Press Release
February 20, 2020

Win transcript ambush interview on Inclusive Ed, ABS-CBN franchise, POGO, VFA & Cha-Cha

Inclusive Education

SEN WIN: Meron tayong close to P5 million children with disability at ang pumapasok dun wala pang ten percent so marami tayong mga batang hindi nakakapag-aral. Marami tayong mga batang may kapansanan na hindi nakakapag-aral at ito ay isang bagay na tinututukan natin dahil sa konsepto at prinsipyo natin na walang maiiwan - lahat ng bata ay dapat mabigyan ng tamang edukasyon. Huwag nating titignan kung sila ay may kapansanan o wala. Isa sa mga malaking problema natin ay ang kakulangan ng budget. Ito ang tinututukan natin at magfa-file tayo ng ibang batas para palakasin ang special education system natin.

Taal victims

Q: In connection to that Senator, di po ba naglabas ang Philippine government ng 30 billion naman po para sa taal victims. Ano po ang cause bakit natatagalan ang release?

SEN WIN: Unang-una, dapat matulungan nating mabigyan ng housing support ang mga Taal victims. Marami sa kanila ang nasira ang bahay, kailangang i-repair at through the HNA at through the Department of Housing, mai-release na ang housing support for them. Tapos na tayo sa response. In fact, marami tayong mga kababayan ang nagbigay ng pagkain pero ang kailangan na natin ngayon ay rebuilding at isa dito ay ang mga bahay at imprastraktura na nasira.

Q: So ano nga po ang nagiging delay kasi parang medyo matagal tagal na na inaabangan ng mga victims ito?

SEN WIN: Dapat walang delay yan eh kasi ang local government ay meron namang record kung sino ang mga may sira ang bahay at nangangailangan ng tulong. So may record naman kaya dapat walang delay yan. In fact, kapag nade-delay yan, hindi agad makakabangon ang ating mga kababayan.

VFA & People Power

Q: Regarding naman po sa VFA. Ngayon po ay may lumalabas na sa February 25, magkakaroon ng parang banta ng people power.

SEN WIN: Wala akong naririnig na banta o nag-o-organize. In fact, ngayong Tuesday na ang celebration ng people power so kung meron mang nag-o-organize, dapat kumakalat na yan ngayon pero wala naman akong naririnig.

Q: Pero sa tingin niyo po, kung may mga magtutuloy, ano po ang effect nito?

SEN WIN: Kung may magtutuloy, pwede naman para ipahiwatig ang kanilang saloobin. Nasa saligang batas natin na pwede kang magsalita at pwede kang magkaroon ng mga organization para magsalita. Hindi naman pinipigilan yun. Kanya-kanyang opinion at saloobin yan. Binibigyan naman ng laya ng ating saligang batas ang gustong magpahiwatig ng kanilang saloobin.

ABS-CBN Franchise

Q: Sabi po ng mga Congressman, hindi nila priority bill ang renewal of franchise ng ABS?

SEN WIN: Dapat gawin nilang priority yan dahil malapit na ang expiration at hindi naman fair na sabihing hindi priority dahil may expiration ang franchise. Ang pinaka-fair dito ay magkaroon ng pagdinig at pag-usapan. Kung karapat-dapat na i-revoke o i-renew, pag-usapan. Kung hindi natin pag-uusapan yun, walang gumagalaw, nakatengga lang at hindi fair yan. Merong mga may-ari at may mga nagtatrabaho rito, may mga nag-eenjoy din sa entertainment value ng ABS-CBN. So importanteng mapag-usapan na yan. Yan ang fair process. Hindi naman ibig sabihin na kapag pinag-usapan, kaagad ire-renew but at least, lahat ng issue ay lalabas at makikita natin.

Q: Ano po ang stand niyo?

SEN WIN: I'm willing to listen. In fact, on Monday, meron tayong hearing sa public services committee at maraming Senador ang gustong making. Sa mga ganitong punto, importanteng mapag-aralang mabuti.

POGO Industry

SEN WIN: What's the point? Why do we have an industry that we are not gaining anything? I heard also that China is also saying that it is not allowed, or they are not also gaining in that fund so what's the point of all this? The question is, who is gaining? The gainers here are the criminal syndicates which we don't want. Those people who are thinking of doing illegal activities are the ones gaining which we don't want. We want legitimate businessmen who pay the right taxes and who will not commit crimes. So my point here is, at this point, it seems to me that POGO is not giving the country any gain socially and economically and we don't want that. What we want are honest businessmen to pay the right taxes.

Last week, we had a hearing on POGO and it's already creating a lot of clamor inside the Senate to investigate and look at the POGO in detail. If need be, maybe the Senate can recommend to stop the POGO operations in the country if we are not gaining anything. The situation now, as it seems, the POGO two years ago and the POGO now has typically changed. In the beginning, my sentiment is different because you see, the POGO coming here, there's employment, there's taxes but now, with the crime coming here, may views are totally different now. The situation has changed and we want to protect our own people from criminal syndicates coming here.

Q: Are you worried that if you stop the POGO industry here, the economic activity will--?

SEN WIN: I'm very confident because I talked to our regulator, Bangko Sentral (BSP), and they are very confident that if POGO disappears, property industry will not be affected. Jobs will not dramatically be affected. The only negative impact will be PAGCOR because they are the one handling the franchise tax. But I think PAGCOR can offset that with other industries. But crimes are non-negotiable. We don't want to see a society living in fear where everyone is in fear not only Filipinos but also fellow Chinese who come here to honestly work. So we don't want to live in fear. The Senate's rule is to pressure the government. First option is to enforce, meaning, collect taxes, arrest the criminals. Two, if things are not happening, then we have to think whether to continue to allowing POGO or not.

Electricity debts

Q: Ang laki daw ng utang ni Sir ng mga electric companies including Meralco, nasa P95.42 billion that can be passed on to the consumers?

SEN WIN: In my opinion, itong utang cannot be passed on to the consumers because what PSALM can only pass on are the old debts, the stranded costs, hindi yung bagong utang. If you remember, tinayo ang PSALM, tinayo ang PSALM para bayaran ang lumang utang, hindi ang bagong utang. Ang pinayagan lang ng batas, ipasa lang ang lumang utang, hindi yung bagong utang. Yung bagong utang, PSALM na ang may responsibility doon.

Cha-cha

Q: Priority ba ng Senate ang cha-cha?

SEN WIN: Hindi priority ng Senate yan. In fact, the Senate will not discuss that in the next two years. Ang focus ng Senate ngayon ay ang mga batas na makakatulong sa ating bansa, mga batas na makakabuhay sa ating mga kababayan, at mga batas na mag-i-improve ang buhay ng ating mga kababayan, hindi pag-uusapan ang cha-cha.

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