SEC. ABELLA: Likewise, Karen. Magandang hapon din sa inyo.

DAVILA: Opo, sir. Tanong ko lang, nasa Davao City na ba kayo?

SEC. ABELLA: Wala pa po. I’m preparing to go.

DAVILA: Okay, siguro ipaliwanag n’yo muna bakit ipinatawag ni Pangulong Duterte ang buong Gabinete sa Davao tomorrow? Why specifically bukas and bakit lahat?

SEC. ABELLA: I’m not sure kung ipatawag po because (unclear) to go anyway dahil mayroon pong Social Development Summit doon sa Davao, and featured speaker po siya. As far as I know, kaya po siya naandon because featured speaker po siya para doon.

DAVILA: I see. Kasi maraming Cabinet secretaries ang lilipad din bukas. So you are not aware kung may Cabinet meeting sa Davao tomorrow, sir, o may specific agenda?

SEC. ABELLA: Ang pagkakaalam ko lang po kasi, iyong Social Development Summit at saka po iyong launching ng 50 First Days.

DAVILA: Oo. Ilalabas ng Palasyo bukas ang documentary ng first 50 days ng Duterte administration, right?

SEC. ABELLA: Basically po, actually, it’s not (unclear) PCO, the Presidential Communications Office. And ano po siya … it’s basically ano siya … first 50 days po ni President.

DAVILA: Sir, siguro sa first 50 days, anong masasabi po ninyong highlight ng Duterte administration sa first 50 days?

SEC. ABELLA: Well, basically, the first 50 days really focuses on the (unclear) of the President on his campaign promises ‘no, about addressing corruption, crime and drugs. So aside from that, marami pong ibang nangyayari like, for example, facilitating of FOI, facilitating the communication between the people and the government especially the Executive. Ano po, katulad ng ano, iyong pag-i-in place ng 911, 8888. Although, there are glitches, nagkaroon minor glitches but all the whole, really the President is trying to bring in as soon as possible an (unclear) between the government and the people.

LIMA: Parang pag-uulat na rin ho ano doon sa kaniyang nagawa ika-50 dias.

SEC. ABELLA: Opo, opo.

DAVILA: Ito lang, Secretary, sinasabi ni Pangulong Duterte, of course, he encourages transparency, ang essence natin ng demokrasya. Pero sa huli niyang speech, tinira niya ang isang lady Senator bagama’t hindi niya pinangalanan parang alam naman ng marami na, kumbaga, ang pinatutungkulan niya ay posibleng si Senator Leila De Lima. At nagsalita si Senator Leila De Lima, parang halos … alam mo, very teary-eyed, medyo emotional sa Senado. Nag-a-appeal siya na huwag daw bumaba sa ganitong istilo ang Pangulong Duterte, kumbaga iyong akusasyon na ka-affair iyong driver, iyong mga ganoon, sir. Kumbaga, ang tanong ko it eh, how can that encourage free speech kung ang ginagawa ng Pangulo, kung may babatikos sa kanya, parang below the belt ang tira? Ang mangyayari matatakot na lang, sir, ang mga senador at alam mo mangingimi ka na lang ‘di ba?

SEC. ABELLA: Well, siguro po iyong kaniyang ano … siguro, I’d like to put it in perspective also ‘no, katulad po nung nangyari po sa kanila ni Justice Sereno. Maganda naman po kasi iyong kanilang usapan, and what went (unclear) on that particular situation siyempre since that the President is quite willing to ano, not only quite willing but really in a sense is open to transparency in relationship and repairing relationships po.

DAVILA: Okay. So parang siguro you are hopeful and saying that kahit ganoon, he will repair relationship.

SEC. ABELLA: Opo, opo.

LIMA: Iyon ba ay on his own? Wala ho sa script iyon or, I mean, you know, out of the blue on his speech na may mga nababanggit siyang ganoon minsan?

SEC. ABELLA: Ang alin po?

LIMA: Iyong mga ganoong ano, iyong kagaya nung kay Sereno, iyong tinutukoy niyang isang senadora. Ano ho iyon, wala ho sa script iyon ano? Hindi nakasulat iyon ano?

SEC. ABELLA: Hindi po niya ano … hindi po pinaplano iyan. Siguro … basta ang atin po, siguro the way I would best describe it is, you know, katulad na lang ng mga taong bumibiyahe sa dagat, they follow a north star ‘no and then they can go this way, they can go that way. But, basically, iisa lang ang patutunguhan niyan, meron silang true north ‘no. And in the case of the President po siguro, ang masasabi ko, his (unclear) true north. He is (unclear) iyong kapakanan ng bayan. Iyon lang ano na hindi po ano … kasi minsan siguro—akin lang po ito ano, this is not his—this is just … minsan kasi siguro ang dumarating na parang pinaparatangan siya na ganito siya, ganito siya when basically, his true intention really the common good.

DAVILA: I think, wala namang question doon, sir. We all agreed.

SEC. ABELLA: So, basically, what I’m saying is that, siguro it’s a way also of communicating with him. Is a back and forth that we need t0 learn po siguro.

DAVILA: All right, another question, sir. Confirmed na ba na ang schedule ng libing ng mga labi ni dating Pangulong Marcos sa Libingan ng mga Bayani is September 18?

SEC. ABELLA: Wala pong definite, ma’am.

DAVILA: Pero by September confirmed na ayon kay Pangulong Duterte itutuloy niya?

SEC. ABELLA: Well, the plans have been set into motion ano. But like we said, like we said earlier during the press briefing na kung ano po … and according to the words of Chief Legal Counsel Panelo, makikinig naman siya sa mga, for example, if the SC rules in a particular way, he’s also willing to abide by the …

LIMA: Actually, the decision has to come out before September 18.

DAVILA: Oo, iyong Supreme Court. May schedule na po, sir, yata ng oral arguments eh.

LIMA: Oo, sige. At saka bukas yata may dadalawin siyang sundalo, Secretary, sa Jolo, tama ba?

SEC. ABELLA: Ewan ko po kung bukas na ba iyon, pero ang alam ko po mayroong kaganapan sa Davao. As far as I know, kasi the President is quite flexible, pero in general mayroon pong sinusundan na schedule.

DAVILA: All right. On that note, thank you, sir, Secretary Abella. I hope to see you soon sa Headstart. Balik ka, sir, ha.

SEC. ABELLA: It will be my honor and privilege po.