PAT DAZA-PLANAS: Secretary, but you really look good. You really look well ha.

SEC. ANDANAR: Salamat. Thank you, Good evening.

PETER MUSNGI: Good evening. Good evening.

SEC. ANDANAR: Ako idol ko si Peter eh. Kasi si Peter iyong… of course the voice.

PAT: The voice… But you have the looks?

SEC. ANDANAR: The voice of God.

PAT: Naku, Peter.

SEC. ANDANAR: Tapos noong ako ay nasa TV5. Ako naman iyong voice over ng… News ng TV5.

PAT: Ah okay.

SEC. ANDANAR: So… but pero before I even became a voice talent, ginagaya ko parati si—

PAT: Peter Rabbit.

SEC. ANDANAR: Si Peter Rabbit.

PETER: Thank you. Thank you, for that I will attach it here.

SEC. ANDANAR: Hindi, alam mo kasi sa industriya dito talagang may kaniyang kaniyang pangarap iyong tao. So isa sa mga naging pangarap ko noong ako ay disi-siete anyos ay maging DJ, maging voice over tapos iyong nagturo sa akin mag-voice over, siguro kilala mo si Al Torres—

PETER: Al W leader.

SEC. ANDANAR: Al W Leader. naging DJ din ako noon.

PETER: Siya yong nasa siyete ngayon.

SEC. ANDANAR: Then I was—I trained under him sa (overlapping voices).

PETER: Tama naman ang boses. (laughs). Marami ding kinikita doon eh.

SEC. ANDANAR: Sabi ko nga sa mga—kasi kapag makikinig ka ng Radyo singko ngayon iyong boses ko pa rin ang mapapakinggan mo.

PETER: Ah okay.

PAT: Ah iyon pa rin.

SEC. ANDANAR: Pero walang royalty. (laughs).

PAT: Doon, hindi ka natuto kay Peter, si Peter may royalty.

SEC. ANDANAR: Wala, wala. I’m from the royalty.

PETER: Okay, siguro that’s where we start, Secretary Martin ano. And so, by way of a warm up question. Anong pagkakaiba noong—from your career in the past as a broadcaster, journalist to your current position now? I’m sure that’s more of changes—

SEC. ANDANAR: Magandang tanong iyan, Peter, siyempre one year na tayo this June 30—
PAT: June 30.

SEC. ANDANAR: Yes. At alam—kumbaga mas klaro na sa akin kung ano ang pagkakaiba talaga ng trabaho. If you are in government, ang iniisip mo kasi—ako at least ako iniisip ko that I’m spending tax payers’ money and we have services in government media na kailangan talaga ma-justify iyong tax payers money and coming from broadcast na dito sa atin talagang every centavo counts ‘no. So kaya kailangan din ganoon din iyong ugali, kung ano ka sa private sector na gusto mong mabilis iyong mga pagbabago tapos kung ano iyong mga decision mo may cost and benefit analysis parati. Ganoon, so ako I’ve always—I told the President when I joined that kung, Mr. President, if you want me to be effective, you assign me an operations work, running the government media in another bureaucracies, iyon yon. So, that’s why… since I gave the… all of the speaking word to Ernie even the—

PAT: Secretary Abella.

SEC. ANDANAR: Kay Ernie, so mula noon I mainly focus on—

PAT: On operations—

SEC. ANDANAR: Operations of PTV, Radyo ng Bayan, Philippine News Agency, PIA, NPO and all of this—

PAT: Okay now that you mentioned it may follow up ako na—

PETER: Kanina mo pa hinihintay iyon ‘di ba?

PAT: Hindi kasi sabi nga niya eh PTV. I remember a year ago when you came—when you were assign to be the head, the Presidential Office on Communication Operation, sabi mo you were going to turn around PTV 4 hopefully make it like a BBC.

SEC. ANDANAR: Yes.

PAT: How far have you gone in doing so? Masasabi ba natin naumpisahan na? Kasi in fairness talagang pag ang Presidente ang… who goes on air at naka-hook up lang iyong mga ibang istasyon talagang PTV4 ‘di ba laging courtesy of PTV4. But in terms of advancement kasi marami rin kailangan PTV4, talagang maraming kailangan i-upgrade so ano ngayon ang istorya diyan sa PTV4?

