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average reading time: 38 mins
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Boy: Good evening, and welcome. Our guest tonight, Mayor Isko Moreno.
Isko: Thank you, 'To Boy. It's an honor to be here. Thank you very much.
Boy: First, let's talk about the environment. Mining in particular because this is one of the most controversial environmental issues. Noong Abril 2021, President Duterte lifted the nine-year moratorium on granting new mining permits sa pamamagitan ng EO 130 (Executive Order 130). December 2021, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) ay nilift din ang ban on open-pit mining through Department Administrative Order No. 2021-0. Pinuri ito ng mga tagamining industry, ibig sabihin, ang mga desisyong ito na dalawa, ng DENR at tsaka ni President Duterte, samantala, binatikos ito ng mga human rights and environment defenders. Ang aking katanungan, Mayor Isko, you are applying to become the next President of the Republic of the Philippines, if elected, pagtitibayin mo ba ang mga desisyong ito o ipapawalang-bisa?
Isko: Pagtitibayin natin because isa sa pinakamagandang asset ng bansa ay yung ating mga minerals, 'no? There is also what you call the responsible mining, and there is gold standard and world standard of mining and responsible one, and it has to be applied to everyone, to anyone, 'no, and at the sitwasyon natin ngayon, sa hirap ng buhay ng ating bansa, sa hirap ng epekto ng pandemyang ito sa ating ekonomiya, we need to generate more FDIs or foreign direct investment, more investment, more jobs, more source of income. We cannot keep on taxing our people base para mapatakbo natin ang gobyerno. Kailangan nating kumita pero we can be responsible in our environment, and I think there is already rules in this world that is applicable and can be applied to our mining industry.
Boy: Klaro lamang, so, patitibayin, pagtitibayin mo yoong paglift ng moratorium do'n sa paggrant ng new permits.
Isko: We will allow mining.
Boy: You will allow mining.
Isko: Yes.
Boy: But what you're trying to say is you will allow sustainable mining.
Isko: Yes.
Boy: And you will also allow open-pit mining katulad ng sinabi ng DENR.
Isko: The mining, it has to be an industry.
Boy: Okay.
Isko: Hindi 'yan puwede tayong magbackyard nang magbackyard at maging iresponsable na lamang. It has to have a rule, and rules and standards of this world can be applied in our industry, the mining industry that we're going to open or we're going to continue. Yun ang importante kasi with that, magkakaro'n ka ng sustainable mining tapos mapapangalagaan mo ang kapaligiran at the same time.
Boy: Sa iyong kampanya, would you accept mining money?
Isko: Mining money?
Boy: Na donation? Halimbawa, may isang nagsabing, 'Mayor Isko, gusto kong tumulong,' pero galing sa mina ang pera.
Isko: Well, kung yung mina na pinanggalingan ay hindi iligal, at ligal at makatuwiran yung pagnenegosyo nila, responsableng pagnenegosyo, why not? E, kailangan ko ng lahat ng uri ng tulong.
Boy: For the sake of argument, Mayor Isko, pinag-uusapan yung destruction of the natural habitat kasi merong nagsasabi, 'Kami, sustainable mining kami. Ibinabalik namin yung mga kahoy,' at lahat, 'no? Ang argumento laban doon ay 'pag ibinalik mo naman, iba na e, iba na yung posisyon ng kahoy, napollute na yung tubig. What do you have to say?
Isko: Well, that's why you have to be responsible to your action. If there is a clear-cut rule that those people who will violate or destroy the environment, irresponsible mining, then the rules should be applied to any John Does and Mary, whether foreigner, partnered with Pilipinos, or Pilipino-own na mining company, and, Tito Boy, what we need is to create jobs because we've lost so much nowadays. What we need is new business because the economy is really affected by this pandemic. We have to be aggressive, we have to be practical, but at the same time, we have to be responsible also for the next generation, and these are the things that are existing in the world, with the gold standard of mining, and that should be...
Boy: I have the new data actually. A hundred eighty-four thousand jobs have been created, 102.3 billion pesos ang contribution sa GDP.
Isko: At ito pa isa, dapat 'pag nagbukas tayo ng mina, 'no, dapat may industriyang nacecreate. Dapat meron din tayong industriya like, for example, let's just say, for the sake of argument and conversation, we wanted to get the ore, and I think we should come up with a plant producing steel, then it creates another jobs, so kumbaga, kailangang hindi lang tayo hihinto dun sa pagmina, o tapos ibebenta na sa labas. It can create another industry to produce such material.
Boy: Ang record kasi, at kasama dito ang ilang sustainable mining companies, there is biodiversity laws, merong ecological imbalance, they haharass minsan ang mga locals, ang mga tao na naroon. 'Pag sinasabi mong we must stick to the rules, exactly, as President, ano yun?
Isko: Well, if there are existing laws, it is applicable to anyone, to any corporation, whether it is startup mining company, whether large corporation company, the rules are the same. Yun yung sinasabi kong predictability and certainty of rules so those who will violate, no matter how big they are, they have to be shut down, and those who comply, tutulungan ng pamahalaan para lalo silang yumabong.
Boy: Mayor Isko, let's go to COVID-19. Let's talk about the pandemic. Sa kasalukuyan, dalawang bagay ang alam natin. Una, ikaw, ako, at lahat ng nagmamasid sa pag-uusap na ito ay alam nating lahat, pinadapa tayo ng virus na ito. Sabi ng DOH, mahigit sa three million cases sa bansa na, and mahigit fifty thousand deaths dito sa Pilipinas. Sabi naman po ng John Hopkins COVID-19 dashboard, more than three hundred million cases around the world and more than five million deaths globally. Maraming mga Pilipino, Mayor, ang nawalan ng trabaho, kabuhayan, mga mahal sa buhay. Marami ang nasirang relasyon, mga plano, mga pangarap. 'Yan ang una. Pangalawa, alam din natin na ang virus na ito ay napakaunpredictable. Dalawang taon na natin itong nilalabanan, at maraming variants na ang ating narinig. Nariyan ang Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Delta Plus, Omicron. The virus acquires genetic changes, meaning, it mutates. Paano, ano ang susunod, nobody knows. It is both vicious and unpredictable. Ang tanong, given the unpredictability and the viciousness of this virus, bilang Presidente ng Pilipinas, ano ang programa mo para sa COVID-19 ngayon?
Isko: Well, what we have done in Manila is to really confront COVID-19 and prepare for any worse scenario. O, we acquire medicines, we acquire oxygens, we acquire facilities, we acquire more medical frontliners, then at the same time, bukas ang ekonomiya, bukas ang trabaho, so, given a chance, may awa ang Diyos, palarin ako, I'll treat it as an endemic because mas maraming namamatay sa ibang sakit sa ating mga ospital dala ng hindi na nakakapunta dahil napupuno nang napupuno yung ating mga hospital, private or public, so, this, nowadays, if you see Spain and other countries, they're treating it differently. It's like a normal flu nowadays. Now, the thing is we have to strengthen our vaccination because sabi mo nga, virus, it has to be approached scientifically. We must continue to believe in, you know, in these existing antiviral medicines that we acquired in the city of Manila that are existing in the world, remdesivir, tocilizumab, baricitinib, molnupiravir, may bago pa ngayon, boxlovid, which we are about to acquire in a matter of few days, so we have to be ready, always ready, always ahead of the numbers of capacity than the numbers of infection, then we must open, we must offer job, we must open business, we must be aggressive in dealing with this COVID-19. We can learn how to live with COVID-19 and go back to work safely. That is our approach in Manila, and that is the approach that I'm going to do in the entire country.
Boy: Okay. Yung be prepared, naipaliwanag nang mabuti, naiintindihan natin, with your enumeration of the virus meds para sa COVID. Dun lamang ako dun sa confront. Anong ibig sabihin when you say, we must confront the virus? Ito ba yung lockdown? Ito ba yung...
