SEC. ROQUE: Magandang tanghali Pilipinas.

Nagbigay ng kaniyang regular Monday Talk to the People Address kagabi po si Presidente Rodrigo Roa Duterte sa Siyudad ng Davao. Ito po iyong ilan sa mga salient points:

• Naghahanda na ang Department of Health ng isang contingency plan para sa isang post-holiday surge. Mas mabuti nang maagap, sabi nga. Sa ngayon, alam natin na ang Christmas season ay isang masayang okasyon sa Pilipinas kung saan marami ang pagtitipon, pagkikita-kita at reunions ng mga miyembro ng pamilya at mahal sa buhay. Huwag kakalimutan ang minimum health protocol ng pamahalaan sa inyong unang narinig dito sa Office of the Presidential Spokesperson ang mask, hugas and iwas.
• Ini-report din kagabi ng ating Vaccine Czar Secretary Carlito Galvez, na nakipag-usap na ang pamahalaan sa vaccine manufacturers na Sinovac, AstraZeneca at Pfizer; ang pang-apat po ay iyong Russian vaccine. Kung magiging matagumpay ang pag-uusap, sa susunod na tao ay magkakaroon na tayo ng animnapung milyon na doses of vaccine laban sa coronavirus.
• Mayroon ba hong budget at saan kukunin ang pera? May nakalaan na sapat na pondo po rito ayon kay Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez. Seventy-three point two billion pesos ang inilaan o ilalaan na pera ng pamahalaan sa pagbili ng bakuna. Forty billion ay manggagaling sa multilateral agencies tulad ng World Bank at Asian Development Bank; 20 billion naman po ay sa domestic sources tulad ng Landbank, Development Bank of the Philippines, at government-owned and controlled corporations or GOCCs; at 13.2 billion ay manggagaling sa bilateral sources. Mayroon pa po tayong 2.5 na nakasaad sa ating pantaunang budget at mayroon pa tayong 10 billion na reserve galing po sa 2020 budget.
• Ang cost ng COVID-19 vaccine, dagdag ni Secretary Dominguez, ay nasa 25 dollars or 1,200 bawat tao. Saan aabot ang 73.2 billion? Sa animnapung milyong Pilipino, sapat na para magkaroon ng herd immunity na tinatawag.
• Ito naman po ang vaccine distribution strategy ayon kay Vaccine Czar Secretary Carlito Galvez: Bibigyan prayoridad siyempre po ang COVID-19 hotspots gaya ng Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao, Bacolod at iba pang mga lugar. From geographical, magiging sectoral. Mula sa mga nasabing lugar ay tatargetin ang mga mahihirap, iyong mga 4Ps beneficiaries na nandiyan na po ang listahan, mga indigents at vulnerable sectors, health workers, ang militar at kapulisan at iba pang mga frontlines.
• Inaprubahan din kagabi ng Pangulo ang pag-release ng pangalawa, pangalawang 1.5 billion augmentation funds para sa mga lokal na pamahalaan na tinamaan ng Bagyong Ulysses. Mayroon pa po ito, bukod pa po ito sa standby augmentation na 500 million bawat isa para ma-cover ang incremental augmentation ng calamity funds ng LGUs na naapektuhan ng mga Bagyong Quinta, Rolly at Bagyong Ulysses.

Makikita sa slide na ito ang comparative damages and affected population ng mga Bagyong Quinta, Rolly at Ulysses. Makikita po natin na ang cost of damages ng Quinta and Rolly ay 22,097,811,179 na nakaapekto sa 3,225,525 individuals. Sa Typhoon Ulysses naman po, ang danyos ay 12,904,933,650.28 na nakaapekto sa 3,997,034 individuals.

Ito na po iyong mga nabigyan ng naunang 1.5 billion pesos. Karamihan po sa Bicolandia at saka sa CALABARZON. Kasama na rin po diyan ang Masbate, Romblon, Palawan at saka ang Camarines Norte.

Samantala, iyong pinirmahan po kahapon ni Presidente na pangalawang 1.5 billion para sa lokal na pamahalaan, kasama na po diyan iyong mga nasa Central Luzon gaya ng Bulacan at saka iyong mga nasa Region II gaya ng Cagayan, Isabela. Nabigyan din po ang Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Camarines Sur, Quezon at Bayan ng Rizal, Laguna, Camarines Norte, Pangasinan, Nueva Vizcaya, Tarlac, Aurora, Cavite, Ilocos Norte, Quezon, Batangas, Sorsogon, Marikina, Manila, Bataan at Masbate.

Taliwas sa mga sinasabi ng kritiko sa panahon ng kalamidad at sakuna, walang pinipili at hindi namumulitika ang administrasyong Duterte. Maliwanag pa sa sikat ng araw, lahat ay pantay-pantay; lahat ay mabibigyan, kaalyado man o hindi, bumoto man o hindi.

Binasa rin ng Presidente ang mga pangalan ng ilan na nasibak mula sa hanay ng BIR. Nasa tatlondaan na po ang mga opisyal at empleyado ng pamahalaan ang natanggal sa serbisyo dahil sa kanilang mga iligal na gawain. Ito lang ang administrasyon kung saan ang polisiya sa mabuting pamamahala or good governance ay sibak, sibak, sibak.

Kaugnay nito, nanawagan ang Pangulo sa publiko na i-report kung mayroon silang nalalaman na katiwalian. Sa tinatawag na petty graft, may sampung libong pisong pabuya sa tipsters, iingatan ang inyong pagkatao at hindi makukompromiso ang inyong kaligtasan.

Kanina nabanggit ko ang post-holiday season surge ‘no, naglabas ang DOH ng isang Circular 2020-0355 para siguraduhin na sa darating na holiday season ay mapapanatili natin ang minimum public health standards. Nakasaad sa circular ang ligtas, katamtaman ang panganib at mataas ang panganib na mga gawain ngayong Kapaskuhan. Makikita ninyo ito sa isang infographics, isa-isa ko itong babasahin.

Ang mga ligtas:

• Pagdalo sa online masses.
• Noche Buena o Media Noche kasama ang pamilya sa loob ng tahanan.
• Online video calls sa mga pamilyang magkalayo ngayong holiday season.
• Pamimili sa online stores.

Ang katamtamang panganib:

• Maliliit na pagtitipon sa labas o public areas alinsunod sa physical distancing at restrictions on mass gatherings.

Ang mataas na panganib naman:

• Pisikal na pagdalo sa mga indoor religious activities na maraming attendees.
• Singing, speaking loudly and physical contact.
• Pamimili sa masisikip na tiangge at mall.
• Malalaking pagtitipon sa loob ng gusali.