SEC. ANDANAR: Para mas madaling maintindihan ng mga kababayan natin. Noong pumasok po tayo sa PTV. We were only running 25, 000 watts yung transmitter. So now we are running at 55, 000 watts after one month or two months naayos namin, which I had to fix one equipment may nagkulang kasi ng piyesa na in-order namin sa Europe yata iyon. So now we are running at 55, 000 watts. We were able to launch PTV Cordillera hub and two weeks ago nagkaroon po tayo ng launching, hindi na launching but umere na po iyong PTV Davao at mayroon na tayong Visayan Newscast. We also have to fix iyong itsura ng… iyong transmission o iyong itsura ng production para maging ABS-CBN, na maliwanag etcetera, but then again hindi talaga natin matatapatan ang private media, ang ABS kasi kumpleto sa gamit eh. So, we just had to make do with what we have right now.

In terms of social media, we only had about 50, 000 followers when we came in so now we have almost a million and we reached about 13 million people on Facebook every week. Naging—sabi ko sa kanila my marching orders, one of the marching orders was to—na gawing 70 percent news, 30 percent others. Well although talagang hindi natin maaalis na mayroon tayong mga Home TV shopping because iyon ang nagpapasuweldo sa tao—

PETER: So marami pa ring block timers?

SEC. ANDANAR: Marami pa ring block timers sabihin natin, hindi talaga natin siya maano Pat eh maalis kaagad, tapos mayroon ding mga kontrata din kasi. So we are also moving into the digital broadcasting—

PETER: You have been on digital broadcast ‘di ba? Even prior to the Duterte administration. I think naka-test broadcast na iyan sa digital terrestrial?

SEC. ANDANAR: Yes test broadcast but not really like ABS-CBN na fully—we are talking to ADC Japan, so hopefully by the second week, ah first week or second week of July of this year. They would be able to launch our Salaam Digital TV which our—the first Moslem television in the country. So isa iyan sa mga ginagawa namin sa PTV and then hopefully three or four months matapos iyong project namin with DND in setting up that. First, free to air sa Salaam Television based in Jolo, Sulu.

PETER: Eh, anong coverage noon Martin?

PAT: Buong Mindanao?

SEC. ANDANAR: Sa ngayon sa Jolo, Sulu muna and then perhaps the Zamboanga Peninsula.

PETER: Hindi ninyo ginagamit ito ngayon in—well related to the Marawi conflict?

SEC. ANDANAR: Hindi pa. Hindi pa.

PAT: Nagkataon lang?

SEC. ANDANAR: Talagang matagal plano namin kasi kung maalala mo binanggit po ni Presidente iyong sa kaniyang SONA that we will launch the first, Moslem Television which is Salaam TV. And ngayon by first week or second week of July, we should be able to use the first sub-channel PTV digital.

PETER: Okay, so you will have a totally separate programming dito sa Salaam TV?

SEC. ANDANAR: Siguro sir mga 8 hours muna. Mahirap naman ang full length talaga and then the other 8 hours would be Radyo Pilipinas, the Radyo ng Bayan before which is now Radyo Pilipinas will take the other 8 hours.

PETER: Look me up this question, Secretary Martin ano. Sa every administration na lang laging lumalabas itong question na ito na we need to raise funds for the operation of PTV ganiyan, ganiyan ano. Naka-open na ba talaga sa commercial advertising ang PTV and the different radio stations?

SEC. ANDANAR: Iyong PTV lang po iyong open to commercial, radio station is still a government agency, hindi pa ho siya GOCC but we submitted the proposal and si Senator Loren Legarda in the Senate also medyo… Anong tawag doon? Iyong kaniyang bill to change the charter of PTV and make it the People’s Broadcasting Company and then by doing that we will integrate Radyo ng Bayan and the PTV.

PETER: In this age of social media. Nararamdaman ninyo ba Secretary Martin na you are no longer relevant in terms of yung… The millennial at the very least at iyong up to about 35 years old. It’s not only PTV ano, I mean the mainstream media is… eh slowly ‘di ba kailangan mong—kagaya ng sinabi mo kanina kailangan mong mag-develop ng social media outlet and, but in the meantime PTV and the Radyo ng Bayan eh patuloy pa rin except hindi ko nakikita kung minsan kung bakit kayo mayroong Radyo Magazines, Sports Radio. I know, you know this na from a broadcasting some point ang hirap mag programa ‘di ba? Anong programming ang gagawin mo? So ano iyong mga plano ninyo diyan?

