PRESIDENT MARCOS: Good evening. Katatapos lang ang pirmahan sa NPC at saka sa PFP. We have formalized an alliance so that we can continue to work together. Mga like-minded naman ang aming mga members. And, informally, the truth of the matter is matagal na talagang magkasama ang member ng PFP at saka ng NPC.

At, ang madalas, although informal, magka-alyado na; dati pang magka-alyado ‘yan. So, this, now, it is formalized and I think that will give added motivation for us to work harder para dahil magkasama na kami, pareho ang aming naiisip, pareho ang aming mga – nagkakasundo kami sa plano. So that will make us more effective.

Q: Sir, magandang gabi po. Madadagdagan pa po ba ang partido sa coalition habang papalapit po ang midterm elections?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, we hope so. Dahil, of course, kagaya ng sinabi ng isang very wise statesman politician, politics is a game of addition. So, that is what we are hoping to achieve.

Q: Sir, follow-up po. How strong and stable po ‘yung coalition that will ensure the unity of the parties for the midterm elections po?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, I think, it’s very natural for people to think that this is being done for the midterm elections. Of course, that’s part of it. But really, it is to formalize what already existed. It’s – we are trying to put together, once again, the team and that we’ll work together. And, this really derives from our original concept that progress will only come from unity.

And … but we are thinking of really is how to be more effective, how to be able to work better so that we can help each other try to achieve the same things. ‘Yun ang ano d’yan. So, that’s more, for me, that’s more important because maybe I’m not a candidate that’s why I’m thinking in those terms, but, of course, the elections coming up are part of it.

But also, perhaps equally important are the connections that we make so that we’d become stronger force for progress and peace and progress and stability in the country.

Q: Hello po, question ko po. Do you see any flaws in the coalition, and how do you think it would be addressed?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Any flaws in the?

Q: In the coalition.

PRESIDENT MARCOS: In the coalition?

Q: Yes.

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, the usual thing is that, when you approach an election and you are in partnership together, kung minsan ‘yung ibang partido may kandidato para sa parehong posisyon, and wala, ‘yung mga steering committee namin, ‘yun ang mag-uusap. Mag de-decide tayo. Kung hinding-hindi talaga pwede, wala talagang magawa na kompromiso, eh di we will, kung minsan napipilitan tayong mag free zone.

Pero as much as possible para maayos, gusto namin magkasundo dun nga kung sino ang tatakbo dun sa bawat lugar. So, that’s the— but every election ganun eh. Basta’t nagsama ang mga partido. So, we’re ready for that and we know how to handle it.

Q: Hi sir, may initial findings na po ba na pinadala sa Malacañang tungkol sa investigation kay Bamban Mayor Alice Guo?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Oh no, it’s very, very early yet. No, we just started. Well, the Senate had just started their investigation. As I told you before, we have been investigating the–now defunct POGO installation. Hindi namin, hindi namin [tiningnan]. It never came up. Hindi lumitaw ‘yung issue ng citizenship, ng ano, all of these things that came up.

So, ‘yun ngayon ang [tinitingnan] natin. But there are–it’s–we have ways to go dahil talagang hinahanap natin kung ano ba talaga ang totoo, and, as I said, there is also an ongoing investigation by the Senate. So, let’s allow the executive side and the legislative side to do their work and continue their— continue our investigation.

Pero wala pang ano, wala pang definitive na conclusions.

Q: Follow up lang po. Recently, may lumabas po na pictures ninyo ni Mayor Guo noong campaign sorties noong election 2022 and then may nasabi niyo po before na walang nakakakilala sa kaniya bago siya ma-elect. Any comment po dun, ano po masasabi niyo doon? Pictures po ninyo ni Mayor Guo noong campaign sorties noong elections 2022.

PRESIDENT MARCOS: That proves nothing. You know how many pictures I take in during the campaign. Siguro isang libo sa isang araw. Lahat naman ng humihingi ng selfie hindi mo naman hini-hindian. So, doesn’t really mean anything.

Q: Sir, China reportedly approved the policy which allows the Chinese Coast Guard to detain any perceived trespasser in the seas that they claim as theirs. Your reaction to this, sir?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, it’s the–that kind of action would be completely unacceptable to the Philippines. We–of course, once again, I do not talk about operational details so you will leave it to us, but the position that we take is that, that is unacceptable and we will take whatever measures to always protect our citizens.

Q: Follow-up question. There are also concerns of about wiretapping allegedly being done by Chinese officials, and even the Chinese Embassy. How–what is your directive on this issue, sir?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Directive? It’s just a – we are looking into it because really the fact of the matter is, there have been mentions of a tape that says, that confirms that there was this agreement, etcetera. All of that.

And, I keep hearing that there is a tape and I keep wanting to hear it and as yet, we don’t have it. So, we really, it’s very hard to come to any conclusion until we know that the thing actually exists.

So, it’s very hard to–it’s very hard. It is in the possession – if it does exist – it is in the possession of the Chinese Embassy and the Chinese government. So, until they release it there is, they, we cannot be, we, it is, it becomes harder, and harder to believe and to accept that there was an agreement.

Q: Do you have any directives as to whether, or not government offices should take extra precaution given we have this kind of issue now?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: There is no directive like that. It is our policy, and we have been disseminating that policy to all. There have [already been] so many departments and agencies that have been victimized and I think we are all very aware of the risks of cybersecurity. Not only, for all kinds of reasons, so, yes, we are very conscious of that.

And the DICT, for example, together with the DOST are working hard together, together with our security services to make more robust our cybersecurity. We have spoken to many experts and we have taken, some of the best people in cybersecurity are actually Filipino. But they’re civilians. So, we have to bring some of them, we will, I don’t know if we can find an arrangement for them to work for the military, to work for government agencies. Maybe as a free agent, we’ll see, we’ll see.

Q: Thank you, sir.

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Thank you.

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