Q: Sir, good afternoon. How are you? What have you achieved during the ASEAN Summit? Were you able to discuss with your fellow ASEAN leaders the tensions in Taiwan Strait and South China Sea? And also, sir can you clarify when you said ‘yung mapping and sharing of fishing grounds, are you referring to the EEZ?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: What really has happened in this last ASEAN Summit [were] new directions kasi there are certain issues that we feel have to be attended to. One of the biggest ones was Myanmar dahil nga walang nangyayari kahit na sinasabi, kinakausap natin. Ah hindi, tinigil nating kausapin ang mga leadership ng Myanmar dahil nga sinasabi ng ASEAN that we have to – they have to stop the violence.
However, nothing has really taken effect. That’s why naghahanap ang lahat ng members kung ano bang pupuwedeng gawin.
But, of course, the background of the whole summit was to do with kagaya nung kanilang theme is “Epicenter for Growth.” So pinag-usapan talaga is trade, connectivity ng bawat iba’t ibang bansa. ‘Yung connectivity ngayon, hindi lang digital kung hindi pati na, road, rail, air, sea, lahat ‘yung pinag-uusapan.
Tourism was a big subject for all of us at the areas of… Again, ‘yung aligning kasi doon sa human trafficking nagkakaproblema. Lahat kami, lahat ng member states ay may problema. So we have to coordinate and synchronize even our legislation para hindi masyadong maging malala ang sitwasyon sa human trafficking. But it seems to be a problem not only with us but with other countries.
But ang backdrop nito lahat is really are the economies, the economy of ASEAN and what ASEAN’s role will be as we recover, as we transform and how do we do it in such a way that we have – we work together in such a way that we can maximize our efforts. ‘Yun ang ano – ‘yung coordination, synchronization of the things that we are doing.
The first step is only actually to say “ito kami”. In the Philippines this is what we do; in Malaysia, this is what we plan to do. ‘Yun ang mga starting point.
And then sasabihin natin, ang commonality sa atin, ito ‘yung mga puwede nating gawin and these are the interconnections that we can develop.
So, again, ang maganda – I find that in the ASEAN Summit there is mga immediately an area of consensus dahil ang ating mga sitwasyon ay – hindi naman pareho pero similar and some of the solutions also – what apply to one country in ASEAN, also apply to the others.
So ‘yun ang mga pinag-usapan. And those – talagang strengthening the ties, making sure that ASEAN is relevant, ASEAN is effective, and is able to respond to any of the developments around us in terms of geopolitics, in terms of the economy. ‘Yun ang mga talagang naging focus ng usapan.
Q: How about South China Sea, sir?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: South China Sea…
Q: ‘Yung conclusion of the Code of the Conduct?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Of?
Q: The conclusion of the Code of Conduct naisulong po ba natin?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Hindi kita marinig.
Q: Sorry, the conclusion to the Code of Conduct, sir.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, you’re asking the wrong side. We’re waiting for the continued work being developed – that is being done to develop the framework for the Code of Conduct.
But ASEAN is already, lahat kami, halos lahat brought it up and said sana the Code of Conduct, sana naman nandiyan na ‘yung Code of Conduct para maging maliwanag ang mga position ng mga iba’t ibang bansa, ng China, alam natin ‘yung mga gagawin, what are the rules.
So that’s a continuing na lahat umaasa na matapos na ‘yung CoC.
Q: Sir, ‘yung mapping and sharing sa fishing grounds?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Ay, wala. Because that’s an issue that [inaudible] from China, that’s not for ASEAN. Wala tayong problema sa ASEAN.
Q: Are you referring sir sa EEZ? Within EEZ? Are you referring to the area within the Exclusive Economic Zone?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, wherever areas where our fishermen used to fish and are being blockaded from fishing, yes, those are the areas.