Isko: No, no, no, no...
Boy: Ano pong ibig sabihin ng lockdown, ng confront, I'm sorry.
Isko: Confront, it's live with it. Live with it. Live with it.
Boy: Okay.
Isko: As long as we build more hospital the way we build the bagong Ospital ng Maynila, we build like, for example, Manila COVID-19 Field Hospital in Luneta, para yung may mga sakit na walang kakayanang mag-isolate, meron silang paglalagakan, papanatag ang pamilya nila, at ang pamilya nila, tuloy maghanapbuhay, so these are the things that are doable, duplicable, scalable, so we've shown you the prototype on how to address it. Manila is the most dense city, city in the country, if not in Asia but as you can see, siksikan na kami pero bakit hindi bumubulwak? Because lagi kami naghahanda ahead of time. May projection. We also think of the worst scenario, and I'm fortunate, thanks to British government, I was sent to, December, ay, no, February of 2020, I spoke with COBRA, I got the plan of British government, cinopy ko, inimplement ko, except for the weather because we don't have winter, so puwede siyang paghandaan, and in the long-term process, because if this COVID-19, dumating ngayon, may, it may, another type of virus, I think it's high time for the state, for the government, for the Philippine government to invest into our human resources, scientist, doctors, to create our own agency to find cure and medicine of our own. Pansinin mo, Tito Boy, lagi tayong nakadepende sa bakuna. Huli tayo. Natatawa nga 'ko dun sa sinabi nung isang bansa, pag-aaral nila, late daw ang Pilipinas sa vaccination. Kaya kami nalate, late niyo kaming binigyan ng bakuna e, so we must have that kind of access. If they can do it there, we can do it here, and I think it's high time for the state, the national government, to invest, to, like, for example, UP-PGH, UP Medicine, or other schools...
Boy: On our own vaccine.
Isko: On our own vaccine.
Boy: Sarili nating gamot.
Isko: On our own vaccine, on our own medicine. Magaling tayong Pilipino kaya tayo nahihire sa iba't ibang malalaking kumpanya sa mundo. Now, let's pull them back to the country, and invest on it, and I think it's high time for us to discover our own vaccine, discover our own medicine, because kaya natin.
Boy: And it may take a little while...
Isko: It may take a little...
Boy: Pero meron tayong sarili. Okay.
Isko: Exactly. That's why ito yung paghahanda, pero ito yung future.
Boy: Mayor Isko, paliwanag lang, ano yung endemic versus pandemic, para maunawaan namin.
Isko: Well, ang logic is, it's like meron kang trangkaso, meron tayong ubo, kumbaga, as long as nababawasan mo yung mortality rate because you have medicine, you have vaccine, you have medicine, you have oxygen, you have antiviral drugs, and, of course, machineries in our public hospital, equipment, the way we did, we build...
Boy: So, what is the difference between an endemic and a pandemic...
Isko: Normal na tayo. Yung ganyan na lang, na kahit may pag-ubo mo, yung nilalagnat ka, gusto mong mag-isolate, mag-isolate ka, gusto mong magtrabaho, magtrabaho ka, yun...
Boy: What does it do to the... Okay. Let's talk about poverty, specifically, yung kawalan ng trabaho at gutom. Tuwing eleksyon, may mga slogan ang mga nag-aapply bilang Presidente. Panahon ni President Gloria, narinig natin yung, 'Pagkain sa bawat hapag-kainan,' President Erap, 'Erap para sa mahirap,' President Aquino, 'Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap.' Ang ibig sabihin, ang dating nito sa amin, starring ang mahirap 'pag eleksyon. According to the PSA, the Philippine Statistics Authority, ang mga walang trabaho, ito lamang ay dadaanan ko, mabilisan, October of 2001, 3.27 million, October 2010, 2.79 million, October of 2016, two million, October 2021, 3.5 million. Ayon naman sa SWS (Social Weather Station), ang mga kababayan nating nagugutom in percentages, taken into consideration the fluctuation of the population, third quarter of 2001, 9.3%, third quarter of 2010, 15.9%, third quarter of 2016, 10.6%, September 2021, ten percent or around 2.5 million Filipinos ang nagugutom. Ang katanungan, bilang nag-aapply sa pagka-Presidente ng Pilipinas, at given itong mga data na galing sa PSA na meron tayong 3.5 million Filipinos na walang trabaho at 2.5 million na nagugutom, bilang Presidente ng Pilipinas, with these urgent problems of joblessness and hunger, ano po ang inyong gagawin?
Isko: Well, we did it in Manila again. We created, poverty alleviation 'yan e, pagpapataas ng antas ng pamumuhay ng tao, so we created housing. Housing creates jobs. Housing infrastructure, vertical infrastructure that addresses social perennial problem which is homelessness, or ownership, 'no, nagcreate pa siya ng maraming industry. Tinamaan ng semento, tinamaan ng bakal, tinamaan ng trabaho, equipment, gasolina, and so on, and so forth, so you must be aggressive. That's why when I said, I will continue the Build, Build, Build of President Duterte, but build more schools, build more hospital, build more housing, because these will generate jobs, these will stimulate our economy, and this creates opportunity to business, and to the people, so that's one, and with regard to the environment, for example, let's just say nag-open tayo ng mining, 'no? Imaginine mo, maraming mga nasa bundok, walang trabaho, 'no, then let's start reforest, magreforestation tayo, reforest tayo ng ano, magtanim tayo ulit ng mga puno, then we, yung mga IPs, yung mga...
Boy: Indigenous people.
Isko: Indigenous people, ihire natin. Sila ang pagtanimin natin. They know better than anybody else on how to plant trees, so you address the environment, you open something, it affects something, you address it and it affects something, so maraming puwedeng gawin, but I do believe the minimum basic needs, and I remember my professor in UP would always say, MBN, minimum basic needs. When you address housing, education, health care, and jobs, these will alleviate the status, kalalagayan ng ating mga kababayan. That's why since time immemorial, nung ako'y maggobyerno, ito na tinutukan ko. Nung ako'y mag-alkalde, yun ang ginawa ko lahat, pabahay, eskuwelahan, ospital, trabaho. We've lost seven percent in our business. We grew twelve percent in two years, pandemic, we are positive five percent. We grew in terms of income without raising taxes, without raising taxes. Nag-aamnestiya pa 'ko. We've issued the longest amnesty in the city of Manila's history. Six months, twice, but we generated more income because naging episyente, naging masinop, ang pamahalaang lungsod ng Maynila.
Boy: Yung iyong programa both addresses long- and short-term problems?
Isko: Yes. The social perennial problem is homelessness so we wanted to create jobs. At the same time, we address that, so you created also helping an industry, 'di ba? Ang pagtatayo ng building, maraming beses siya, yung trickling-down effect, 'no, yung tinatamaang industriya, so when you stimulate, sinagot mo na yung problema ng tao, na paulit-ulit, and in fact, nga pala, wala 'kong slogan kasi ang slogan, hindi naman 'yan gumagamot sa problema ng tao. In fact, ang tawag ko diyan, porn, ano, ano, porn poverty ba 'yon, yung ginagahasa mo yung kahinaan ng tao, so sa akin, sa Maynila, pantay-pantay, mahirap, middle class, mayaman, kaya yung housing namin, the in-city vertical housing, addresses homelessness, non-ownership, at yung nangungupahan, nagkakaro'n ng pagkakataon. Pantay sila.
Boy: Mayor Isko, 'pag pinag-uusapan ang, ito nga, kahirapan, poverty, specifically, itong homelessness, halimbawa, tsaka gutom, meron bang epekto ang corruption?
Isko: Of course, malaki.
Boy: Kasi naalala ko...