Punta naman po tayo sa ating COVID-19 updates. Ito po ang global update ayon sa Johns Hopkins: Higit limampu’t siyam na milyon na or 59,091,743 ang tinamaan ng COVID-19 sa buong mundo. Nasa 1,395,045 katao naman po ang binawian ng buhay dahil sa coronavirus.

Nangunguna pa rin po ang Estados Unidos na mayroong mahigit 12.3 million na mga kaso at 257,560 deaths. Pangalawa ang India na may pinakamaraming kaso ng COVID-19 sa mundo, sinusundan po ito ng Brazil, France at Russia.

Mayroon po tayo ngayong 420,614 cases as of November 23 pero sa numero ito, ang aktibong kaso ay 25,837 lamang. Now, ang recoveries po natin ay nasa 386,604 or 91.91%. Iyon ating active cases nga pala po ngayon ay only 6.14% ng lahat ng mga may kaso, at 23,666 or 91.5% are asymptomatic, mild or moderate. Samantalang 2,171 po or 8.4% ay severe or critical. Sa ating case fatality, mayroon na po tayong namatay na 8,173 or 1.94%. Nakikiramay po kaming muli.

Pagdating naman po sa ating national growth rate, makikita po natin na iyong total cases natin ay bagama’t tumataas po ‘no, hindi naman po napakalaki nang pagtaas. Ito po iyong linyang blue na nakikita ninyo ngayon. Ito po, makikita ninyo na from November 9 to November 23 or every two weeks ay three percent po ang pagtaas ng ating mga total cases.

Pagdating naman po sa active cases, makikita natin na medyo stable po ang ating active cases. Hindi masyadong dumadami, in fact, pababa po ‘no: 29,018 noong November 9, naging 27,369 noong November 16, at naging 25,837 noong November 23.

Ito naman po ang ating health system capacity indicators: Mayroon po tayong mga available beds ngayon. Iba po ang format pero susundin ko na po iyong ating nakaugalian. Kasi ito po ay TTMFs, ito po iyong mga temporary treatment and monitoring facilities. Mayroon po tayong 168,897 beds na TTMFs po ano, ito po iyong breakdown sa Luzon, Visayas at Mindanao.

Ito po iyong health system capacity indicators natin: Mayroon na po tayong 177 labs nationally at ang cumulative test na po na nagawa natin, ito po matagal ko nang hindi nari-report, nasa 5, 497, 015 ang mga total tests na nagawa na natin. Ang target po ay ten million, so mahigit kalahati na po tayo. Ang positivity rate po natin ay 9.2% at ang 7-DMA ay 31, 724 or 10%.

Ito po iyong ating mga total bed capacity: Ang ginagamit lang po ay mababa pa po. Ang total bed capacity po natin ay 20% of ABC. Ang ward beds po natin ay 6, 258; ang isolation beds ay 13, 797; ang ICU beds ay 1, 873; mechanical ventilators ay 1, 999.

Pagdating po sa utilization, makikita ninyo po mababa pa ang ating utilization. Lahat po ng ating mga kama, ward beds, isolation beds, ICU beds, mechanical ventilators ay hindi po nasa kritikal, ni hindi nga po naka-warning. Ang mga ginagamit po natin ay 29% lamang sa ward beds, 38% sa isolation beds, 44% sa isolation beds at 19% lang po ang nagagamit natin sa mechanical ventilators.

Sa NCR po, 25% lang po ang nagagamit nating ward beds, 41% ang nagagamit nating isolation beds, 41% sa ICU at 23% po sa mechanical ventilators.

Ang attack rate po natin ay bumaba from October 26 to November 8 na 1.74; ang daily attack rate po natin ay 1.48; ang ating target po ay under 1. So, malapit na po tayo diyan, ipagpatuloy po natin ang ‘Mask, Hugas, at Iwas’.

Okay, bago po tayo pumunta sa ating open forum, kasama po natin si Mr. Christian Razon Gonzalez ng ICTSI, at mamaya po kasama rin natin si Education Secretary Liling Briones.

Now, pagdating po sa usaping vaccine, nai-report po natin doon sa ating mga naunang press briefing na mayroon din tayong scheme kung saan bagama’t gobyerno po ang mag-o-order ng vaccine, ang magbabayad ay ang pribadong sektor. Isa po sa mga kumpanya na magbabayad para sa order ng Pilipinas ay ang ICTSI.

So, kasama po natin ngayon si Christian Razon Gonzalez. Mr. Gonzalez, can you tell us po ano iyong napagkasunduan ninyong mekanismo kung saan magbabayad ang private sector pero mapupunta din sa sambayanan iyong bibilhing mga bakuna. The floor is yours, Mr. Gonzalez.

MR. GONZALEZ: Salamat, Sec. First of all, happy to see you safe and I’ve been communicating with your staff. I’m also very happy to see that they are all doing well and staying safe also.

I’d like to point out that this is really an initiative of AstraZeneca, the UK Government, the Philippine Government, particularly Secretary Galvez, Secretary Dizon and the rest of the IATF and DOH. Under this, what will be a tri-party agreement, Sec., ang mangyayari dito is private sector will shoulder the cost not only of the 50% deposit for the AstraZeneca vaccine but likewise the remaining 50% once the vaccine is there which is expected now to be some time in the second quarter of 2021.

Iyong guidelines naman ho will be a separation of 50% of this vaccine will be purely for the use of DOH under what is called equitable distribution to be determined by the government. The other 50% will be for the private entity to determine. Naturally, one of the targets that we will have of course will be our own employees. But in the case of ICTSI, we strongly believe that some of the key essential services’ members that really made the biggest impact specially at the beginning of the pandemic were iyong mga empleyado ng Philippine Ports Authority, Bureau of Customs and other essential frontline port and logistics workers.

So, ang magiging emphasis namin for the remaining 50% of the RR share of the AstraZeneca vaccine that is delivered will be for those essential logistics service providers and of course as I mentioned, the employees of ICTSI and the entire Razon Group.

SEC. ROQUE:    Okay. So, Mr. Gonzalez, ito pala po ay iyong bibilhin natin sa AstraZeneca, mayroon na ba ho tayong target kung magkano at, you don’t have to answer kung covered po ito ng confidentiality clause, pero masasabi ninyo ba ho kung ilan iyong volume na babayaran muna ng private sector – kalahati ibibigay sa gobyerno, kalahati ibibigay sa empleyado at ilang mga tauhan din ng gobyerno?

