: Wala kayong parang basis?
SEC. ANDANAR: Hindi ko naman pinapakialaman iyong trabaho noong nakaraan. Iba naman ang prayoridad din ni Secretary Coloma. His priority back then was to strengthen the APO production unit, iyong gumagawa ng passports.
PAT: Iyong printing.
SEC. ANDANAR: Ako naman ang priority ko is to build government media. So alangan naman na hindi ka pupunta sa ibang bansa at aalamin mo rin iyong teknolohiya doon and to learn from how they run things so. I think it’s just normal.
PETER: Okay ano lang in medyo hair spitting ng kaunti. Pero you were going to the UAE to France to UK and then you said na nandiyan na rin lang ako, ‘di magpunta na ako sa London or nag-side trip tayo in other words. Is this part and parcel of what was approved by way of your itinerary or spur of the moment lang na makapunta nga dito?
SEC. ANDANAR: Hindi itinerary talaga, because the difference between this government and maybe some past government is that naka-focus kami din sa pakikipag-usap sa mga OFWs. So kahit sinong Secretary kung mayroong chance kausapin iyong OFW, alamin kung anong problema.
At ako naman as the PCOO Secretary, it’s my job to ensure that tama po iyong ‘pag-deliver ng communication, not only in the Philippines and since we have more than four million OFWs and actually more than eight million Filipinos around the world. So it’s my business also to ensure that public policy, ang mga polisiya po ng gobyerno natin ay nahahatid po natin sa kanila through communication. Alam po naman natin na very hostile po ang media in the West, sa administrasyong ito. So I need to make sure
PETER: And there are several recent na mga—
PAT: Yeah, pirates—
SEC. ANDANAR: Exactly.
PETER: Human Rights. Let me ask this Secretary Martin ano. Sinong usually kasama po kapag nagti-trip because I remember somebody was saying, also a Secretary na sabi niya, ‘Ako ayaw ko na panay ang lipad. Pinapadala ko iyong iba kong mga assistant. You don’t share that?
SEC. ANDANAR: Ako, ang kasama ko usually is either I would bring a cameraman, because I’m a media guy and I make sure…
PAT: To document it?
SEC. ANDANAR: That I document. Kaya nga every trip that I have, I always post it on Facebook, ‘cause it’s very transparent. Gusto kong makita nila kung anong ginagawa ng Kalihim sa lugar na iyon. I would bring my Assistant Secretary sometimes, like for example in the UK kasi libre naman iyong biyahe na iyon, we were sponsored by Making All Voices Count, so kasama ko siya. And then—
PETER: Hindi mo binanggit iyong pangalan.
SEC. ANDANAR: Si Assistant Secretary—
PAT: Mocha?
SEC. ANDANAR: Kris Ablan.
PAT: Si Kris (laughs).
SEC. ANDANAR: Hindi Mocha, easy, easy, easy (laughs) Magagalit asawa ko (laughs).
PETER: Kaya tinanong ko dahil…
SEC. ANDANAR: O sa America, ang kasama ko naman doon is si Secretary Esperon, kasama ko sa America.
PETER: Bakit po naging hot topic iyong meeting ninyo with Maharlika? I mean, and she’s a blogger?
SEC. ANDANAR: Okay, yeah. Because I went to L.A….So I went to L.A., went to the councilor office and I talked to the Filipino migrants there, mga media rin, at the same time si Maharlika is popular blogger in the United States based on the west coast, at gusto niyang ma-interview ako. So I had to see her, para mag-interview, iyon lang naman.
PAT: Secretary, personally, because of all these, iyon nga, the spate of a firing that was done recently, ikaw ba medyo kinakabahan or you are kumpiyansa na talagang madya-justify or untouchable ka at this point?
SEC. ANDANAR: No, it’s not being untouchable. I think it’s being able to deliver doon sa mandate na ginagawa ko. And I’m confident that lahat naman ng biyahe ko, and iyon nga, 10 in 15 months. Actually four lang nga iyon, kasi naging masyadong malisyoso iyong pagkasulat. Anim nga libre… In fact my two Australian trips were from my own pocket. Nagtrabaho pa ako, so dapat apat lang iyon. So if you really count by quantity, if you compare to Terry, then I only did four trips. Actually I only did four trips talaga.
PAT: Kasi all of them they said, they were able to justify especially Chairman Licuanan and iyong kay Ridon, we just found out na nga from Harry Roque in an interview that although his trips were authorized, what he failed to mention was that he made all these side trips, which were not, I guess in his travel authority. Kaya I think, iyon ang nasilipan sa kaniya.
