TUESDAY NIU/DZBB: Sir, may revelation si PDEA Director- General Aaron Aquino kahapon in an interview saying that panahon ni dating BuCor Chief Ronald ‘Bato’ Dela Rosa, mayroon pa lang opisina ang PDEA at NICA sa BuCor. Meron daw silang gadget doon naririnig nila iyong conversations ng drug dealer/dealings doon ng mga convict, pero pinaalis daw sila sa BuCor, sir, ni Bato. And then comes Faeldon, nag-suggest siya na i-drug test lahat ng mga bilanggo, pero turn down ni Faeldon. Naiparating daw niya ito kay Presidente, sir, so we wonder kung ano ba ang ginawa ni Presidente sa mga revelation na ito ni Aaron Aquino, sir?
SEC. PANELO: I’ll ask him about it. But meanwhile, you must remember that there is an ongoing investigation of the Senate. So, we will have to wait for the findings of the Senate.
TUESDAY NIU/DZBB: Lumalabas, sir, sa mga revelation ni Director-General Aquino na siya na rin mismo ang nagsabi na bad blood daw sila ni Faeldon. Lumalabas, sir, na hindi nagkakasundo ang mga opisyal ni Presidente. Alam niya po ba ito na may ganitong nangyayari?
SEC. PANELO: Has Mr. Aquino submitted the memorandum to the President relative to that?
TUESDAY NIU/DZBB: Wala siyang sinabing nag-submit pero nagkausap sila.
SEC. PANELO: You have to ask him first. If he has, then we will find out what action the President did.
TUESDAY NIU/DZBB: Nagkausap daw sila, sir, one-on-one ni Presidente.
SEC. PANELO: Ask him if he has submitted the memorandum.
PIA GUTIERREZ/ABS-CBN: Sir, several senators expressed concern over the DND and AFP’s deal with Dito Telecommunity [formerly known as Mislatel] to allow the firm to put towers within military bases all over the country. Do you think na meron pong basehan iyong concerns ng Senate or sa palagay po ninyo ay parang wala naman po talaga dapat ikatakot dito?
SEC. PANELO: The DND Secretary texted me about it and said he doesn’t know anything about it and he is going to investigate and ask the concerned people involved in the deal. So, we will wait for his findings.
PIA GUTIERREZ/ABS-CBN: Sir, kasi Senator Francis Pangilinan minention niya na that the DND and NSA Hermogenes Esperon has already expressed concern over the location of POGO’s near military basis and now the AFP is already making a deal with Dito Telecommunity, iyong consortium dito, kasama iyong isang Chinese firm and expressed concerns na baka daw po magamit iyon for espionage.
SEC. PANELO: I’m sure the DND Secretary and Mr. Esperon will be undertaking measures to respond to that concerns.
PIA GUTIERREZ/ABS-CBN: Because if ever sir na may basis iyong mga concerns na ganito, kasi nagkapirmahan na eh. Can the AFP… parang puwede ba nilang iwanan itong deal na ito?
SEC. PANELO: Certainly, if it involves national security then this government can do something about it.
CHONA YU/RADO INQUIRER: Sir, Vice President Leni Robredo said na you should talk first to the President before saying anything sa media, kasi magkaiba daw kayo ng sinasabi like in the case of West Philippine Sea doon sa arbitral ruling, the President said that he will set aside the arbitral ruling and yet you said, he won’t.
SEC. PANELO: Firstly, we talk before I issue a statement. Secondly, the problem with them is that they do not listen to official statements issued by this office. You remember when we were in China, I particularly read the transcript containing the language of the President how he conveyed the message of the arbitral ruling. In fact, that was read again by Mr. Locsin in the Senate, it’s the same message. They are always finding fault to what the President says. When he makes an official statement that is the statement. Now, he speaks of a setting aside, what he really meant was just lay it aside for a while, as he said repeatedly there was an agreement to peacefully negotiate, but we have to talk with other concerns that are mutually beneficial to both countries. They are always finding fault to the language of the President, they are not listening to what he has made officially in many statements he made after the visit.
CHONA YU/RADIO INQUIRER: Sir, how open po ‘yung line of communications n’yo ni President kasi there are issues na ‘pag tinatanong namin, hindi mo agad nasasagot?