MR. GONZALEZ: From what I understand, Sec., is iyong allocation ng Pilipinas is approximately three to five million doses at saka mayroon na tayong commitments as of today for up to two million doses to be funded by the private sector. Those two million doses will cover one million people, the vast majority of whom will be government employees, frontline health workers and other essential services workers as designated by DOH and of course, some of the other essential services workers like those in logistics as I’ve mentioned.

SEC. ROQUE:    Now, itong sinabi ninyong quantity po, bukod pa po ito doon sa makukuha natin under the COVAX facility?

MR. GONZALEZ: Yes. Yes, sir, I believe. This is just a small part of what I think the government is aiming towards. Kagaya nga ng sinabi ninyo earlier, ang total budget natin is enough for 60 million Filipinos. So, this is just a way for us through this tri-party agreement again to contribute to this effort of the national government.

SEC. ROQUE:    Pero itong one million na sinasabi natin, ito ho ba ay kasama na sa 60 or is this 60 + 1?

MR. GONZALEZ: I believe kasama ito sa 60, sir.

SEC. ROQUE:    Okay. Maraming salamat, Mr. Gonzalez. Sana po you can remain with us just in case mayroon pong tanong iyong ating mga kasama sa Malacañang Press Corps. Kasama rin po natin si Secretary Liling Briones.

Ma’am, are you in the house?

SEC. BRIONES:   Yes, I’m around. Nandito po ako.

SEC. ROQUE:    Ma’am, tanong ko lang po, kahapon nag-anunsiyo si Vice President Robredo na mayroon daw siyang joint project with your department, the Department of Education kung saan magkakaroon ng face-to-face classes ang hanggang anim na mga estudyante. Ano ba ho itong programang ito, mayroon ba ho itong katotohanan dahil ang alam ko po bawal pa rin ang face-to-face classes hanggang bigyan ng okay ng ating Presidente.

The floor is yours, Secretary Briones.

SEC. BRIONES:   Tama ka, Secretary Spox, hanggang ngayon iyong policy ng President hindi pa niya binago. Very quickly i-ano ko iyong timelines sa mga pangyayari. Last August, nag-request ang Office ng Vice President na nagsasabi na sina-suggest nila iyong project na iyan. Tapos sinagot namin, humingi kami ng details, tapos on record iyan lahat at saka binigyan namin ng kopya ang President at saka ang Executive Secretary ng aming mga sagot, so, on record iyan lahat.

At ang polisiya namin dahil sinusunod namin ang utos ng Presidente, hindi natin iyan ina-allow kasi wala naman sa authority ng DepEd na mag-anunsiyo ng ganoong klase na iri-reverse natin ang sinasabi ng Presidente. Ang nangyari ay ang OVP nag-coordinate directly with the LGUs. So ang sitwasyon ngayon, Secretary Spox, halimbawa, sa Pasig, nag-coordinate sila directly with the LGU in Pasig pero one-on-one dahil hindi naman in-approve ng ating Division Superintendent iyon.

Sa Caloocan naman, hindi natuloy dahil hindi din ina-approve ng ating Division Superintendent dahil nga may policy nga tayo, hindi rin in-approve ng LGU, dumaan sila sa isang congressman, so, walang program ang Caloocan. Sa Taytay, Rizal naman, nakipag-ugnayan sila sa barangay pero hindi involved ang Department of Education kasi on record, walang ganoong klaseng kasunduan, walang ganoong klaseng approval at nananatili pa rin ang policy ng ating Presidente na walang face-to-face sessions ang mga bata sa ngayon, samantalang wala pa tayong vaccine. Iyan ay still enforced at sinusunod ng DepEd iyan.

Maraming salamat, Spox.

SEC. ROQUE:    Thank you, Secretary Briones. Pumunta na tayo sa ating open forum. Usec. Rocky?

USEC. IGNACIO: Yes. Good afternoon, Secretary Roque. Tanong po mula kay Leila Salaverria ng Inquirer, ito po tanong niya: The President said he won’t release the names of congressmen allegedly receiving kickbacks from projects because he can’t investigate them as they are from a different branch of government. How different is this from his release of the narcolist which included the names of judges who are members of the Judiciary? Why he is now reluctant to name names?

SEC. ROQUE: I think it’s evidentiary. Sinabi naman po iyan ni Presidente na because this is an issue of evidence, mas mabuting mag-imbestiga ay ang Ombudsman dahil ang hurisdiksiyon ng Ombudsman ay lahat ng tao ng gobyerno, hindi lang po ang Ehekutibo or Legislative or Judicial ‘no.

Pagdating naman po doon sa mga huwes ‘no, siguro po dahil nakita ni Presidente mismo bilang dating piskal ang ebidensiya laban doon sa mga huwes na iyon. Napakadali po kasi niyan eh, unang-una, kung ang allegation ay tumanggap ang isang huwes para ma-acquit ang isang drug lord at mayroon pong ebidensiya na ipinakita, well sa tingin po ng Presidente tatayo iyong ebidensiyang iyon ‘no at madali tumayo.

Ang problema po dito sa mga ebidensiya sa congressmen, ‘di umano mayroong mga proyekto na linuto ang bidding at ibinigay sa contractor na favored na nagbibigay ng porsiyento sa kaniya. So parang ang dami pong mga ebidensiyang kinakailangan na hindi naman po hawak ng Presidente nang personal ‘no. Unlike iyong mga ebidensiya na tumanggap ng suhol ang isang huwes ‘no na talagang madali naman pong ma-establish iyan by evidence.

So I can only surmise na it is evidentiary; and number two, he stands by what he said ‘no, that this entails separation of powers. Mas mabuti na na Ombudsman ang mag-imbestiga.

USEC. IGNACIO: Thank you, Secretary.

SEC. ROQUE: Joyce Balancio, please.

JOYCE BALANCIO/DZMM: Yes. Good afternoon po, Secretary Roque, and kay Secretary Briones din po and to our guest. Follow up doon sa tanong po on congressmen, iyong mga pangalan po ng congressmen. Some are also questioning the reasons why the President did not name them publicly. May mga nagsasabi po baka po may mga kaalyado si Pangulong Duterte dito sa listahan that’s why he refuses to name them in public.

SEC. ROQUE: Well, hindi po, ang tingin ko nga po is evidentiary. Alam ni Presidente na madaling ma-establish ang korapsiyon ng mga huwes na nag-a-acquit sa mga drug lords at mas mahirap pruwebahan itong series of acts pagdating sa korapsiyon ‘di umano na na sinabi ng PACC.

JOYCE BALANCIO/DZMM: So once po hawak na ni Pangulong Duterte iyong evidence against these congressmen, will he change his mind and name them publicly?