And of course, I don’t know iyong sa MARINA. But iyon na nga, my question is kasi ngayon, maraming nagsasabi kasi na maski na lumabas ito, malakas ang loob ni Secretary Andanar kasi alam niyang malakas siya sa Presidente. At kaya siguro they’re all picking on you, because they know nga that, you know, you’re not going to fold right away.
SEC. ANDANAR: No, it was really a badly made investigative journalism. It was really badly made. Ten trips, hindi kinuantify (quantify) na anim nga doon is libre. Libre nga iyon, so kung titingnan mo talaga, apat lang iyong trips na binyahe ng gobyerno. Now, wala namang indispensable (laughs) sa gobyerno. So ako naman ay nagtatrabaho lamang at nire-report ko kay Presidente kung anong ginagawa ko. So…
PETER: Let me just jump in, kasi you were touching on Ridon, not literally (laughs). Iyong kay Ridon kasi and I subscribed to this ano, was it moral? Maybe it’s legal because nagpaalam ka ‘di ba. Pero was it proper? Because urban poor iyong hini-head mo na ano and you were making all these trips. So in your particular case, translating it now, okay, so 10 times ka nagbiyahe and legal ‘yan at binayaran ng iba ‘yan, and you did say na naka-economy o nakaano, ‘di ba?
PAT: Binayaran niya…
PETER: Oo. So therefore, ang question diyan is: tama ba iyon? I mean, should you be making all those trips really? Oo, iyon ang aking tanong!
SEC. ANDANAR: Yeah, yeah… Well ganito kasi iyon, during that time na na-invite tayo sa America to attend the Donald Trump inauguration, that was a perfect time also for us to touch-base with media contacts in the United States. Like what I said, very tumultuous po iyon during those times, as far as media coverage was concerned in the United States, talagang aping-api po ang Duterte administration, kailangan kong pumunta doon.
Dahil you know, kaysa naman mag-hire kami ng PR which will cost you half a million dollars every month, which we don’t have the money, at ayaw ni Presidente noong ganoon. Ako na mismo ang pumunta doon para kausapin iyong mga media at maghanap ng medyo objective media who can deliver the message of the Philippines and this administration.
PETER: Sir, do you do a Power Point presentation? I’m just wondering kung
SEC. ANDANAR: I talked to different media personalities—
PAT: One-on-one, walang presentation, oo…
SEC. ANDANAR: One-one-one. I’ve talked to CBS. I’ve talked to NBC. I also talked to the New Yorker and marami pang mga Filipino—
PAT: And what is your spiel, na parang “maawa naman kayo sa amin or” (laughs) Ano iyong spiel?
SEC. ANDANAR: Hindi naman, hindi naman, Hindi, hindi, hindi
PAT: No, but iyon na nga like you’re saying nga, you’re trying to foster good relationship because it’s a very tumultuous relationship and that’s what, medyo ano rin nga ako doon, because we know the stand of the President against the US. Well, medyo I guess now, medyo soften because it’s Trump. But he doesn’t make any secret that he doesn’t really like the Americans, and especially now that they’re hitting on him because of the Rappler issue. I’m sure he’s also going to say a mouthful again.
So in terms of respect for the US media, I’m sure it’s way, way, way below. So what I’m asking you now Secretary is that, do you fear? Did you take it upon yourself to be the messenger? Did the President asked you to fix, to bridge this gap or you took it upon yourself because you don’t want to be against the US media?
SEC. ANDANAR: No. I took it upon myself. Alam mo si Presidente po hindi nag-uutos kung anong dapat gawin natin, gawin ko iyon. You know, it’s a job of the Presidential Communications Secretary to communicate with media especially media in the Philippines and iyong mga hostile na media. That’s why when I go around the country, and different parts of the world, I bring this, I bring a brochure of the accomplishments of the President, iyong mga nagawa po, mga polisiya. It’s a normal! Imbes na ang gumawa PR, public relations.
PETER: So wala tayong PR consultant?
SEC. ANDANAR: Wala po tayong PR, wala tayong PR.
PETER: Nothing. No budget for that?
SEC. ANDANAR: No budget for that. And alam ninyo iyong mga PR nga ng mga gobyerno sa America, half a million dollars a month ang ginagastos. Ito po ay ako mismo naglalako… Pero hindi naman ganoon parati, kasi as I told you, six out of 10 trips ay bayad po iyon, dalawa binayaran ko; and four of the trips were paid by government.
