Press Release
November 19, 2018

Transcript ambush interview of Senator JV Ejercito
November 19, 2018

SJVE: ....If ever we pass the Universal Health Care na maayos, na magiging...na walang butas walang pagkakamali. Mas mahirap kasing magkamali ano, kasi kapag naipasa na ito, ito na iyon. So sinisigurado na natin kaya medyo mahaba ang discussion, mahaba ang deliberation ngayong umaga...

Isa sa contentious issue yung contributory members...ang gusto kasi ng Senate, particularly si Sen. Recto to give incentive to contributing members para sila ganahang magbayad.

Kasi nga under UHC lahat everybody will be covered ng national health insurance, pero yung 35 percent yun yung contributory, yun regular and government workers..private or government na regular contributors. Yung 65% eto yung subisidized. So ang gusto ng Senate kasi to give naman incentives to the contributory...

Q: Meron bang members ng bicam na ayaw sa idea na yun na magkaroon ng incentives...?

SJVE: Ang House version kasi is solidarity, kailangan whatever benefits or privileges of each member pare-pareho, pantay-pantay. Maganda naman yun, kaya lang, yung reality says na ang sabi ni Sen. Recto ang katotohanan kapag nalaman ng contributory member na pareho lang pala na ililibre lahat whether nagbigay o hindi nagbibigay, baka bumagsak ang collection. So yan ang pinag-uusapan natin ngayon..

Q: Yan din ang pag-uusapan natin, yun tungkol sa ceiling to make sure na we will have a compromise para masigurado, ang gusto rin naman natin, we want to make sure that Philhealth will be financially healthy in the coming years so that we can realize this goal of providing quality health care for every Filipino. So whether it is 40,000 o 100,000 yan ang pag-uusapan naming ngayon. Kung 100,000 parang yan yung ang mase-secure in the next coming years na maganda ang financial standing. Kung magiging 40,000 medyo we have to find other sources of revenue. Sisiguraduhin lang namin na magkaroon ng pangalawa o pangatlong bicam to resolve the disagreeing portions, contentious issues, gusto lang naming masigurado na yung financnes ng Philhealth will be able to sustain, yun ang importante dun yung sustainability, ayaw naman nating magpasa ng batas na first year o first two years lang ang kakayanin. We want to make sure that it is sustainable.

Q: Ano yung other four contentious issues?

SJVE: There are about four or five pero ito yung pinaka-main.

Q: Kung 4 to 5, malabo ngayong ma-aaprove sa bicam?

SJVE: Well susubukan natin pero it's already 1pm we will only have two hours and the House contingent has to go back, medyo malayo ang House. Tingnan natin kung ano pa ang pag-uusapan. Pero siyempre gusto ring matapos na ito because as soon as possible I would want to have this certified, para ang target talaga natin before December maipadala agad sa Malacanang for the President's signature. For them to have time also to study to review, basta ang target natin before December 25 ang pirma ni Presidente. We'll try kung pwedeng this week (matapos ang bicam).

Q:

SJVE: For the next two or three years, kakayanin na ito ng budget. At third or fourth year onwards, we might need additional revenues kaya itinutulak ko talaga rin additional sin taxes particularly tobacco tax dahil this will definitely boost the UHC fund dahil talagang magkakaroon ng increase ng beneficiaries, ng claims..population natin lalaki.. pag nalaman ng mga kababayan natin mas marami na ang magki-claim. On the third, fourth year onwards, we would need additional sources of revenue kaya nga I'm proposing the tobacco tax increase.

Q: Chinese President visiting the country....

SJVE: Sana magkaroon na rin ng linaw, alam ko very controversial, yung West Philippine Sea, yung freedom of navigation because that causes instability, that would affect also our business climate. Tayo ang pinakaapektado eh gaya yung area na tipoing kini-claim yun kinukuha ng China.

We have to clarify kung sana kasing friendly ng Japan yung kanilang overseas development assistance kasi maraming nag-aalala, tulad ko, I'm one of those that area really pushing infrastructure projects and transport modernization.

Yung sa Japan side talagang kita mo naman friendly yung package, yung sa China side they have to be transparent also. Sana nga walang string attach.

Q: inaudible

SJVE: Well sana kasi I think after almost 3 years of war against drugs, andiyan pa rin eh. So talagang we have to address the source, yan ang problema (source of drugs).

Kung talagang kaibigan sila, they should help us cut the source. Eh karamihan naman nahuhuli sa Chinese o mga mainland Chinese.

On San Juan parking incident:

Q: May pagkukulang?

SJVE: Kasi yung mga parking buildings dun lahat temporary but still they have to provide stoppers and make sure that it is safe. So yan ang iimbestigahan ngayon ng city government kung merong liability o pagkukulang dun sa mga tinatyaong parking buildings. Because these are all temporary habang gingagawa yung ibang permanent structures yung mga underground parking. Even if it is temporary dapat safe talaga...

Q: Nakita ba ng LGUs?

SJVE: Of course, they need permits definitely. That's why it is being investigated. If they follow it, they follow it according to specifications. Di naman nakikita lahat yan. So not unless the investigation is contemplated then titinggan na yan kung as followed according to specifications because they are thousands of buildings permits that are being approved di naman lahat natsi check. So right now na may incident then they will investigate, so kung may liability titingnan kung according specs.

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