Isko: Dahil kapag matakaw ang, ito, bibigyan kitang magandang halimbawa. O, for example, six months, pinakain namin ang Maynila, bakit? Seven hundred thousand families, sabi kasi ng SWS, with your data, in 2020, September, sabi, magkakaroon daw ng taggutom sa 2021 so ang ginawa namin, cinancel namin ang road maintenance, nilagay ko sa food security program. Six months, kumain ang seven hundred thousand families in the city of Manila. Every month, seven hundred thousand, so yes, it's true. Kapagka talagang may mga magnanakaw sa gobyerno, makakati ang kamay, kawawa ang tao.
Boy: Undersecretary Cyril Ramos said, of the DOF, that twenty percent of the national budget goes to corruption, about six hundred...
Isko: He knows better than me. He's a former president.
Boy: But you agree.
Isko: Most likely. It's happening. We saw it e. May mga nakukulong, may mga sentensyado nga, hindi nakukulong e. Buti pa yung, naaawa ako dun sa isang matanda e. E, nagkamali lang na kunin yung mangga ng may mangga e, nakulong e. E, yung mga nagnakaw sa kaban...
Boy: And that tells you what, Mayor?
Isko: That is inequality. That is grave injustice, lalo na sa mahirap.
Boy: Let's talk about OFW, migrants. As of September 2019, ang estimated number of OFWs worldwide is 2.2 million according to PSA again. 96.8 nito ay may mga kontrata po overseas. 3.2 ay walang kontrata. Ang mga remittances ng mga OFWs, just for us to have an idea, ay noong 2018 po, 28.9 billion US dollars, noong 2019, 30.1 billion US dollars, noong 2020, 29.9 billion US dollars, as of October 2021, 25.9 dollars. In 2018, remittances sent by OFWs accounted for eleven percent of the total GDP of the country. Sa kabilang dako nito, Mayor, ay may tinatawag na social cost. Ito yung unquantifiable because it contributes to the destruction of the Filipino family. Kung ika'y papalarin manalo bilang Presidente ng Pilipinas, how do you balance the economic contributions of the OFWs and the unquantifiable cost of migration that contributes to the destruction of the Filipino family?
Isko: That's why when I said, about a few weeks ago, a peso spent in Metro Manila doesn't give us any growth, so the same peso that I'm going to spend in terms of development in Metro Manila, I will spend it in the far-flung areas because it will generate more economic growth and opportunity in the provinces, so parehong pera pero niredirect mo. When you have this, when you have opportunity for the farmers, binigyan mo sila ng pagkakataon na bilhin ng gobyerno sa tamang halaga yung kanilang produkto, panatag sila, magtatanim sila. Meron silang ayuda sa gobyerno na matatakbuhan para yung kanilang abono, yung kanilang patubig, then nobody wanted to send their children somewhere else, so, when there is an opportunity, because most, most of these numbers that you're saying, is from the far-flung areas, sa probinsiya. Kaya 'yan umaalis ng bansa, siyempre, 'di mo naman masisisi, sa hirap ng buhay, tapos makukuwento ng kapitbahay, ako nga e, 'di ba, nangarap ako maging seaman, dahil yun ang gusto ko talaga, maging kapitan ng barko, because there's an opportunity there. Now, how to create an option? Yun yung sinasabi ko kanina, Tito. You have to generate more FDIs. If you create more foreign direct investment, then it will generate more opportunity. At the rate we're going, about four billion dollars, yung mga neighboring countries natin na thirteen billion dollars, thirty billion dollars, why? Napakamahal ng gasolina natin, napakamahal ng kuryente natin, so hindi nagpupuntahan sa 'tin yung mga pabrika, yung mga industriya. Doon sila lahat nag-iinvest. Ang rules natin, hindi certain. Andami mong kinakausap, kinausap mo na, maniniwala ka ba, na I think by the hundreds of signature, just to approve, Tito Boy, just to approve a PPP? You know what I'm gonna do with that? Okay, ayan ba rule, one hundred? O, lahat kayong one hundred na tao, maupo kayo rito sa lamesa. You sign. You read, you sign. If you agree, you sign, then we finish, in less than one month. It will take two years just to push for the PPP, not yet approve, to push for PPP, so there are rules, too much bureaucracy, too much redundancy, unnecessary redundancy, in the rules. Now, bumaba na sa nasyunal, pababa na sa lokal, pagdating sa lokal, hanggang tanod, problema ng negosyante, so paano papasok sa 'tin ang negosyante, paano natin sasagutin na sila, ''Wag na kayong pumunta ng abroad, 'wag kayong mag-alala, magdadala 'ko ng negosyo dito, magdadala 'ko ng investors...'
Boy: 'Hindi na kayo aalis.'
Isko: 'Hindi na kayo aalis.' Now, you have an option, the value of income abroad, the value of income in the country plus with your family, this, without your family, and that's you, how address the social cost of going abroad.
Boy: Are you in agreement with the creation of the Department of Migrant Workers of the President?
Isko: Well, there's so many laws already. Tito Boy...
Boy: So, what you're trying to say is you don't need, hindi mo na kailangan itong departamentong ito.
Isko: Bago 'ko gumawa ng isang batas, I'll make sure na yung isang department na 'yon ay yun din ba yoong ginagawa. Kung hindi naman, then we'd create, pero what is important...
Boy: Sa iyong pananaw right now, is that a duplication?
Isko: Well, I don't know. I don't know yoong intricacy, yung mga, OWWA, POEA, and so on, and so forth, but the thing is ito, ang pinakamabisang tulong natin sa OFW, yung POLO. We should put professional people in our embassy abroad, oo. Yun labor officer natin. O, kasi, kita mo, e, ilan na ba ang naapi nating mga kababayan? Ilan ba ang naaargabyado nating mga kababayan? Mga kontrata nila, hindi nirerecognize. Iba ang, iba ang sinulat dito bago umalis. Pagdating do'n, iba ang ginagawa. How do they get protected? And yet you're telling me, billions and billions of pesos, or dollars, for that matter...
Boy: Ang ipinapadala dito sa Pilipinas. Mayor Isko...
Isko: Ang pinapadala dito, and they don't get premium.
Boy: Yeah. When you become President, do you look forward to the day na malaki ang mababawas sa ating migrant workers?
Isko: I'm hoping so, with your help, with the help of everyone and the investor, building trust again for the country's, ano, credibility, as a country, of nation, you know, certain of rules, predictable, and that's very important in investment.
Boy: Ano yung pananaw na tinatawag natin silang bagong bayani?
Isko: Well, ginagahasa din ang ating mga OFW ng mga pulitiko e. Tinatawag lang na bagong bayani. Sa'n ka nakakita ng bagong bayani, 'pag nagpositive sa airport, pinagbabayad natin ng six thousand pesos? That's why we offered Manila COVID...
Boy: At saka it normalizes the risks of working abroad.
Isko: O, 'di ba? I mean, pa'nong bagong bayani? 'Pag dumating dito, kawawang-kawawa. Six thousand pesos, nagbabayad. That's why we offer Manila COVID-19 Field Hospital for free for OFW at the very least that we can do, so iba yung kyaw-kyaw, iba yung lip service.
Boy: Let's talk about social media. Pag-usapan natin ang internet, specifically, cyber pornography. Noong 2021, year-in-review report ng Pornhub, isang online adult video streaming website, sabi dito, ang mga Pinoy daw spend eleven minutes, thirty seconds watching porn making the Philippines top one. Talo natin ang France at tsaka ang Japan. Some of the known social media sites, apps, Twitter, Snapchat, ngayon ay minsan, ginagamit na minsan, and some Facebook groups are being used as alternative porn sites. May kuwento lamang ako, dalawa, mabilisan lamang 'to. Si Billie Eilish is a young...
Isko: Singer.
