MarLeni it is!

Q: Kamusta po yung Customs Modernization Act sa Senado?

SPFMD: Inisponsor na po ito ni Senator Sonny Angara nitong Lunes. Ito’y isang panukalang batas na makakapag-modernize sa ating Customs procedures. Sana po ay hindi na maulit yung mga balikbayan boxes na nagulo diyan. Sa ngayon kasi, unang-una kailangan may Customs broker ka. Ngayon po, ikaw mismo ay pwede na, sa ilalim nitong panukalang batas na aming gagawin.

Pangalawa, itong mga sinasabi nating mga maliliit na values lamang ay huwag nang inspection-in at huwag nang patawan ng tariff duties. Dahilan po sa masyadong out-moded at matagal na po ang taripa sa Customs, kaya kahit po yung pinakamaliit ay wala pa ring exemption.

Q: Kahit yung pabango ng isang OFW para sa nanay?

SPFMD:  Tama po iyan. Yung pinakamaliit na pabango para sa mga magulang mo ay pwede pong patawan ng buwis. Kaya naman isa po iyan sa mga maraming reporma na aming gagawin kasama yung X-ray machines, maglalagay din ng sapat na pondo para sa ma-modernize natin ang mga X-ray machines.

Q: May target po ba na matapos iyang panukalang batas?

SPFMD: Sisikapin po namin na matapos ito nitong Kongreso na ito. Ang implementasyon ay sa susunod na taon.

Q: Bago matapos ang halalan?

SPFMD: Tama po iyan.

Q: May meeting po ang mga Liberal Party po ngayon, anung oras po iyan?

SPFMD: Alas nuwebe, diyan po sa aming headquarters sa Cubao.

Q: Diyan na po ba ang announcement ng lineup?

SPFMD: Ngayon ang aming meeting ay ang National Executive Council meeting o yung tinatawag naming NECO, ito po ay kasama sa aming proseso, sa aming Konstitusyon. Alam mo kami sa partido ay may proseso at hindi lang isang tao ang nagmamando, kaya po may proseso kami at sa aming Konstitusyon, ang NECO ay nagpupulong para inominate ang kandidatong pangulo, pangalawang- pangulo, at mga senador.

Ngayong alas-nuwebe po ay yung proseso ay magsisimula. Si Secretary Mar Roxas ang aming inonominate  bilang aming kandidato sa pagka-pangulo, at sa ngayon ay yung mga senador, ay lagpas po sa 12. Medyo patuloy ang paguusap, may 15 sa aming listahan.

Q: Dose lang ang kailangan ah.

SPFMD: Isa nga iyan sa aming problema.

Q: Magkakaroon po ba ng samaan ng loob, kung itatanong ko sa inyo kung sino ang papasok at sino ang maeexempt?

SPFMD:  Huwag muna. Kaya kami ay may proseso at iyan ay pag-uusapan pa. Sabi ko nga, labis sa 12, kaya amin pang pinaguusapan.

Q: Yan po bang pag-nonominate ng ganyan, bago kayo magmeeting sa NECO ay  pinapadala na ang pangalan, o pagdating sa meeting ay tsaka pa lang magnonominate?

SPFMD: Ang pormalidad ay tatayo at magnonominate, pero alam na natin kung sino ang lumapit at balak na tumakbo talaga so pinaguusapan namin talaga which is, or who is the best one we can present to the people.   

Q: Ilang linggo nang pinaguusapan si Congresswoman Leni Robredo. Siya na ba?   

SPFMD: Malamang. Sabihin na lang natin na si Congresswoman Leni na ang kandidato natin sa pagkabise –presidente. 

PNoy Magic works?

Q: Yung pinakalatest na survey ng SWS magkakadikit na yung mga kandidato sa pagkapangulo-  Senator Grace Poe, Vice President Jojo Binay, Secretary Mar Roxas. Any reaction diyan ngayong ilang percent lang ang pagitan ng mga ito?

SPFMD: Alam mo diyan makikita talaga ang pagtaas ng rating ni Secretary Mar na aming kandidato. Kung titingnan mo po ang mga nakalipas na survey, talagang pong pataas ang kanyang rating.

Q: But si Secretary Mar is still #2 or #3.

SPFMD: Opo, but six months ago 4%, ngayon ay 20%. Sabi nga ni Professor Edmund Tayao ng University of Santo Tomas, silang tatlo ay statistically tied na, dahil halos magkakadikit at hindi po natin at walang nakakalamang na sa kanilang tatlo.  Ito po ay patunay na ang endorsement value ng Pangulong Noynoy Aquino na personal na pumili kay Secretary Mar para ipagpatuloy ang ‘Daang Matuwid” ay talagang may bisa, at epektibo, at magiging kritikal sa darating na halalan. Yaan po ang nakikita kong significance dito sa latest SWS survey.

Q: So naniniwala kayo na sa susunod na mga buwan ay mauungusan na ni Secretary Mar si VP Binay pati si Senator Poe?

SPFMD: Tama po iyan. Ako ay naniniwala diyan.

