Press Release
October 14, 2017

Transcript of interview with Senator Joel Villanueva

On President Duterte's tirades vs EU diplomats

Sen. Joel Villanueva: Una, we're hoping na hindi mag further escalate yung tension and 'yong seemingly umaasim na relationship with EU but I have to say I understand where the President is coming from. I understand his sentiments but I also have to say that I don't agree kasi ang laki ng effect nito sa ating investments, ating mga nakukuhang mga tulong mula sa iba't ibang bansa. Numbers don't lie, yung foreign direct investments natin way down below. About 90 percent nung last quarter, 10 percent lang 'yong pumasok. At siguro sasabihin ko na lang klarong klaro for the government na dapat yung full energy i-focus natin sa job creation, poverty alleviation, attracting investors at yung mga nawala o na-divert na investments na supposedly ay papasok sa atin, kunin natin. Tingin ko kaya pa nating habulin at may magagawa pa po tayo.

Q: What are we getting from EU? Ano yung kinakatakutan nating mawala?

SJV: Not just the grants that they're giving us but also the relationship. Iyong relationship is more important kasi yung investments na pumapasok sa atin 'di biro yan at bagamat pino-promote natin yung domestic investments, yung foreign direct investments, 'yung mga kumpanya na banyaga na gustong pumasok dito, syempre ang unang gagawin niyan makipag coordinate sa kanilang mga embahada, sa kanilang mga foreign dignitaries so ito'y napakahalaga kaya tingin natin di tayo puwedeng mabuhay na tayo lamang sa mundong ito at maganda naman ang hangarin ng ating Pangulo na yung independent foreign policy na lahat kaibigan natin, wag tayo mang away nang sinuman. I think the world is into that direction, to become globally competitive. Kailangan mo talaga yung good relationship with other countries.

Q: Should the President's officials and advisers need some clarification regarding this?

SJV: Siguro yung parang isang magulang na galit na galit sa anak na sinabing lumayas ka na diyan at wag ka nang bumalik. Siguro yun lang yung feeling ng ating pangulo. Again, we understand where he is coming from and again, I just don't agree with it dahil yung implications nito medyo malaki and the present figures state na hindi natin dapat i-sway o i-push away yung ating mga possible investors, investors that are already here, wanted to expand, etc.

Q: On Palace's statement

SJV: I heard Secretary Abella talking about it and gaya ng sabi ko, for me, the way I read the lines, I was listening to the speech last night, parang magulang na napuno na sa kanyang anak at sinabing umalis ka na dito ayaw na kitang makita, but at the end of the day yung pagmamahal at yung kagustuhang magkaroon ng harmonious relationship, I think nandoon pa naman. I don't agree with it. Although I share his sentiments but I don't agree with it dahil numbers don't lie. We have all these figures na nagsasabi na kailangang kailangan natin ang investments sa ating bansa.

Q: On foreign direct investments SJV: 90 percent ang down compared last time nitong quarter...FDI lang yan, foreign direct investments.

Q: Ibig sabihin, it's confirmed na bumaba ang antas ng ekonomiya as far as the FDI is concerned?

SJV: Well, you talk about the economy na malakas yung economy natin, robust. But when we talk about foreign investments, I think 'yun ang problematic. Although sinasabi nila na may papasok. Again, yung magandang ninanais ng ating Pangulo na independent foreign policy depends on many efforts. Right now 'yung economic managers natin are in New York, they are showcasing our economy and convincing everyone there to come and invest. Again, will it help? I think it's clear and I will leave it at that.

On policy shift to end bloody war on drugs

SJV: I've been calling for that for quite some time. I think it's a good move. It's about time that we seriously evaluate the performance of the PNP, the Double Barrel program, the Tokhang, etc, so I'm happy about it. In fact, I'm moving for the transfer of P900 million funds to our housing programs. I think it's a lot better. And again, talking about poverty alleviation, yan ang isa sa mga matinding mag aahon sa kahirapan sa ating mga kababayan na magkaroon sila ng sariling tirahan, sariling bahay.

Q: On realignment of funds

SJV: Well, may in-add sa PDEA na I think P1 billion. Ang PDEA budget is still up for deliberation. If they need more personnel, how many personnel do they need and we will go from there but as of now, I'm geared towards the transfer of P900 million to housing programs

Q: So wala nang reason for them to keep the 900 billion pesos?

SJV: Well, yung Double Barrel and that particular program is about drugs e. So it's more of I think PDEA pero we'll see kasi 'yung sa PDEA nga is still on deck. Once we come back for our budget deliberations, we'll find out if PDEA needs it. If they need it, I want to get the funding somewhere else and I think we have a lot of agencies out there na underutilized ang budget nila for the past several years so I think doon nalang namin kukunin yung P900 million dalhin nalang natin sa housing.

