By BOOMA CRUZ
Courtesy of PROBE PROFILES
ON election eve, media tore down the windows of Precinct 175-A of Sitio Alto, Barangay Central Azucarera de Tarlac Elementary School. The two adjacent giant square casements with horizontal rails blocked the perfect view of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machine stationed at the voting center. Leading presidential aspirant, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, was to cast his ballot at Precinct 175-A, a small classroom that was the center of everybody’s attention.
As early as May 7, television network technicians trooped to the Central Azucarera de Tarlac Elementary School to set up and prepare for May 10 live telecasts. Victory was up in the air. With a commanding 22-point lead in respectable surveys on election week, Aquino was considered by media the likely 15th president of the republic.
Aquino arrived a couple of minutes past nine in the morning, mobbed by cameramen and reporters while a long line voters patiently waited outside the voting center where he was headed. By then, Precinct 175-A’s PCOS machine had shut down a second time within a span of less than 30 minutes.
The first shutdown lasted for only five minutes. A young, backpack-carrying technician, who looked like a high school student, tried to troubleshoot and successfully brought the PCOS machine back to life. Only 112 ballots had been fed to the automated counting machine from the time the polls opened at 7 a.m. until it stopped.
Reviving the PCOS after the second shutdown was more difficult. The Board of Election Inspectors decided to just continue with the voting and feed the filled-up ballots when the machine comes back to life.
Informed of the situation at the precinct, Aquino decided to hold his press conference earlier for a more orderly question-and-answer routine by the media mob.
Aquino seemed calm and composed despite the ominous PCOS machine malfunction in his own precinct. He had received reports earlier about similar machine malfunction, delays and long queues of voters in various regions.
Profusely sweating in a loose, Lacoste shirt with white, blue and yellow stripes, Aquino looked drawn and several pounds lighter after the bruising 90-day campaign. He gamely answered every question thrown at him during the presser, including what he ate for breakfast and what he promised his mother, the late president Cory Aquino.
Asked why he decided to vote at 9 a.m. unlike other candidates who went to the polling precincts earlier, the senator quipped, “Feel ko lang talaga bumoto ng 9 (I really feel like voting at 9).”
When queried what he thought of his rivals, Aquino showed that, unlike the average Filipino, he had a long memory and did not hide his dismay: “At certain points in the campaign ay talagang wala hong ginawa lahat ng kalaban natin maliban sa isa lang na pinagtulung-tulungan tayo (All my opponents did nothing else but to gang up on me).” To his recollection, only Bro. Eddie Villanueva and his cousin, former defense secretary Gibo Teodoro, did not join the anti-Aquino mob.
When the press conference was over, the senator, surrounded by his close-in security, was immediately escorted to the voting center. But he decided to wait at the end of the line which by then had more tripled after the 30-minute-or-so presser. His elder sisters, Ballsy Cruz and Pinky Abellada, in-laws, cousins and nephews gave him company.
With the heat of the sun sapping his energy, the leading presidential candidate decided to use the lull wisely. He asked that the one-on-one interview with Probe Profiles’ Cheche Lazaro be moved earlier—while he was waiting for his turn at Precinct 175-A.
In 15 minutes, the leading presidential candidate was back in a pressure-cooker-like classroom, confidently answering questions that delved on his fears about being cheated and his plans for the government, in case he succeeded. The eloquence of his parents was absent during the 38-minute interview, but the spontaneity and clarity of thought were not wanting. Aquino laid out some specific targets and gauges with which he could be judged: One, arresting and throwing corrupt government officials in jail (“Pasensyahan tayo maski sino ka pa kung kailangan palakihin yung Muntinlupa gagawin po natin yan”); two, winning the support of Congress in the effort to push reforms (“Napaka-incompetent ko po kung di ko makukuha ang mayorya”).
The following is a transcript of the interview with Aquino a few minutes before he voted himself as the 15th president of the Philippines:
Q: Bakit ho kayo luminya?
A: Syempre kailangang kadamay ka; kung naghihirap yung mga kababayan mo, sumama ka sa kanila. Tagapaglingkod ka eh, sila ang pinaglilingkuran.
Q: Bakit importante sa yo yon?
A: Kung meron kang hihinging sakripisyo down the line, mauna ka munang magsakripisyo. At maraming problemang aayusin sa bansa natin. Eh hindi naman pwedeng kayo na ang mag-sacrifice, tayo ay nasa ginhawa. Damay sa lahat dapat.
Q: Itong first automated elections, anong impression nyo? So far, hindi pa kayo nakakaboto.
A: Well yun po yung nangyari dun sa makina dun po sa amin ‘no. Nine o’ clock pa lang yata, 9:30 nag-bog down, supposed to be because of heat. So parang sinasabi ho sa ‘tin dyan, mukha hong kulang yung product testing. Pero sila, sinasabi ko, ide-develop yung prototype, (then it) passes through so many tests, until you’re satisfied na perfected na at pwede na nating i-mass deploy. Pero parang ang ginawa, dineploy tapos dun chineck. Medyo baliktad yung proseso.
Q: May tiwala ho ba kayo na magiging mapayapa itong automated election, magsa-succeed?