SEC. ANDANAR: It’s a good question Peter. The challenge really is how to make it—to make money for the station but then again Radyo Pilipinas is a government agency. Whether we put a program there or not they will be an MOOE. May gastos talaga na diyan, manggaling sa DBM. So sabi ko nga, “After how many years of broadcasting there, iyong PBS which is coincidently celebrating its 78th year of broadcast this year. We might as well create content kasi nandiyan na iyan eh hindi naman puwedeng ang tax payer bayad lang ng bayad. Contribute lang ng contribute tapos hindi maganda ang programming. So, that’s why for example if you listen to 104. 3 right now which is—

PETER: Iyan ba iyong business radio?

SEC. ANDANAR: We reformatted 104.3, so now it’s called FM 2 and we play 80s, 90s and 2000 music.

PETER: I noticed. So you have the likes of George Von Nietas. wala naman si Victor doon eh.

SEC. ANDANAR: Well… nandoon. The great jazz of 80s, 90s to 2000 to George [indistinct] North Andrew.

PETER: Wala nang Lettermen.

PAT: Sorry hindi talaga ako maka-relate.

PETER: Ano ka ba galing din sa ano iyan, sa 101.9 kasi medyo—

SEC. ANDANAR: Lahat mga contemporary… these are…

PETER: 80s—

SEC. ANDANAR: The great jocks during the 80s, 90s and this also—

PETER: Hind nagalit iyong mga senior citizens ho. Nasaan na iyong aming mga Ric Connie?

SEC. ANDANAR: Iyon na nga ang nakukuha ko parati, Peter.

PAT: So anyway, medyo maganda iyong ating discussion bago tayo—

PETER: Anong gusto mong—

PAT: Hindi pa natin—I want—(overlapping voices). So puwede ng mag-hard hitting questions. Now, Secretary, of course because there’s no doubt na President Duterte is very popular, ‘di ba he won by 16 million votes and all that tapos ang lakas ng following niya sa social media. Pero the social lot proliferation of fake news, that’s what I want to talk about and you being the head of the Presidential Communications Operations Office. You have also been accused of iyon na nga fake news because recently, ‘di ba with the pictures coming out of non-Filipino soldiers when the Marawi siege just started. What can you say about that kasi I’m sorry—do ever came out with the statement ‘no, where you and Mocha Uson were… sorry, kayo ni Mocha Uson ay naano—

SEC. ANDANAR: Wala namang item as—

PAT: Oo hindi kayo item, hindi magkasama kayo sa opisina, pero iyong kayo po na naakusa na naglabas ng fake news, fake photograph actually. Ano po ang masasabi ho ninyo tungkol doon?

SEC. ANDANAR: Well, siguro let’s clarify that. Iyong nangyari kasi is that nag-release iyong Philippine News Agency ng photo of Vietnamese during the American-Vietnam war. Tapos ganoon din si Mocha naglabas din siya ng parang Honduras ata yun.

PAT: (unclear).

PETER: Iyong nagdadasal yata na mga sundalo.

SEC. ANDANAR: I talked to Mocha about it and told her that of course it’s her blog, it’s her own Facebook page. Sabi ko, “Iyon lang whether it’s—I know that its hindi naman intentional iyong nag-upload pero she has to start, she has to hire really people who can manage—

PAT: Her Facebook blog—

SEC. ANDANAR: Her Facebook page/blog, to help out because she’s already now an Assistance Secretary pero it was just an advice because that’s really on blog.

PETER: By the way I have to jump in, Secretary Martin. Bakit hindi ba conflict of interest na iyon? I mean she is a government officer after all ‘no, whether we like it or not, she is there. She’s an Assistant Secretary. Hindi ba conflict of interest na mayroon ka pang sarili na personal blog? You cannot separate the two, I think.

