BBM Podcast 4 (Part 2): Congress and Cabinet

VICKY MORALES: Mr. President, dito naman sa ongoing investigation ng Senado at Kamara tungkol sa mga anomalous flood control projects. Tama ba na sila pa ang mag-imbestiga kahit na ilan sa kanila’y sinasabing sangkot?

PRESIDENT FERDINAND R. MARCOS JR.: Alam mo, prerogative ng Kongreso ‘yan eh. Prerogative ng House of Representatives ‘yan na mag-conduct sila ng imbestigasyon at prerogative ng Senado na mag-conduct sila ng imbestigasyon. Ipatuloy natin. At kahit papaano pagka may masusing imbestigasyon, kahit papaano mayroon tayong makukuha din diyan. So, baka makatulong din.

So… But allow them, we will do what – we will have the independent commission. We will organize it. We will support it fully. And all the other organs of government will – I’m sure play their part in finding the truth to all of these – all of these anomalies.

MS. MORALES: Pero sa palagay niyo, dapat bang at least mag-inhibit ‘yung mga may kaugnayan dito sa mga isyung ito?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Eh wala namang aamin na may kaugnayan sila eh, hindi ba? Kahit sino. So, hindi sila mag-i-inhibit. So, kahit sabihin mo.. At saka wala namang power ang executive sa legislature eh. Gagawin nila ‘yung gagawin nila. So, ‘yun – but that’s their prerogative.

MS. MORALES: So far, Mr. President, pinangalanan na ‘yung mga contractor, pati mga anak nila naba-bash sa social media ‘no.

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Yeah.

MS. MORALES: May mga tinanggal na na taga-DPWH and some cases are being filed against them. Paano naman po kung sangkot si Cong., si Gov., si Mayor, how far are we gonna take this?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Until we solve the problem. ‘Yung dapat natin pipilahan ng kaso, may ebidensya tayo na matibay, unang-una. Pangalawa, na kapag sila na out of action na, ay talagang magbabago, dahil sila talaga nagpapatakbo. So, I suppose the description that sometimes we – ‘yung big fish talaga. ‘Yung talagang nagpapatakbo nitong sistema na ito. ‘Yun.

Kasi ‘pag – hindi mo mabubuwag ‘yang sistemang ‘yan hangga’t tinanggal mo ‘yung mga player na ‘yan. So, tatanggalin natin ‘yung mga player na ‘yon at kahit sino man sila para maging maayos ang patakbo ng sistema.

MS. MORALES: Kahit naman sinuportahan kayo or something talagang wala silang kawala dito sa campaign na ito?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Wala talaga tayong magagawa eh. What will – we have that – the truth has to come out. Kaya nagkaganito, dahil pinabayaan eh. We look the other way. Nagbulag-bulagan tayo, ‘di ba? Nagbibingi-bingihan tayo, wala tayong naririnig, kaya tayo nagkaganito. Ba’t natin babalikan ‘yun? “Oh eh wala kaming alam diyan. Wala naman kaming naririnig.”

MS. MORALES: ‘Yun ang nakapagtataka. Why were the people in the past looking the other way? Why?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Because that’s the – that’s the system already eh. Kahit ayaw mo, pagka – pagka – sasabihin na, “Hindi, hindi ako interesado sa mga ganyan”, ‘di ba? Masasagasaan ka ng sistema. Sasagasaan ka ng sistema.

MS. MORALES: Okay.

PRESIDENT MARCOS: ‘Yung mga nandyan na aktibo diyan sa mga kalokohan na ‘yan, eh aanuhin ka, aatakihin ka. They will – para to get you out of the way kasi baka magsumbong ka pa.

MS. MORALES: Mr. President, nag-resign kamakailan si DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan. Can you tell us how that conversation went?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: He decided. He said, “Nakakaabala na ako sayo.” In terms of command responsibility, he said: I take responsibility for that. Dapat hindi nangyari sa ilalim ko – sa – noong secretary ako dito. So, bibitawan ko na lang, sabi niya.

MS. MORALES: Okay. And you chose Vince Dizon as your new DPWH secretary. Why do you think is he the right person to clean up the department?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: He did a very good job in DOTR and I think he understands very well what needs to be done. And I think he’s – he’s committed enough to this – what we are doing that he will do whatever is necessary even if it’s a little difficult.

Kahit na medyo may magagalit sa kanya, you know, he’s very professional. Basta’t trabaho, trabaho. Hindi naman – walang personalan.

MS. MORALES: Binigyan niyo ‘yung Public Works Department at Budget Department ng two weeks para busisiin ‘yung lahat ng kailangan busisiin, himayin ‘yung kailangang himayin diyan sa 2026 budget ng DPWH. Two weeks, confident ba kayo na magagawa nila ‘yun in two weeks?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Marami na tayong nagawa as of now palang. Number one, we already are seeing na lahat ng flood control project na dapat ilalagay sa 2026 na budget, hindi na siguro kailangan. So, there will be no budget for 2026 for flood control. Dahil mayroon naman P350 billion for 2025 na hindi pa nauubos talaga. So, tuloy-tuloy pa ‘yung trabaho.

Hindi naman – hindi ibig sabihin titigil natin ‘yung flood control project – mga flood control project. Ibig sabihin, titiyakin na ngayon natin na ang paggastos tama, ang pag-implement tama, maayos ang design, etcetera, etcetera.

And then how do we do this? Ang sinasabi ko nga, interesado ako na makipag-usap tayo sa mga contractor na tapusin nila. Ayusin nila.

O ‘di, mag-usap kami after that. Pero before that, ayusin nila. Ayusin nila. Buoin nila up to specification. At their cost ha? Huwag naman sila mag – don’t expect the government to pay for it. Ayusin nila ‘yung project nila.

MS. MORALES: Oo nga.

PRESIDENT MARCOS: O ‘di sige, mag-usap tayo after that.

MS. MORALES: Iniisa-isa niyo na nga, binibisita niyo, nakikita natin po ‘yun. But ang mga kongresista, gusto nilang i-return to sender ‘yung NEP.

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Oo.

MS. MORALES: Is that still a possibility?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: No.

MS. MORALES: Baka hindi umabot eh, ‘no?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: No, it’s not a possibility. Ang titingnan na lang is the DPWH budget. Unilaterally, from our end in the Executive, I already instructed the DPWH to review and to rewrite the DPWH budget.

So, we have a commitment to Congress that the rewritten DPWH budget will be submitted to them.

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