SEC. ROQUE: Hindi na nga po ‘no dahil sinabi na niya na isusumite na niya iyong mga pangalan sa Ombudsman at ang Ombudsman na ang gagawa po ng imbestigasyon.

JOYCE BALANCIO/DZMM: Sir, on a different topic. Si Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said that some mayors either directly or indirectly are involved in illegal logging and illegal mining in some areas and possibly itong illegal operators daw po ang sumusuporta sa kanilang mga kampanya during election time. Ano po ang balak ng Pangulo sa kaniya and is he interested in naming them also in public?

SEC. ROQUE: Well, unang-una po, iniimbestigahan ngayon po iyan ni Secretary Año and depending on the final results of the investigation, pupuwede pong matanggal sa puwesto iyang mga mayor na iyan at pupuwede ring kasuhan ng kasong kriminal.

JOYCE BALANCIO/DZMM: May paalala kayo, sir, sa mga mayors po na sangkot dito?

SEC. ROQUE: Well, mga mayors ‘no, nandiyan po kayo para ipatupad po ang batas hindi para kayo ang lumabag ng batas. Hindi po dapat ginagamit na para sa negosyo ang inyong posisyon. Nakita naman po natin ang danyos na dulot ng illegal logging at illegal mining lalung-lalo na diyan sa probinsiya ng Cagayan, you will have blood in your hands kung puprotektahan ninyo po ang mga illegal miners at illegal loggers.

JOYCE BALANCIO/DZMM: Sir, just a very quick question lang po kay Secretary Briones. Puwede po?

SEC. ROQUE: Yes, please.

JOYCE BALANCIO/DZMM: Secretary Briones, good afternoon po. Ang Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines is actually appealing to the Department of Education to help private schools that are severely affected by the pandemic. Ikinalulungkot po nila iyong recently nagsara na po kasi itong College of Holy Spirit in Manila and according to a DepEd data nasa 860 private schools na raw po ang not operating for school year 2020 and 2021. What help or aid can we provide to these private schools, Secretary?

DEPED SEC. BRIONES: Ang sinasabi namin palagi ay itong mga problema sa private schools konektado sa estado ng ekonomiya. Dahil bumaba iyong level ng enrollment nila at saka nahirapan silang magsuweldo ng kanilang mga teachers, konektado rin ito sa ekonomiya.

Ngayon na unti-unti nang binubuksan ang ekonomiya, unti-unti na ring bumabalik ang mga estudyante at saka ako bilang Secretary of Education ay talagang kinakampaniya namin na bigyan ng ayuda iyong mga teacher na halimbawa 10 months lang sila nagtuturo kasi sarado ang mga eskuwelahan, na bigyan din sila ng ayuda, na isama sila. Ito ay na-bring up na sa IATF at saka ngayon alam naman natin ang Department of Labor ang nagha-handle nitong mga kaso ng mga teachers na kailangang bigyan ng tulong lalo na galing sa private schools dahil wala silang trabaho dahil sarado ang mga eskuwelahan.

JOYCE BALANCIO/DZMM: Thank you po, Secretary.

SEC. ROQUE: Back to Usec. Rocky. Thank you, Joyce. Back to Usec. Rocky, please.

USEC. IGNACIO: Yes. Secretary, for Secretary Briones po. Tanong po mula po kay Evelyn Quiroz ng Pilipino Mirror. Ito po ang tanong, Secretary Briones: The Department of Education said that it will replace self-learning modules damaged by consecutive typhoons that hit the country; this after the public outcry over the DepEd said that schools should have to solve the problem of damaged SLMs on their own. Have you found a funding source for the replacement of damaged modules and how much will the DepEd allocate for said replacement?

DEPED SEC. BRIONES: Ah, iyong balita na iyan ay taken out of context. Kasi wala pa iyong mga bagyo may provision na para sa supplementary learning materials for the next quarter. Eh ngayon handa tayo sa national kasi hindi naman natin tsina-charge ang mga bata para sa mga materyales o iyong mga teacher para sa mga materyales na ito, ay mag-download tayo ng 1.2 billion para sa mga supplementary learning materials, palitan iyong mga nasisira at saka iyong para for the next quarter, mahanda na ito lahat.

Wala sa isip ng national government o sa kay Presidente na ang mga teacher o ang mga learners ang magbabayad nito. Walang sinasabi ang DepEd na ganoong klaseng polisiya kasi galing sa central office ang perang ito, ida-download na, 1.2 billion for the next term pero may polisiya, may plea ang Department of Education na unti-unti nating i-reduce ang dependence sa mga printed materials dahil pinapatay natin iyong ating mga gubat, ang kahoy. Pinaka-expensive na learning material ay itong printed kasi gumagamit tayo ng papel, gumagamit tayo ng tinta, very expensive – not only expensive but very harmful to the environment. Kaya talagang tinitingnan natin iyong ibang paraan ng pag-share ng learning process sa mga bata natin.

USEC. IGNACIO: Thank you, Secretary.

SEC. ROQUE: Okay. Punta naman tayo kay Pia Rañada.

PIA RAÑADA/RAPPLER:  Yes, sir. Sir, my first question is about the President’s remarks yesterday about iyong—he said he doesn’t want to—he can’t investigate lawmakers/congressmen because of separation of powers. So sir, just a follow up on this. How come before, specifically in 2016, he had no problems with making public allegations against Senator Leila de Lima? Sir, it appears it’s a double standard. Why didn’t he refrain back then if he has this idea that he can’t encroach on the Legislative Branch?

SEC. ROQUE: Well, as I said, it must be evidentiary ‘no. Kasi kay Leila de Lima, napakalakas ng ebidensiya na talagang involved siya doon sa kalakalan ng ipinagbabawal na droga. So 11 witnesses testified against her ‘no. So between that and iyong allegations na namili ng favored contractor, na humingi ng porsiyento, mahirap pong pruwebahan iyon ‘no. So binigay na niya iyan sa Ombudsman.

PIA RAÑADA/RAPPLER:  But, sir, at the time he was making those allegations, at least the first time ‘no, this was August 2016 and hindi pa tapos iyong hearings then, it wasn’t … there wasn’t any conclusion yet about Senator Leila de Lima’s involvement. So, sir, bakit ganoon?

SEC. ROQUE: Well, as lawyers kasi you can evaluate evidence for yourself lalo na dating public prosecutor ang Pangulo ‘no. So malinaw na malinaw pa sa sikat ng araw iyong pananagutan ni Leila de Lima sa illegal drug trafficking. At ito namang pagdating sa mga kongresista na nakiki-collude daw sa mga contractors, mas competent po talagang mag-evaluate niyan ang Ombudsman because iyon nga po ang dahilan kung bakit nag-establish tayo ng Ombudsman; samantalang ang drug trafficking naman po ay that’s really a jurisdiction of the public prosecutors and not the specialized prosecutors under the Office of the Ombudsman.