SEC. ANDANAR: Yes. Tama po kayo. You can no longer separate yourself as a government employee or high ranking official. The same way that, for example, si Peter or you Pat if you post something on your Facebook page and it’s a damny post, so sisitahin ka ng ABS-CBN because you represent ABS-CBN, you were ambassador and you’re one and the same as a talent of ABS-CBN. So I told her about that na mahirap na nga i-separate na since it’s your blog but at the same time you are the Assistant Secretary. Okay naman si Mocha so sa tingin ko—

PETER: Na-deactivate na ba niya iyon?

SEC. ANDANAR: No. She was just have to be more—

PAT: Prudent?

SEC. ANDANAR: Circumspect.

PETER: Well it’s nice to hear those words pero at the end of the day iba pa rin, hindi pa rin puwedeng sabihin na, “Okay, iba ang blog ko, iba ang pagiging Assistant Secretary ko.” I mean something is got to give. I think and that’s why personal—

PAT: Yeah, well I agree pero Secretary sabi mo nga na you recommend it na she get already people to help her manage it ‘no pero iyong kaniyang blog ba bago ina-upload pinapakita ba niya for clearance sa inyo—?

PETER: Eh kasi nga personal.

SEC. ANDANAR: No. No, also but—

PETER: Kaya nga nandoon na iyong conflict of interest, ‘di ba?

PAT: Yun na nga. Baka daw as a compromise now sige you can keep your blog pero i-clear mo muna sa akin kasi Secretary, if I remember correctly ‘no nangyari po iyon, they caught you eh ‘di ba ayaw mong lumabas sa kuwarto dahil nag-aabang iyong mga media noon and in fact they asked, Secretary Abella for his comments. That’s why I said, I’m going to ask you—

SEC. ANDANAR: May hint pa nga na tumalon ako sa …

PAT: Nag-aabang sila lahat doon, hindi kasi tinatanong nila si Secretary Abella. Sabi ni Secretary Abella, “I don’t know. You have to ask, Secretary Andanar.”

SEC. ANDANAR: Yes.

PAT: So they went to your room but it was closed and they were waiting. They were camping for you to come out in the picnic. So, this occasion, I’m happy when you accepted our invitation, because I really wanted to ask that kung what happened anong behind closed doors—

SEC. ANDANAR: They came in. I already had some business during that day and there was no—well, wala naman talagang schedule na interview. At the same time, I already know the issue, the issue was about the Philippine News Agency and si Mocha. And both of them, they already answered. They already explained to the public kung ano iyong mga naging dahilan ng mga post. Ang Philippine News Agency came up with its official release at ganoon din po si Mocha. So I found it—I think—during that time I thought that there was no reason for me to talk anymore kasi nagsalita na iyong agency eh, nagsalita na rin si Mocha.

PAT: Okay.

PETER: So there was also an issue about a certain cartoon animated blog and medyo binatikos din iyon ng mg netizens tapos after a while pinull down iyon. However painful siguro I can—can we go back? Ano bang nangyari pero sino bang gumawa noon?

SEC. ANDANAR: Well it was an animation that was created by one of the graphic artist who would know—one of the teams that will create an animations and I asked them, “Ano bang naging ano nito, puntos nitong video na ito?” Wala namang bago dito, kung ano lang iyong sinabi ni Presidente na martial law, wala naman, hindi naman lumabas. Walang sobra, walang kulang. In fact that video was already playing on channel 4 for 1 week and also was already playing on social media for one week and getting views because of—nagkaroon kasi kami ng isang forum na countering violent extremism. Parang it was a CV project na para.. timing din sa martial law na nangyayari. So the video was there. So noong in-upload siya sa Presidential Communications na Facebook page na mayroong 1 million followers, so it caught the attention of people who want for martial law, I supposed that. And after one or two hours, mabilis naman naming pinull down because—I think what’s important here is ang PCOO is an office that listens to the opinion of other people also, whether—hindi lang iyong kapartido namin, hindi lang iyong mga naniniwala sa amin, maging sa mga tao na hindi naniniwala sa paniniwala namin, nakikinig kami. So when it was—when it was being ano, it was bashed online. Sabi ko, “Sige para ano, tanggalin na lang natin para hindi na—

PAT: Wala ng ano—

SEC. ANDANAR: As to respect also to the opinion of other people.