A: So far ang problema lang hong inilalapit sa ‘tin, yung tagal ng pagboto sa maraming lugar. At meron tayong mga ibang kababayan, talagang medyo sumusuko na, talagang sa init na rin ng panahon. At parang nawawalan ng pag-asa. Sana hindi significant number yon. Sana bumalik sila mamayang hapon at maisulong ang kanilang pagboto.
Q: Meron ho ba kayong pangamba na baka ma-disenfranchise itong mga botanteng ito?
A: Syempre meron po dahil may nagpadala ho sa atin. Ang nire-report nya, sa ARMM, hindi pa ho natin nave-verify. Dun daw po eh on average parang 20 people per hour ang nakakaboto. So tinataya ho nila na baka 20 percent lang ang makaboto during the 11-hour period.
Q: Relieved ho ba kayo na tapos na ang kampanya?
A: Kahapon ho nagkaroon ako ng pagkakataon umidlip nang sandali. Naging malalim, mga isang oras at kalahati. At nung pagkagising, dahil may Misa kami kahapon, medyo may konting disorientation. Sabi ko, “Aba. Talagang deep sleep pala ‘tong nangyari dito.”
Q: First time in 90 days?
A: Kung tutuusin ho, from my mom’s last month.
Q: Hindi pa ho kayo nagpapahinga.
A: Kasi August 1, diretso September 9 eh nagdeklara tayo. May decision-making from August 5 to September 9.
Q: How would you assess the campaign?
A: Well, pinakita ho sa min na talagang marami hong problema yung organisasyon namin, rushed. We did not have as long a preparation time as our opponents. But at the end of the day, we really felt God’s guidance in the strength that He nurtured us, we were able to overcome a lot of obstacles on our way.
Q: Maliban doon sa pangangampanya niyo, na sabi ninyo you were guided, yung black propaganda, ano’ng view niyo tungkol doon?
A: Siyempre medyo nakakadismaya. Pwede naman natin iangat yung debate sa mga plataporma, stratehiya, para pag-ayos ng mga suliranin natin. Tapos pupunta ho na talagang yung expected na ho yun, yung sa text brigade ano. Tapos gumamit na rin ng internet. Nakakabigla lang ho, yung mga pinatulan ng ibang mga media organizations, yung mga walang attribution na mga istorya. At hindi ho natin makita na sumubok man lang sa tinatawag na secondary sources. Parang, masyado ho bang i-expect yun na i-check ninyo maski papaano ng konti lang. Tingnan niyo yung psychiatric report ‘no, pwede hong kinausap si Father Caluag ‘no, hindi ho kinausap si Father Caluag hanggang parang gumawa na nga ho ng storya. Pagkatapos po nun, may nagpo-point out nga ho na kung dito parang ako po yung biktima, tapos ako pa po yung pinagpapaliwanag. So, medyo baliktad na baliktad nga po yung mundo.
Q: Didn’t you expect it? Dahil sa kandidato kayo sa pagkapresidente.
A: Well, you expected it from your opponents pero you have to ask, where is the professionalism here?
Q: Media ang tinutukoy ninyo?
A: Well, media specifically ‘no. Kasi pagkatapos po nun, binigyan na naman ng airtime, basically pinalitan ng kapiraso yung detalye, the guy talking says this is unverified, and still pursued, they’re still giving them airtime. Kumbaga, the mistake was compounded. Yung first, baka sabihin na natin human error. Yung second parang ang hirap isipin na wala namang malice yun.
Q: Nabahala ho ba kayo sa personal na atake?
A: Well, hindi naman sa nabahala ano dahil, tingnan po niyo yung una nga ho, hindi man lang, yung bumabanat sa atin hindi man lang sumuri ng enough na para malaman yung kanilang kino-quote eh hindi po niya training yung psychiatry or psychology. Tapos medyo nung binago po, naghanap sila, pari na ang pagkaintindi ko po talagang institusyon po sa pinanggalingan kong eskwela, pero 89 years old na ho.
Q: Father Bulatao.
A: Para siguro, alam po nating hindi masyado ho masyadong maganda ang health. Siguro sinusubukan lang na hindi makasagot si Father Bulatao o hindi na niya maalala, ano. Yung pangatlo naman pong kino-quote, sinigurado nilang hindi makaka-refute dahil patay. So, buti na lang nandun po yung asawa, yung asawa po ay dentista, doktor rin, alam po niya na naitago yung mga records at kaya niyang ire-print.
Q Pero marami hong nagsasabi na ang media has been kind to you.
A Siguro, well, ahm.
Q: Parang hindi kayo binabanatan ng media, yon ang sinasabi nila.
A: Meron hong walang ginawa kundi banatan ako, di pa ho ako tumatakbo eh. I’ll give you a case in point. Sa broadsheet, budget deliberations noon, sinabayan ng joint session, and I’m one of the two most religious in attending the whole budget deliberations from beginning to end. So yung unang araw ng joint session, I had to make a choice–prepare for the joint session, which is the first ever, or go to the budget deliberations. And I chose the morning session to prepare for the joint session. Nagkataon ako pa ang unang nagtanong eh. Of course, yung broadsheet na yon hindi ho binanggit na every other day, meaning alll the other days, I was present, from morning till morning. Sinenter sa…
Q: One time.