PIA RAÑADA/RAPPLER:  Doesn’t the same go for the President though, like he can’t make his own evaluation about this particular transaction, lalo na this is infrastructure projects that he said he is committed to finding the solution or the … parang the issue behind it?

SEC. ROQUE:  Because kung siya po ang mag-iimbestiga niyan, wala na siyang magagawa – 300 plus Congressmen po iyan. Pero mayroon naman po tayong opisina that specializes on this, which is the Ombudsman. Si Leila De Lima naman po, one of a kind.

PIA RAÑADA/RAPPLER:  Is this a signal from the President, sir, to agencies like the PACC and the mega task force to refrain from investigating lawmakers?

SEC. ROQUE:  Hindi po dahil ang PACC, ang mandato naman talaga niya, either mag-file sa piskalya o mag-file sa Ombudsman. So tuloy lang po ang trabaho.

PIA RAÑADA/RAPPLER:  Pero, sir, he will not … iyong policy moving forward, if it is congressman, if it is lawmakers, he will not mention their names. But he is already mentioning names of government employees like in the Bureau of Immigration, iyong BIR, ganoon po iyong policy now?

SEC. ROQUE:  Because they are under the Executive. As you know, BIR, Bureau of Immigration are all under the Executive.

Okay. Thank you, Pia. Back to Usec. Rocky.

USEC. IGNACIO:  Secretary, question from Tina Panganiban-Perez of GMA 7: Dumarami na daw po ang mga tao sa mga tiangge. Ano po ba ang IATF regulations sa pag-control ng dami ng mga tao sa mga tiangge? Mapapanagot ba ang admin ng tiangge kapag siksikan sa loob? Ano po ba ang parusa?

SEC. ROQUE:  Pupuwede po. Kung maalala ninyo, noong tayo po ay unang-unang nagluwag ay talagang dinagsa ng tao ang mga malls at mayroong mga malls na isinarado po ng mga local na pamahalaan. So iri-remind ko lang po ang mga tiangge operators, pupuwede po kayong mapasara kapag hindi po ninyo in-observe ang social distancing. Pupuwede namang pong limitahan iyong mga pumapasok sa mga tiangge, kinakailangan lang magkaroon ng special entry at exit point. Kapag hindi po kayo nag-control ng crowd, baka mapasara kayo, lalo kayong mawalan ng negosyo.

JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7:  Sir, sa COVID muna. Is it 60 million Filipinos or 60 million doses?

SEC. ROQUE:  Sixty million Filipinos. We had to specify Filipinos kasi may ilang mga bakuna two doses, may ilang bakuna one dose. So, basta it will be enough for 60 million Filipinos.

JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7:  Okay, but so far iyong tatlo na na-mention require two dosage. Okay, clarifications as far as AstraZeneca is concerned, mukhang medyo advance na tayo doon in terms of talking. And Secretary Galvez said, MOU could be possible end of November. Iyon pong sinabi ng ICTSI, iyon pong babayaran muna iyong 50% and then pagdating ng bakuna 50%. Is that the total allocation from AstraZeneca that we are talking about or mayroon pang bukod na inaayos iyong government from ICTSI?

SEC. ROQUE:  I could be wrong, but Christian, correct me if I am wrong. But, I think iyong participation ng private sector is as to 1 million. But, Mr. Gonzalez can you confirmed this?

MR. GONZALEZ: Right now, Sec., the commitments are for 2 million doses from what I understood in the call this morning. But obviously we, everybody in the private sector and the public sector through Secretary Galvez are trying to get more commitments to reach the maximum allocation that AstraZeneca is offering which is between 3 to 5 million doses, from what I understand.

JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7:  Okay. So, sir, iyon pong 3 to 5 million, iyong kulang sa 60 million, we have to source from other vaccine manufacturers. But as far as AstraZeneca’s 3 to 5 million iyong kaya nating makuha?

MR. GONZALEZ:  Under this tri-party agreement between AstraZeneca, the UK and Philippine government and the private sector corporations in the Philippines – yes, correct.

JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7:  All right, sir, thank you. Secretary, so, ibig sabihin kung 60 million iyan and possibly two dosage each, we are talking about 120 million dosage of vaccine? Sir, in terms of deployment, mayroon nang nakalatag ‘no, I mean geographical and then sectoral. But in terms of administering the drug and the vaccine, how many doctors are we going to need? Is it necessarily going to be doctors who are going to make the bakuna to everyone? Papaano, sir, iyong ganoong aspect of manpower in terms of administering?

SEC. ROQUE:  Fortunately, malawak po ang karanasan ng DOH pagdating sa mga vaccination drives. Ang alam ko po hindi naman lahat doktor ang nag-a-administer niyan. Hindi nga kinakailangan doktor, karamihan po nurses at kasama rin iyong mga Barangay Health Workers.

JOSEPH MORONG/GMA7:  Yes, sir, P73 billion, these are loans, how are we going to pay that much money? Can we share at least iyong terms of payment doon sa World Bank and ADB, 40 billion, biggest–?

SEC. ROQUE:  Sa World Bank po ang alam ko 30 years pa nga yata iyan at halos walang interest rate. Dahil nga po ito ay special lending facility for COVID. So, halos wala pong interest rate iyan at napakahaba po ng term of payment. Okay, thank you, Joseph. Balik tayo kay Usec. “Rocky?

USEC. IGNACIO: Yes, Secretary, tanong po mula kay MJ Blancaflor of Daily Tribune: US National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien has requested for a yearlong extension of US Philippine Visiting forces Agreement, saying it will allow further negotiations for a more acceptable security arrangement. Is the Palace open to suspend VFA termination for another year?

SEC. ROQUE:  Let’s just say that the President has taken note of the request of the US authorities and he will decide as chief architect of foreign policy.

TRICIAH TERADA/CNN PHILS:  Sir, first few questions for you then probably to Mr. Gonzales and to Secretary Liling. Sir, ito pong pagbabasa ng Pangulo ng mga pangalan ng mga officials or government workers linked to corruption or anomalous transactions in the government, it’s already been a practice, sir for the past few weeks. Sir, I was interested to know, sir, kumusta iyong naging outcome nitong practice na ito of kumbaga publicly naming, shaming people? My second question would be, does it, iyong policy ng Pangulo na hindi pangalanan iyong mga lawmakers, doesn’t this question the sincerity of the President’s war on corruption?