PETER: The PCO it is—is not a very small department. I mean alam naman ng lahat na that we probably cannot even imagine how the—

PAT: The budget rin—

PETER: So my question is: Lahat ba ng lumalabas dumadaan sa inyo?

SEC. ANDANAR: Lahat ng lumalabas na… in terms of creative production—

PETER: Anything that can be considered as not minor—

SEC. ANDANAR: Well kapag sa ano po sir, iyong sa PTV4 mayroon kasing sariling management diyan, so hindi naman parang imposible din na iyon na lahat ng lumalabas—

PETER: That’s true pero lalo na sa social media. Something as the—iyong kagaya ng animation na iyon—

SEC. ANDANAR: Lahat ng lumalabas sa social media, sa Presidential Communications Facebook page. Pero iyong as Philippine News Agency may sariling editorial board sila and then PIA may sarili din sila, Radyo ng Bayan may sarili din. But as far as iyong mga social media efforts galing sa Presidential Communication Operations Office, dumadaan din iyan sa aming lahat.

PETER: I might say, this is a 24/7 job ‘di ba?

PAT: Oo.

PETER: Gigisingin ka ng madaling araw—

PAT: Pat may clearance ito. Ito ang next follow up question ko kay Secretary Andanar. Secretary, isang taon na rin po na Presidente, parang hindi rin pa humihinahon iyong pagmumura niya sa TV at saka sa Radyo. (laughs). At live ‘di ba kung kini-carry siya. Have there been a chance for you to talk to the President na parang—to be more subdued—

PETER: Totoo po iyan.

PAT: Kasi maraming mga nakikinig sa kaniya and sad to say its rubbing off on a lot of people, the Speaker of the House talks the same ‘di ba? The netizens ‘di ba? I mean you—you’re on social media and ‘di ba? Parang now there’s—the people are very harsh din and brutal and some people say that it is because our President is like that so they think it’s cool. Do you agree or are you trying to temper the President, being in the Communications Office?

SEC. ANDANAR: Kasi Pat, noong tumatakbo si Presidente, noong kampanya ganoon siya magsalita—

PAT: Oo.

SEC. ANDANAR: Even ang before sa Davao pa. The people accepted the way he talks, the people voted for him, 16 million people and up to know he have 75 percent of the population—

PAT: Approval rating.

SEC. ANDANAR: Who have trust the President. So kung tinanggap natin si Presidente na ganoon magsalita during the voting day at nanalo siya at— tingin ko kasi, wala, it’s not in my business na pakialaman ang—the way a person acts or the character, the person, the way he speaks or whatever—

PETER: But he’s a President, Secretary Martin. He is the President.

SEC. ANDANAR: He is the President and—

PETER: And you think, he can take that both ways? He is the President, he can do that. He is the President, he should set an example, parang ganoon?

SEC. ANDANAR: No, I know he is the President tapos he was—the people know him already and they know him and wala naman siyang tinago during that campaign and he was voted for and then he has explained it also numerous time on television. Ang sabi niya na hindi naman siya nag-aral ng diplomasya, hindi naman siya—

PAT: Yeah the person is very candid ‘no sa ganoon at saka siguro talagang sinasaloob niya—sinasalita niya iyong sinasaloob niya. Pero ang hirap rin kasi may mga bata, kasi iyong mga rally naiintindihan ko iyon kasi iyong mga tao pumupunta doon para pakinggan, siya pero ngayon sa free TV na, siyempre iba na iyong audience. But follow up question to that aside from his cursing, his cussing, his profanity, he also kasi—mahilig siya sa rhetoric and that has happen in to a lot of trouble and you know is that International Press ‘di ba and some international politician as well. Are you saying, Secretary na there’s no letting up, the President will continue to be this way?

SEC. ANDANAR: Yes the President will continue to be who he is and his style will continue. No one in the Cabinet will stop him from being who he is and I think that is his own prerogative. As a matter of fact iyong pagiging ano ni Presidente, pagiging matapang niya and the way he talks, kay Obama etcetera. It has already really caught the attention of the International market, the media. And now the Philippines is basically being respected, our leader is being respected by other leaders and iyong sinasabi ni Presidente, kaya siya nagagalit kasi bakit ninyo kaming pinapakialaman. We are an independent, a ,sovereign country. Dapat hindi ka nakikialam sa amin so the President actually fought for us Filipinos when he stood up and he told Obama to mind his own business.