PETER: I’m wondering Secretary Martin, you wanted to bridge the gap and then reach out to…
SEC. ANDANAR: As many…
PETER: —the American broadcast giants, ano? Dito po ba, nakausap ninyo ba Rappler o—
SEC. ANDANAR: Oh yeah, I talked to Pia. I talked to Pia in Malacañang.
PAT: She’s the reporter, Malacañang reporter.
SEC. ANDANAR: Yeah, and in fact kahit na wala naman siyang naisulat na maganda sa PCOO since we started, kahit na ang dami na naming nagawa sa PCOO I, no hurt feelings you know, I just considered it their territory event if I think that it’s unfair already, kinakausap ko pa rin, so civil.
PAT: So are you kinda, I don’t want to say naman ‘happy’ that what happened to Rappler (laughs). I mean, parang gloating, na parang ‘buti nga sa inyo, kasi wala kayong magandang sinabi’. How do you feel about it personally and professionally?
SEC. ANDANAR: Personally, I feel that they need to settle their issues with the SEC. Dapat tapusin na nila ‘to as soon as possible, bilisan nila para makapag-negosyo na sila. The problem with having your license revoked by the SEC, apektado lahat, ultimo resibo mo sa BIR apektado; ultimo iyong barangay permit mo, apektado; ultimo iyong business permit po sa munisipyo, apektado ‘yan.
PETER: You know that this is historic ano, it’s a first—
SEC. ANDANAR: It’s a first, it’s a first.
PETER: First by SEC, and some quarters ay nagsasabi na mukhang wala yatang due process o may na-skip doon sa due process. How do you feel about that?
SEC. ANDANAR: Sa palagay ko naman ay may argumento naman ang SEC about it, and they’ve waited for Rappler to explain their side also.
PETER: Walang ano, show cause.
SEC. ANDANAR: Hindi ko nabasa iyong pinakaano nila, but I’m sure that the, mayroong in-explain kasi si Ginang Herbosa na talagang ginawa po nila lahat, na above—
PAT: Pero marami rin nagsasabi, kinukumpara doon sa nangyari sa PLDT. And parang iyong sa PLDT, they were very forgiving and parang they were given a lot of time and leeway to fix the problem.
But with Rappler, it was parang it was very sudden, you know like Peter said, there was no show cause, they were caught off guard and this is a first time nga, it’s a historical, oo. And iyon na nga, being the Secretary of Communications also, aren’t you afraid that this is also going to send the wrong signal to other media companies like ABS or GMA, na parang we are already slowly being parang, iyon na nga, parang if you don’t go or if you don’t agree with this administration, you can be sure that we’re going to look for something.
SEC. ANDANAR: No, hindi po. Alam mo Pat ano ‘yan, it’s really a question of legality. Now ganito lang kasimple iyon, dalawang klaseng PDR or Philippine Depository Slips. Iyong isa, this is the vanilla, this is just the PDR… plain PDR, you have an investor. And itong PDR noong sa Rappler, ito iyong may clause.
PETER: Iyong Omidyar—
SEC. ANDANAR: Na Omidyar na puwedeng makialam, iyon lang iyon. So
PETER: Hindi makialam sa management, kundi makialam sa kung—
SEC. ANDANAR: Makialam doon sa articles of incorporation, iyong mga ganiyan.
PETER: Oo, oo.
SEC. ANDANAR: At nagkataon na dito iyong Rappler sa kabila and this was questioned by the SEC.
PETER: At nagkataon din na inimbestigahan sila ngayon ng DOJ at ng NBI. Nagkataon lang naman.
SEC. ANDANAR: Yeah, sunod-sunod na iyong, so after that, then DOJ naman. So it’s just that nobody is above the law in this country. The reason why the President was, nahalal nga siya dahil nga sa, because we’ve always had a weak rule of law, and ang mga kababayan natin ay gusto po ng ituwid iyang problema na iyan.
PETER: No kasi Secretary, iyon na nga like I said, it’s sending, parang it’s raffling the feathers of the lot of media companies.
PETER: They used the word ‘chilling effect.’
PAT: Chilling effect, okay. First to go was Inquirer. The Prieto sold out to Manny, to Ramon Ang ba, who bought it? Who was the majority? Basta they sold because iyon na nga they were being harassed for, I mean what I’m saying-
SEC. ANDANAR: No but the problem there Pat, I think was really Mile Long.