SEC. ROQUE:  Hindi po, kasi ang pinapangalanan ni Presidente ay iyong mga nasa ehekutibo. In fact kung mapapansin ninyo, minsan ang parusa ay suspension, binabago right there and then ni Presidente, dismissal. So iyan po kasi ay nasa hurisdiksiyon ng ehekutibo. Samantalang pagdating po sa lehislatura ay hindi naman niya masu-suspend ang mga legislators, walang power to suspend ang Presidente sa mga senador at sa mga congressmen because only the chamber itself can suspend them and in fact, terminate them dahil kaya nga mayroon silang ethics committee ‘no.

Pagdating naman sa criminal responsibility, iyan nga po ay specialization naman ng Ombudsman. So ganoon lang po iyon, because we are talking of three separate branches of government.

TRICIAH TERADA/CNN PHILS:  Sir, if that’s the case, why not altogether, kumbaga, sir, scrap the shaming of these people considering that they have families and in some case kailangan pa pong ma-prove iyong kanilang involvement? And kumbaga, sir, kung hindi rin naman mapapangalanan iyong mga bigger people behind, for example, these anomalous transactions, bakit po maliliit kumbaga lang iyong tinitira?

SEC. ROQUE:  Number one, hindi ko po alam kung mayroong mga malalaking tao behind them dahil wala naman pong ganoong alegasyon tingin ko na ina-allege against any of the names read by the President. Number two, hindi lang po ito suspetsa, ito po iyong mga tao na na-dismiss na ng Ombudsman o ‘di naman kaya ay na-suspend na ng Ombudsman o ‘di naman kaya siya mismo ang nag-suspend at siya mismo ang nag-dismiss. So wala po ditong mga tao na hindi pa naiimbestigahan, binabasa lang po ang pangalan kapag mayroon nang desisyon sa administrative aspect of the case.

TRICIAH TERADA/CNN PHILS:  Sir, we are anticipating a second wave parang kapag titingnan natin iyong holidays and assessing by this time, iyong general behavior and compliance ng mga tao, is there a likelihood of a second wave? And can we expect for example, sir, a stricter enforcement of the law with the holidays in sight? Kumbaga, can you give us a picture of how things will be like come the holiday season?

SEC. ROQUE:  It’s not a question for me to answer, it’s for the entire Filipino nation to address. Alam natin na sabik na tayo na magdiwang dahil Pasko. Puwede naman po tayong magdiwang basta paalalahanan natin ang ating mga sarili, kinakailangan abutan natin ang vaccine dahil naririyan po. At habang hindi pa po tayo nababakunahan, kahit Pasko, tayo po ay mag-mask, maghugas at mag-iwas.

TRICIAH TERADA/CNN PHILS: Thank you, Secretary. Sir, may I please go to Mr. Gonzalez.

SEC. ROQUE: Yes, please.

TRICIAH TERADA/CNN PHILS: Hi! Good afternoon, Mr. Gonzalez. Sir, can you just share with us the details or maybe an overview of how far will the private sector go in terms of pooling funds? Do you have a specific target as to how many vaccines you intend to purchase as a whole, as a group?

MR. GONZALEZ: Thanks for the question. As I understand, as mentioned earlier, we are up to a commitment of two million doses. This was original spearheaded by, of course, Secretary Galvez but also from the private sector, Presidential Adviser Joey Concepcion and from my understanding, BDO. They were really the ones who pushed this; we just were, I guess, saling pusa after ‘no. So they deserve a lot of credit for this. And we’re just one of the few that are really pushing it.

But we’re all trying to get more groups to come in, to contribute. But I do understand that there is a specific limit of what AstraZeneca is able to provide the Philippines. In the first stage, obviously, as production expands, not only will you have more corporates coming in to support the government in this tri-party agreement, but also more people participating from a commercial point of view when the vaccine becomes commercially available.

I think we should all remember that not only have they released very, very good findings in terms of efficacy and immunity, but this is also probably one of the cheaper vaccines on the market which makes it very, very accessible. And also from a logistics point of view, this is probably one of the easiest to move around and very suitable for the logistical environment of the Philippines.

TRICIAH TERADA/CNN PHILS: Thank you, sir. Secretary, I’ll go to Sec. Liling po, one question also.

SEC. ROQUE: Go ahead.

TRICIAH TERADA/CNN PHILS: Hello, Secretary Liling. Ma’am, with the vaccine in sight, with some good developments as mentioned by Secretary Galvez, are we preparing or will there be … we’ll be having physical classes very soon?

SEC. BRIONES: We are studying that possibility but definitely not this year; and definitely not until the President makes a pronouncement. But we are preparing a report for the President on the current experience, at klaro naman kung magkaroon ng face to face, it will be very limited to areas which are absolutely safe, there will be conditions from the Department of Health; there will also be conditions coming from us. It will not be … lahat-lahat, sabay-sabay iyan na mag-face to face – No! It will have to be very selective and it will not happen this year. And the President has not spoken on that subject at all.

TRICIAH TERADA/CNN PHILS: But will you be pushing for that, ma’am, face to face early 2021 or hindi pa rin po siya possible?

SEC. BRIONES: If there are areas where it’s safe ‘no and we’ll get clearance from the Department of Health and the IATF, kasi sila ang nag-a-asses ng health situation. At saka depende sa approach iyan kasi iyong number of students, etc. So we are now looking into that.

But uulitin ko, definitely not this year at definitely walang mga arrangements right now with kung sinumang mga grupo na magpi-face to face at this time because the President has not made any pronouncement at all. Pero magri-report kami sa kaniya.

TRICIAH TERADA/CNN PHILS: Thank you, Secretary Liling. Salamat po, Secretary.

SEC. ROQUE: Thank you, Trish. We go to Usec. Rocky, please.

USEC. IGNACIO: Yes, Secretary. From Virgil Lopez of GMA 7 Online: China has accused US National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien of attempting to sow discord between China and the Philippines after O’Brien slammed Beijing’s encroachment of territories in the South China Sea that are under Manila’s Exclusive Economic Zone. What is the Palace take on this?

SEC. ROQUEL: I cannot speak either for the National Security Adviser of the US or the Spokesperson of China. I can only speak for the President. And the President has said that there will be increased tensions among superpowers in the region. We do not want to take part in that drive for hegemony. We will assert our national interest and we would want a peaceful resolution to the West Philippine Sea dispute.

USEC. IGNACIO: Okay. From Sam Medenilla: Mayroon na po kayang new issuance ang IATF sa POEA for the lifting of the temporary deployment ban for health care workers?