SEC. PANELO: Important issues, we talk. If there are minor issues, we don’t.
USEC. IGNACIO: Questions? May follow-up dun? Other issue, Bella.
BELLA CARIASO/BANDERA: Sir, good afternoon! Sir, regarding doon sa African Swine Fever, sir—
SEC. PANELO: The what? The what?
BELLA CARIASO/BANDERA: African Swine Fever, sir.
SEC. PANELO: Oh, yeah.
BELLA CARIASO/BANDERA: A-S-F—ASF. Sir, ‘yung discovery nung pag-dump ng fifty-six pigs sa Marikina River and then almost a dozen sa Barangay Silangan and then we have cases sa Pampanga and Bulacan. Can we still say na the DA is ano—the situation is under control by the DA?
SEC. PANELO: O, de—
BELLA CARIASO/BANDERA: Parang lumalaki kasi ‘yung problem on ASF.
SEC. PANELO: Definitely because the DFA has—
MPC: DA.
SEC. PANELO: No, rather the Department of Agriculture has really made specific areas where that disease is contained, meaning in Rodriguez, Antipolo and one part of Bulacan. Those are the only areas and you said it’s safe and in fact, they ate the meat as I did every day.
BELLA CARIASO/BANDERA: No, sir, it—-doon sa discovery sa Barangay Silangan it is in Quezon City, sir eh. Meaning, nakapasok na dito sa Metro Manila ‘yung ASF. So, ang assurance sa public kung mayroon man eh are we still safe in eating pork products, sir? Kasi nandito na sa Metro Manila ‘yung ASF eh.
SEC. PANELO: What you’re saying is the—these pigs, the dead pigs, were brought here via the river, right? Marikina River?
BELLA CARIASO/BANDERA: No, sir. I’m talking about Barangay Silangan, sir. Mayroong separate case doon eh. May mga backyard hog raisers doon na nagtapon din ng patay na baboy sa ilog, sir.
SEC. PANELO: Tinapon sa ilog?
BELLA CARIASO/BANDERA: Yes, sir. Eleven—actually, eleven sila, sir; eleven na patay na baboy. So, may cases na dito sa atin, sir eh. Ang Marikina River dito rin naman sa atin sa Metro Manila.
SEC. PANELO: I’m sure the Department of Agriculture will take care of that.
BELLA CARIASO/BANDERA: Sir, going back doon sa pag-dump nung mga dead pigs, sir. Sir, parang it is a case of ignorance sa part ng mga backyard hog raisers kasi kung tayo dito nagkakaroon ng live broadcast, pero sila wala silang form of parang information sa kung ano talaga ‘yung ASF. So. hindi ba dapat i-order ng DILG sa mga local government particular sa mga barangay officials to mag-house-to-house para ma-inform sila kung anong dapat gawin in case na mayroong mga cases of dead pigs—
SEC. PANELO: By this time, those areas have been informed what they should do relative to that.
BELLA CARIASO/BANDERA: Pero sir, para kasing dino-downplay natin ‘yung problem. Like dito sa Quezon City, mayroong incidence between Mayor Joy Belmonte and Secretary Dar wherein nagulat si Secretary Dar kahapon sa kaniyang statement na nag-announce si Mayor Belmonte na ASF nga yung cases nung mga nakuhang baboy doon sa Barangay Silangan. And wala ba tayong order sa mga local government na magkaroon ng—ilaan or ipaubaya sa DA ang announcement in case kasi it took more than weeks for the DA to confirm na mayroong ASF nga sa bansa while si Mayor Belmonte it took her one day para ma-c0nfirm na ASF nga ‘yung nakita sa Barangay Silangan?
SEC. PANELO: As I’ve said, the Department of Agriculture is taking care of that.
BELLA CARIASO/BANDERA: So, sir, you are confident na safe pa rin iyong meat natin despite dito sa latest cases dito sa Metro Manila?
SEC. PANELO: The DA said it is, and so it is.
INA ANDOLONG/CNN PHILS: Sir, just a little … ipa-paraphrase ko lang nang konti iyong points niya. Don’t you think that the DA spoke too soon when it said that it had the problem contained in Rizal and Bulacan?
SEC. PANELO: I do not think so. They’re the ones who investigated the incident, and so their statements were based in their findings.
