SANTOS:  (COVERAGE CUT) since yesterday, kagabi nung nag-rehearsal siya.

SEC. PANELO:  He was upbeat, he had very strong voice and he was joking, he was making us laugh.

LAZO:  Do you think he will be veering away much from the script po, like before?

SEC. PANELO:  I don’t think so. He would be adlibbing siguro, pero iyon na yun.

SANTOS:  Malaman.

SEC. PANELO:  Lahat. He will  touching on criminality, on corruption, on war on drugs, on the economy, poverty, pati West Philippine Sea, then he would urging Congress to legislate certain laws like death penalty, he would be commending some members of the Cabinet doing their line function, marami, kumpleto.

SANTOS: Unahan ko na kayo, Secretary. Ano ang naging reaksyon ng Pangulo nung tinotohanan ng House of Representative si Congressman Cayetano as a House Speaker at the same time sa Upper House naman ay si Senate Presidente pa rin Sotto?

SEC. PANELO:  Walang reaksyon. Unang-una, ayaw niyang maki-alam, iyong mga kandidato, tumakbo sa kanya at nagmamakaawa kung pupuwedeng tulungan sila. Siya naman tumulong siya by giving them a formula and then nasa sa inyo na iyon kung ano ang gustong gawin ninyo. And given the fact that the rivals of Alan, unanimously or individually nominated him – including the Duterte coalition which was against him initially – it means there was unanimity of choice na si Alan.

SANTOS: But there is a statement kanina si Congressman Polong, na ayaw niya doon sa term sharing. Anong reaksyon ng Malacañang po doon?

SEC. PANELO:  Eh di ba palagi namang sinasabi ni Presidente ‘every one is entitled to their opinion,’ kung iyon ang gusto niya eh, oh di—

LAZO:  So it remains to be seen po, if it will be honored or not?

SEC. PANELO:  Hindi. Unang-una, it’s not a question of honor, hiningan siya ng tulong, binigay niya ang formula di bahala kayo, sa inyo naman—independent naman kayo sa akin eh.

SANTOS:  Okay. Thank you so much po, Secretary Sal.

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SOURCE: PCOO-NIB (News and Information Bureau)