Boy: Yeah, American, American singer-songwriter. She's twenty years old. She turned twenty actually last year. Ang kuwento niya, in an interview last year, sabi niya, 'Eleven years old, I got exposed to pornography.' Pagkatapos daw ay naaddict siya sa porn, and then may mga pagkakataon na ang kanyang napapanood ay ang akala niya, normal, so she was hooking up with multiple sex partners dahil yun ang kanyang napapanood. In her words, sabi niya, 'My brain was destroyed. I felt devastated.' She had nightmares...
Isko: At eleven years old, may access siya?
Boy: Meron. Sleep paralysis, and then her mental health was damaged. Last year, she turned twenty nga, sabi ko kanina. Now, she's on the road to recovery. Tanong, at ito'y hypothetical, nalaman mo at naconfirm mo na ang iyong menor de edad na anak ay addicted to cyber pornography. Bilang magulang, ano ang gagawin mo, at bilang Presidente, kung ika'y papalarin, ng Pilipinas, paano mo ito itatawid sa iyong polisiya on the welfare and protection of children?
Isko: Okay. Well, as a parent, you always talk to your children and be reasonable to them, and try to, you know, explain them the gravity of the situation, specially kung menor de edad, 'no? That is the job of being a parent to your children. Wala namang perpektong magulang, wala namang perpektong pamilya, but at the very least that you can do is really talk and try to be sensible to your children, but as a leader, alam mo, Tito, e, mapalad ako, e, nakapag-aral-aral ako kung saan-saan, ako, nababahala na more than the porn, 'no, more than the porn, another problem with us is the, yung masyado nang palasak yung social media, abuse, 'no, words, sinasabi mo nga ngayon, pati social media, ginagamit na as porn site. I'll teach them a very good lesson, this social media company. I'll make them responsible because nagiging outlet yoong kanilang mga sites. I'll make them responsible that all those account must be real. Alam mo, may plano talaga akong ganyan na papapanagutin natin yoong mga pinagbabalewala lamang ng mga social media companies na 'to. It destroys our country. It destroys society. It destroyed already a country and countries because of this pagbabalewala. Now, and technically, I'll block their IP address. I'll make the ICT, as a powerful agency, to go after to this corporation, to go after to this website, and so on, and so forth, then I'll start talking to, for example, let's just say GCash, PayMaya, fintech, or even credit cards, you know, banking system, kasi para naman mapanood mo 'yan, kailangan mong magbayad e, so there are so many things that we can do technically. We'll go after them because I do believe it's an issue, an issue to a person, an issue to a family, and it has to be addressed by the state.
Boy: Okay. I heard you but you're aware na ang isang twelve year old child can actually get into an app by faking all the requirements.
Isko: Accounts, yes.
Boy: Doon yung sinasabi mo na... Go ahead.
Isko: Yeah, yun yung sinasabi ko na dapat 'pag kumukuha ng account, 'no, 'pag naggagawa ng account, let's just say, para sa mga manonood natin, pinakamadali na siguro, 'pag kukuha ka ng Facebook account, you have to submit the data to prove that you are Boy Abunda, picture of Boy Abunda, data of Boy Abunda, be submitted before you created an account. Hindi yung lima singkong email lang, lima singkong cell phone numbers lang, puwede ka na magkaro'n ng account.
Boy: Pero, Mayor, you give this to the platform.
Isko: Of course, you have to agree. You have to agree. Hindi ka naman nila pipilitin na to sign up e.
Boy: Nung sinasabi mong, 'I will hold these platforms responsible.'
Isko: Yes.
Boy: Ginagawa 'yan ng maraming bayan, 'di ba? Nakita natin si Zuckerberg, for example, in the US Congressional...
Isko: Yes. US... Yes. Yeah, they were...
Boy: How do you do that in the Philippines, makipag-usap at makipagharapan sa 'yo?
Isko: E, pagka hindi nila ginawa, 'di block ko IP address nila.
Boy: Okay.
Isko: Wala na silang negosyo sa Pilipinas, 'di ba?
Boy: Hindi kaya magalit sa 'yo ang tao?
Isko: Well, hindi naman 'to Mr. and Mrs. Congeniality. Leadership is all about protecting your people, proteksyunan mo mamamayan mo, unahin mo tao mo, yun nasasakupan mo. That's how you, how you define yourself. There are things now what you call, madalas mo 'kong marinig, Tito, maasim man ang suka, kailangan mong inumin. Ganun ang pagiging leader. Kaya ka inilalagay, o, para pamahalaanan mo ang tao.
Boy: But isn't that a bit too extreme? Ito ang problema na maliit. E, alam din natin lahat ang magagandang bagay na dulot ng social media for example.
Isko: Well, it create jobs. Kung wala ka namang masamang intensyon, kung wala ka namang masamang balak, e, nothing to worry, 'di ba? For example, Boy Abunda, check. Blue, Isko Moreno, blue, confirm account. You cannot just, ito, Tito Boy, bago maubos yung oras, what if I created a Boy Abunda account, and I posted something there? Can you be held liable, e, it's not you? See, that's the problem, so it create more problem than benefits, and we know for a fact, it destroyed a country already, at some portion of this world.
Boy: There is actually a fake Boy Abunda account...
Isko: See.
Boy: I've written to Facebook to complain many times over. Walang ginawa.
Isko: Exactly. Sino tatakbuhan mo? Ang leader. Ang estado. Ang bansang kinabibilangan mo. Dapat katabi mo.
Boy: Mayor Isko, let's talk about abortion, specifically, rape-related abortion. Sabi ng PINSAN (Philippine Safe Abortion Advocacy Network) at EnGendeRights, Inc., isang Filipino woman and girl is raped every seventy-five minutes, about one in every eight Filipino women, who resorts to abortion, is a rape survivor, seventy women induce abortion every hour, complications from unsafe abortion is one of the five leading causes of maternal death and a leading cause of hospitalization in the Philippines, 2012 alone, six hundred ten thousand Filipino women induced abortion, over one hundred thousand women were hospitalized, and one thousand women died due to unsafe abortion complications, dahil wala nga tayong access to safe abortion in the country, at least, Mayor Isko, thirty women die everyday from unsafe abortion complications. You're applying to be President of this country. Sa iyong palagay, panahon na to enact a law on abortion that would allow pregnant rape victims the choice of legal and safe abortion?
Isko: Nope. Life is life to me. Same thing that I apply to criminals. Due process of law will be observe. Equal opportunity, equal chance, and, you know, the same thing, when I value those lives are suspected criminals, yoong karapatang pantao nila na maipaliwanag ang sarili nila, the same manner applied to any life. I don't like taking life so ayoko ng abortion but I am pro-choice in terms of other things like yung kung ano yung mga accessible na puwedeng ibigay ng estado para sa family planning but when there is life already, when there is life already, nobody should take it away kasi ipinagkaloob ng Diyos yun. O, that's my personal opinion.
Boy: Pinagkaloob ng Diyos pero the situation is ginahasa ang batang ito, ang babaeng ito, nagbubuntis ng isang bata na unwanted. Does that still fall into your reasoning...
Isko: Yes.
Boy: Na 'yan ay bawal?
Isko: Dahil yung bata na yun na sa sinapupunan ng nanay, walang kakayanan ipagtanggol ang sarili niya. Buhay na yun e. Life na yun e.
Boy: Pero, Mayor, kung choice ng nanay?
Isko: No, hindi lang yun para sa kanya. Buhay din yun nasa tiyan niya. There is a life inside the womb. Life is life. Only God can take it away, not human being.
Boy: Dadagdagan ko pa ito ng certain points. Tatay ang nakabuntis sa anak, o 'di kaya there was a story about, there was a story about a doctor na nabuntis ng nagpaaral sa kanya, ang kanyang guardian. Kahit sa mga pagkakataong ganito?