Q: On PDEA being the sole agency in charge on anti-drug war campaign. Do you think magiging less bloody?

SJV: I have very high hopes and high respects kay dating Regional Director namin sa Region III si Aaron Aquino. So we'll see. I think yung real good news dito is that now we will be able to properly evaluate itong performance ng PNP nitong mga nakaraang taon, yung IAS talaga bang nagwowork, yung mga binanggit natin noong mga nakaraang Senate hearings, na-apply na ba kaagad and so tignan natin kung...Kasi kung di naman magiging effective and PDEA, will they be able to again come up with another option na kung pwede natin gawin but right now, it looks like PDEA is doing a good job.

Q: Sumama ba ang loob ni Chief PNP sa naging desisyon ng Presidente?

SJV: I just don't like the fact that when the President says something, the people around him, especially yung mga na-appoint would react differently. I just don't get it.

Q: Instead of supporting the PDEA, parang ang naging suggestion niya ay to dissolve all drug-related units inside the org and sabi nya, "Bahala na kayo PDEA diyan."

SJV: Well, I have yet to hear it but siguro napaka klaro na ito yung banner program ng ating Pangulo so kung dito tayo magiging on board lahat ay there's big problem there. That's all I can say. I think all of us should support PDEA, especially the PNP.

On the disclosure of hazing suspect's testimony

Q: Ilalabas na ba ang transcript ng executive session pag di pa naglabas ng affidavit?

SJV: Nakakainit ng ulo itong loko loko na ito sapagkat lahat ng pagbibigay at pagrespeto sa kanyang karapatan was accorded to him. And unfortunately, yung kanyang commitment na once ma-file at magsimula itong preliminary investigation, isisiwalat niya 'yung kanyang binanggit during the executive session. Eh nakakadalawang beses na 'di pa rin siya gumagawa ng hakbang. So kami sa Senado, lalo na yung Seatmates, would like to give him until Monday. By Monday at di pa nya gawin 'yan, we will cite him in contempt. We want to detain him doon sa Senado at ipakita sa kanya na 'di puwedeng magsinungaling sa amin, 'di puwedeng bastusin nalang kami. It's too much. Ang Senado ay nagpasa na ng resolution. Overwhelming. Lahat ng senador pumirma dito para i-disclose sa taumbayan through the committee chair ng Public Order at Committee on Justice yung mga binanggit during the executive session

Q: Did he ever try to reach out and explain?

SJV: Right now, no, zero. Until now. I was talking to Senator Migz Zubiri who is on top of this and talagang mainit na mainit na 'yung ulo namin doon at remember, just during this time after the hearing. Nag stay ako nung hearing, dire-diretso ako na na-confine sa St. Luke's kaya talagang lahat nagsakripisyo ginagawa namin para dito sa hearing na ito and we are walking the extra mile para matulungan natin yung pamilya ni Atio, para ma-claim natin yung justice. Tapos gaganituhin lang tayo.

Q: Gaano ba ka significant yung sinabi niya sa executive session?

SJV: Maraming lilinaw doon sa kaso. Doon sa mga binanggit na mga impormasyon. Lalo na yung mga individuals na kasama talaga at may kinalaman dito sa kaso.

Q: How will this help the investigation?

SJV: Mapapatawag natin. Masa-subpoena natin. Malaking tulong ang maibibigay nito sa paglutas ng kaso ni Atio at malaki rin ang maitutulong nito sa paghulma natin ng batas para tuluyan nating maiwasan yung ganitong karuma-dumal na krimen

On two Immigration officials

SJV: Sinumang nakaisip nito na bawasan ng P1,000 para 'di pumasok sa plunder, dapat sigurong laslasin ang leeg nito. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry about that. You fool us once, shame on you. You fool us twice, shame on us if we let you go. 'Di ho puwede na gawin itong mockery of our justice system. Sa pamamagitan ng pagbawas ng isang libo, makakaligtas sa kasong plunder itong dalawang high ranking officials. These are deputy commissioners that we're talking about, from the Bureau of Immigration. Sa lahat ng isinusulong nating batas mula nang naging legislator tayo mula Kamara hanggang dito, laging ang gusto natin doble ang parusa sa public officials because public office is a public trust. So hindi dapat ito palampasin at tingin ko yung mga kasama ko sa Senado, nag ngingitngit din. Sabi nga ng isa naming kasama, dapat pati 'yung singit nito may latay din.

Q: Paano sila hahabulin?