PETER: Iyong PTV at saka Radyo ng Bayan, Secretary Martin ‘di po ba ano iyan member ng KBP—

SEC. ANDANAR: KBP okay, is a member of the KBP.

PETER: Na interview namin iyong KBP minsan at tinanong nga namin. Eh paano iyan eh nagmumura iyong Presidente natin eh kung ni-replay namin iyong ano niya sabi ko, kapag ni-replay namin at nandoon pa rin iyong mura may violation ba kami? Sabi ng KBP may violation kayo. Isn’t that funny?

PAT: Hindi natin blineat kapag hindi natin [overlapping voices].

PETER: And by the way, Secretary Martin kung mapupuna ninyo iyong ibang mga istasyon hindi na bini-bleat iyon, so—

SEC. ANDANAR: tuloy-tuloy na, as is.

PETER: Oo, as is na?

PAT: Maski na replay?

PETER: Yes. Yes, so in other words dumating na doon sa punto na—

PAT: Sanay na—

PETER: Bakit ba eh talaga namang—

PAT: Iyan ang sinabi niya?

PETER: It’s what the—what he said ‘di ba? So nire-replay lang namin. Of course wala pang test case ang KBP kung ganoon. Are you violating the KBP Code of Conduct when you are doing that or okay lang ba talaga?

SEC. ANDANAR: Kasi mostly nangyayari and one of my experiences in the… during the first month is that noong nag-speech si Presidente iyong isa sa mga transcribers namin sa Presidential News Desk tinanggal iyong mga mura. So ngayon ang MPC accused us of censorship. Sabi ko, “Oh well sige, sige isama ninyo na lahat iyong mga… (laughs).

PETER: Okay marami pa po. Hindi pa po aalis si Secretary Martin dito sa Teka Muna pero mayroon tayong radyo patrol report.

(Commercial)

PAT: Okay partner, we’re back. We’re still with Secretary Martin Andanar.

PETER: Welcome to ano hard talk.

SEC. ANDANAR: Welcome to the jungle (laughs).

PAT: Pero kasi ako may follow up question ako kay Secretary.

PETER: Ang dami ng follow up questions niyan ha.

PAT: Hindi, hindi naman. Kasi Secretary si… iyon na nga si Presidente nga ‘no, napag-usapan na natin iyong pagmumura niya at saka iyong mga hilig niya sa rhetoric, pero iyong kaniyang—ang ano ninyo ba kay President Duterte sabi mo nga parang ganoon na siya, hindi na natin siya puwedeng baguhin. Puwede ninyo bang i-share sa amin din kung anong nangyari sa kaniya noong apat na araw na nawala siya? Puwede na bang sabihin kung ano talaga? Kasi may mga lumalabas na istorya na incognito daw siya kasi mahilig nga daw dati sa Davao sumakay sa mga motorsiklo niya at umiikot. There are some rumors going around that he went to Marawi to see for himself. Can you already now confirm or deny or is there really something wrong with his health? And do you feel that he has to be transparent when he comes to himself?

SEC. ANDANAR: Like what he said na nagpahinga siya na hindi siya na-coma kung hindi nasa kama. Iyon lang naman, alam ninyo ang Presidente po natin ay hindi naman robot, hindi naman siya 6 million dollar man at bionic man na hindi napapagod and we must also understand na the past few nights before June 12 marami siyang lamay na binisita, na pinuntahan ng mga sundalong namatay. So kahit sino siguro ay mapapagod din—

PETER: At saka 72 years old.

SEC. ANDANAR: 72 years old so para sa akin, Pat, siguro pakiusap ko sa mga kababayan natin. Let us also give him respect in terms of his time to rejuvenate.

PETER: Some breathing space—

SEC. ANDANAR: Some breathing space.

PETER: Okay so, Secretary Martin, one of the questions na talagang plinano kong tanungin sa iyo—

PAT: Plinano eh (laughs). O sige.

PETER: Ito-ito pre-meditated—

PAT: Okay.