Isko: Hindi maganda ang social status, hindi maganda ang social impression, for whatever impression, kung anuman ang sasabihin ng ibang tao, it may, 'no, it may had a bad effect sa society, sa katatayuan ng ina o ng bata, but life is life. Bawat buhay, mahalaga. Ang buhay ng mahirap, buhay ng middle class, buhay ng mayaman, pare-pareho ang halaga. The same manner, yung walang kamalay-malay na bata sa sinapupunan ng ina, paano man siya naconceive, in a bad way or in a good way, life is life.
Boy: Mayor, paano naman yung karapatan ng merong malay na ina, na ayaw niyang magkaanak?
Isko: Tama naman 'yon pero, 'di ba, yun yung buhay natin. Hindi ko ginusto maging basurero. Hindi ko ginusto kumain ng tira ng tao but yun ang pinagkaloob sa 'kin ng tadhana. Ipinilit kong magsigasig. Ipinilit kong ibangon ang sarili ko. Pinilit kong pagbutihin ang sarili ko nang makilala 'ko ng lipunan nang maayos na tao. Meron akong kalungkutan sa buhay nang mga nagdaan pero hindi ako puwede mamuhay na lamang sa mga nagdaan para sa 'king kinabukasan. Life must go on. We must face these challenges. We must, and that's where the church, the state, the family, come in. We support.
Boy: Mayor, but it's, that's a different story.
Isko: Yeah.
Boy: Oo.
Isko: Yeah, I mean, I'm just saying...
Boy: Nung ika'y naghirap, nung ako'y naghirap, we made certain choices but in a situation where, halimbawa, ang tatay ng iyong ipinagbubuntis ay ang sarili mong ama.
Isko: Napakasaklap.
Boy: At hindi mo maatim na magkaroon ng anak sa iyong ama. Wala ka bang choice bilang babae, bilang tao?
Isko: Tito Boy, masaklap 'yon. Naaawa ako sa gano'ng sitwasyon pero hindi ako Diyos para kumuha ng buhay ng tao. Diyos ang nagbigay ng buhay, Diyos lamang ang puwedeng kumuha nito.
Boy: But you're aware, Mayor, that there's such a thing as therapeutic abortion dito sa Pilipinas...
Isko: If there is therapeutic abortion that are existing, then let's have a therapeutic way of dealing and helping the mother with an unwanted children. O, 'di ba, meron namang isang way. There's always two sides of the coin. It's hard, Tito Boy. Don't get me wrong. Mahirap na katatayuan 'yon ng isang ina na nangyari sa kanya yung ganoon pero we must go on. We must fight. We must help as a state, and as a family.
Boy: Okay. Ang sinasabi ko lamang sa therapeutic abortion ay isang pagkakataon kung saan pinipili ang buhay ng ina, I think, medically, hindi rin ako sigurado dito, in a situation where endangered ang buhay ng ina.
Isko: Ah, that, I don't know, that, I think that's medical, 'no, oo, but this, as a matter of rule, as a matter of principle, life is life. Every life must be safe.
Boy: Ito'y may kinalaman sa iyong religion. May kinalaman sa iyong faith.
Isko: Ah, in a way. Takot ako kay Jesus.
Boy: Mayor Isko, pag-usapan natin ang drugs. Let me start with a quote from the President, from President Duterte, at ang sabi niya, 'I feel so bad about all of these things kasi nalaman ko, paano ko makontrol in three to six months? Ang mga generals na pulis, nandiyan, tapos yung mga Bureau of Customs na inaasahan ko, PI, nasa droga. How will I succeed, e, nasa droga? Alam ko na nagkamali ako. Nagkamali talaga ako. Now, magtanong kayo, ang Pilipinas, are we or are we not a narco-country?' Sabi ng Presidente, 'Yes, we are. Sabi ko, tama yung silang mga kritiko ko, 'E, sabi mo, noong nag-Presidente ka, three to six months.' Hindi ko alam. Pagpasok ko, e, Davao lang kasi ako so ang template ko, Davao. May droga, pero sabi ko, maglaro ka do'n, patay ka talaga. Give me another six months. That self-imposed time of three to six months, well, I did not realize how severe and how serious the problem of drug menace in this Republic until I became President.' Ang katanungan, you're applying to be the President of the country, Mayor Isko, how much do you know about illegal drugs in the Philippines, gaano kalala ito, ang Pilipinas ba ay isang narco-country, o hindi, depende sa iyong pagkakaalam tungkol sa problema ng illegal drugs dito sa Pilipinas, ano ang programa mo laban dito?
Isko: Well, unang-una, hindi ako naniniwalang narco-country tayo unlike, you know, at the time ng Columbian era, 'no, in the '70s, in the '80s. We have not reached that way, I mean, that far, 'no, but there is drugs, and it destroys family, community, and, of course, a country. It can destroy a country. Now, in fairness, in fairness a, and I have to give credit when it's due, in fairness kay Pangulong Duterte, talagang halos hirap na hirap, kung hindi nawala, halos mawala yoong droga sa kalsada. Nung magmayor ako, meron lang akong isang rule na, you know, the way I grew up in the street, o, kaya ako, hangga't maaari e, talagang dinidiplomasya ko, 'no, na basta ako, zero tolerance, non-negotiable, drugs is drugs, if you commit it, commit, selling, you know, we'll apprehend you, kakalawitin ka namin, kukunin ka namin, and we are certain about it, kaya ang drugs sa Maynila, 'no, nag-ano talaga, nagsubside. Almost, masasabi mo, hirap na hirap silang magdeal, then the second thing that I have to give to President Duterte, nawala yung manufacturing sa Pilipinas kasi noong dati, dito, may mga nahuhuli, sa Paco, sa subdivision, sa mga posh subdivision, nagpaplanta ng droga, but the problem with that, nawala nga yung clandestine na operation ng manufacturing of drugs, but the thing is, you know one thing that I found? Bulk nang dumarating dito, so there must be something wrong with our borders, 'no, there must be something wrong with our ports, so, kasi kung wala na yung manufacturing, hirap na magbenta, bakit kung dumating at mahuli namin, forty-eight kilos, forty kilos, five kilos? Nahuhuli namin, malalaki kasi nakapackaging na, so I think it's high time for us to address our boundaries, our entries, the port of entries, then 'pag wala na nagpaplanta, wala na pumapasok, then naturally, walang available na drugs.
Boy: Mayor Isko, would you continue the war on drugs of the President?
Isko: Why not? Why not?
Boy: Anong pagkakaiba kung ipagpapatuloy mo, anong pagkakapareho kung ipagpapatuloy mo?
Isko: Basta papapanagutin kita sa mata ng batas, hindi sa batas ng sinuman, sa mata ng batas, which we are doing, and we will continue to do so if given a chance. No ifs, no buts.
Boy: Will it be bloody?
Isko: No. Well, I mean, sorry to say this, you know, things happen, officially, at within the rules, pero at the rate we're going...
Boy: Officially within the rules...
Isko: Yeah, kasi engkwentro e, engkwentro e, o, wala kang, napatayan nga 'ko ng pulis e. E, inunahan pa yung pulis ko e. There are incident pero ito maganda, Tito Boy. I can honestly say to you, at ninety-seven percent, nahuhuli namin, buhay...
Boy: In Manila, in the city of Manila.
Isko: In Manila, so merong prototype, na dahil I grew up in the streets, I grew up with criminals, I grew up with that kind of environment, ako pa mismo nagtuturo sa lespu minsan kung pa'no sasakutihin.
Boy: Having grown up with the criminals, having grown up in the streets, and I know your story, nakatikim ka ng drugs?
Isko: Never, not solvent, not shabu, not damo, pseudoflex, pidol, corex, tapos coccaine.
Boy: Mayor, bakit?
Isko: Ayoko...
Boy: Bakit ayaw mo?
