MELANIE BALDOZ: Si Melanie po ito, sir.

USEC. ABELLA: Okay.

MELANIE: Sir, hingian lang po namin kayo ng reaksiyon dito po sa inilabas ng Pulse Asia Survey. Ayon po dito sa survey na ginawa ng Pulse Asia, 8 out of 10 Pinoys want rights asserted in West Philippine Sea. Sir, do you share the same views po?

USEC. ABELLA: Of course, even the President agrees that we should assert our rights over the West Philippine Sea. However, it’s a matter of—

(LINE CUT)

MELANIE: Sir, sorry po naputol po iyong ating line. Good morning po ulit.

USEC. ABELLA: Good morning, good morning.

MELANIE: Iyong una po nating tanong, sir, iyong inyo pong pahayag doon sa recent Pulse Asia Survey na ang sabi po, 8 of 10 Pinoys – medyo majority po ito – ay sinusuportahan na ipaglaban ang ating karapatan sa West Philippine Sea?

USEC. ABELLA: Katulad po ng sinasabi ko kanina, of course we agree totally 100 percent that we should stand by our rights regarding the West Philippine Sea – na ibinigay sa atin. Even the President himself has said the same thing ‘no, by our rights. However, it’s a matter of timing, na hindi po ibig sabihin na we’re giving up. We are not giving up anything; definitely not. Atin po iyan, pag i-add iyong rights diyan, iyong EEZ, however it’s a question of timing and a matter of diplomatic relations. So iyon po. We totally agree. Yes, of course, it’s ours. And then it’s just a question of being able to handle it. Tandaan po natin na marami pong iyong… the sociopolitical realities are such na kailangan tayo mismo marunong tsumempo. Opo.

MELANIE: Opo, at sir, habang isinusulong natin iyan, huwag po din natin, sir, kalimutan na isulong din iyong ating deepened ties with China, ‘di ba?

USEC. ABELLA: Opo, parallel lahat iyan. You know, parang ano, parallel lines po ito. We are running on parallel tracks na mayroon tayong pinag—mayroon tayong pinuproteksiyunan, mayroon ding ilalaban. Mayroon din tayong pinapausad ‘no, na iyong ating relationship dahilan sa unang una, it’s reality, magkakapitbahay tayo, so we have to learn how to work with this reality. Hindi po ito either/or; it is a or/and. Hindi po siya black and white lang, mayroon talagang shades of gray. At doon po tayo—doon po nakikita natin na si Presidente ay mahusay siyang diplomatiko at politiko, at nakikita natin na while it is—ang kaniyang primary concern talaga is ang kapakanan ng bayan, but all these have to be done with a wise and determined political will.

MELANIE: Sir, kasabay ng Pulse Asia survey na inilabas ay marami ring Pinoy na sumusuporta sa ginagawa ni Pangulong Duterte, kung saan isinusulong nito iyong pagpapa-igting na relasyon ng Pilipinas sa China at Russia. So suportado nila, sir, iyong ginagawa ng Pangulong Duterte, ang ating mga kababayang Pilipino. Ano po ang reaksiyon ninyo dito, sir?

USEC. ABELLA: Masaya po tayo that lumalawak ang paningin ng ating mga kapwa Pinoy. On the other hand, that doesn’t mean to say na basta’t we are very—hindi naman tayo basta-basta na lang na bumubukas. All of these things are carefully considered, and, of course, we need to open up our—nagbabago po talaga ang sociopolitical reality ng mundo ‘no. Unang una si—iyong may malaking ka-partner natin dati, mukhang nagsasara at mukhang pinoproteksiyonan ang sariling mga interes. So in other words, nagbabago po ang sociopolitical landscape dito sa may bandang atin. So ano lang po talaga—mukhang napaka—ewan ba natin kung mayroon bang third eye si Presidente at nakita niya itong mga bagay na ito kaya parang napaghahandaan.

So in other words hindi na tayo nagre-react, tayo na mismo iyong nag-set ng mga bridges with other relations. Tayo na iyong nag—we took the initiative. In other words, we took the initiative to be able to open up friendly relations with bigger powers in the world so that hindi po tayo maano—siyempre pagdaan ng malalaking barko eh maalon ano, so kailangan iyong maliliit na mga bangka katulad ng ating bayan ay marunong tumimbang, so that’s exactly what we are doing.