Q: Sa panung paraan?

SPFMD: Nakikita naman nila ang maayos na pamumuno ni Pangulong Aquino na siyang nag-anoint kay Secretary Mar na ipagpatuloy ang mga proyekto sa ilalim ng platapormang “Daang Matuwid.”

Q: Sa kaso po ni Senator Poe sa Senate Electoral Tribunal, kelan po ba madedesisyunan itong kaso? Sa tingin niyo po ba ay madidisqualify si Senator Poe?

SPFMD: Sa akin po sa lalong madaling panahon ay dapat madesisyunan na po ito ng Senate Electoral  Tribunal, dahil wala namang dispute, yung mga facts ay nandiyan na lahat. Hindi po magkakaiba ang mga sinasabi, kung saan siya pinanganak, na siya ay isang foundling, na siya po ay naging American citizen, na siya po ay nag-avail nung Dual Citizenship Law.   

Ang mahalaga sa akin ay dapat sa lalong madaling panahon ay madesisyunan na ito dahil ultimately ang Korte Suprema ang siyang magpapasya kung siya ba ay kwalipikado na tumakbo bilang Pangulo ng ating bansa. Sa aking tingin, ang citizenship ni Senadora Poe ay isang legal issue na ang pinal na resolution ay magagawa lamang ng Korte Suprema.

Dahilan po sa kung titingnan mo, apat lang po sa siyam na miyembero nito ang abugado, dahilan po sa iyan ang komposisyon ng Senate Electoral Tribunal. Kaya nga po sa lalong madaling panahon ay dapat matapos na ito para madesisyunan na ng Korte Suprema ultimately.    

Q: Yung sinasabi niyong desisyon, iba pa po yung sa Senate Electoral Tribunal, iba pa yung sa Korte Suprema?  

SPFMD: Whatever ang desisyon ng Senate Electoral Tribunal ay dadalhin sa Korte Suprema.

Q: Hindi pa pala tapos ano?

SPFMD: Hindi po pa final yan. Si David man o si Senator Poe ang manalo sa tribunal, ang citizenship issue ay dadalhin sa Korte Suprema.

Q: Doon po naman sa nangyaring kidnapping sa Davao Del Norte, ano po ang inyong reaksyon diyan?

SPFMD: Kinukundena po natin ang nangyaring   pagkidnap sa 3 dayuhan at 1 Filipina sa Samal Island sa Davao Del Norte. Wala pong lugar sa ating lipunan ang ganyang krimen, at kailangan po ay ang PNP ay agarang sikaping maibalik ang mga biktima at dalhin sa hustisya itong mga nasa likod ng krimen na ito.

Q: May mga nagpapahayag na dapat maginhibit dito sa SET si Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio.  

SPFMD: May rules ang Korte Suprema tungkol sa inhibition, at si Justice Carpio po ang nakakaalam ng requiermento niyan. Kilala ko po si Justice Tony Carpio, matino po iyan, at hindi po niya ilalagay ang kanyang pangalan sa alanganin. He has always been a very decent man and one of the most brilliant minds na kilala ko.

Yung inhibition is governed by the rules of the Supreme Court. Kung mayroong basehan, ay hindi magdadalawang isip iyan si Justice Carpio. Pero kung walang dahilan ay hindi siya magpapadala sa ganyang mga klaseng salita.

Q: Buo na po ba ang lineup ng LP sa senatorial elections? Ano po ang timeline?  

SPFMD:  May timeline, hanggang end of the month ay kailangan po matapos na iyan, sa susunod na linggo hanggang September 30. Sa aking tingin ay dapat mabuo na iyan ay huwag na ipagpaliban pa.

Sa senatorial slate, ay malapit na po. Medyo masikip lahat, may mga 15 pangalan na nasa listahan at lahat po iyan ay talagang iniisa-isa namin nang para maiharap namin sa taumbayan ang mga pinakamagaling na linya dapat para sa Senado.         

Q: May backup plan po ba kapag hindi pumayag si Representative Robredo bilang VP?

SPFMD: Let us cross the bridge when we get there.

Express Path to Top?

Senate President Franklin M. Drilon said that Mar Roxas’ zooming upward trajectory in the pre-election polls, bolstered by President Aquino’s “daang matuwid,” is far more encouraging than the ratings received by his possible rivals in the 2016 president elections.

“Roxas’ zooming trajectory is very evident in all surveys. This should be a cause of concern for his opponents because, by all indications, it is just a matter of time before Roxas gets ahead of them,” Drilon stressed.

Drilon’s statement came after the Social Weather Station’s (SWS) latest survey showing Roxas as among those leading in the presidential race in 2016.

In that survey conducted on September 2 to 5, 2015, Roxas received 20 percent, which according to Drilon, marks a five-fold increase from his rating six months ago in a survey conducted by another polling agency, Pulse Asia.

Drilon said that he agreed with political analyst Edmund S. Tayao’s statement that the three presidential aspirants are “statistically tied.”