Isko: Kasi masisira ulo mo e. Sosolvent kang ganyan, nagrurugby ka, tutuyuin ang...
Boy: Bakit alam mo doon nung bata ka na nasisira ang ulo mo?
Isko: E, nakikita ko sa mga kababata ko e, saka kaya nga ako nagbasura, kaya nga ako nagsidecar boy, kaya ako naghanapbuhay, kasi gusto ko, chicha, hindi addict. Ayaw ko. Nakita ko yun araw-araw e. E, dadaan ka sa eskinita, o, kaya ka nga tusukin ng bolo e, sa liit ng eskinita, maaamoy mo, damo, tapos it turn out, makikita mo yung mga taong 'to, kung 'di namatay, nasa mental hospital, so nakita mo na, kaya ayokong gawin, kaya never, ever, not a single drop or taste, or even curiosity.
Boy: Hindi ka napressure ng iyong mga kaibigan?
Isko: Well, salamat sa Diyos, o, dahil ayoko talaga.
Boy: Okay. You talked about borders. Mabilisan lamang. How will you do it? You talked about ports, na doon pumapasok yung droga.
Isko: I'm, mga, alam mo, kaya first time, mag-appoint ako, navy, ang ating national defense, and we're an archipelagic country.
Boy: Let's talk about the Philippine debt, utang. Pakinggan natin yung data mula sa Bureau of the Treasury. Nang matapos ang termino ni President Erap, ang utang ng Pilipinas ay 2.6 trillion pesos. Matapos yung Arroyo administration, umakyat ito sa 5.1 trillion pesos. Umabot sa 6.5 trillion pesos nang matapos ang termino ni President Aquino. End of November 2021, ngayong administrasyong Duterte, ang total Philippine debt is 11.93 trillion pesos. Madalas nating naririnig, hindi ba, yung hindi pa ipinapanganak, e, nagbabayad na dahil sa laki ng utang ng Pilipinas. Ang aking katanungan, kung ikaw ay papalaring manalo bilang Presidente ng Pilipinas, how do you intend to pay the national debt?
Isko: Well, one, we must pay. It's an obligation, and there is no shame if the state will borrow money. It's part of business. It's part of stimulating a hurting economy because you need to stimulate our state, itong ating bansa dahil sa sobrang ginigiba tayo ng pandemyang ito, okay. Now, there is no bad thing about the state, the LGU, borrowing money, as long as it provides opportunity and business, so ibig sabihin, kailangan, may balik. Kaya mo siya ginagawa dahil gusto mo lang istimulate ang ekonomiya ng iyong bansa, but I think, 'no, I think we can still pay kasi hindi ka naman papayagan pautangin kung hindi mo pa kayang magbayad. Meron namang ano 'yan e, may cap naman 'yan, and in fact...
Boy: Debt-to-GDP ratio.
Isko: Bukod doon, talagang sasabihin naman sa iyo 'yan, masisiyasat ka, lalo na kung international monetary fund, mga foreign organization. In fact, ang pinakamalaking may utang sa buong mundo, Estados Unidos e, but they continue to have a good economy. I think ilang trillion dollars na yung utang nila but they manage, and that's how you do it as a state, 'no? Now, pa'no natin mababayaran? Marami tayong asset na it became liability. Marami tayong asset. For example, may mga lupang tinatanganan ng gobyerno pero nakatiwangwang. These are assets that non-performing, can be dispose of, then create source of income to offset whatever debt servicing that we can do so that we can lessen the debt servicing in our GAA or General Appropriation Act, then we can create more development and investment from our GAA.
Boy: Okay. We must pay is a very good point.
Isko: We have to.
Boy: Oo. There was a point, I think, when we were allocating twenty percent of the national budget for debt management. Ang isa pa ay base sa aming research. We are a good debtor kaya tayo'y pinauutang.
Isko: Which is good. I think we have a good credit rating nowadays despite of the situation.
Boy: Ang nangyari nga lang, yung... Yeah. Yung sinabi ko lamang na debt-to-GDP ay nalaman din natin na medyo sagad na tayo do'n at sixty percent, medyo wala na masyadong elbow room dahil nga sa pandemya.
Isko: And that's why, yung kaninang mga tansagot ko sa 'yo, we need to encourage foreign direct investment, and for us to be competitive, we have to cut some corners, in terms of loss, to generate and attract. Kailangan natin talaga e. Kailangan natin ibalik yoong, yung sigla ng pagpupuhunan sa bansa ng banyaga.
Boy: At paano 'yan ginagawa?
Isko: Ay, well, we have to be competitive in terms of life. For example, ito, specific, yung kuryente natin, napakamahal. That's why I made a commitment to the general public, I'll cut it into fifty percent, yun taxes, so that we can be more competitive, so there are so many things, then perception, it is very important. Are we certain about our rules? Are we predictable? These are the things that investors may ask, whether domestic or foreigners, and it's very important. I'm just fortunate that my teacher taught me very well in understanding those things.
Boy: Balikan ko lamang yung mga sinasabing mga assets na hindi nagagamit na puwede namang ito'y ibenta sa, you're talking about Filipino businessmen, na maaaring makagamit do'n sa mga lugar na 'yon at pagkakitaan ng gobyerno.
Isko: Exactly, exactly. For example, let's just say, hypothetical, hypothetical lang, I have, what, four hundred eighty hectares of Ninoy Aquino Airport, then I have, I'm creating a new airport in Bulacan, and I have an airport, big airport, in Clark, then I'm building North Rail, the Tutuban, Malolos...
Boy: That to you is excessive?
Isko: Ha?
Boy: That to you is excessive?
Isko: Hindi. Underutilization, or maximizing opportunity for our country to grow. May utang ako, may asset ako, underperforming, non-performing...
Boy: But is that good to have so many airports?
Isko: No, it's not good.
Boy: That's what I was trying to say.
Isko: It's not good.
Boy: Okay.
Isko: That's excessive. Yeah, so, tingnan mo ngayon yung efficiency, ito na, pumapasok na yung administrative management ng isang tao on what is efficient, and what is productive, how to define these things, well, siguro, sa experience ng isang administrador, oo.
Boy: At 'ya'y handa ka.
Isko: I've been in government for twenty-three years, from local to national, then local...
Boy: Let's talk about, Mayor Isko, the West Philippine Sea. Pag-usapan natin 'to dahil pinag-uusapan ang West Philippine Sea, pinag-uusapan natin ang...
Isko: Puwede 'to?
Boy: Please. Ang Scarborough Shoal at ang bahagi ng Spratly Islands, specifically, the Kalayaan Island Group. Itong mga lugar na ito ay inaangkin ng China. Sabi ng Tsina, 'Amin ito.' Sa Subi, ang tawag natin, Zamora Reef, at Mischief, ang tawag naman natin ay Panganiban Reef, at iba pa, nagtayo na dito ang Tsina ng mga hangars, underground storage, missile shelters, radar arrays, and other facilities. Noong July 12, 2016, naglabas ng desisyon ang Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), pabor sa Pilipinas sa issue sa West Philippine Sea. Sabi ng korte, atin, sa Pilipinas ang West Philippine Sea pero patuloy pa rin na inaangkin ito ng Tsina. Tuloy din tayo sa pagfifile ng mga diplomatic protests. As of December 2021, we have filed about two hundred forty-one diplomatic protests. Sinasagot naman tayo ng Tsina, one hundred fifty-two responses mula sa Tsina. Ang aking tanong, as President of the Philippines, you are also the chief architect of foreign policy.
Isko: Exactly.
Boy: If all diplomatic efforts fail, bilang Presidente, do you think the Philippines is strong enough and prepared to fight a defensive war against China to protect our territorial sovereignty?