SJV: Well, we adjourned. Remember this sprouted from the hearings we conducted in the Committee on Labor dahil sa mga illegal Chinese employees and so sinubmit namin 'yung mga reports natin sa Blue Ribbon Committee na sila ang magpatuloy nito at matapos itong hearings. We are now at the verge of completing our committee report and kami nakikipag coordinate kami kay Senator Gordon sa Blue Ribbon Committee para sa finalization ng report na ito. Siyempre we want to see yung mga gaps na nakita namin sa Committee on Labor na ang daming nag issue ng oversees employee permits na supposedly charter 'yan ng DOLE. So about time na i-revisit natin yung charters ng ating economic zones kaya naman yung TRAIN, dapat makita natin yung synchronization ng mga economic zones at charters natin. Sila mismo, it turned out, nag issue ng mga work permits. Now dun sa issue ng pagbawas ng P1,000, klaro yan na P50 million ang hiningi. Klaro yan na nakita natin. May mga video footage pa tayo na nakita so hindi puwede na ibababa yan at tatanggalin yung P1,000 pesos para makaiwas sa kasong plunder.

Q: Who should file charges against them?

SJV: Well, DOJ, at yung recommendation ng Blue Ribbon committee would make it airtight yung kaso

Q: Paano kung 'di na plunder dahil kulang ng P1,000?

SJV: Well, 'yun nga yung sinasabi natin, 'yung sa committee report. I would not allow a committee report that would say we should not file a case of plunder because P1,000 is missing. Klaro sa amin eh. Why would you reopen kung klaro sa amin na plunder ang dapat ikaso?

SJV: Alam mo yung isang masakit dito hanggang ngayon yung pera. Yung iba nasa NBI, mayroong nasa CIDG. Bakit ganun? Hanggang ngayon, yun ang tanong ko e. Bakit hanggang ngayon hindi nakita at nakakasuhan si Jack Lam? Again, sa kanya nanggaling ang salapi. Hihintayin pa ba talaga ng DOJ yung recommendation ng Blue Ribbon na pwede sila mag act?

Q: Comparing the case to that of slain Albuera mayor. Inuupuan ba ito ng DOJ?

SJV: Unfortunately, during the budget hearing 'di lang itong issue na ito yung lumabas. Napakarami eh. Even the smugglers of agricultural products. Again, dapat nating pukpukin at ipush ang ating Kagawaran ng Hustisya para kumilos dito at maipakita natin na hindi natin tinotolerate yung mga illegal na gawain lalo na yung big fishes nito.

Q: Ano yan, deliberate?

SJV: I cannot speculate and say deliberate but I just have to say that we are disappointed, and somehow disgruntled na mabagal ang pagkilos ng kaso laban sa mga ito.

On hacking of senators' staff emails, fake news

SJV: Una, sa amin, wala. Thank God. But at the same time, I support the investigation kasi hindi ito biro at dapat malaman natin. We have to get to the bottom of this. Again, we have been pushing for this anti-fake news for quite some time. Unfortunately, I have to admit na I was so disappointed last hearing dun sa resource persons natin nung last hearing. Na parang lahat sila, sila lang magagaling. Parang yung dalawang porsyento sa ating populasyon dito sa Pilipinas, sila lang. But ako, I commend Senator Grace kasi ang lakas ng pasensya niya at 'yung ilang mga kasama natin but I think at the end of the day, hindi natin dapat ifocus ang sarili natin kung sino ang malakas ang boses sa social media, sino ang maraming followers. Tignan natin maigi kung ano ang dapat nating gawin sa isyu na ito. Papayagan ba natin na ganyan nalang? Or we will do something?

SJV: I support the investigation. The DICT should recommend ano ang pwedeng gawin, NBI should come in. I trust na sila ang may technical knowhow at expertise tungkol dito. We'll see. Ang ayaw lang natin ay ma-drag ito sa pulitika.

Q: Tingin niyo may some groups are using some technology to drag some people in political issues?

SJV: That's clear and it has been happening kaya nga sabi natin we want to submit sa investigation nila-ng NBI, ng DICT, etc. at makita natin kung ano yung lalabas ditto.

Preparations on Bautista impeachment trial

SJV: Talagang additional workload at talagang makaka apekto ito sa ating legislative work. At the same time, going back to the question, we talked about it ng leadership, some members of the Senate pinag uusapan noong isang araw yung texture ng robe, yung refreshing us with the impeachment rules, what is our role...

Q: Sino yan? Senate leadership? Sina Senator Sotto at SP?

SJV: Senator Sotto, our Senate President, Senator Ping, and I, Senator Gordon. Nasa 6 or 7 kami nagkausap about it. Again, schedule. Whether Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 'yung legislative. Thursday, Friday, Saturday yung impeachment court. Di pa naman finalized 'yun. And then yung looking at the timeframe, we are seeing last week of November or first week of December, etc. That is of course if Chairman Bautista would not resign until December or until that time comes.

