TRANSCRIPT OF SEN. BONGBONG MARCOS'S INTERVIEW

ON RP-TAIWAN ISSUE:

Q: Sir, ano ang gusto ninyong gawin sa isyung RP-Taiwan?

BONGBONG MARCOS: Nag-aalala ako dahil marami ngang nagpapatulong kase yung ating mga trabahador sa Taiwan ay hindi nila alam kung ano ba taklaga ang nangyayari at kung ano ang status nila. Marami silang nababasa tungkol sa tampuhang nangyayari between Taiwan and Philippines.

Ang aking concern , what is the status really of our workers in Taiwan and what is the DFA doing to make sure that they are protected, their jobs are protected and this event should not affect their livelihood and if ever ano ang magagawa natin to alliviate the tension between us and the Taiwanese. Yung mga kaibigan ko naman Taiwanese, sinasabi nila na nagtataka sila kung bakit bagong sistema ang nangyari. Halimbawa yung mga fishermen na nahuhuli dito ay binabalik lang naman natin kaagad sa Taiwan.

Sa experience ko sa iloscos Norte, may nahuhuli talaga kaming firsherman at ang mga pumapasok sa Philippines water ay nahuhuli, dini-detain tapos we determine kung ano ang kanilang nationality and eventually they repatriated to Taiwan. That is why, nagtataka ang marami kung bakit nagbago ang procedure. Yan din ang tanong ng Taiwanese sa atin. i'm sure the peoples republic has good reason for making this arguement . Ang sabi nga nila ay nabiktima ang kanilang mga nationals. So this is against of international law and diplomacy and I think we need to formalize and make more transparent kung ano ba talaga ang procedure kapag may nangyaring y ganito because we taught that their procedure , the standard response was already determine, they just repatriate them but apparently doon nga nagbago so we do not know the change came about and what the change really is.

My main concern are Filipino nationals in Taiwan and if they are suitably protected, thier jobs are suitably protected and also that the DFA is continuously informign them at binibigyan sila ng pansin kung ano ang mga nangyayari at how it will affect thier jobs and livelihood.

Q: Sir sa pagbabagong yun para bang nanunuyo lang gobyerno doon sa nangyari na nabaril na Hongkong national?

BBM; Palagay ko may kinalaman yan. Yun nangyari sa na nabaril yun Hongkong nationals, palagay ko meron kinalaman yan sa pag-iisip ng ating administrasyon dahil kailangan nilang bawiin o they have to make up to this mistake dahil pagkakamali talaga ng Pilipinas. Seguro this is one way of trying to be more responsive to the sensitive of mainland China. We don't know, under speculation on my part but more im portantly what that is mean when it comes to foreign policy and to the Filipino on the ground in Taiwan.

ON BURIAL ISSUE;

Q: Sir, balik naman tayo doon sa burial. How serious are you about this?

BBM: It is a serious as a former President and soldier exercising his right to have been buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani. The issue came up again because of the death of Gen Anggie Reyes and he was buried inthe Libingan ng mga Bayani at seguro ang pangkaraniwan ngang tao ay nakikita nila na hindi naman pantay. Bakit dito pwede, dito hindi. I think its becoming clear that this is very much a political issue. At the end of the day it is what Malacanang decides to do. Ang lahat naman has always been dependent on the president approval for this case, for the burial of my father in Libingan ng mga bayani. The position of the Family has never changed. We have always said that it is his right as a former president, as a former soldier that he buried in libingan ng bayani.

Q; Malapit na ang Edsa people at 25 years ago na ito, napapanahon na ba talaga na ilibing na siya doon?

BBM: Well ano sa pagpalagay ninyo. 25 taon na at napakahaba na ng 25 years. Kasama ana yan sa unification ng Pilipinas..naglalaban pa tayo sa dyan sa mga isyu ng 1986. Napag-uusapan na naman. 1986 Aquino-Marcos na naman. Malayo na tayo doon kaya parang naaksaya na lang ang panahon natin para pagdebatihan na naman natin itong isyung ito. It is time that we close this chapter. The chapter will be close and we can move on...kaya seguro kailangan tumingin na tayo sa paharap kesa sa patalikod and this is one way of getting that closes started. I think 25 years is a long enoughn time . i think the debate, all the points on that debate from either side have been made and the lesson that made to be learned had been learned and we should move on and it's very difficult for us to move on if we are still talking about events 25 years ago.

Q: did you discuss this formally to the president?

BBM: yes. We have started to talk about this posibility like we have done with a new administration. Everytime there is a new administration we make approaches and say would this administration be aminable so we have made the same approaches to the new administration. As a response, in fact this is issue ay napag-usapan during the campaign pero since then hindi na masyado napag-uusapan na. This is our right that we would like to exercise. There has been unequitable treatment when it come to my father but that is because of politics, hopefully we can put that aside now and put this issue to rest.

Q: Sir anong reaksyon nyo doon sa suporta si na Sen Enrile?

BBM: Ako'y nagpapasalamat sa kanila dahil sa kanilang pagsuporta dito sa sinasabing paglilibing ng aking ama sa libingan ng mga bayani. I think they just reflect what they can hear from ordinary people around the countrty.

Q: Sir, are you saying na isa-isangtabi ni PNOY ang politika dito para magkaroon ng equitable treatment?

BBM: Hindi naman, kahit ano namang gawin natin hindi naman maaaring maisa-isangtabi dahil nangyari yan. Kasaysayan natin yan but wag na nating ulit-ulitin yung mga debate noon, ulit-ulitin yun diskusyon doon, yun mga aksyon na kontra sa isa't isa at ang gawin naman natin eh ayusin naman natin ang ating kinabukasan at wag nating masyadong pag-usapn paulit-ulit yun nakaraan.

Q: Sir, some are asking kung the enmity between the children..marcos-aquino is still there?

BMM: There is never any ... what you don't understand what i keep explaining to you is hindi kami magkakilala. We do not know each other well enough to like or dislike one another. And we will not base our opinion on a peron according to politics, that's not the way we do thing eh kung nagkataon hindi kami magkasama sa politika and so be it. Ganyan talaga kung yan ang paniniwala ng isang tao hindi natin mapipigilan. But that does not mean na galit kami sa kanila. I think that enmity that you talk about is something that is manufactured only by the Press, by commentator because the fact of the matter is ...actually sa family namin ang magkakilala lang si balsy at Imee kase magka-klase sila. Sila yun anak ng senador noon. Of course , now since then the others nakikilala namin but there is nor enmity. It simlpy doesnt exist.

Q: Did you raise this directly to the president?

BBM No. Not yet. Not directly. Through intermediaries we have expressed once again like we do as i said with every administration...ano ba baka sakali sa administrasyon ninyo baka pwede nang payagang malibing ang aking ama sa libingan ng mga bayani There is not a format seatdown na sinabi namin na baka pwede na o isip-isip nyo na pwede na.

Q: pero after Reyes' burial naulit?

BBM: No.