PETER: Hindi ko alam kung makikialam ang Department of Justice dito pero—(laughs). So in the… Back in March ‘no, you were assigned to the PCOO and a lot of people, maraming nagsabi na you were muscled na pinatahimik ka dahil sa medyo mayroon ng kaunting away, LQ—

PAT: Maraming Spokesperson—

PETER: With the press and I can imagine na iyong ibang mga nasa press, nasa broadcast, ang iniisip nila palagay ko eh, how can you do that to us, Martin? Kabaro ka namin and—
PAT: You were one of us.

PETER: You were one of us eh bakit inaaway mo ngayon. So pinagbibintangan mo kaming kumuha ng 1, 000 dollars para sa press con ni Trillanes. Has that been resolved, Secretary Martin? I mean, are you now—peace na ba kayo? (laughs).

SEC. ANDANAR: Well of course, I talked to a lot of members of the media already and I just—sinabi ko sa kanila na in the heat of the moment during that time ay talagang—in any heat of the moment talagang magkakaroon kayo ng mga exchanges like me and Marlon sa Inquirer. Tapos iyong interview na ginawa ng isang istasyon sa akin. Now it wasn’t decision of the Palace na patahimikin ako. It was my own decision because while everything was going on in the heat of the moment and I had to recall why I was appointed in this position and what I told the President on June 2, 2016. Sabi ko sa kaniya na, “If you want me to be effective dito ako sa operation.” Naalala ko pa sabi ng Presidente, “Ayaw mong mag-Spokesperson?” Sabi niya sa akin. Sabi ko, “Boss, just give me one year to run, aayusin ko iyong byurukrasya, aayusin ko iyong agencies and not just speak on your behalf.” But then again noong pumasok tayo sa trabaho na kinailangan ni Spokesperson Ernie ng katulong kasi siyempre bago lang si Ernie, hindi naman talaga siya media. Sabi ko, “Okay, I will take care of the 5 a.m.”

PAT: Yes, I remember that, you said, the 5 a.m. slot—

SEC. ANDANAR: Yeah, 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. because Ermie is not really an early riser. So, I would answer the calls from DZMM and all the station and until… parang naging norm na siya eh, naging norm na siya tapos sabi ko, since nagkakaroon na ng kaunting conflict ng media, masyadong mainit, sabi ko, “This is the best time for me to withdraw—

PAT: Oo.

SEC. ANDANAR: And focus only on the job that I’m assigned to—

PAT: Sir, is there a truth that they accepted 1, 000 just for the record? Or it is true or it was something like—you know because you were at the heat of the moment?

SEC. ANDANAR: You know, Pat, during the heat of the moment and prior to that of course we all have our own sources. And sources also from the media, na iyon nga na iyong sinabi nila na mayroong umiikot. Umiikot na 1, 000 dollars. I did not mention na mayroong tumanggap, mayroong binayaran.

PAT: Ang sabi mo lang umiikot—

SEC. ANDANAR: Oo umiikot lang and it was already taken out of context while it was passing to different—parang Chinese whisper, nag-iiba iyong istorya but then again, I’m spoken to a lot of the reporter in the Senate and I told them that, “Hey, this is part of the political drama and it really happens na mayroong mga ganitong exchanges na hindi natin magugustuhan.” Inupakan ninyo ako sa media ng ilang linggo ‘no. Some of them said, “I think quits na tayo.” Ganoon-ganoon.

PAT: O, ito follow question ko, Secretary Andanar.

SEC. ANDANAR: Yeah.

PAT: Ang pagpasok ni Mocha Uson sa opisina ninyo rin is also very-very controversial. When she was appointed to be a MTRCB board member that also drew you know, raised a lot of eyebrows and they pluck her out of that and transfer sir to your office, reporting directly to you.

SEC. ANDANAR: Yes.

PAT: There are rumors that you asked for her to be under your office because I guess to her Facebook, her social media na she has more than 4 million—

SEC. ANDANAR: 5 million—

PAT: 5 million yeah which we have it at that time 4 million lang noon eh noong nandito siya sa atin eh. So I guess it grew kasi 1 million so 5 million na. So, number 1, did you really asked her to be under your office? What was the rationale from hiring Mocha in the Presidential Communications Operations Office? How is she faring? Is she an asset or is she a liability right now?