Isko: Militarily, no. We know that already, oo, but I do believe in a civilized world, in a civilized time, we are guided by law and order. In fact, that's why we are participants of international organization like United Nation, and in this case, the law of the sea. The court in Hague decided in our favor. It's ours. No question. Historically, it's ours. Under the seventeen, the Velarde map, 'no, the 1737 map, I don't know the specific year, it's ours, then technically, it's ours. We are signatory, the other countries are signatories in that, then those countries that are signatories, in the law of the sea, they must come together and help us because the sauce for the gander is the sauce for the goose. 'Pag sila'y nangangailangan, tayo'y hinihingan. Tupdin natin ang ating tungkulin sa mga pinirmahan nating kontrata, pinirmahan nating mga agreement. They should come. Now, internally, then that's why I will appoint national defense for the first time in history, if I'm not mistaken, first time, ang chief ko ay navy. Why? Because we are an archipelagic country, and a good thing for us, there is no disturbance in the eastern board but the western board, from Aparri to Jolo, there is challenges there, smuggling, and the West Philippine Sea. Now, I'll try to be sensible with China. We will be fearless in dealing with West Philippine Sea, we are, at the same time, we will be fair in terms of trade with other countries, that includes China. We must coexist in economic relationship but we'll always be loyal, loyal, and loyal to the Filipino people, and that is what I'm gonna do. Kung ano nakuha mo, diyan ka muna, brod. 'Wag ka muna magpalaki, oo. E, baka naman magkasubuan tayo, but historically, we were occupied by superpowers. We excel. Nanaig tayo, but point-blank, militarily, we cannot go now, but other countries, strong nations, militarily, meron tayong partnership sa kanila. Meron tayong relationship sa kanila. Meron tayong agreement sa kanila. They should come and help us. That's where, and now, and this is high time for us to show proof of their word and their relationship towards us.
Boy: Okay. Maraming interesado sa South China Sea dahil about 5.3 trillion worth of shipborne trade, dumadaan dito kaya America, Australia, et cetera, I think that's knowledge available to all of us. Yung liit naman ng bayan, I'd just like to make reference, I'm not saying I'm for war, but in 1979, Vietnam fought a bloody war, not about the West, the South China Sea, but about border. Ang akin lamang, Mayor Isko, ay, okay, sinabi ng tribunal, halimbawa, 'Sa Pilipinas 'yan.' 'Di naman nakikinig ang Tsina e. Inimbitahan to be part of the arbitration, tinanggihan naman nila because the complaint is, 'Infirm, the allegations are not true,' at saka hindi daw inexhaust yung bilateral talks with China. Yun ang dahilan ng China, so as we talk, sinasabi pa rin ng Tsina, 'Amin yun,' so what do you do?
Isko: Well, you keep on claiming it's yours but as far as we're concerned, historically, it's ours, and technically speaking, under existing rules, and laws, and agreements, it's ours. Favorably, binigyan tayo ng pabor doon sa decision.
Boy: Ng PCA. Ang ginagamit lang ng Tsina, yung historic rights daw nila. Tayo naman, ang...
Isko: Nung nine, that's nineteen what? 1940s then the Velarde map, the Portuguese, the Dutch, the Spanish, keep on coming in...
Boy: Ang ginagamit naman nating dahilan ay the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea na nagsasabing this is well within the two hundred nautical miles from the outermost island of the Philippines pero ang sinasabi ng Tsina, 'Bilateral talks lang ako. Ayoko ng arbitration,' so...
Isko: And that is my question to UN, 'What are you doing?'
Boy: Hindi nga, ang Tsina nga, umaatras e.
Isko: That's why whether umattend siya...
Boy: So, you will go to the United Nations and depend on the UN.
Isko: Of course, you are part of it. You are signatory. You are a member, 'di ba? You agreed. Hindi pupuwedeng palakihan tayo ng muscle dito. That's why I told you, 'To Boy, in a civilized world, in a civilized time, we are guided by law and order but for now, my interest is makapangisda ang Pilipino ro'n, and I guarantee you that. Kahit nandodo'n sila, makakapangisda ang bawat Pilipino do'n. That, I guarantee to every Filipino.
Boy: Let's talk about Presidential qualifications.
Isko: Am I qualified?
Boy: You're applying to be President of the Republic of the Philippines. Napakacomplex. It's a gargantuan job. Una, the President is the head of government, he's the chief architect of foreign policy, commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, signs budgets, manages finance, appoints justices recommended by the Judicial and Bar Council, confers the National Artist Award, manages disasters and pandemics, fights drug wars, head of his/her political party, has power over aliens, has power of eminent domain, practices general supervision over local governments, and pardons convicts, among many others, Mayor Isko. That's how complex a job of a President is. Samantala, sa ating Saligang Batas, specifically, Article Seven, Section Two, of the 1987 Constitution, ang qualifications para maging isang Presidente ay ang mga sumusunod, natural-born Filipino, registered voter, must be able to read and write, forty years of age at the day of the election, and must have resided in the Philippines ten years before the election is held. Kung ika'y papalarin maging Presidente ng Pilipinas, sa iyong palagay ba'y napapanahon na para amyendahan ang provision na ito ng Saligang Batas, oo, hindi, bakit?
Isko: 'Di naman. Marami nang dapat baguhin sa ating Constitution, 'no, but these are the things that hindi naman kailangang masyadong pagtuunan ng pansin, simply because at the end of the day, it is the people. It is, in a democracy, it is the people who will choose. They will choose a high school finish, o may doctorate sa Oxford, o, they can choose. Yun ang bisa ng demokrasya, and I think what we should go after is paano natin gagawing mas mature yung ating mga mamamayan sa pagsisiyasat sa ating mga kandidato, o, paano tayo magiging responsableng mamamayan sa pagpili kasi ang kwalipikasyon, e, ako, naniniwala ako a, yung dapat may pruweba. Hindi yung, 'Ginawa ng tatay ko kaya gagawin ko,' yung, 'Ginawa ng asawa ko kaya ito gagawin ko,' hindi yung ginawa ng kamag-anak nila. Where were you when we needed you most? What have you done for your fellowmen, for you to be voted as their head of the state, or being a President? Yung pruweba is a very good qualification of any candidate because you can dream of so many things, you can think of so many things. You just sit in a, one whole day in a room, you can think of a lot of things. This as what you call lip service but wala kang karanasan, ni hindi mo nga alam mga katatayuan ng paano kumalam ang sikmura, at alam naman natin na napakarami sa demograpiya ng ating bansa, yun ang nararamdaman, then how can you relate? You can always choose words. You can sugarcoat things. You can choose better words to describe particular members of the society but wala 'yon. At the end of the day, where were you? What have you done for your fellowmen, and I think that's what matter most more than the education, more than what, education is needed, that, I agree, but you can learn that. Tito Boy, high school finish ako when I entered into government service, and I saw the, nakita ko yung kahalagahan ng edukasyon pero hindi lahat, doon nagsisimula. Ang nagsisimula ang pagiging leader, e, yung ikaw bilang tao, nauunawaan mo ba yoong kababayan mo, yung sasakupin mo, yung paglilingkuran mo?
Boy: Mayor Isko, itong mga sinasabi mo na, 'Nasaan ka nung kailangan ka namin?' Yung karanasan, if I'm getting you right, are you willing to amend the Constitution at iinclude itong karanasan bilang bahagi ng qualification?
Isko: And that's a good point. That, I agree with you, 'di ba, kasi importante yun e...
Boy: Kasi merong mga peculiarities ang bawat bayan.
Isko: Yeah.
Boy: Halimbawa, sa Myanmar, hindi man ako agree, isa ngayon sa kanilang qualifications ay dapat hindi ka mag-asawa ng foreigner dahil may kinalaman kay Aung San Suu Kyi, 'di ba? Indonesia, high school graduate. Turkey, parang higher education.
