TRANSCRIPT: PRESS BRIEFING AT THE TAGUIG CITY UNIVERSITY

Q: Sir ano lang po yung purpose ng ginagawa ninyong pag-iikot at pagpapaliwanag sa isyu po ng BBL?

A: Dahil sa aking pananaw karamihan ng mga Pilipino, sa kanilang pag-iisip ay sinasabi nila na yung mga pangyayari sa Bangsamoro, yung mga pangyayari sa Basic Law, lahat ito ay malayo sa kaisipan ng mga Pilipinong hindi taga Mindanao. At ito ay gusto ko ngang ipaliwanag na hindi totoo yan. It is very important that all our citizens talk about this because this is in fact a national issue. And who best to talk to and to spread the word about that is going on in Muslim Mindanao that to talk to young people? That is why I have been around to schools to try and get the discussions started---para masimulan ang pag-uusap at pagdiskusyon ng ating mga kabataan tungkol dito sa subject na ito. And I think this is an important process not only for the young people but also for us so that we can hear from them kung ano ba ang kanilang nagiging opinyon tungkol dito sa aming ginagawa.

Q: Sir regarding po yung sa special session, kasi sa Congress from Mondays to Fridays na sila magkakaroon ng session. Nakapag-usap na po ba kayo ni Senate President Drilon with regards to the yung takbo po ng interpellation?

A: Wala pa kaming napag-usapan na ganyan. I don't know kung kailangan ito sa Senado kasi marami kasi sila sa House na gustong magtanong, gustong tumayo, gustong mag-propose ng amendments. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang napagkasunduan ni Senate President at saka ni Speaker. Ngunit, again, I have always said that having sessions starting in the morning ay maaari talagang maging posibilidad para sa both Houses. We will see kung meron ding ganun sa Senado. I did not know that there was already declared Monday to Friday. Pero marami kasi, hindi lang naman tungkol sa Bangsamoro law, sa basic law, marami-raming ibang panukalang batas na kailangang tapusin before the end of this session. Alam naman natin na kapag pumasok na tayo sa budget, kapag pumasok na tayo sa filing of COC's baka mahirapan na tayong magkaroon ng qourum sa House of Represenatatives, actually pati na rin sa Senado. So naiintindihan ko na kailangang tapusin before we adjourn in Octcober.

Q: Sir positive pa rin po ba kayo na maipapasa pa rin yun BLBAR, kasi ilang weeks na lang po ang nalalabi sa session?

A: Palagay ko. I think we will be able to finish our version before we adjourn. Dahil we are in September, actually iilan na lang ang session days, but palagay ko nga pagka nagkaroon ng special session or ii-extend, ay magiging mas mabilis. I keep reminding people that although prominent is the Basic Law on Bangsamoro ay very important din yung mga ibang panukalang batas na aming pinag-aaralan. So kami mismo, kaming mga legislator, ay gusto naming sana matapos lalo na meron din kaming sari-sariling priority bills---para sa akin tungkol sa local government, at nasapawan na nga ng tungkols sa Basic Law on Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. Pero palagay ko me oras pa para balikan yun at matapos before the end of the Congress, which is at the end of this term.

Q: Sir on another topic, you mentioned kanina dun sa nagtanong about your 2016 plans yung kayo nakikipag-usap tungkol sa mga possible na ka-tandem, kayo po ba me mga kinakausap na rin kayo?

A: Sa palagay ko lahat ng pangalan na naririnig ninyo ay kausap namin. There is not just one person or one group. We are talking to everyone. Because, you know, for a candidate for a national position, the decision that has to be made would have to include the opionion and of course the decision also of your party. So that is what is begin formulated dyan sa mga usapan na yan.

So tuloy-tuloy pa rin ang aming usapan. I have to say that we are coming closer and closer---magiging mas maliwanag na ang sitwasyon. So if that is the case then as I said malapit na, we will be able to announce. Exactly what will be the role played not only by the Nacionalista Party but the different members of the Nacionalista Party, myself included.

Q: Sir meron po kasing lumabas sa Standard na story na di-nrop na raw po ng Nacionalista yung pakikipag-alliance with the LP and then si Duterte daw po yung balak i-support tapos yung VP daw po is a toss-up between you and Sen. Cayetano?

A: Well, maraming espekulasyon. I do not want to preempt the party--those announcements would have to come from the party. But once my role is clear I will announce it all to you. So once again I ask for patience.

Q: Sir definitely yung NP will be solid in 2016?

A: I hope so. Dahil malaking bahagi sa galing ng pagsasama namin sa NP ay hindi kami nag-iiwanan. At kahit na NP is not the biggest national party, it is the most cohesive party. The question earlier that I forgot to touch on about the separation with the LP, that is something that maybe will be formally done. But informally ganun naman talaga dahil nung 2013 hindi naman nasunod ang aming usual party agreement, marami pa ring NP na kandidato na nilagyan ng kalaban ng LP nung 2013. So the so-called coalition with the LP has always been something of a very loose coalition. And I think that we are moving farther and farther away from that as the (...inaudible...) go on.

Q: Sir are you saying that between you, Sen. Cayetano and Sen. Trillanes, me mag-gi-give way?

A: We don't know. I cannot tell you what both Senators Trillanes or Cayetano will do. Ang sinasabi ko lang I hope na makakapag-pili ng standard bearer para sa national ang Nacionalista Party dahil sayang naman kasi kung magiging sona libre syempre yung bawat miyembro mamimili ng kanilang sariling kandidato. Baka magkawatak-watak ang NP---ayaw natin yun. But who knows? That would be dependent upon the leadership of the party. So we'll have to wait to see what happens. My hope, my own hope, is that we find a single one para nagkakaisa yung buong partido sa likod ng isang kandidato.

Q: So sir possible na magkaroon din kayo ng standard bearer, na within the party rin galing?

A: Sana, yun na nga. Sana, para nga buo pa rin ang partido at masasabi natin kung sino man ang kandidato ay buong pwersa ang Nacionalista.

Q: Sir are you prepared if ever? Are you eyeing a vice presidential or presidential post? Ngayon sir parang ano yung nakikita ninyo sa sarili ninyo na gusto ninyong mangyari sa 2016?

A: We'll I'll run for a higher office. But again those specific decisions have not yet been made, not by me and not by the party.

Q: Marcos-Cayetano?

A: Hindi, nasa Taguig ka, kailangan Cayetano-Bongbong. Biro lang, wala pa talaga.

Q: (inaudible)

A: Who else is running? Hindi maliit na bagay yun. Who else is running? What will the surveys say? There are many many considerations.

Q: Yun pala sir sa survey sir sa vice president number 3 po kayo sa NCR and then number 4 sa Calabarzon, pero this is pang RMN survey lang sir?

A: We have to look at them in detail. Malapit na, lahat maglalabasan na yang mga surveys na yan. And not only the ones that everybody expects---Pulse Asia, SWS----everybody of the politicians are running their own independent surveys kaya't tinitingnan din namin yun, nakikipag-share kami ng resulta. Okay, no more? Alright, thank you.