Q: Are you preparing for the impeachment of Chairman Bautista or Chief Justice Sereno?

SJV: Kami naman we are just mandated to...we don't really look at it kung sino. We will just do our job.

Q: Regardless of who will be subjected?

SJV: Yes.

Q: How the impeachment trial would affect ratings of the Senate as an institution, specifically that of SP

SJV: I think the public is aware of the institution. I grew up looking at the Senate as perhaps, one if not the most trusted institutions kaya nangarap tayo na maging isang senador. I think it's gonna stay that way. Klaro na last bastion of democracy ang Senado kaya ang tao mataas ang tiwala sa Senado. 'Yan din siguro ang dahilan sa ating framers ng Constitution kung bakit ang Senado ang napili na maging impeachment court. I think alam naming lahat 'yun, yung pagsumpa namin bilang senador na parte ng aming trabaho at mandato bilang senador ay maging part ng impeachment court kung sakaling may impeachment.

Q: Makakatulong ba sa confidence ng tao dun sa trial na yung presiding judge, si Senator Koko Pimentel, ay mataas ang ratings?

SJV: Definitely it will help. Natutuwa tayo dahil yung leadership ng Senado ay pinagkakatiwalaan ng mamamayan

On the issue of stranded coal assets

SJV: Una tanungin muna natin kung ano stranded coal assets. Ano ang stranded coal assets? Ito yung mga natetengga na coal, mga programa o plano na di natuloy. Gamit na 'di nagamit. Mga naging non-performing ito. Sapagkat nakikita na yung supply ng coal dito sa ating bansa ay medyo mas madami na. Nagkakaroon ng oversupply at unfortunately may mga pag aaral na nagpapakita. Eto recently, yung last year about 3 billion pesos yung tinatawag na stranded coal assets. Ang fear natin dito, ay ipasa ito sa ating mga consumers ng mga distributors. So gusto nating magpasa ng resolution. Hopefully by next week or so ay mai-file natin ito. At masiguro lang natin na di ito maipapasa sa ating consumers. Noong nakaraang debate namin sa taxes, nabanggit natin ang coal tax kasi yung local coal tax ay hanggang ngayon, sa Presidential Decree 972, ay ine-exempt yung local coal tax and it has been 40 years na exempted ito so we are, the government may mga foregone revenues tayo. About 140 or 150 million pesos. Dapat mawala na ito and there are also moves, I think with Senator Legarda and I'm supporting it yung pagtaas ng coal tax from 10 pesos to 20 pesos so ang effect nito ay .0030 sa ating kuryente but at the same time we are also putting in place a policy in our energy sector na 'di talaga natin kinu-cultivate at binibigyan ng tax incentives yung pag produce ng coal. We are supporting renewable energy and clean energy.

Q: Are we trying to eliminate it?

SJV: That is our goal. And I hope kasi may mga ibang bansa na 'yun na ang direksyon nila, at tayo, parang we're giving incentives pa. Ito yung gusto nating maimbestigahan nang husto. Pinapasa ba ito ng financiers o distributors sa consumers, eto ba yung balak nila, we want to see that in our investigation.

SJV: If you look at the figures right now, because of the oversupply of coal, for example, sa Mindanao, kung saan pinatayo yung pinakabagong coal plant sa bansa. Aabot ng 700 megawatts ang oversupply ng coal dahil sa low utilization rates, Mula 2014 to 2016 ang halaga ng stranded coal assets ay umaabot na sa 3 billion pesos. Sa kasalukuyan, may nakalatag na 10,423 megawatts expansion ng largely imported coal sa bansa. Imported po ito at nagkakahalaga siya ng 20.8 billion US dollars. Mataas po ang tiyansa ng coal plant na ito na maging obsolete kasi nga sa dami nito ay 'di makapagbigay ng economic return dahil oversupply. Ang mangyayari matetengga na naman po yan. At mapapasama sa stranded coal assets na maaaring ipasa sa consumers.

Q: Paano maiiwasan ang coal if we are trying to import coal?

SJV: Exactly and it has been like that. I heard about 90 percent of our coal is being imported at ito ay dahil sa dominance ng imported coal sa bansa. Nagkakaroon tayo ng overbuild ng coal power plants kasi ito yung ginagamit eh at kasabay nito yung pababaan ng presyo sa merkado. Sa kabilang banda, dahil sa deflation o pagbaba ng value ng coal power maaari itong mauwi sa pagkalugi ng investors kasi ito yung planning nila, ito yung cost nila. So ang mangyayari niyan, stranded coal assets yan. Ipapasa ngayon yan sa consumers. Magbabayad sila ng mas mataas na kuryente para punan ang stranded coal assets nila.

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