Isko: Alam mo, magandang ginagawa, magandang pamantayan, yung sa justice system natin. Bago ka maging judge, may X number of years ka na nagtrabaho...
Boy: Great Britain, bago ka maging Prime Minister, you have to be an MP, a member of parliament.
Isko: Exactly, so, meron kang puwedeng dagdagan. 'Wag mo nang baguhin, kasi kawawa naman yung isang magsasaka sa bundok ng Tralala, nagsikap siyang maigi, iraos yung kanyang anak, at yung kanyang anak, naging mabuting mamamayan, nagsikap at biglang naging leader, mawawalan ng pagkakataon na maging leader na ng bansa. Mali 'yon. That's...
Boy: Napapag-usapan lamang natin dahil naalala ko ang sinabi ni, the late Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago na iginagalang natin nang husto, sabi niya, ''Pag nag-aapply ka nga bilang police officer, nirerequire ka na college graduate. Ano pa kaya ang pagiging Presidente?' na napakacomplex but I get your point.
Isko: Yes, but kasalanan din ng state. Bakit?
Boy: Paano?
Isko: We didn't made education available to everyone, at sa'n ka nakakita, ang makapagkolehiyo ka, kailangan mo lumuwas ng Maynila. Ilan kayo, Tito Boy? Sorry, mas lamang ang edad mo sa akin a. Ilan kayong pumunta sa Maynila para mag-aral sa Maynila?
Boy: Kaunti lang, dalawa.
Isko: Exactly, exactly, that's my point, so bago natin iclaim pataasin ang standard ng educational attainment ng isang kandidato, we made sure that education is available to any John Does and Mary, Pedro and Petra, para walang dahilan, 'E, ba't hindi ka pa nag-aral? Libre na nga,' 'Ba't hindi ka nag-aral, gusto mo palang maglingkod?' So, sa akin, okay ang pag-aaral, Tito Boy, pero at some point, may kasalanan pa tayo e so punan muna natin yung kasalanan nang mawalan ng dahilan ang isang taong hindi makapag-aral, kung yun ang argument.
Boy: No, I was not referring just to the education. Yung mga ibang requirements kasi, iba-iba, peculiar sa bawat bayan. Tapos na tayo sa ating sampung katanungan, Mayor Isko. Punta naman tayo sa personal issue-based question na iyo lamang, at ako'y magtatanong, you have sixty seconds to answer.
Isko: Sure.
Boy: Wala akong follow-up. In 2007, Mayor Isko, you ran for vice mayor under Asenso Manileño. 2010, nagsanib-puwersa kayo ni former Mayor Alfredo Lim. In 2012, iniwan mo ang Nacionalista Party para sumama sa Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino with the former President Joseph Estrada na tumatakbo noon laban sa dati mong kapartido na si Mayor Lim. Noong 2016, tumakbo kang senador. You were adopted by Senator Grace Poe, at ang kanyang partido ay Galing at Puso, and you were also adopted by Senator Bongbong Marcos' party, kung hindi ako nagkakamali. 2019, you ran again under Asenso Manileño. You can answer that. Because your critics accuse you of being a political butterfly, what do you have to say?
Isko: Okay. Now, I'm a founder of, one of the founding father of Asenso Manileño. I've never left Asenso Manileño. Parties that you're mentioning is alliances from the local party which I belong and founded with Danny Lacuna. As president and chairman, never kaming nawalang Asenso Manileño. In fact, ngayon, Tito Boy, isa sa pinakamalaking partido, eighty percent ng local party is Asenso Manileño. We started with six, started in 2007 when we created it. It's now 2022 so that's about fifteen years na, and we continue to be Asenso Manileño, and never ko naging partymate si Erap, si Lim, kasi nag-aalliance kami. Kami ang kinukuha. Now, political butterfly, with all honesty, you know, I would rather, if I may borrow, my loyalty to the party ends where my loyalty to the people begins, sabi ni Manuel Quezon. Yun ang akin. Ang loyalty ko, sa tao, no matter what.
Boy: Maraming salamat, Mayor Isko. Ngayon naman ay gagawin natin ang political fast talk, sixty seconds. Sanay ka dito dahil maraming beses ka nang naging bisita sa aking iba't ibang mga programa. 'Kay. We begin. Mayor Isko, bakit hindi dapat iboto si Senator Lacson?
Isko: Senator Lacson? Puwede naman iboto rin...
Boy: Senator Pacquiao.
Isko: Mabait naman siya e. Okay naman.
Boy: Bakit hindi dapat iboto si VP Leni?
Isko: Maghihiganti sa mga Marcos at Duterte.
Boy: Bakit hindi dapat iboto si Senator Marcos?
Isko: Maghihiganti sa mga dilawan at pinklawan.
Boy: Bakit ikaw ang dapat iboto?
Isko: Hindi ako maghihiganti kaninuman. Wala 'kong paghihigantihan. Ako, sa dami ng problema, sa bilis ng problema, kailangan natin ng mga tunay na solusyon at mabilis na aksyon. That, I can do in my own little way.
Boy: Maraming salamat. Let's go to the final question. Muli, you have sixty seconds to answer this. Wala akong follow-up, at narito ang katanungan, latag mo na ito, Mayor Isko. March 19, 2018, President Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the Rome Statute. When the withdrawal took effect on March 2019, the Philippines was no longer a member of the International Criminal Court. The withdrawal happened matapos ianunsyo ni then ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda ang pagbubukas ng preliminary examination sa Pilipinas with respect to the alleged crimes against humanity na nagaganap sa bansa dahil 'di umano sa war on drugs. The President has threatened to arrest the ICC Prosecutor if she conducts activities dito sa Pilipinas because we are no longer an ICC member and the ICC has no right to do any investigating. On November 10, 2021, the Philippine government requested a deferral of the ICC's request for examination under the principle of complementarity, claiming that the country had begun its own investigations. The current ICC Prosecutor, Karim Khan, in a document dated November 18, sabi niya, they will temporarily suspend its investigation into the Philippines as it assesses the scope and effect of the government's request for deferral that cited the investigations being done by the DOJ. Human rights advocacy groups are urging the ICC to proceed with the investigation to not further delay justice for the victims. Tanong, Mayor Isko, sumulat, hypothetical, ang ICC Prosecutor na si Karim Khan, at nagrerequest, 'Presidente Isko, puwede ba kami, ako at ang aking team, pumunta sa Pilipinas para simulan na ang preliminary investigation sa 'di umano'y mga krimen laban sa sangkatauhan na may kinalaman sa war on drugs ni President Duterte?' Bilang Presidente, ano po ang inyong gagawin? Papayagan mo ba sila pumunta dito sa Pilipinas, oo, hindi, bakit?
Isko: Welcome kayo rito. Wala naman tayo tinatago. Our justice system continues to work, and it's effective, gumagana, nothing to hide. I've nothing to hide. You come here investigate. Do what you have to do. We must continue to recognize our agreement. We are a signatory of this agreement, whether it is ICC, Hague, United Nation membership. We must continue to recognize and welcome these people, para nang sa gano'n, bumalik ulit tayo dun sa status na, a, wala naman tayong ikinukubli, saka walang dapat kabahan, ang sinuman, kung wala ka namang ginawang kasalanan, so welcome na welcome sila sa 'tin.
Boy: Mayor Isko, maraming salamat.
Isko: Thank you, thank you.
Boy: Thank you for your time.
Isko: Thank you sa opportunity na ito't maraming-maraming salamat, Tito Boy.
Boy: God bless you at mabuhay ka.
Isko: Ay, may awa ang Diyos. Thank you.
Boy: Maraming salamat, at sa inyo pong sumama sa amin ngayong gabi sa aming pag-uusap kasama si Mayor Isko, maraming salamat. Kayo'y mag-iingat. God bless. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas. Good night.
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