PAT: Yeah Mile Long, oo.
SEC. ANDANAR: Na-short changed ang gobyerno doon and it was about time that for how many years or how many terms, how many Presidents have passed na hindi nga na-solve iyong problema na iyan. We have a President now who really wants the country to be ruled by law and for people to respect the law mahirap ka man mayaman, maliit ka mang negosyante o malaki. So pantay-pantay, like Lucio Tan paying six billion pesos na hindi naman nangyari noong mga nakaraang administrasyon. Like Mighty paying 25 billion pesos na hindi naman nangyari noong mga nakaraang administrasyon.
PETER: On Uber? Oh ‘di ba iyong Uber? Ano rin iyon. Sa ngayon nararamdaman na ninyo na iyong trips warm up lang iyan. [laughs].
SEC. ANDANAR: Yeah, yeah.
PETER: It’s very good to have you here. We will be back with Secretary Martin Andanar ‘pagkatapos po ng report.
PAT: Okay Partner, go… Kanina bago tayo nag-flash report, ang tanong ko kasi kay Secretary Andanar, kasi nakakatakot ‘tong Rappler, it’s sending a chilling effect. First it was the Inquirer they sold out, the Prieto Family. Of course, we don’t know the real reason. Pero we just say—
PETER: Maybe that’s a business decision.
PAT: Maybe, yeah… Kaya nga. But iyon na nga, and then now Rappler. And then we just got news na iyong Interaksyon, the online site is closing down March. And you came from Interaksyon, Channel 5. What can you say about that?
SEC. ANDANAR: Ang problema din sa Interaksyon, I think it has got to do with, nalulugi. It’s a business decision by the group. In fact when I was there sa TV5, iniisip na ito na iyon nga, to fold it up kasi may problema nga iyong, alam naman natin na nalugi din ang Channel 5.
PAT: Financially, oo. And my last question kasi—
SEC. ANDANAR: And Roby Alampay is good friend of mine. Of course, I feel for Roby.
PAT: Oo, but he’s moving to Business World daw. He has moved na daw ‘ata.
SEC. ANDANAR: Well, he runs both online and the paper.
PAT: Oo. And ako, I can’t help but ask. Because you mentioned kanina, sometimes you travel with an assistant secretary. But you failed to mention Asec. Mocha Uson, but she’s the most controversial staff I think that you have.
And lately, she has been hitting on VP Leni again and she has also been hitting on Maria Ressa because of that Rappler. I mean, to ano ito, na medyo gloating na iyong: “Well, Maria Ressa can work for me,” parang ganoon o parang: “Ang tanga-tanga naman ng VP natin na parang isipin niya ito” Can’t you just really hold her reins and tell her to act with more propriety and with more dignity as becoming of a public official, especially from the Communications Office.
SEC. ANDANAR: Well, I’d understand Mocha, anong beef niya sa Rappler kasi talagang hindi siya tinitigilan din ng Rappler. Mayroon silang ano doon, mayroon silang push and pull doon, at iyong kay VP Leni naman, hindi ko nabasa iyong kay VP Leni. But again, si Mocha kasi ‘pag, kapag nagki-criticize ‘yan, she does it in her own Facebook page. We have our own official PCOO pages. We have the Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
PAT: But I remember you saying Secretary when you were here the last time, you said that you already told her to hire somebody to manage her Facebook. And I think you’ve also warned her already, because instead of causing unity, she’s causing divisiveness between the DDS and the non-DDS. And I think that’s, personally, I don’t think that’s healthy, I mean, your thoughts…
SEC. ANDANAR: Well again, pulitika ito. Hindi natatapos ang pulitika just because you have a new administration nakaupo, and this is the experience of all presidents. Hindi tumitigil ang pulitika talaga, at nagkataon lang na ito pong Duterte administration ay mas mainit po ang pulitika na nangyari even in his first 12 months in office. So wala, hindi tumitigil Pat, so I can’t blame Mocha also kasi mayroon siyang sariling paninindigan din.
