VICKY MORALES: Sabi niyo, libo-libong pasyente ‘yung natutulungan nitong Zero Balance Billing Program niyo dahil nakaka-avail sila ng mga libreng serbisyo sa mga government hospital. But I’d like to know masu-sustain ba natin ito?
PRESIDENT FERDINAND R. MARCOS JR.: Yes. I don’t do anything that I cannot sustain. Alam mo, may – may isip akong negosyante. It has to be self-sustaining. Otherwise, it doesn’t work.
MS. MORALES: So, kaya ng budget natin?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Why – ba’t mo pa gagawin? Kasi aasa ang tao, they’ll come to depend on the service and then after 5 years, 10 years, whatever, you’ll take it away from them, ‘di ba? What’s the point of that?
So, I never do anything… Of course, believe me, if I’m – if there’s one guy that goes through the numbers in detail, it’s me. Tinitingnan talaga namin. And yes, we can sustain. We can sustain.
MS. MORALES: Kasi mahal ‘yun eh. May mga dialysis pa ako nakikita na you know, sagot ng gobyerno and all that. So, kakayanin natin.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Yes, it’s expensive. Healthcare is expensive. But what’s that money for? It’s not to be kept in the bank. It’s kept to – it’s there to spend so that people can have healthcare for free or cheap. That’s the whole point of the – of PhilHealth.
MS. MORALES: Lalo pa kung napupunta sa tama ‘no at hindi sa flood control project.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Exactly. That’s – you know, I was going to get to that. Alam mo lahat itong aming ginagawa, the subsidy for the 20 pesos per kilo rice, the zero billing program, all of the programs that – you can – people have asked me, sustainable ba ‘yan?
Basta’t ‘yung pera pumunta sa tama, lahat ‘yan kaya nating bayaran. Ganoon lang kasimple ‘yan.
MS. MORALES: Last week, binisita niyo po ‘yung Siquijor ‘no.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Oo.
MS. MORALES: Dahil nag-takeover na ‘yung gobyerno doon sa SIPCOR.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Kahapon. Oo. Oo.
MS. MORALES: Yes. Nag-takeover na ang gobyerno sa SIPCOR dahil hindi kayo happy sa services nila ‘no. Kahit hindi pa deadline, parang inunahan niyo na at tinanggal niyo na sa kanila ‘yung services na ito.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Sabi ko, hindi na tayo puwedeng mag-antay. Kawawa ang tao eh. So sabi ko, kunin na natin, tayo na magpatakbo.
Ang NEA na ang magpatakbo. DOE, the Department of Energy, kayo na magpatakbo nito tapos isama ninyo ‘yung – ‘yung local [electric] cooperative. Between all of you, patakbuhin ninyo na ‘yan para may kuryente na.
So now, they have – nagdala pa kami ng generator. Pati ‘yung tangke ng krudo, kami pa ang nagdala eh dahil sira-sira. Basta’t hindi ginagawa. So now, mayroon silang excess capacity, I was there yesterday, maayos naman ang patakbo.
MS. MORALES: Sabi ng SIPCOR, they will resort to legal means?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: ‘Yung mahalaga sa akin eh magkaroon ng kuryente. So gagawin ko kung anong kailangan kong gawin para magkaroon ng kuryente.
MS. MORALES: Paano ‘yung mga ibang electric cooperative na medyo poor service din, are – dapat ba matakot na rin sila?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: The electric cooperatives were created with the consumers as members. ‘Yun ang concept behind that. So that lahat ng kumukuha ng kuryente doon sa electric cooperative na ‘yan, miyembro sila.
So ‘yun ang – ang trabaho lang ng electric cooperative ay kumuha ng kuryente sa national grid at i-distribute sa local.
Over the years, ang mga nilagay sa board ng electric cooperative, political appointee. Walang alam doon sa patakbo ng electric cooperative, kaya nagkaganiyan.
Every time you make it political, the competence level drops. I’m sorry. But that’s the – that’s the fact of the matter.
MS. MORALES: Pati ‘yung water services as well, ‘no? I mean –
PRESIDENT MARCOS: That’s another very big problem.
MS. MORALES: We’ve seen problems there as well.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: That’s another very big problem.
MS. MORALES: Oo.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Dahil we have these big service providers supposed to be, pero hindi maayos na naman ang patakbo. You have areas that are very close to Manila that do not have water for 12 hours a day.
MS. MORALES: Binanggit niyo kanina na ‘pag pinapasukan ng politiko, medyo nagkaka-problema. Eh may hinanakit ba kayo sa mga Villar? Kasi it so happens lang, naalala ko ‘yung Prime Water and Sipcor, both owned by the Villar family.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: None of this is personal, you know. They are friends of mine and I respect them. But we have to fix the problem.
Ako naman is just, we have to fix the problem. People have to have electricity. People have to have water. So whatever the reason is, let’s fix it. Let’s fix it. Let’s just fix it. Help me. Help me fix it. I cannot fix it on my own. You need to help me.