MELANIE: Sir, mayroon pong—maiba naman po tayo. Mayroon po bang atas ang Pangulong Duterte partikular sa DFA at saka sa Department of Labor and Employment? Kasi matapos iyong pagbitay kay OFW Jakatia Pawa, ay ayon po sa DOLE, mayroon pang walongpu’t walo OFW’s na nakalinya sa death row. Mayroon po ba tayong atas, sir, para matulungan itong ating mga OFW?

USEC. ABELLA:  Ma’am, sa simula’t sapul iyan talagang inaasikaso iyan ng ating DFA at saka DOLE ano. And kaya lang siyempre each one is a particular case, and each one is a particular situation. So, pero ano po, pinaglaban natin lahat. Katulad po noong si Miss Pawa ‘no, eh talagang according to ano po, according to DFA, we sent top-caliber, we hired top-caliber lawyers, kaya lang talagang hindi talaga siya—mukhang ano talaga iyong kaso against her; seemed to be tilted against her, parang ganoon. Pero hindi po tayo pabaya sa kapakanan ng ating mga kapwa Filipino abroad.

MELANIE: Sir, iyong pahayag po ng CBCP kamakailan lang. Ang sabi po nila parang ang reaction po nila dito sa nangyari kay—sa ating OFW na kung maaari daw po ay huwag ng ituloy iyong pagsusulong ng gobyerno sa death penalty. Parang nawawalan po ng moral ascendancy na makiusap sa mga bansa na—sa ating mga OFW na nakalinya sa death row?

USEC. ABELLA: Ma’am, we understand where the CBCP is coming from ano. However, we also have to understand na iyong katulad noong ano, may mga alleged crimes kasi na kinon-demn ng mga certain countries—

MELANIE:  Opo.

USEC. ABELLA:  Lalo sa may bandang Middle East. But we have to understand that they operate from a different set of rules. Hindi naman – they don’t go by Western civil law. They go by Sharia for example. Iba po iyong kanilang pamaraan. So hindi po natin sinasabi na hindi natin pinaglalaban iyan. However, we cannot claim ascendancy, but we can claim perhaps clemency and mercy, depending on the merit of each case – not simply because we have certain laws that—not because we do not have the death penalty but we have to discuss each one on the merit of each case. So iyon po.

MELANIE: Oo. Sir, maiba tayo. Mayroon pong ilang mambabatas, nanawagan na isuspinde muna itong Oplan Tokhang ng Philippine National Police, kasabay ng kampanya against illegal drugs. Kailangan muna daw pong linisin ng PNP iyong kanilang ranggo doon sa tinatawag na ‘bad eggs’ na mga pulis, tiwaling pulis.

USEC ABELLA: Opo. Again, noong pumasok po ang Presidente, huwag po nating kalimutan that this was actually his platform, to actually bring cleansing. However, nakikita po talaga natin na napakalalim po talaga pala ng mga pangyayari. Of course we still have to go by—we still have to determine everything, pero sa pakiwari po natin and the way we perceive it, the President is really pursuing a parallel track  agenda ‘no – cleansing; on the other hand continuing to fight illegal drugs, criminality and corruption.

So ano po, I don’t know if it’s necessarily—we’re hearing what the Legislative is saying, nadidinig po natin iyan, however let us leave it to the President to decide regarding this matter; it comes directly under his office. But we can see na ang Presidente is doing… lahat po ito, katulad ng mga pangyayari na may mga nangyayari pala especially within our borders, at may mga people who are taking advantage of it, it is precisely the situation na talagang pinag—na nabanggit ng Presidente, and it’s beginning to be revealed. However po, ngayong nagkabukuhan kumbaga, ay definitely there will be more intensity and also more careful addressing of the matter.

MELANIE: Oo. Sir may katanungan po iyong ating kasamahan diyan sa Malacañang Press Corps, si Bombo Reymund Tinaza. Ang tanong niya po, “Papaano po maaalis ang agam-agam sa death penalty lalo na’t naglalabasan mga kaso ng Tokhang-for-ransom at shabu planting?”

