Interview

Media Interview by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. following the Situation Briefing on the Effects of Tropical Storm “Enteng” in Rizal Province


Event Media Interview by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in Rizal Province
Location Ynares Events Center in Antipolo City

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Good morning. Good morning everyone. As you have witnessed, we just did the quick briefing on the effects of Typhoon Enteng in Rizal, specifically and also the responses of the rest of the agencies around the country because Enteng is not only localized here in this area, but dumaan na sa northern Luzon.

So, we are just having to deal with a very large volume of water that rained upon all of the affected areas.

And what we had before in terms of flood control, in terms of controlling the flow of water which was sufficient for many, many years, it turns out now is no longer sufficient.

And we have to come up with new strategies. And that’s what we discussed today once again. I explained especially to the local government of Gov. Nina here and the other members of those who are in the meeting about what our strategies can be in terms of making sure that the water does not come into the low-lying areas anymore, by building the impounding projects upstream.

So, sa ano naman — as a response, maayos naman ang response natin. Inaalala ko lang talaga dahil kung kagaya ng nangyari sa Carina na naubos lahat ng supply namin na mga food pack, na mga — lahat ng gamit na binibigay natin as relief, for the response ay may parating na naman na baka maging bagyo.

Kaya’t kailangan natin tingnan nang mabuti kung ano ‘yung ginagawa natin and make sure that we have sufficient supplies for everyone.

Kung mangyari talaga ‘yun na may dumating pang bagong bagyo pagkatapos nitong Enteng, handa naman tayo na mayroon tayong sapat na supply para naman makatulong tayo at mabigyan natin ng tulong ang mga nadaanan, naging biktima ng bagyo.

So, that’s the state of play at the moment. We will just keep responding. But at the same time, we are not only sending relief goods, we are very, very busy planning the large-scale, long-term plan.

Although we already have it, we still have to… It’s an old plan and it was relevant for maybe five, six, maybe even more, maybe 10 years ago.

Nagbago na rin ‘yung weather. So, we have to revise it to make sure that it is addressing the challenges that the new weather is bringing.

And it’s become very difficult for PAGASA, for our scientists to forecast this very changeable weather that we have, that has not been seen before in human history.

It’s that — it’s that big a change. So, ‘yun ang ating — that is what we have to deal with and that’s… And I think we’ll be able to manage it but we have to come up with new strategies, new long-term solutions that might take a little time before they take effect but we will rush it as quickly as possible.

Q: Mr. President, on the arrest of Mayor Alice Guo, nababatikos po ‘yung ating mga government officials for having a photo with Mayor Guo for impropriety and also parang may special treatment na ginagawa ang government. What’s your take on this?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, I think the — that is part of the new culture now na nagpapakuha lagi ng kahit ano kasi ipo-post nila. “Tingnan mo o, nakasama ako dito sa team na nag-aresto sa ganyan, ganyan.” That’s…

Ang tawag natin sa Pilipinas, we are the selfie capital of the world ‘di ba? O, ‘di nag-selfie. Hindi mo na mapigilan ang tao na ngumiti. So, they just had a selfie. I don’t think there’s much more to it than that. Nagpa-selfie sila.

Q: But sir now that Alice Guo is in custody, what do you want to hear from her? Or what do you expect from her?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Those are two very different questions. What I want to hear from her is for her to lay out exactly how these POGOs became so such a large — basically, a criminal enterprise.

And as mayor, for her to say she did not know this was going on is very difficult to believe.

Because as a former local government executive, it seems impossible that an operation that is what — a few hundred meters away from my own office na hindi ko alam ‘yung nangyayari doon, illegal na ganitong kalaki na operation. Sana maipaliwanag niya kung bakit hindi niya alam.

Paanong — bilang isang mayor na hindi niya malaman kung ano ‘yung nangyayari doon sa bayan niya, na ganon kalaki na problema. Tapos, marami pa siyang sasagutin. Paano siya yumaman nang ganyan? Ba’t ang dami-dami niyang pera? Paano siya naging mayor na hindi naman siya kilala nang tiga-doon? All of these things.

All these questions have actually been asked by both the House and the Senate. I just hope she answers it better than her cohorts. Sina Cassandra Ong at saka sina Sheila [Guo], very evasive makasagot.

Sana naman mabuti-buti ang sagot ni Alice Guo, as compared doon sa mga kasamahan niya because it will not help her at all to be evasive.

Mas bibigat ang magiging problema niya kung hindi siya magsabi nang totoo.

Q: Mr. President, is there a demand from the Indonesian government? Kasi there were reports na swap ng prisoner. Is there such thing?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, wala naman nag-swap. Walang swap.

Q: No demand at all?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: No, there is a — there was… Because lumabas sa isang article sa Indonesia na dapat mag-swap. Pero hindi official ‘yun.

So, no but… Well, it was, you know, I can explain to — hindi naging simple ang pag pauwi ni Alice Guo dito sa Pilipinas. It wasn’t simple at all. We were negotiating very intricate, very sensitive, and very delicate details for the last — what, maybe 48 hours. Kinakausap natin mga kaibigan natin sa Indonesia.

Mabuti na lang marami tayong naging kaibigan na dahil sa pagpunta-punta ko pagka — pagpunta ko sa mga iba’t ibang bansa, Indonesia being one of them at maging malapit kami ni President Jokowi. Naging bahagi ‘yun kaya’t kahit na hindi ganon kasimple ang pag-transfer, napaki-usapan naman natin ang mga kaibigan natin sa Indonesia na bayaan na ang Pilipinas kunin na siya at iuwi siya dito sa Pilipinas.

Q: Thank you, sir.

PRESIDENT MARCOS: All right. Maraming salamat.

 

 

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