Q: Sir, magandang umaga.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Good morning.
Q: Meron pong lindol na nangyari kagabi. Ano po ang inyong direktiba sa ating mga iba’t ibang government offices? At kayo po ba ay bibisita sa mga lugar na naapektuhan ng bagyo?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Nakuha ko ‘yung mga last reports — were at about midnight last night. Ang intensity nung lindol was around 6. Kaya’t malakas-lakas. The epicenter was lower down. Hindi kagaya nun na nasa Abra. Pero doon na sa amin sa Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte.
But so the schools have closed for the day hangga’t matiyak na lahat ng mga school building ay safe para sa mga bata. So that was the first concern. The other concern, right now, is to make sure that power has come back.
Itong Ilocos Norte, the power has come back. Ilocos Sur, the power has come back. I’m waiting for the report from Abra. But I think parts — the last I heard, the last parts of the – of Abra province have — already have power restored.
So we have sent… Ang hinihingi ng karamihan ay tent. And the reason why is ayaw nilang — natatakot silang bumalik sa bahay nila baka pag mag-aftershock tapos mahina na ‘yung bahay nila, masaktan sila. So…
That… We’re monitoring that. We do not have a critical problem when it comes to food. Maybe, shelter. That is the most important part of the relief that we have to provide now for the people affected by the earthquake last night.
Q: Hi sir, magandang umaga po. Sir, the family of Percy Lapid is concerned about the “silence” of Malacañang regarding the case, especially now that they are receiving death threats. So may we know if you have — or what are your fresh directives to the investigators following these concerns and criticisms?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, I have been… I have been monitor — I talked to DOJ Remulla and DILG Abalos, three, four, five times a day, and each time we talk about this.
We do not have any particular directives. The police know what to do. I’ll just get in the way. Alam ko… Imbestigahan ninyo nang mabuti. Alamin natin nang mabuti kung sinong behind this. Hanggang ngayon, hindi pa natin — hindi pa tayo nakakasiguro. So we’re investigating.
The toxicology report came back and mukha talagang walang ano – walang lason o walang gamot na ibinigay doon sa namatay. So…
But he… We still — I am still not satisfied that it was natural causes. So sabi ko, tingnan niyo nang mabuti because there are ways to kill a person that do not show up in the medico legal.
So tuloy-tuloy pa ang imbestigasyon. But more importantly, is to really trace saan nanggaling ito? Who gave the order? Sino ‘yung — sino nagbigay doon sa preso na orderin ang shooter na gawin ito at bakit? That is what we are working on now.
Q: Salamat, sir.
Q: Mr. President, good morning. Several questions have been raised about several appointees particularly former Police Chief Cascolan and also director Paul Soriano. May we know the wisdom behind these appointments? And can you at least give us details of their respective mandates?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, si General Cascolan, we put him there because he has to look at – hindi naman siya… Of course, he’s not a doctor and it’s not… It’s not health issues that he has to look at that’s why he doesn’t have to be a doctor. He’s going to look at the function of the DOH.
We talked about rightsizing. We talked about structural changes. ‘Yun, we need somebody to examine what is — what has been going on. Ano ‘yun maganda, ano ‘yung hindi maganda, ano ‘yung pwedeng mas maayos. That will be his function kaya special concerns.
‘Yung kay Paul Soriano, people have misunderstood. He’s not there to be part of the PR machine. He’s there to find ways to promote the creative industry kasi doon siya galing eh.
So pinagmamalaki… Kasama ‘yan sa tourism. Pinagmamalaki natin. Ang gagaling kumanta ng Pilipino. Ang gagaling umarte. Ang gagaling gumawa ng sine, et cetera, et cetera. We have to project that to the rest of the world. ‘Yan ang trabaho ni Paul.
So I hope that clarifies that.
Q: Thank you for clarifying sir. Just a follow-up question on General Cascolan. Do you have a direct order for the former PNP chief to trace possible syndicates within the DOH, particularly when it come…
PRESIDENT MARCOS: To? Sorry, to create?
Q: To trace possible syndicates in the DOH, particularly in the procurement of several products, which we had some problems in the past.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, that — that’s part of his work. Kung may lumabas na ganyan, he will have to report it to us and we will have to do something about it. But, generally, it is an administrative audit, if you want to call it that.
Q: Thank you, sir.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Thank you. Maraming salamat. Good morning.
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SOURCE: OPS-PND (Presidential News Desk)