MS. MORALES: Okay. Pag-usapan naman natin si dating PNP chief, Nick Torre. Ano ba talaga ‘yung dahilan kung bakit siya natanggal sa puwesto? Sabi raw – ‘yung mga sabi-sabi, may mga gusto siyang ibalik sa PNP na hindi naman dapat.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Hindi, hindi ganoon. Napaka-simple lang. Hindi talaga sila magkasundo ng NAPOLCOM. Talaga sinasabi niya: Hindi ko – I don’t agree with what they do.
Eh pinapaliwanag – nag-uusap nga kami, sabi ko, hindi, sabi ko, Chain of Command ‘yan eh, that’s the civilian authority. Hindi mo puwedeng hindi-an ‘yan. Sabi niya, “Hindi ko talaga kayang gawin.”
Sabi ko, “Ire-relieve kita”. Sabi niya, “What can I do?”
I think he was also like a good commander who was protecting his people.
MS. MORALES: So wala namang loss of confidence on your part?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: No, he did such a… Eh ang galing na pulis.
MS. MORALES: Pinuri niyo pa sa SONA.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Ang galing niyang pulis – ang galing na pulis.
MS. MORALES: Oo. Yes.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Talaga. So, ‘di, don’t worry, I… Ako, pagka may nakilala ako na marunong na ganiyan, it just has to find his niche kung ano ba talaga ‘yung – well, specialty niya is police work. And so we’ll find a way to avail of his talents.
MS. MORALES: So, it’s not because may gusto siyang ipasok. I think I heard General Medina, he wanted to bring back General Medina to the PNP whereas dati nang natanggal itong si General Medina –
PRESIDENT MARCOS: No, there was nothing –
MS. MORALES: Dahil nga sa involvement sa illegal drugs?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Walang ganoon. There was nothing.
MS. MORALES: Walang ganoon? Okay.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Do we have a position in mind already for Nick Torre?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Let me tell him first before I tell you.
MS. MORALES: Clue! Clue! [laughs]
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Ikaw talaga, you and your clues. [laughs]
MS. MORALES: Dito ba? Kasama ba sa ma – ano – independent body or –?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Ewan ko.
MS. MORALES: Oh sige, sige. Okay.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Abangan ang susunod na kabanata.
MS. MORALES: Ay, hirap naman, walang clue. Initials?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: I’m making you work for your living. [laughs]
MS. MORALES: [laughs] Okay, okay. Pag-usapan na lang natin ‘yung pagka -Ombudsman.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Yeah.
MS. MORALES: Natapos na po ‘yung mga interview sa pagka-Ombudsman, mayroon –
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Not yet. Not yet.
MS. MORALES: Ah, hindi pa?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Nag-i-interview pa sila.
MS. MORALES: Ah, okay, okay, sige. So – so far, may napupusuan na ba tayong kapalit ni Justice Martires?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: No. We – we’re not at that point yet. Wala pa tayo doon. Antayin natin ‘yung proseso at they – as I said, hindi pa tapos ‘yung mga interview. Pagkatapos ng mga interview, tingnan natin, kausapin natin ang judicial court and see what they have to say.
MS. MORALES: Isa sa mga aplikante si Secretary Remulla, ‘no?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Oo.
MS. MORALES: Pero hinaharang po ng kapatid niyong si Senator Imee dahil sinasabi niyang parang part of a bigger plan para ipakulong sina VP Sara and the Duterte allies. Ano pong reaksyon niyo rito?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: No, this is because we have to appoint an ombudsman. Titingnan natin kung ano ‘yung recommendation, ano ‘yung findings, etcetera, and then the decision will be made.
MS. MORALES: Mr. President, sa lahat ng kinakaharap niyong problema ‘no? Ano ‘yung birthday wish niyo? Ano ‘yung gusto niyong mangyari?
May programa kaming Wish Ko Lang baka sakaling kaya naming tuparin. Baka ma-afford namin. [laughs]
PRESIDENT MARCOS: No, simple lang naman ang aking mga ano eh, mga hangarin sa – lalo na dito para sa administrasyon na ito, matapos namin lahat ng aming ginagawa or… Siyempre marami diyan, hindi talaga matatapos sa anim na taon. Kaya sana masimulan lang para sa – kahit papaano, sa susunod na administrasyon ay matutuloy dahil sayang naman at maganda naman ang nagiging resulta.
Maganda ang takbo ng ekonomiya, maganda ang – mataas ang tingin sa atin ng ating mga – ng ating mga kaibigan sa buong mundo, mataas ang tingin sa Pilipinas at lalo pang mas mataas ang tingin sa Pilipino.
You have to – you – alam mo lahat, kahit saan ako pumunta,
lahat, unang-una sasabihin: Ang gagaling ng mga Pilipino doon sa amin.
Ang mga hari, mga presidente, mga prime minister, lagi: Sana mayroon pa, magpadala pa kayo. Magpadala pa kayo ng Pilipino para tutulong sa amin.
And ‘yan ang talagang – that’s where the – perfect ‘yung expression na nakakataba ng puso.
MS. MORALES: Thank you very much, Mr. President. And more power to you.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Thank you, Vicky.
MS. MORALES: Yes.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Thank you very much.
MS. MORALES: Thank you so much.
— END —