“However, Roxas’ rating is far more encouraging when you look at where he started. Six months ago in a Pulse Asia survey, Roxas had only 4 percent, but now his rating went up to 20 percent. That’s a tremendous 16-percent jump,” he said.

The Senate chief said that the “‘tuwid na daan’ leadership by President Aquino succeeded in putting Roxas’ rating on an upward trajectory.”

“There is no question on the fact that the people continue to identify the ‘tuwid na daan’ government with President Aquino. There is also no doubt that the people want continuity to these reforms already achieved, which can be best done under the leader who Aquino himself trusts to further drive the nation forward," said Drilon, referring to Roxas, who Aquino previously anointed as his successor.

Drilon said that it is now incumbent upon the other declared candidates to present to the people an alternative platform which they can say “distinct and better” than the “tuwid na daan”.

While Roxas continues to rise in surveys, Drilon noted that his closest rivals’ ratings have either plateaued off or declined.    

“In comparison, the ratings of other declared candidates have either gone down or seen no major improvement despite their pronouncements to the public and heavy advertisements,” Drilon said.

In the March survey by the Pulse Asia, the then leading presidential candidate, Vice President Jejomar Binay, got 29 percent, while Senator Poe garnered 14 percent. But in the latest SWS poll, Binay’s number went down to 24 percent, while Poe’s increased to 26%.

In an earlier survey results released by the SWS where respondents were asked to name three candidates they would likely support, Drilon emphasized that it is Roxas who recorded the biggest and most significant increase by 18 percentage points, from 21% in June 2015 to 39% in September 2015. 

Find the Bandits! Quick

Saying that the kidnapping in Davao is an “isolated law enforcement incident,” Senate President Franklin M. Drilon on Tuesday urged the Philippine National Police (PNP) to act with dispatch in the investigation of the abductions and work for the immediate and safe release of the victims.

“I condemn in the strongest terms the recent abductions of these foreigners along with a Filipino woman in Davao and call upon the Philippine National Police to ensure safe return of these individuals to their families and arrest the perpetrators of this crime the soonest,” said Drilon, a former executive and justice secretary.

It has been reported that three foreigners – two Canadian citizens, a Norwegian and a Filipino woman – were abducted by a group of people, whose identities are still being investigated by the authorities.

“I urge the police authorities to mobilize their resources to secure the immediate release of the victims,” said Drilon.

While the case is isolated in the generally peaceful Mindanao, Drilon said that this kind act “has no place in our society.”

“Those who commit crimes like kidnappings and illegal abductions have no place in a civilized society like ours. We must enforce the law and make sure that kidnappers will face the full consequences of their criminal actions," stressed Drilon.       

Express Path to Top?

Senate President Franklin M. Drilon said that Mar Roxas’ zooming upward trajectory in the pre-election polls, bolstered by President Aquino’s “daang matuwid,” is far more encouraging than the ratings received by his possible rivals in the 2016 president elections.

“Roxas’ zooming trajectory is very evident in all surveys. This should be a cause of concern for his opponents because, by all indications, it is just a matter of time before Roxas gets ahead of them,” Drilon stressed.

Drilon’s statement came after the Social Weather Station’s (SWS) latest survey showing Roxas as among those leading in the presidential race in 2016.

In that survey conducted on September 2 to 5, 2015, Roxas received 20 percent, which according to Drilon, marks a five-fold increase from his rating six months ago in a survey conducted by another polling agency, Pulse Asia.

Drilon said that he agreed with political analyst Edmund S. Tayao’s statement that the three presidential aspirants are “statistically tied.”

“However, Roxas’ rating is far more encouraging when you look at where he started. Six months ago in a Pulse Asia survey, Roxas had only 4 percent, but now his rating went up to 20 percent. That’s a tremendous 16-percent jump,” he said.

The Senate chief said that the “‘tuwid na daan’ leadership by President Aquino succeeded in putting Roxas’ rating on an upward trajectory.”

“There is no question on the fact that the people continue to identify the ‘tuwid na daan’ government with President Aquino. There is also no doubt that the people want continuity to these reforms already achieved, which can be best done under the leader who Aquino himself trusts to further drive the nation forward," said Drilon, referring to Roxas, who Aquino previously anointed as his successor.

Drilon said that it is now incumbent upon the other declared candidates to present to the people an alternative platform which they can say “distinct and better” than the “tuwid na daan”.

While Roxas continues to rise in surveys, Drilon noted that his closest rivals’ ratings have either plateaued off or declined.    

“In comparison, the ratings of other declared candidates have either gone down or seen no major improvement despite their pronouncements to the public and heavy advertisements,” Drilon said.

In the March survey by the Pulse Asia, the then leading presidential candidate, Vice President Jejomar Binay, got 29 percent, while Senator Poe garnered 14 percent. But in the latest SWS poll, Binay’s number went down to 24 percent, while Poe’s increased to 26%.

In an earlier survey results released by the SWS where respondents were asked to name three candidates they would likely support, Drilon emphasized that it is Roxas who recorded the biggest and most significant increase by 18 percentage points, from 21% in June 2015 to 39% in September 2015.