SEC. ANDANAR: Okay, tough question, hard talk. Hindi ganito, ganito iyan. Si Mocha ay personal na choice ni Presidente. I remember that we were—during the Middle East trip from Saudi to Qatar at parang doon sa Qatar, doon namin napag-uusapan iyan na si Mocha nga ay i-appoint.

PAT: Sa MTRCB—

PETER: No, no sa office sa PCOO iyan.

PAT: Sa opisina?

SEC. ANDANAR: Sa PCOO na. Tapos si Mocha rin gusto ring mas tumulong pa because she has been a volunteer since the campaign and then si Presidente mismo ang nagsabi. She is a personal choice of the President na i-appoint because the rationale, ang followers in Mocha sa social media is about 5.2 million. Ganoon na kadami iyong followers niya and iyong merkado niya, iyong market niya would be the—iyong masa talaga, iyong mga masa talaga iyong sumusunod sa kaniya. Now, if you look at the SWS and Pulse Asia surveys, tumaas po ang popularity at trust rating ni Presidente sa Class AB, tumaas, tumaas talaga siya. And if you look at it on the perspective of—iyong kung sino iyong mensahero ng Pangulo so iyong messenger ng Pangulo, si Ernie and when—kapag si Ernie iyong nagsasalita talagang—

PAT: Mahinahon—Kagalang-galang

SEC. ANDANAR: Kagalang-galang and most likely the way he delivers his answer, his—at iyong mga tanong sa kaniya ng mga media kung paano niya sinasagot, palagay ko siguro nagugustuhan ng Class AB, siguro maganda iyong feedback and so far naman kapag kausap ko iyong mga class AB gustong-gusto nila si Ernie—

PETER: Aside from his baritone voice.

SEC. ANDANAR: Oo parang baritone (laughs).

PAT: At saka pastor, ‘di ba pastor kaya hindi nagagalit?

SEC. ANDANAR: Oo. So now— kung titingnan mo the same survey nag-dip tayo sa CD. Nag dip po tayo sa CD. So, from a communication stand point, maybe kulang kami sa mensahero para sa Class CD and it was Mocha who will be the messenger on social media.

PETER: But if the idea did not come from you?

SEC. ANDANAR: It’s the President’s, honestly.

PETER: Alright. Alright.

SEC. ANDANAR: But you know, but I don’t—noong sinabi sa akin, sabi ko, “Why not?”

PAT: So you get along. You work your—

SEC. ANDANAR: Yeah, we get ano—

PETER: Do you see each other? I mean walang ibig sabihin. On a daily basis, you see each other in the office?

SEC. ANDANAR: Not on a daily basis but we see—

PETER: Are you in touch I mean talagang—

SEC. ANDANAR: (laughs).

PETER: Directly na nagkakausap kayo—(overlapping voices).

SEC. ANDANAR: Yeah we message each other in fact we have a podcast together every Sunday.

PETER: Do you have lunch or dinner? I mean—

PAT: Tayo hindi naman tayo nagla-lunch at dinner.

PETER: We don’t have to. We’re soulmates. (laughs).

PAT: (laughs). Maraming, maraming salamat, Secretary.

PETER: Thank you ha. Thank you very much.

PAT: Thank you for being game, for answering.

SEC. ANDANAR: Alam mo before I go, I will give you, Presidential Operations Office report—

PAT: Akala ko directory iyan.

SEC. ANDANAR: So lahat ng mga nagawa namin for—

PETER: Thank you very much, Secretary Martin. And yes, I will listen to your 104.3 and—

PAT: Thank you, Secretary colored, colored!

SEC. ANDANAR: That’s from the Bureau of Communication Service.

PETER: And from a broadcaster to another broadcaster. I wish you well.

PAT: Wish you well.

SEC. ANDANAR: Maraming salamat idol.

PAT: 5 more years—

SEC. ANDANAR: And now really—this is really surreal for me na nakakausap ko si sir Peter. Idol ko talaga iyan si sir Peter.

PETER: Naku salamat. Maraming salamat talaga.

SEC. ANDANAR: Ginagaya ko iyong ano niya eh, iyong ABS-CBN news and current affairs. (laughs).

PETER: Hindi sa tseke iyan. Thank you Secretary Martin. We’ll see you again.

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