SEC. ROQUE: Mayroon na po. May resolution na po iyan, naaprubahan na ni Presidente. So ang effectivity po niyan ay upon publication na lang. But the resolution was not made public because it required the approval of the President. But now that it has been approved, we will also release now that IATF resolution. So there has always been a resolution, not made public because it required presidential approval.

USEC. IGNACIO: Opo. Second question ni Sam Medenilla: Since bibili po ang government ng vaccines sa iba’t ibang companies, paano po idi-determine kung ano ang ibibigay na vaccine sa isang area? Gagawin ba itong random?

SEC. ROQUE: Random na po iyan kasi libre po ito. So ang importante, magpabakuna. And we are thankful naman sa kumpiyansa ng ating taumbayan, according to the SWS survey, 66% of our Filipinos are willing to have the vaccine which is more than enough para magkaroon ng herd immunity.

USEC. IGNACIO: From Jam Punzalan ng ABS-CBN: For Spox, you told the Teleradyo this morning that a non-disclosure agreement covers the advance fee for COVID-19 vaccines. How can the public be sure that vaccine procurement will be free of anomalies despite the NDA?

SEC. ROQUE: Because the President is on top of the situation po. And of course, the President has full trust and confidence in Secretary Galvez who is the lone Vaccine Czar and who will personally be responsible to the President.

USEC. IGNACIO: Second question po niya: Some social media comments on Cabinet officials’ fly to Davao yesterday was about its costs. Wouldn’t it be possible for Cabinet members to meet with the President via video conference?

SEC. ROQUE: Ang sinakyan po namin, C-295 – cargo! Kasama po namin, medical supplies intended for Davao. So incidental po kami; wala pong extra cost. If you want, I will publish a picture po kung ano ang sitwasyon ng mga staff namin na nakasakay doon sa cargo area ng eroplano. It’s a lot of sacrifice po. And there was no expense spent just for us. We were incidental passengers in a full cargo flight.  Ang tawag po namin diyan, doon sa may upuan, iyan iyong business class ng military cargo aircraft. Iyong nasa cargo storage area mismo, that’s the economy class – of course, that’s a joke.

USEC. IGNACIO: Opo. For Secretary Briones po, tanong pa rin po ni Jam Punzalan: What’s the catch-up plan for students in areas that implemented class suspensions after being severely affected by typhoons? Marikina, for instance, will resume classes in January, but the first quarter is only until December 12.

SEC. BRIONES: Alam mo, Jam, every year [ay] mayroong disaster; every year, mayroong crisis, natural or otherwise. Kaya handa na ang departamento sa mga ganoon sitwasyon. Nangyari ang Marawi, patuloy naman ang pag-aaral ng mga bata; ito ngayon sa Marikina, nagtutulung-tulong lahat ng mga regions para maayos ang sitwasyon sa Marikina. Sanay na kami diyan.

Anong usually ang ginagawa? Una, tinitingnan natin iyong calendar, iyong calendar of activities; ina-adjust iyon. Alam naman ninyo, magdidebate ang mga parents, ang mga teachers kung mayroon bang Saturday classes, Sunday classes, extension classes para maka-make up at makahabol iyong mga bata. At saka ngayon, kami ay nakikipag-dialogue sa iba’t ibang grupo ng mga estudyante na humihingi at nagkikiusap ng… sinasabi nilang academic ease na magiging reasonable, pagbigyan iyong paghirap ng mga estudyante at mga teachers. So adjustment will also be made along those lines.

So ang calendar ay ia-adjust, magtutulungan ang lahat-lahat hindi lamang iyong area which is affected kasi ginagawa naman talaga natin iyan taun-taon tuwing mayroong sakuna, whether natural or otherwise. Thank you.

USEC. IGNACIO:   Thank you, Secretary Briones. For Secretary Roque, question from Tuesday Niu: Paano po ang mga tiangge sa Divisoria na nasa open area, nasa mga gilid ng kalsada? Talaga pong mahirap kontrolin ang dagsa ng tao diyan, so sino po ang papapanagutin diyan? Hindi naman kontrolado ng may-ari ng tiangge ang dating ng mga tao kasi nasa kalsada sila.

SEC. ROQUE:    Iyan po ay responsibilidad ng lokal na pamahalaan pero responsibilidad na rin po natin iyan, because kinakailangan nga abutan natin iyong libreng bakuna. So, alam nating kinakailangang mamili para sa Pasko pero ingatan naman natin ang ating mga sarili hindi lang para sa hanapbuhay kung hindi para tayo ay magkaroon ng maligayang Pasko dahil kapag kayo ay nagkasakit, nasaan ang Merry Christmas?

USEC. IGNACIO:   Tanong naman mula kay Mikhail Flores ng AFP: Pa-clarify naman po kay Spox iyong tripartite agreement that Secretary Galvez mentioned last night. Same ba iyan sa diniscribe ni Mr. Christian Gonzalez ngayon?

SEC. ROQUE:    Yes po, that’s the tripartite agreement.

USEC. IGNACIO:   Opo. Question from Ace Romero: Sabi po ni Sen. Leila de Lima and I quote, “Duterte says he cannot investigate congressmen and senators because they belong to a separate branch of government. So, who investigated and filed the PDAF complaints against Enrile, Jinggoy, Revilla and a dozen or so congressmen? Hindi ba NBI at DOJ? Paki review po ng political law ninyo.” Ano po ang masasabi ninyo dito?

SEC. ROQUE:    Wala po, pagbigyan ninyo na ano, walang makausap iyong ale.

USEC. IGNACIO:   Opo. So far, Secretary iyan lang po ang ating nakuhang tanong.

SEC. ROQUE:    Maraming salamat po. May kakaunti pa po tayong oras, so, baka gustong mag-round two ng ilang ating mga kasama. Si Joseph Morong gusto raw mag-round two. Go ahead, please.

JOSEPH MORONG/GMA 7:   Okay. Just a short on the President’s declaration kagabi and then a little bit on COVID. Sir, why is the President mentioning iyong mga names ng mga maliliit na taga-gobyerno and refusing to name iyong mga congressmen? Is the President making a distinction between crimes committed by regular government officials and those in high places? Meaning, corruption committed by lowly government employees deserves shaming but those which are committed possibly by congressmen, medyo mas maingat siya?

SEC. ROQUE:    Already answered po ano. Ang mga pangalang binabasa niya ay iyong mga pangalan ng mga tao na nagtatrabaho sa ehekutibo, ibig sabihin, his subordinates and jurisprudence of course is that he has control over every single person under the Executive Department.

