Press Release
August 17, 2017

AMBUSH INTERVIEW | CONDITIONAL CASH TRANSFER & MERALCO MIDNIGHT DEAL

Q: Concerns about the CCT (Conditional Cash Transfer) They will spending at least 1 billion for an additional 200 per 10 million families?

SEN WIN: So next year dadagdagan ng 1.6 million families on top of the 4.4 ngayon, that will bring it up to about 6 million but our concern is paano mo di-distribute yung 200 pesos every month to 5.6 million families? Yung iba diyan kasi nasa isla, yung iba nasa bundok, yung iba sa lib- lib na lugar. So delivering the 200 pesos is really a big challenge and kung hindi maayos yung logistics issues kawawa yung mahihirap natin na kaibigan. In the research talaga yung 50% of our families tatamaan ng inflation, ibig sabihin, tataas yung presyo bababa yung take-home pay.

Q: so the over-all picture, kasi we kept hearing assurances from the undersecretary that basically it's a balanced approach diba? Will it cushion the impact?

SEN WIN: It will cushion the impact definitely, in economic theory it will cushion the impact but alam natin our country is a archipelagic country so delivering to 6 million families is not easy. So madaling sabihin mahirap gawin so gusto namin makita yung detalyadong plano nila kung paano ide-deliver yung cash transfer nila dahil ito yung susi. Dahil alam natin inflationary impact pero yung cash transfers yung mag mi-mitigate ng impact.

Q: so the idea of the national id system should once and for all be implemented?

SEN WIN: well, we have 5 months to go to implement a comprehensive ID system so I don't think mahahabol yan no because it will take years to implement an national ID system for 100 million population. Medyo challenge yan dahil we only have 5 months to go before the implementation of this Comprehensive Tax Reform.

Q: Alleged midnight deals, yung allegedly nag benefit ang Meralco? Is your committee planning to push for an investigation?

SEN WIN: Congress is now investigating that. We are monitoring that quite well, quite closely. Nakikipag-coordinate rin kami sa ERC regarding this issue para ma-avoid yung duplication. We let Congress proceed with the investigation and kukuha na lang kami ng investigation doon. Whatever loopholes or whatever kulang na information na isinasagawa ng Kongreso.

Q: so far walang investigation?

SEN WIN: to avoid duplication and I think Congress is doing a good job investigating the Meralco contracts. We're monitoring Congress' progress.

Q: What do you think of the comment of ERC before that there's no midnight deal?

SEN WIN: Definitely, unanimous yung approval nila doon sa extension but ang tanong dito is, bakit 20 years? Ang haba ng contract nila, you have to look at the entire industry. Kahapon Meralco just went into 3.5 peso [per kilowatt hour] contract for solar, ibig sabihin na ang presyo ng solar ang bilis na bumaba at itong contract ng coal is about 6 pesos [per kilowatt hour]. So ang layo na ng deprensya, tapos itatali natin ang sarili natin sa 6 pesos [per kilowatt hour] in the next 20 years? So yun yung katanungan ko, bakit ang haba ng contract na nakatali tayo pero alam natin nag presyo ng solar pababa ng pababa?

News Latest News Feed