Press Release
March 1, 2011

TRANSCRIPT OF AMBUSH INTERVIEW
WITH SEN BONGBONG MARCOS, JR

ON EDUCATION (SCUs & LUCs)

Q: Sir, any update sa hearing today on education?

SEN BONGBONG MARCOS: We are trying to get information sa sitwasyon ng SUCs and LUCs -their registration and accreditation with the CHED. Sa simula pa lang , ang kailangan nating gawin ay malaman kung ano ba talaga ang sitwasyon? Ilan ba talaga ang mga eskwelang na itinayo na hindi na-accredit ? Kung ano ba ang standard nila? Para naman yun mga estudyanteng nag-aaral ay paglabas yun kanilang diploma ay may kabuluhan at kinikilala. Kung mag-take sila ng examination kailangan galing sila sa accredited school-- kung hindi accredited, hindi sila papayagang mag-board exams.

Kailangan talagang ma-regulate ng mabuti ang bagay na ito at pagkatapos nating malaman kung ano ang mga nagyayari sa sistema at kung ano pa ang pwede nating magawang tulong. Kasi kung minsan ang LGU ay nagtatayo ng local university or college (LUC) at yan ay itinatayo nila dahil sa kanilang pananaw na kulang ang mga eskuwelahan sa kanilang mga lugar. Yung iba naman ay nagtatayo lamang ng eskwelahan para gawing negosyo. Kaya kailangan nating pag-aralan kung sino ang naghahanap ng paraan para mabigyan ng edukasyon ang kanilang mga constituents at kung sino yun iba na pinagkakikitaan lamang kaya hindi nagiging maganda ang level ng edukasyon.

Kapag nalaman na natin kung ano ang sitwasyon, dahan-dahan na natin pagandahin at baguhin ang sistema and probably even add subsidies if possible to those who are accredited and registered with the CHED as LUCs and at the same time for the State Universities and Colleges (SUCs)

Q: Sir, alam na ba natin kung ilang ang accredited ng CHED sa mga local universities and colleges?

SBBM: Hindi nga eh. Most are not although yung mga malalaki at mga kilala are doing very well at saka malaki ang naitutulong nila dahil parang dagdag nga dito sa ating mga university at college pero yun iba ay hindi alam kung ilan na nga ba talaga sila na nagpapa-aral na hindi naman kinikilala ng CHED. Malaking problema yun.

Doon sa hearing, hiningi ng committee sa ating mga resource persons kung ano yung record. At tingnan natin, isa-isahin nating pag-aralan kung yung mga non-registered kung paano naman ang kanilang patakbo doon sa kanilang mga paaralan. Kung maganda ang nagiging resulta? Kung talagang natuturuan yun mga estudyante?

Q: Ginagamit lang daw ng mga politician sa probinsya?

SBBM: I don't know if that's the case. I think most of the cases ay nine-negosyo lamang at pinagkakakitaan lamang. Ngunit ang mga local government unit ay talagang naghahanap ng paraan para yun kakulangan ng facilities for education sa tertiary level ay madagdagan at handa naman silang magbayad, meron naman silang pondo--yun mga ganun ay tulungan natin. We have to determine kung ano nga ang naging patakbo doon sa iba't-ibang eskwelahan. We have to identify those who have done a good job of providing quality education, those who are merely a commercial enterprise even a political enterprise.

ON ARMM POLL POSTPONEMENT

Q: Sir, nagkaroon ng consensus kahapon sa Ledac meeting na parang ipa-prioritize yun postponement ng ARMM elections so as chairman ng committee on Local Government ano ang reaction nyo sir?

SBBM: Many of our friends from ARMM both the congressmen--yun mga governor hindi ko pa nakausap pero yun 2 nakausap ko na, they are making their sentiments and opinions known that it is the preference of most of the political leaders in ARMM that there be an election. If there is a postponement, let the postponement be for just maybe a few weeks or at the most for few months. Ayaw naman nilang magpa-holdover. Handa naman silang magkaroon ng halalan. The congressmen from ARMM and the governors will meet with the president and they will make their case as to what in their opinion should be done. Hopefully from those discussion (ledac meeting) that there will be a breakthrough but right now the positions of the ARMM political leadership and the Palace are not the same.

Q: Ikaw sir, anong personal position nyo?

SBBM: I think it is a good thing in principle that if there is to be an election, that we have the election. If for example , for operational reason- hindi pa handa yun machine, hindi pa na-impreta ang balota, if the operational problems then postponement is alright but only for such time as those operational problems can be resolved.

Sabihin na natin na papayag tayo ng ilang linggo to give the Comelec more of a chance to do whatever it is that they have to do. But in principle we should always take this view towards the idea that if there is an election we should conduct it. That way, there is not question that the political leadership has in fact that mandate.

There is also a possibility of the appointees as proposed by the palace not to be recognized by the local leaders and they have actually said that. Sinabi nila, kung i-a-appoint yan at hindi naman namin kinikilala, we will not recognize them and this will cause a great deal of confusion and it might deteriorate into complete political chaos down in ARMM. So, must line the compromise arrangement where the political leaders of ARMM still have that mandate so that they will able to go to the people and present the initiative and that leadership will not be questioned.

Q: Sir sa part ninyo, consultation pa lang ang ginagawa? Wala pang hearing dahil wala pang bill?

SBBM; Wala pang nag-file sa Senado. The bill has been filed in the House. Tapos na ang kanilang hearing at sabi nila yun committee report baka lalabas next week at pupunta na sa plenary. But essentially, the issue now is between the Palace and the ARMM leadership and we must try to find common ground between the two positions. But right now, it is hard to see what that common ground is dahil malalayo pa ang kanilang mga position. We will see what will happen after the discussion between the President and the ARMM leadership.

Q: Considering na ganun ang stand ng majority ng local officials sa ARMM, posibleng mahirap kung ang proposal ay postponement until 2013?

SBBM: Well, kung talagang tututulan nila ng husto ,and so far they are doing that, ay mahihirapan talaga. May mga questions of law, halimbawa yun pag-appoint to change the law, you need 2/3 of the Congress, hindi sila nag public hearing , what is the legal basis of appointing? Yun ang mga problema sa ngayon. There are many problems at the political level and at the legal level and this have to be ironed out.

Q: Makakaya ba sir? sa August na yun ARMM elections?

SBBM: Kaya nga, kung ganito ang magiging usapan at napakalayo pa ng mga iba't-ibang grupo sa kanilang mga position ay baka matagalan pa. Ang sabi sa akin ni former chairman Melo, it will require 4 to 5 months to get the ballots printed. We also haven't made the decision as to whether or not the PCOS machine will be bought for the ARMM elections.

We have extended our deadline for the rest of this year so we have that time but the small substantive issues still have to be resolved whether or not we will postpone, whether or not there will be appointments. All of these things have to...before we even make a decision to continue with the election before we even start making preparations for the elections. Marami pang gagawin. It is acceptable, I think to all that we postpone to take care of all these issues but still with ... to conducting those elections as soon and as quickly as possible and I think the idea of appointing the leadership is the one that is going to be a very ,very difficult issue to be resolved because there are very few arguments that have been heard that make the case properly for the appointment of the political leaders of the ARMM.

THANK YOU.

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