PETER: May sarili siyang daigdig (laughs) kasi naiba doon sa, iyon ang sinasabi niya ‘di ba? “Iba iyong pagiging blogger ko, iba iyong” But Martin if you will please…
SEC. ANDANAR: Yes…
PETER: Paki-eksplika mo lang sa’min. How can somebody who’s being paid 130 thousand pesos a month, kung totoo man iyon ‘di ba, from the taxes of the people be this free to criticize anybody and still be the Assistant Secretary? I mean, I’m not saying get rid of her, I’m just
SEC. ANDANAR: (Laughs)…
PETER: Ang sinasabi ko lang, masyado naman na yatang manipis iyong argumento na hindi, kasi may Facebook siya ‘di ba?
SEC. ANDANAR: It’s a good argument. No, it’s a very good argument Peter the same way that I can also throw the argument that if eight out of 10 Filipinos believe in the President; and if eight out of 10 Filipinos believe in the President and the President has appointed Mocha so, parang it goes without saying that they approved of the President’s appointees as the leader of this country, the person has a mandate to run the government.
So ang sa akin lang kasi dito, but that’s, feeling ko kasi, para sa akin politics is politics, it will always be there. Some appointees like myself, hindi naman ako political sa mga comments ko, but that’s my…
PAT: Your style.
SEC. ANDANAR: That’s my style.
PAT: Yeah. But so Secretary, are you saying na parang hands off ka when it comes to Asec.? I mean, hindi mo siya pinapakialaman. She’s free to do and to state and to write whatever?
SEC. ANDANAR: Hands off ako doon sa sarili niyang Facebook page. She has programs din kasi, Peter and Pat sa Presidential Communications na lumalabas sa kuwatro, lumalabas din sa…so, doon talagang—
PETER: Secretary Martin, the last time you were here – that’s not what you say. Ang sabi mo noon is magha-hire kayo ng isang tao na—
SEC. ANDANAR: No, no. Actually to clarify that, I advised her to hire her own, na hindi ako magha-hire. Because that’s her own personal page—
PETER: So fine, but pero mayroon bang na-hire?
SEC. ANDANAR: I think she did.
PAT: Pero iyon na nga o sige ako, last question na ‘to oo, last. Pero Secretary, si Asec. Mocha, she cannot split her personality. I mean, she’s still whatever she says, she has right now known as Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson.
Regardless of whether she say it’s her private life or her official function, ano, there’s a very gray area there. And it is because of that nga, it is her popularity also that she has this influence. And you know like I said, she’s causing more divisiveness and stirring ano, stirring, igniting everybody’s ano…
SEC. ANDANAR: I think si Mocha naman is reactive and she is only reacting to the brickbats being thrown at the President. Now as far as na iyong siya talaga iyong nangunguna, I think naghihintay lang siya ‘pag inuupakan si Presidente, umuupak din siya. So you know, ano lang ‘yan…
PAT: So attack dog na lang siya?
SEC. ANDANAR: An eye for an eye, iyon lang naman—
PETER: Ang sakit noon (laughs).
SEC. ANDANAR: Nagkataon naman na, hindi naman lahat ng—
PETER: Ang sakit noon, Secretary Martin. Huwag naman sanang an eye for an eye, because we hold you in higher esteem than that!
SEC. ANDANAR: Well. No, no, si Mocha, we were talking about Mocha—
PETER: I know, but she’s under you. So (laughs)
SEC. ANDANAR: Hindi, no. Sa akin kasi, that’s her own Facebook page. So, she has her own feeling on that Facebook page.
PETER: And we’ll leave it at that, I guess…
SEC. ANDANAR: (Laughs)
PETER: Oo. Like I said, I will say it again, I’d hate to be in your position (laughs). So Secretary Martin, thank you so much.
PAT: Thank you so much for clarifying…
PETER: And for joining us tonight.
PAT: For joining us. I know you’ve been ano—
PETER: For your insights, oo.
SEC. ANDANAR: Anytime…
PAT: I’m sure you’re already tired of explaining your trips. You are?—And Mocha.
SEC. ANDANAR: No, no, no. I’m not tired. It’s my job to explain.
PETER: You’re tired (laughs)
PAT: Oo, oo (laughs) Parang harassed ka uli ngayon unlike before.
PETER: Papuri kay Secretary Martin dahil pumupunta pa rin siya dito.
SEC. ANDANAR: Salamat po.
PAT: Oo. Sport… sport siya.
PETER: Alam niya na…
PAT: Talo pikon…
PETER: Matinding magtanong si Pat.
SEC. ANDANAR: Mas matindi pa sa nanay…
PAT: (Laughs).
PETER: (Laughs) Baka kailangan mo ng mother figure? Okay…
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Source: PCOO-NIB (News and Information Bureau)