JOSEPH MORONG/GMA 7:   Sir, COVID. Sir, you’ve mentioned and ating active cases is 29, 27 and then 25 tapos our attack rate is at 1.48. What does this data show, are we flattening the curve and what is its effect on the next community quarantine that we will be imposing starting December 1^st?

SEC. ROQUE:    Actually, may ibinigay po akong slide na hindi naipakita, iyong pababang trend po. Bumababa po talaga iyong kaso ng COVID-19 sa ngayon, at ang ebidensiya nga po diyan ay iyong attack rate at saka iyong sinabi ninyo na attack rate and iyong—total number of cases at saka iyong attack rate ay bumababa po.

JOSEPH MORONG/GMA 7:   So, can you say we’re flattening the curve and ano bang effect nito sir, sa next CQ natin?

SEC. ROQUE:    Well, let’s just say that it’s on a downward trend ang ating mga kaso and I hope it continues. As to whether or not we have actually flattened the curve, well, mas maganda po iyan kung talagang tuluyang wala ng mga bago. Pero pababa po ng pababa because sunod-sunod na araw na po tayo under 2,000 po ang mga bagong kaso.

Okay. Thank you very much, Joseph. Joyce Balancio, please.

JOYCE BALANCIO/DZMM: Yes, Secretary Roque, pahabol din po. Some groups are questioning ito pong inilagay natin na 5,000 cap sa nurses na puwede pong payagan na ma-deploy sa ibang bansa. Some are saying na instead na maglagay po tayo ng cap, i-increase na lang po natin iyong benefits and salaries of nurses para kusa na po silang hindi aalis ng bansa?

SEC. ROQUE:    Mayroon na pong panukalang batas na inihain si Deputy Speaker Paolo Duterte tungkol dito, I hope Congress enacts it. Pangalawa po, iyong 5,000, iyan po ay initial. Kung iyan po ay maubos in the second quarter at mayroon na namang bakuna baka tanggalin na iyan altogether. Sinisiguro lang natin na hindi naman tayo mauubusan ng mga nurses, nursing assistants, at nursing aides na mayroong clinical experience dahil kung mawala iyong may clinical experience, sinong mag-aalaga sa atin kung tayo ay magkakasakit?

JOYCE BALANCIO/DZMM:   Sir, isi-certify po ba ni Pangulong Duterte as urgent measure itong bill na nai-file po ni Cong. Pulong?

SEC. ROQUE:    Well, I think it’s up to Congress to act on it. As of now, I have no information if the President will, but I know for a fact that Secretary Bello is very supportive of this legislative initiative.

Okay. Si Triciah Terada. Thank you, Joyce! Siguro last question na ito. Okay, Trish Terada.

TRICIAH TERADA/CNN PHILIPPINES:   I’ve been receiving messages from the group #LoveIsNotTourism, they are seeking clarification if foreign partners are now allowed to enter the country because sa program po ni Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo, they are quoting him saying that foreign partners are now allowed to enter the Philippines. So, if they are, sir, what are the requirements that they need to present and at the same time ibig sabihin po ba nito we’re now welcoming foreign tourists or foreign individuals in the country?

SEC. ROQUE:    Well, depende po kung anong visa ng foreigner pero sa ngayon po, iyong mga papasok sa tourist visa hindi pa po ina-allow. Ang mga allowed lamang ang pinaka-latest po iyong tinatawag na treaty trader under 9G. Before that, in-allow po natin iyong mga long staying visa kasama po diyan iyong mga investors’ visa na ini-issue ng iba’t-ibang mga economic zone.

So, lahat po ng mga binibigyan natin ngayon ng visa is related to business dahil kapag nandito na iyong mga dayuhang iyan, they can generate jobs. Pero kung pupunta po as tourist visa, hindi pa po allowed.

TRICIAH TERADA/CNN PHILIPPINES:   Thank you, Secretary.

SEC. ROQUE:    Okay. Last one from Pia Rañada, please.

PIA RAÑADA/RAPPLER:   Sir, just a follow-up iyong sinabi ninyo po earlier that Senator de Lima is one of a kind. Sir, but you also said that the Executive Branch can continue investigating corruption by lawmakers. So, sir, can you just state for the record in which instances can the President investigate lawmakers?

SEC. ROQUE:    Well, in offenses which are not within the primary jurisdiction of the Ombudsman such as violation of the Anti-Graft laws; when it entails, for instance, heinous crimes involving violations of the Anti-Drugs law of the country, then the Executive can of course investigate that.

Okay? Ano kasi iyan eh… kaming mga abogado, we tend to have specializations and even fiscals, prosecutors also have specializations, kaya mayroon tayong special prosecutors for Anti-Graft law, these are the Ombudsmen lawyer; mayroon tayong mga specialize prosecutors for drugs; mayroon tayong specialize prosecutors for trafficking. Kasi nga the more experienced you are with the field of law, the higher the conviction rate.

Okay? Usec. Rocky, please.

USEC. IGNACIO:   Secretary Roque, mula kay Genalyn Kabiling ng Manila Bulletin: Vice President Leni Robredo said she hopes she and President Duterte could set aside their differences to help the people. Is the President willing to do this and work with Robredo?

SEC. ROQUE:    It’s her call. Dalawang beses siyang in-appoint ni Presidente, so I don’t know what initiatives she has taken naman. Maybe she should start the initiative.

Okay?

Okay, wala na pong mga tanong. Maraming salamat po unang-una, maraming salamat, Sec. Leonor Briones, thank you as usual. Maraming salamat po ay Mr. Christian Razon Gonzalez. Sir, thank you not just for joining us but thank you also for your generosity in procuring vaccines for our people.

Maraming salamat po hindi lang sa ICTSI, maraming salamat din po sa BDO na kagaya ng sinabi ninyo, at saka sa SM, at saka sa Go Negosyo ni Presidential Adviser Joey Concepcion at iba pang mga pribadong mga kumpanya na kasapi po dito sa programang ito.

Maraming salamat po sa ating mga kasamahan dito sa Malacañang Press Corps and of course, thank you Usec. Rocky.

So, sa ngalan po ng ating Presidente Rodrigo Roa Duterte, ito po ang inyong Spox Harry Roque na nagsasabi: Mga kababayan, ilang tulog na lang, may bakuna na. Abutan po natin ang bakuna. Samantala, Mask, Hugas, Iwas para magkaroon ng Merry Christmas.

Magandang hapon sa inyong lahat!

 

###

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

—

SOURCE: PCOO-NIB (News and Information Bureau-Data Processing Center)