INA ANDOLONG/CNN PHILS: And yet, it turned out that they weren’t able to contain it because there were confirmed cases days later—
SEC. PANELO: You mean one case, not cases.
INA ANDOLONG/CNN PHILS: No, several pigs, sir, in Quezon City.
SEC. PANELO: (Unclear) in Quezon City?
Q: [OFF MIC]
SEC. PANELO: No, Marikina—there is none in Marikina because it has been stopped there according to the Mayor.
INA ANDOLONG/CNN PHILS: Well, sir, hindi nga na-contain doon sa Rizal at saka sa Bulacan as earlier mentioned. There are clearly confirmed cases in Quezon City. So what is that say about the DA’s earlier pronouncements that they had the situation handled?
SEC. PANELO: As far as they’re concerned, they handled it properly. If there are isolated cases in one place, then they will take care of that.
INA ANDOLONG/CNN PHILS: Don’t you see the need to—will the Palace be ordering the DA to come up with a better assessment of the situation perhaps?
SEC. PANELO: There’s no need for any directive from the Palace simply because the DA Secretary knows what he is going to do. He’s been tasked to do it, and he is doing it.
INA ANDOLONG/CNN PHILS: Sir, I’d just like to get your thoughts nga, iyong binanggit din ni Bella kanina. After Mayor Joy Belmonte announced it, the DA Secretary said that he preferred that the announcement actually came from them. As far as the Palace is concerned, ano ba dapat ang gawin ng mayor, halimbawa, may naka-confirm na cases ng ASF, is he or she supposed to hold off on telling the public or their constituents about it and let the DA do the talking only?
SEC. PANELO: Well, the better action would be to call the DA Secretary first so that he would know exactly what is happening in one particular place.
INA ANDOLONG/CNN PHILS: So no announcement should be made by the LGU, or kapag ma-inform, and then tsaka i-announce ng mayor then?
SEC. PANELO: Both of them can discuss, and then they can both announce.
NESTOR CORRALES/INQUIRER.NET: Sir, the University of the Philippines Diliman will start to offer martial law as a subject next semester. May we have Malacañang’s reaction on this?
SEC. PANELO: That’s good if it’s a subject matter; every student should know and learn any subject that concerns governance.
INA ANDOLONG/CNN PHILS: Sir, in Saudi Arabia there were drone attacks on some oil production facilities and some are worried that this might affect local oil supply. Is there any assurance or statement from the Palace about this?
SEC. PANELO: We’re waiting for the report of the Secretary of National Defense, as well as the National Security Adviser on that.
INA ANDOLONG/CNN PHILS: As far as Malacañang is concerned, sapat po ba or should this have an immediate effect on our local supply?
SEC. PANELO: That’s why I said we will have to wait for the report the DND Secretary and the National Security Adviser so that we can respond properly.
INA ANDOLONG/CNN PHILS: Not DOE, sir?
SEC. PANELO: Including DOE, Energy.
MARICEL HALILI/TV5: Hi, sir. Good morning. Sir, based on the latest report of the Philippine National Police, there’s more than 400 inmate daw iyong sumuko na napalaya through GCTA law. And medyo malapit na rin kasi iyong deadline, I think that would be on September 19. So what’s the directive of Malacañang kasi out of 2,000, more or less, nasa 400 pa lang iyong sumusuko?
SEC. PANELO: As the President said when the 15-day deadline lapses then they will be deemed to be fugitives from justice and they can be arrested.
MARICEL HALILI/TV5: Do you find this a cause of concern, sir, considering na nagbigay na ng announcement si Presidente that they will be considered as fugitives and yet hindi pa rin ganoon kalaki iyong sumusuko?
SEC. PANELO: The fact is there are 400 of them coming in; could be that others may not have known of the deadline. But just the same, the order of the President remains.
MARICEL HALILI/TV5: The President also mentioned that he’ll study the possibility of putting bounty on each of inmates, about a million per head. So mayroon na po bang decision si Presidente about this?
SEC. PANELO: He hasn’t made an official statement of that except giving that as an idea.
MARICEL HALILI/TV5: So wala pang final, sir?
SEC. PANELO: Wala pa.
USEC IGNACIO: Okay. Thank you, MPC. Thank you, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo.
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SOURCE: PCOO-NIB (News and Information Bureau)