USEC ABELLA: Ano po ang koneksiyon noong tanong ninyo sa death penalty, and then the corruption? Ano po iyong koneksiyon?

MELANIE: Ang sabi niya po, papaano daw po maaalis iyong agam-agam sa death penalty lalo na’t naglalabasan mga kaso ng Tokhang-for-ransom at shabu planting?

USEC ABELLA: Hindi po malinaw sa akin iyang tanong. Ano po iyong agam-agam nila tungkol…

MELANIE: Agam-agam sir sa death penalty dahil iyong mga kaso po na Tokhang-for-ransom, marami na pong naglalabasan na ganiyan at shabu planting. Just in case po masulong itong death penalty, eh kawawa naman po iyong mga biktima ng Tokhang-for-ransom at shabu planting – iyon siguro iyong ibig sabihin ni kasamang Bombo.

USEC ABELLA: Ah, okay. We understand po iyong pag-aagam. Of course we are all concerned regarding that matter, and that really demands that there should be more careful proceedings and regularity. However, all of these things are being considered, but let us continue to trust the process po. Let us continue to encourage… ano po tayo, unang-una na talagang ano, to bring to the attention… we have to bring to the attention. I’m sure all of these matters are being considered so that everything is done with regularity as much as possible; to be done with regularity.

MELANIE: Oo. Sir iyong follow up po ni Bombo, paliwanag doon sa first question niya. Papaano daw po matitiyak na totoong kriminal ang mabibitay kung may pulis namang ganitong nagtatanim ng ebidensiya gaya ng shabu?

USEC ABELLA: Unang-una po, the death penalty is not just for that, but it’s reserved for heinous crimes. Iyong ano, hindi siya… not for ordinary drug busts and everything like that. The death penalty is reserved only for heinous crimes.

MELANIE: Oo, okay. Sir on a lighter note, hingan po namin kayo ng inyong mensahe sa ating pambato diyan sa Miss Universe sa darating na Lunes, alas otso ng umaga. Kay Miss Maxine Medina, ang pambato ng Pilipinas sa Miss Universe Pageant.

USEC ABELLA: Ah, mayroon po tayong ano ‘no, saglit ha. We have a statement regarding that matter, saglit lang po.

MELANIE: Paalala natin sa ating mga kababayan, alas otso ng umaga ang Miss Universe. Kung nais ninyo pong mapanood, hindi kayo nakabili ng tiket, eh puwede ninyo po itong mapanood sa mga telebisyon para maipakita natin ang suporta sa ating pambato, si Miss Maxine Medina na lalaban sa darating na Lunes, alas otso ng umaga.

USEC ABELLA: Ito po siya: We convey our most heartfelt felicitations for all the Miss Universe candidates, and especially cheer and throw our support for the Miss Philippines candidate, Maxine Medina, who deserves all the morale boost she can get for working very hard and giving her best in the competition that promotes goodwill and friendship among nations. As the country’s representative, Maxine is able to show the beauty, warmth, hope and dignity of the Filipino. We are truly proud of her. We are also grateful for this experience of hosting the pageant, assured and confident that 2017 Miss Universe experience has been joyful and memorable for all the candidates and our foreign guests. We invite them to come back and bring more of their friends to explore the various islands of the Philippines, ready to be astonished at the unexhausted beauty of each one, and willing to be moved in every way by the  fervent spirit of the Filipino people. And so we say Mabuhay!

MELANIE: Mabuhay ang bansang Pilipinas! Mabuhay si Miss Maxine Medina.

USEC ABELLA:  Tama po (laughs), at saka mga Miss Universe contestants.

MELANIE: Opo. Maraming salamat Usec., alam ko manonood kayo ng Miss Universe sa Lunes. Ay sir, confirm ko lang. Nag-approve na po ba si Pangulong Duterte na dadalo sa Miss Universe coronation show sa Monday?

USEC ABELLA: Tignan po natin (laughs). Wala po siyang confirmation, but who know? It’s going to be a fun experience.

MELANIE:  Okay. Maraming salamat po. Kung Hei Fat Choi, Usec. Happy Chinese New Year.

USEC ABELLA: Kung Hei Fat Choi sa inyo rin. Thank you.

MELANIE:  Iyan po si Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella.