PRESIDENT MARCOS: Okay. Good morning, everyone.

Pauwi na tayo. We just finished our State Visit here to Phnom Penh, to Cambodia. And I think it has been a very good, substantial visit. And that we have managed to open many new avenues of cooperation between Cambodia and the Philippines in many ways – in government work, in private businesses, in G2G arrangements, and everything else in between.

Kaya natutuwa naman ako na… Kasi ang trade natin sa Cambodia 100 million dollars more or less. Eh kung titingnan natin ang mga potential dito between Cambodia and the Philippines napakaliit ng 100 million dollars. Just to say – to contrast that, the trade between Cambodia and Vietnam, for example, it’s about 10 billion dollars. So, malayo pa ang puwede pa nating maratingan.

Of course, our discussions both with the former Prime Minister now the Senate President and Acting Head of State His Excellency Hun Sen and also with the present Prime Minister, Prime Minister Hun Manet, our discussions really because we have always been very… Shall we say, marami kaming coordination sa Cambodia both with then Prime Minister Hun Sen and present Prime Minister Hun Manet. Kaya parang naging patuloy lang doon sa aming mga usapan sa mga ASEAN, sa mga APEC na kung saan kami nagkita dahil napakadalas na talagang nag-uusap kami. We have very much to discuss between the Philippines and Cambodia.

Of course, hindi maiwasan na mapag-usapan ‘yung problema ngayon na nangyayari between Cambodia and Thailand in their border region na nagka – well, nag – may clashes between the two countries.

So, paulit-ulit naming sinasabi basta’t ang Pilipinas at saka ‘yung ASEAN nandito kami upang tumulong. At dahil pareho kayong kaibigan namin, we are friends with both Cambodia and Thailand, we are all members of ASEAN, eh ayaw natin makikita na nagkakaproblema ang mga Member States of ASEAN.

Kaya naman sabi – lagi kong pinapaliwanag na the Philippines is ready to play any role that will be of assistance to strengthen the ceasefire, number one, and eventually to come to a final solution – to come to a final resolution of the problem between Thailand and Cambodia.

To that end, nag-o-organize ang ASEAN ng observer group. And each country of ASEAN has offered to be part of that observer group. Kasi ang ginagawa nila, there is — mahirap kasi ‘yung sitwasyon nila eh dahil hindi – ‘yung border clash nila hindi lang sundalo ang nandiyan.

May communities diyan eh. Naiipit sila. Sabi nila 170 families that they have to move out. Eh doon sila nakatira. Hindi ito basta ‘yung walang laman, walang tao. Pero ang problema may talagang tao doon, nakatira doon matagal na. Kaya anong gagawin nila doon? And they have to decide.

So, that’s the problem. So, the observers that ASEAN – the observer group that the ASEAN is organizing will be there to observe and to make sure that whatever agreements are arrived at, that they will eventually be observed properly by both sides.

And we had originally committed to providing one observer. Tapos dinagdagan natin naging two. Doon sa usapan namin hiningi nila five. O ‘di sige magkakaroon ng limang observer galing sa Pilipinas na sasama sa…

Bawat bansa nagpadala mga lima. Iyong Malaysia anim yata ‘di ba? So, lahat ng ASEAN members magpapdala ng observer para matulungan naman sila.

And we need many observers dahil mahaba ‘yung… Hindi ito isang lugar lamang. Kung ‘di all along now – it’s all along the shared border between Cambodia and Thailand. So, that’s why it’s necessary.

Other than that, again, we have opened many, many avenues. The Ambassador Mayo here has been working so hard to bring these all together and I’m very happy to be able to say that it has been successful.

All right. So, I think you have some other questions that you want to ask me?

Q: Hi, sir, magandang umaga.

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Hi, good morning.

Q: Sir, on other issues.

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Of course.

Q: Sir, may we have your thoughts about the change of leadership in the Senate? How will this affect the legislative agenda of the administration?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, that remains to be seen.

But I do not actually see any problem in terms of the legislative agenda that the executive and the legislature have agreed to undertake for the next Congress.

The change of leadership is an internal matter between the senators. It has been… I think… I mean, you have all been reporting on this at alam naman ninyo na mayroong talagang galaw that has been going on for the last at least a month na – that would bring us to this change of leadership.

So, I am confident. The Senate knows how to organize itself. The Senate also knows how to do the work.

And if Senator Sotto is now the SP again, then I do not see that it will change very much from what our agenda has – that we had agreed upon when Senator Chiz was SP.

Q: Good morning po, Mr. President. President, may we know directly from you the real reason of General Torre’s dismissal and what post – ?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: The reason?

Q: – and what post was offered to him po? Salamat po.

PRESIDENT MARCOS: You don’t know what the reason was? We explained it and explained it. Even my vlog the other day, I explained it again.

It was because they didn’t – he would not… He did not agree with the directives that were coming out of NAPOLCOM.

And there is a very clear chain of command that the civilian authority is the overwinning authority when it comes to the police. Because the police is essentially – technically a civilian organization. And NAPOLCOM is the civilian authority that has the authority to monitor and to…

It has powers – very specific powers in terms of the appointments, and that’s why they disagreed. And we cannot – you know alam naman natin uniformed service ‘yan kailangan masundan ang chain of command. So, that’s why…

But you know, we had many discussions about it beforehand. Hindi lang daw talaga niya magawa. So, sabi ko eh wala tayong magagawa kung ganoon ang sitwasyon.

Q: Good morning, sir.

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Good morning.

Q: Sir, may we know your thoughts sa revelations kahapon ng mga Discayas sa umano’y corruption sa flood control project? Sa tingin niyo po ba may bigat ‘yung statement nila? And si Curlee Discaya po nanghihingi po sa inyo ng proteksyon para daw po sa seguridad niya after niyang pangalanan ‘yung mga kongresistang sabi nila sangkot daw sa corruption?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Yeah, can I correct that? These are not revelations, they are allegations. That’s a very different… Allegations and revelations are extremely different.

So, we will examine all the allegations that have been made. Ang lumalabas talaga dito mula noong nasimulan itong imbestigasyon at lahat niyan ay matagal na talaga kaya ang lalim na ng – ang lalim na nung kumbaga sa amag eh napakalalim na sa sistema.

The system of this kind of corruption has been institutionalized. And if we will look at the allegations that have been made, nagsimula sa 2003 pa ito.

So, this has been going for 21 years. And that is why it’s so deeply seated within the system. And that’s why it’s going to be – it’s going to be a very…

Kailangan masalimuot at detalyado ang ating magiging imbestigasyon at para matingnan. And ‘yan ang magiging trabaho ngayon ng ating independent commission.

So, all of these allegations will be examined and that’s the job of the independent commission, which by the time we get back – before the end of the week, it will be organized.

And the personalities who are going to be part of the independent commission will also be named already. We will also decide on the powers. We already have a very good idea of what the powers and authorities will be granted to the independent commission.

So, that’s their job. And we have made very sure that they are in fact independent, truly independent.

So, walang pulitiko diyan, walang… Puro imbestigador, abogado, para mga… It’s a technical – it’s a technical exercise.

So, we will continue with… We will continue with all these inquiries hanggang talagang makita natin, how did this happen? Paano tayo — ?

Kasi kagaya nang nasabi ko noon, ang talagang… Dapat malaman kung paano tayo nagkaganito. How did we get to this terrible point where all of these actuations – ito ‘yung mga kickback, lahat ‘yang mga pinag-uusapan natin – naging institutionalized, naging normal?

And that’s what we are going to have to investigate. And we have to… Bubuwagin natin ‘yang sistemang ‘yan. They cannot be allowed continuity.

Q: Sir, your response doon sa panawagan ni Curlee Discaya ng proteksyon daw po para sa kanyang seguridad?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, there is a system of the witness protection. And if they quality as witnesses who will testify, then the state is, of course, willing to provide them with protection.

And even before that, if there is a recognized threat, then, of course, we will protect them. Not because they are making allegation, not because they are part of the investigation, but because they are Filipinos. They need to be protected against any kind of threat that they are facing.

Iyon ang trabaho namin. Trabaho namin – the pulis, that’s the job of the government to make sure that all Filipinos are safe.

