Interview

Media Interview with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. following the Ceremonial Signing of Memorandum of Agreement on the Kapatid Angat Lahat Agri Program

Event Media Interview with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. following the Ceremonial Signing of MOA of KALAP
Location Malacañan Palace in Manila

Q: Sir, magandang hapon po. Sir, Maricel Halili po from TV-5. Sir, magkakasunod po ‘yung naging pagpatay sa government officials and the most recent was Governor Degamo. What are your thoughts on this? Ano po ‘yung direktiba ninyo sa mga law enforcers?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, actually ang sinabi ko sa ating Secretary Abalos and the PNP is to now make an examination kagaya ‘yung ating ginagawa kapag darating ang eleksiyon kung saan ang hotspot. Sabi ko gawin niyo ulit ngayon bago – don’t think of the election first, but think kung ano ‘yung mga hotspot na mainit na mga lugar at tingnan natin.

Ang usual naman talaga na dapat gawin diyan ay hanapin ‘yung illegal firearms. Basta’t walang illegal – basta’t kakaunti ang illegal firearms, kakaunti ‘yung ganyang klaseng krimen. ‘Yan ‘yung mga private army na ganyan kailangan talagang i-dismantle lahat ‘yan.

So that’s what we have asked them to do. They… So far, maganda naman ang nagiging imbestigasyon. Marami silang nakukuhang information so mabilis naman ang paghuli sa ating mga suspects.

Sa ngayon, mayroon pa rin tayo in hot pursuit kasi mayroon – basta’t sinara nila ‘yung area and they are conducting what is referred to as a dragnet kung saan talaga dahan-dahan, kung mayroon pa ay iniipit sa isang lugar. So that’s – that’s what’s happening now.

Again, the killing of Governor Degamo is entirely unacceptable and it will not stand. Hindi… This cannot be – this cannot go unpunished.

Q: Sir, puwede pong mag-follow up? Mayroon lang pong request si Congressman Arnie Teves na baka raw puwede siyang mabigyan ng protection but kasi because of the political angle doon sa pagpatay kay Governor Degamo.

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Oh, I think every – right now, everybody talagang binibigyan namin ng proteksyon. We don’t know – we don’t have details yet baka mayroon kung sinoman who feels aggrieved or whatever na – whatever. Siyempre mainit ngayon ‘yan, mainit ang – the emotions are running high.

So I have asked our joint – mayroon tayong joint na ano ‘yung army at saka ‘yung pulis, and between them – I said just keep your presence known, felt para walang – hindi magkagulo. So far naman we have not heard of any instances or kung mayroong nababalitaan na may planong gawin, wala naman tayong nababalitaang ganoon.

Q: Sir, Ivan of GMA Integrated News. Sinasabi po ng PNP itong serye ng mga pag-atakeng ito every time ay isolated incident. Sang-ayon po ba kayo na isolated incident? And also alarming po ba sa inyo especially the brazenness in which this one against Governor Degamo was carried out?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: It was shocking. I couldn’t believe that this still happened. Pinasok ba naman ‘yung sarili niyang bahay. At saka when you see the video, talagang lahat basta’t naharap sa kanila babarilin nila. Ilan ang pinatay nila walang kinalaman doon sa kanilang gulo, kanilang away.

So yes, this one is particularly terrifying and really – I don’t know. I… This does not belong in our society. Hindi na puwede ‘yung mga ganyan kaya’t hindi natin pababayaan na hangga’t…

Q: Hindi na rin isolated, sir?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: I’m sorry?

Q: Not anymore – not isolated?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Actually if you think of the three cases –

Q: Five, sir, actually.

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, I know – the three cases that first came, iba-iba talaga. But then, they started to become political. Iyong dalawa – ‘yung first two of the three were actually baka hindi political basta… But the… Ito this is purely political, ‘yung kay Kuya Roel. That’s purely, purely political.

Yes so… Yes, we – that’s why we are looking and getting all the best intelligence we can from our people on the ground to tell us where are the places we should be looking at, where do we need more people, where do we need more personnel, who are the personalities involved, et cetera, all of these things, so we get a good read on the intelligence.

Q: Hi sir, good afternoon. Allan sir from PTV. You just had a talk with the oldest farmer, what have you discussed so far, sir?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Tinatanong ko kung ano ‘yung kinakain niya kasi I want to live that long also and be that strong when I’m his age. No what he was telling me was that nakilala raw niya ‘yung father ko. And he was saying so ngayon dalawa na ‘yung nakilala kong Pangulong Marcos.

Iyon lang naman ang sabi niya. Tapos sabi ko – I asked him where was he, how did he meet my father kasi mukhang outstanding farmer na siya noon pa kaya medyo lumabas na. So lumabas na ‘yung pangalan niya. Pero ngayon naging oldest farmer pa siya.

So yes, it was… I could talk to him for a long time. He’s a very, very interesting man. He has stories he could tell. But in a little time we had I think we enjoyed ourselves.

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