PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON ABELLA: Good morning din po sa inyo. Kamusta kayo diyan? 

Ms. Ruiz: Mabuti po. Sir, you met my brother in Japan ah. 

PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON ABELLA: Ah, si, sino po si..? 

Ms. Ruiz: Atty. Nilo Peña. 

PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON ABELLA: Ay opo, kamusta nga siya? [laughs] Okay. 

Ms. Valdoz: Sir, umpisahan po natin ang tanong. Una pong ulat na bumungad sa atin ay patay na po si Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa, Sr. Ano po ang reaksyon ng Palasyo dito, sir? 

PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON ABELLA: Ang ano po, ako’y… nilinaw ko po ‘yan but right now it’s really under investigation so wala po tayong actual na komentaryo patungkol diyan. Wala po tayong ma-ano pero ang ano po is masasabi natin is right now it’s under investigation po. 

Ms. Valdoz: Opo, at susunod po naming tanong sir ‘yung kay Nur Misuari ng MNLF. Meron pong sinabi ang mga taga-Zamboanga na kailangan panagutan daw po ni Chairman Nur ang nangyaring krimen diyaan sa Zamboanga noong Zamboanga siege? 

PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON ABELLA: Opo. At the right time po ay masasagot at all of those issues will be addressed pero right now po ay ang mahalaga is we had a, nag-uusap sila ng Presidente and the President is addressing ‘yung mga historical ano, issues. At ano po, maganda naman at I’m sure napanood po ninyo ‘yung press briefing sa Malacañang. 

Ang mahalaga po ay nag-uusap ngayon at the President has promised na uusad ‘yung structures for, that will lay the ground for Bangsamoro territory and doon po, it will be connected to the whole concept of federalism. So ‘yun po ang mahalaga na ma-address rin po ‘yung mga historical issues, historical, mga matters na alam po naman natin na sa history po ng mga Moro brothers natin ay buhay pa rin ‘yung mga certain issues kaya ano po, kaya ‘yun po. And we also know that the President has been very very interested in making sure na magkaroon po tayo ng peace within our borders. ‘Yun po. 

Ms. Ruiz: Sir, when is the President expected to sign the Executive Order reconstituting the Bangsamoro Transition Commission?

PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON ABELLA: Wala po tayong timeline pa at this stage pero I’m sure it’s on the pipeline. Hello?

Ms Ruiz: Oo. Meron lang pong patanong si Leila Saavedra [Salaverria] kung ano daw po ang mga naging commitment o pangako ng ating Pangulo kay Misuari kung meron man po? 

PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON ABELLA: Wala pa po tayong ano… ang mahalaga lang po, nag-usap so wala po tayong specifics at this stage. So yun po. Ang mahalaga ay nagka-face to face sila, nagkita sila and then saka pa lang magsisimula po talaga ‘yung actual conversation.

Ms. Valdoz: Sir, meron pong patanong din si kasamang Reymund Tinaza ng Bombo Reymund, ah Bombo Radyo. Sabi po niya patanong: Pinabulaanan daw po ng Philippine National Police ang pahayag ni Pangulong Duterte kagabi na six kidnapping cases sa Binondo in three weeks. As per NCRPO daw po, no available report of kidnapping in Bonondo or NCR.

PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON ABELLA: Ang ano ko po is, may mga comments po si President but we don’t know kung, but he has his own sources. Kung sinasabi pong wala, I’m sure the President has his own form of information. ‘Yun lang po ang masasabi ko. 

Ms. Ruiz: Sir may isa pang tanong po from Leila ng Inquirer. Does the Palace consider it suspicious that the government officials and personalities that the President has linked to the drug trade are being gunned down before they can be tried in court? What do you think this indicates daw po? Thank you. 

PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON ABELLA: Wala po tayong comment regarding that, whether it’s suspicious or not. All we know is that all of these matters are under investigation right now. 

Ms. Valdoz: Sir, last question po namin: Your views po on the appointment of the new US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim? 

PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON ABELLA: It’s very significant po na ano sila, that they chose an Asian and I’m sure they want to, ang ano po, I’m sure it’s some form of a signal na gusto nilang, they want to be on a better cultural footing at pagkakaintindi na between Asian. That seems to be right now one of the most obvious, one of the major significant reasons why they chose a Korean also. So ang gusto po siguro nilang mas maintindihan tayo, that we’re able to relate on better cultural terms. ‘Yun po. 

Ms. Ruiz: And they even, the Ambassador was quoted as saying na he’s excited and happy to be assigned in the Philippines. 

PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON ABELLA: I’m sure he is. The Philippines being one of the most exciting places right now. 

Ms. Ruiz: At si Secretary John Kerry din, nagsabi siya na he’s still confident na maganda pa rin ‘yung ating relasyon and he hopes to visit again dahil nakausap na nga daw niya si Pangulong Duterte before and he hopes to visit again before he steps down. 

PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON ABELLA: Opo. Maganda naman din po kasi ‘yung huling usapan nila. We were observers to that and maganda nga naman talaga ‘yung pag-uusap nila. 

Ang mahalaga lang po is that ‘yung ano, ‘yung mga terms of engagement natin with one another, ‘yung mas maging culturally sensitive. ‘Yun po, that’s what I can say. 

Ms. Ruiz: And the President sir, iba naman ‘to. The President is unfazed, hindi siya natitinag doon sa mga sinasabing coup attempts at saka pinaplano daw namass demonstrations against him? 

PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON ABELLA: Well ano siguro, I think the President has a very firm grasp of ‘yung ano, what is, being able to separate the chapter between kung ano talaga ‘yung may laman, ano ‘yung tunay at saka ‘yun pong ingay lang so … wala po tayong minamaliit na mga bali-balita pero ang ano po is the President truly is confident in his role as President tsaka ‘yung trust na ibinibigay sa kanya ng mga tao at tsaka ‘yung the integrity of what he’s doing, ‘yung kanya pong purpose, ‘yung kanyang direksyon bilang Presidente po. 

Ms. Ruiz: Sir, can you take another text question? This is from Leo Palo po. Kailan daw po aayusin ng Malacañang ‘yung gusot po sa SBMA? 

PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON ABELLA: I think it’s being addressed at hindi naman po ano, but there are right parties, the right offices, the right departments that are pressing those matters. ‘Yun lang po.

Ms. Ruiz: Okay. 

PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON ABELLA: Okay. Thank you very much. 

Ms. Ruiz: Thank you very much, sir, best regards. 

Ms. Valdoz: Thank you very much, Usec. Happy weekend po. 

PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON ABELLA: Kayo rin po.