Q: Good morning, sir. Yesterday at the Senate hearing Mr. Discaya floated House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s name. He wasn’t one of the congressmen allegedly directly involved po but he was linked to one of those in the list, Congressman Marvin Rillo. What was your reaction upon hearing this po?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Alam mo kaming lahat suffer from that ano — sasabihin “utos ni President,” “utos ni Secretary”, “utos ni ganito”, tapos hindi naman totoo.

Kaya we will have to look. Eh kung totoo, eh ‘di may problema na talagang inutos. Pero hindi ang nakikita ko we are all – all of us who are in high positions – high offices in government, all of us suffer that…

“Akala ko approved mo eh.” “Hindi wala akong alam diyan.” “Sabi ni ganito ikaw daw ang nagpa-approve nito.” Sasabihin mo, “hindi wala akong alam diyan.”

Alam naman ninyo ‘yan that nine-name-drop lahat. Magpapakuha ng picture, tapos sasabihin “O tingnan mo malapit kami.” Eh sa isang araw isang libo ‘yung nagpa-picture sa akin eh. So, lahat ‘yung isang libo na ‘yun malapit sa akin, ‘di ba?

So, people have to be more careful at huwag silang masyadong gullible.

But again, it’s something that all of us who are in high office suffer, all of us. And I think there is no – walang… We find this kind of actuations all the time na, “Bakit nangyari ‘yan?” “Eh utos daw ni ganito eh.” Tatanong mo doon sa tao, sasabihin, “wala akong alam diyan.” “Wala akong sinasabing ganyan.” Iyon name-dropping.

So, we’ll see kung name-dropping lang or there is something more substantial to it.

Kung name-dropping lang… But you know, name-dropping is not a crime. But what is a crime is that you use the name of somebody else para magnakaw.

And I think all of these other terms that we are always using to – this is thievery. This is stealing. This is corruption. It’s nothing else. Kaya I used the word “nakaw”. Ninanakaw talaga nila ‘yung pera ng gobyerno.

Kung totoo, eh ‘di totoo. Kung sabi-sabi lang, haka-haka lang, eh we will also show that na haka-haka lang.

But you know, we cannot come to any conclusions yet now. Wala pa ‘yung investigative independent commission.

And like I said, by – baka by tomorrow puwede na nating i-announce or tomorrow or the day after.

Within the next 48 hours, I will already announce the powers that we are granting to the independent commission and the members of the independent commission.

Q: Good morning po, sir. How will Curlee Discaya’s allegations yesterday impact the probe of the  independent commission once it’s fully formed? Iyong mga lawmakers and DPWH officials sila na po ba ‘yung mga una sa listahan na iimbestigahan nito?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, mukhang ganoon. Kasi ang napapag-usapan ngayon the allegations against offices of the DPWH and some members of the legislature.

So, siyempre ‘yun ang titingnan natin. But, of course, we don’t only investigate what other people are alleging. We are investigating this independently of all that.

And that’s why we have to be very, very clear that the independent commission is in fact independent. That they will no longer be… Iyon na nga, no one who has an interest in these cases will be allowed to participate except as a witness.

Q: Good morning, Mr. President. Sir, you said that there will be no budget for flood control projects in 2026 or under the 2026 budget. So, what will happen to the almost P275 billion proposed allocation for flood control projects under the 2026 NEP?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Then we will spend it on other things. There is a budget of 350 billion for 2025. Because of all of these allegations, investigations that are occurring, na-delay lahat ‘yan.

So, hindi matatapos ‘yung 350 billion in 2025. So, we will use the continuing appropriation for next year. And ‘yung savings it’s going to be about 225 billion is actually… Ang flood control for next year is about 275 billion but some of that is foreign-assisted.

So, ‘yun hindi gagalawin ‘yun kasi foreign-assisted project ‘yun. Pero ‘yung locally funded kung tawagin na project that amounts to about 225 billion, we will reappropriate it to education, to health, and other departments that are in need of this funding.

Q: Sir, sa inyo pong podcast nabanggit po ninyo na mayroon pang ibang infra projects bukod sa flood control mayroon pa kayong nakitang mga problema. Ito rin po ba ay tututukan ninyo gaya nang pagtutok ninyo doon sa issues sa flood control, sir?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, we cannot spread ourselves too thin. Ang pinakamalaki sa ngayon is the flood control. So, iyon ang unahin natin. Kaya ko nabanggit ‘yun dahil ‘yung sa Isumbong Mo sa Presidente na website, mayroon silang sinusumbong ‘yung kalsada, mga asphalt overlay na napakanipis, all of those things.

So, titingnan din natin ‘yun. Titingnan din natin ‘yun. But what is before us right now, what is the instant case if you want, is the flood control projects.

But I’m sure now that we have opened ourselves to all of this sumbong, then of course, hindi natin basta’t puwedeng pabayaan. Sinasabi na may kalsada rito dalawampung kilometro, ang laki-laki nang binayad, sira-sira naman. Eh siyempre kailangan din natin tingnan ‘yan.  Hindi naman natin puwedeng pabayaan.

But right now, I have to say because we have to focus our resources properly para maging maayos at kumpleto ang ating imbestigasyon, we will focus for now, for now, on the flood control projects.

Q: Sir, pahabol po, sir. Happy birthday, sir. May we know po, sir, kung ano ‘yung wish ninyo sa gitna ng mga isyung kinakaharap ninyo ngayon?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Hindi naman nagbabago ‘yung mga birthday wish ko mula noong simula hanggang ngayon na naging Pangulo ako, at iyon na nga, maging maayos ang buhay ng bawat Pilipino, na maituloy natin lahat ng ating proyekto para matulungan lalong-lalo na ‘yung mga mahihirap. At ganoon pa rin hindi talaga nagbabago: Sana maabot natin ‘yung aking – at aabutin natin – ‘yung aking pinapangarap na wala ng gutom na Pilipino.

Q: Mr. President, good morning po. Paano niyo po hina-handle ‘yung mga alingasngas ngayon sa House pati na rin po sa Senate kasi may impression po ‘yung publiko na magulo ‘yung pulitika ngayon. So, paano niyo po ito iha-ihandle?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Kailan ba hindi naging magulo ang pulitika?

Matagal na akong namumulitika never naging ano ‘yan… Kasi it’s an adversarial process. So, you cannot expect na everybody will agree with everybody.

Talagang may – mayroon diyan namumulitika lang. Basta ayaw lang nila doon sa tao. Kahit  tama ‘yung ginagawa, hindi tama ‘yan, hindi tama.

Mayroon naman talaga hindi naniniwala na tama ‘yung ginagawa. Mas maganda ‘yung idea nila. So, there will always be that kind of a push and pull. Laging may tension na ganoon. But that’s the process.

Kaya natin ginagawa ‘yan para marinig natin ang lahat ng boses ng lahat ng tao na interesado sa kung anomang isyu ‘yan.

So, it’s always… And besides, what we are doing here are very – this has been from the very start of this administration, matagal ko nang ginagamit ‘yung salitang “structural.” We are making structural changes. We are not doing business as usual.

And so, that will necessarily because it is structural and we are changing the basic — basically the way of doing things.

For example, all of this system na may ganitong porsiyento sa flood control, may ganito sa project, papalitan — pinapalitan natin ‘yan.

So, inevitably talagang that’s disruptive. But if we don’t do this, ano ang haharapin natin? Tuloy-tuloy na lang ‘yung ganito?

Eh mahirap naman siguro pagka umalis ako dito sa posisyon at hindi ko naman – wala akong nagawa para pagandahin ang sistema, eh wala – wala akong – hindi ko sasabihin successful ang naging administrasyon ko.

Q: Sir, just a follow up, Mr. President. Na-mention niyo kanina within 48 hours ia-announce niyo na po ‘yung leadership o ‘yung structure ng independent commission. May we know, may hint po ba kung ano or sino ‘yung magiging – ‘yung magle-lead nitong independent commission?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: You have to try [inaudible] I suppose.

Pero hindi that would be, that would be… Kasi kung may sinabi ako ngayon na hindi pa final, eh ‘di ang daming mag-speculate, ah si ganito o si ganyan, si ganyan kasi ganito. Tapos mali, I have to change it again.

So, mag-a-announce ako buo. All the powers and authority of the independent commission that we have agreed upon and the membership of that commission.

Like one of the issues that are being talked about now are the powers. Anong powers ang ibibigay. Sa aming ano is that we will… They need to have subpoena powers para makatawag sila ng witness.

Ngayon may suggestion na bigyan din ng contempt powers of – to declare non-appearance or a lying witness in contempt.

This is an investigative commission. So, they are not there to actually mete out punishment to whoever. They are there to find out the facts. Kung ano ang findings nila, eh dadalhin ngayon nila sa DOJ, dadalhin nila sa Ombudsman o kung saan.

At kung hindi pa sila mag-appear, hindi pa sila sumagot doon sa akusasyon sa kanila o hindi sila nag-appear para mag-testify, eh doon sila mako-contempt.

But I don’t think that’s the role of the commission. The commission needs a subpoena power to compel people to come, and to testify, and to provide information to the commission.

Q: Good morning, sir. With the recent revelation over the internal dealings on the contractors lending –

PRESIDENT MARCOS: I’m sorry. You’re a little far from the mic.

Q: Yes, good morning again, Mr. President. With the recent revelation over the internal dealings on the contractors lending licenses for ghost projects, will you press the Senate to expedite –

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Will I pass the — ?

Q: Press.

[Senate daw po.]

PRESIDENT MARCOS: For?

Q: Will you press the Senate to expedite

their investigations on the matter or will you consider letting the Senate move at its own pace?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: We are co-equal and independent of each other. I cannot press the Senate to do anything.

I can only talk to the senators and say, “this is what I considered to be our priority. I hope you agree. Lakarin natin, ayusin natin, trabahuhin natin.”

But what pressure can I ever provide – can I ever put on the senators for that matter?

Well, I think it’s very clear to everyone that this is important to me, to the administration, that we conduct these investigations properly and thoroughly. And I think everyone is in agreement that this is something that we have to do.

So, let’s just put it that way. And I think that there is no need for pressure coming from the President because the situation as it stands now there is immense pressure from the public, which is much, much, much more important than anything that the President can do.

Q: Yes, sir, last question. Can the government reliably suit itself with more future partners in contractors as surely the present events that have transpired ultimately means that there has been a breakdown in public trust and confidence in contracted projects by the government, in rethinking the administration’s relationship with contractors, how could this reassure the public on the part of the government’s projects?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: I have said it before and I’ll say it again, ang sistema ng – of governance in the Philippines is well laid out. The laws are there, the rules are there, the IRRs are all there.

But the only reason na nagkaganito is hindi na sinusundan. Everybody is looking the other way kasi masyadong maraming kasabwat na. Everybody got involved na in this whole thing eh. Ang dami nang nasama eh.

So, ‘yung mga dapat sisitahin, “hindi tama ‘yang ginagawang ‘yan,” eh tumatanggap na eh. So, kasama na sila.

So, the rules are still in place but we haven’t been following them. The laws are in place but we haven’t been following them. Iyon ang problema doon.

And we haven’t been following them apparently it turns out for at least 21 years. Because the date we keep seeing is 2003. So, 21 years ng ganito. So, it got worse and worse and worse and worse.

And the shocking part of this is that it became normalized. “Hindi ganyan talaga eh.” “Ganyan talaga ang patakbo eh.” Pumayag naman ‘yung mga iba.

Eh ako hindi ako papayag. Hindi talaga — hindi ganyan ang patakbo. Hindi dapat ganyan ang patakbo. Hindi ganyan basta’t sinasagasaan ang batas, sinasagasaan ang mga rules and regulation, hindi sinusundan ‘yung mga IRR. O ‘yung IRR ginagawa kahit na it is contradictory to the actual law. The rules are made to put together to implement and to enforce that law.

That’s the actual situation there. We do not need new regulations. We do not need new procedures. All that we should be doing is return to the proper procedures, following the regulations, following the law. Eh pagka ganoon, maayos ang patakbo.

But you know, we have gotten into this terrible habit apparently for over 20 years. And, you know, to undo 20 years of a shall we say bulok na sistema, it’s going to take – medyo… What keeps coming into my head is that we are making an omelette here, we will be breaking eggs.

Okay, maraming salamat. Thank you.

 

 

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