Q: Sir, isunod ko na po ‘yung sa Vietnam dahil tungkol sa issue rin po ng pag-occupy doon sa within the Exclusive Economic Zone of…?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Nag-usap kami ng Prime Minister. We have to find a way. Sabi ko huwag ‘yung ganito na nag-a-ano tayo, mag-usap tayo nang mabuti. And that’s why I have asked our foreign ministers, ating Foreign Secretary and then the Foreign Minister of Vietnam to begin develop the talks so that we can have an agreement na hindi na siguro magkaproblema ng mga ganyang klase.
Dahil hindi naman contentious – it’s something that we never had to worry about before, ngayon lang. Kaya’t kailangan habang maaga eh pag-usapan na natin at makahanap na tayo ng sarili nating usapan. Maliwag nga na hindi magkagulo, hindi magka-incident ng mga nangyayari sa atin ngayon.
Q: Hi, sir. Good afternoon po. Sir, were you able to discuss during your meeting with the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste the attempt of Congressman Teves to seek asylum?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Ah, yes, yes. It turns out that Congressman Arnie Teves applied for political asylum but was denied. Ganoon lang.
So I think they will continue to be – to go to the process. May appeal process para sa – those who are applying, apela. But ‘yun – but na-deny so we’ll just wait for the process to complete.
Q: Sir, a quick follow-up lang po. What is now your message or advice to Congressman Teves?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Come home. That’s the best advice I can give him. Come home.
Q: Sir, how about the case of Mary Jane Veloso?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: What? Who?
Q: The case of Mary Jane Veloso, were you able to discuss with President…?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: I mentioned it pero hindi namin napag-usapan because as you can imagine the President was very busy.
But at some point, habang naglalakad kami, I was able to say something we’re still trying to work hard on that case. And ganoon din ‘yung sagot niya – well, you know, ang ano diyan is ‘yung batas talaga sa amin ay ganito.
So, sabi ko, the best that we can do I suppose is for the Indonesian authorities to reexamine the case para naman as a favor to the Philippines. ‘Yun lang ang napag-usapan namin. Not much more than that.
Q: Mr. President, magandang hapon po.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Good afternoon.
Q: Recently po, sabi ng Philippine Nuclear Research Institute mayroon na po tayong talagang problema sa kuryente, sa energy situation po natin medyo malala na at kinakailangan na po natin gumamit ng nuclear energy.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, we’ve been talking about nuclear for a long time. Since at least – even before I took office, pinag-uusapan na namin tingnan ‘yan. It turns out there are many nuclear technologies, iba-iba. Ang dami naming natutunan in our last visit to Washington and then – even ‘yung nasa EU kami, marami palang iba-iba.
So we’re looking at all of them because tama naman ‘yung assessment na talagang kulang ang kuryente natin eh.
So what else can we do? Find new sources. That’s what we’re trying to do. The situation with the renewables is also improving but we may have found some other technologies na hindi mag-antay ng lead time ng six, seven years.
So pinag-aaralan naming mabuti. When it comes to power, we’re open to everything. Kahit na ano na puwede nating makuha para makapag-addition sa power supply natin. Siyempre nandiyan pa rin lagi nating iniisip ‘yung kailangan parami na ‘yung renewables, pabawas na ‘yung fossil fuels.
So that’s still the situation now. But I hold out hope that the technology will help solve some of our problems.
Q: Sir, good afternoon po.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Good afternoon.
Q: Kamakailan po ay inanunsyo ng World Health Organization ang pagtatapos ng COVID Health Emergency Status sa buong mundo at tinanggal po ni President Biden ang COVID vaccine certificate upon entry sa Amerika. Inclined na po ba kayo para baguhin ang COVID health status sa Pilipinas?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: We did not restore the emergency status of the Philippines. Matagal na, last year pa.
So we don’t need to do anything. We are already on normal footing. Nauna pa tayo sa kanila. And in terms of the – also the requirement that we used to have for a valid vaccine certificate, wala matagal ng tinanggal ‘yun.
So now we have the e-Pass that’s much easier to use. That was for – that really was so that to make the ease of travel better. But we did that a few months back.
Okay. Salamat. Thank you!
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