A: Half day na wala po ako dahil may joint session. And then of course hindi na rin minention yung joint session. Then pag tinitingnan ko po yung coverage dun sa embedded nung aking isang kalaban, para bang propagandist ang dating sa akin. I don’t think I have ever had a press conference that was not adversarial. Which is, I accept, ‘no. I accept that my ideas, my suggestions should be put to the test.
Q: Yes.
A: But one has to wonder, sabi ko, bakit kaya dun sa kabila eh para bang they share his vision. And unfortunately, as far as I’m concerned, that candidate does not have a vision of anything.
Q: With your 20-point lead at saka lumalaki nang lumalaki in the last few weeks, do you smell victory?
A: If we had solved the problems of “Hello, Garci,” we had corrected all of the loopholes, we had punished people who are guilty if they committed the crime, then at this point in time I should say, “Okay na.” But the truth of the matter is, we never solved, we never had closure for that. You had a second version in terms of Lintang Bedol in the ARMM in the 2007 elections wherein I was a victim. So until the process is finished, until Congress actually proclaims the winner, then we can’t say it’s over.
Q: You can’t say it’s over?
A: And in fact I should even make extra efforts to get all of our supporters to be even more energetic toward this last phase of the elections.
Q: Do you have any fears about cheating?
A: Of course. We have never had (closure). Look at the reasonable request that we had with Comelec. Amongst them, yung si Vetaliano Acosta was disqualified twice. Why should it be such a difficult thing to remove him from the ballot? They never did. And they give you some lame excuse na, baka walang tigil na magre-reprint daw sila. When they reverse themselves by qualifying him and then taking their time to disqualify him, it’s a fact that whereas before we were in three columns, now one of the candidates has a column all to himself, and that is such an undue advantage. And there are studies that say, when you’re No. 1 on the list, you become No. 2, you do tend to lose some votes.
Q: Sinasadya, yun po ba ang ano nyo?
A: There are quarters that are saying premeditated yon.
Q: Okay, kung kayo po ang manalo, paano nyo ho ipagsasama-sama lahat nung magkakatunggali ngayon?
A: Palagay ko naman kung maganda yung mungkahi natin at tama, mahihirapan po yung mga iba na mag-a-advance na ng kanilang political agenda na kontrahin. Syempre umpisa ho dun sa motherhood statement pero pati yung implementation, you will want to try to get everybody on board. We will try to expound on our ideas through the media and get them some really vital partners, di ba, not only, eto yung end point eh. How do we get to the end point? Why did we choose it this way? And hopefully, we will be judged on whether or not we delivered on what we committed to.
Q: Hindi ho ba mahirap, I mean, sa laki ng problema na hinaharap natin, hindi ho ba kayo natatakot o wala ho ba kayong pangamba?
A: Nung umpisa po. Pero ang dami ho nating pinag-aralan. For instance, ito nasa classroom po tayo ngayon. May kulang na 40,000 classrooms sa buong Pilipinas. Ang cost used to be, I used to consider it staggering, 20 billion pesos just for the shell of a classroom. Now it turns out, and there are studies being done, one of them says 280 billion pesos was lost due to corruption last year. So not even 10 percent of what was lost is already enough to do away with that perpetual problem of lack of classrooms. Then we do away with shifting, we give them adequate time to study in an eight-hour day. Hopefully we can embark on the 12-year basic ed program soon, really sooner rather than later. Then government in effect has the necessary resources, in so long as we are able to, first curtail, eventually eliminate for all intents and purposes yung corruption. Then government becomes empowered to empower its people.
Q: Kung dayain ho kayo, at kung, sabi mo nga, baka mangyari yon, anong gagawin nyo?
A: Ito’y ilalapit natin sa taumbayan. Kung sakaling ganon ang mangyari, ano ba ang nangyari, ilalantad natin. Paniwala ho namin ni Mar Roxas, kami po ay mukha lang nitong simulain at kilusan na ‘to. Taumbayan na po ang magsasabi kung saan tayo tutungo. Pero kinikilala po ng Saligang Batas, sovereignty resides with the people. Kung ano man ang poder na pinapahiram kung kanino man, yung operative po dun yung “pinapahiram” eh. Taumbayan ho dapat nasusunod sa ating bansa?
Q: Totoo ho bang magma-mount kayo ng People Power?
A: Hindi pa ho natin alam. Sa ngayon wala pa naman tayong nakikita para doon ang dapat nating patunguhan. At over the past few days, and I want to emphasize the past few days, yung mga quarters na kinakabahan natin na baka sila mag-mount eh mukha hong hindi na ho gagawin yung pandaraya. Meron na rin hong tinuturo na mukhang tuloy pa rin. Makikita po natin sa resulta mamaya eh. Ang sa akin lang mas nagko-concentrate ako, dito ho, yung sa presinto namin, napakarami pong nakapila dyan mula kaninang umaga.
Q: Alas sais pa lang nandyan na sila.
A: At kahapon ho sa Taguig, balita ko sandaang libo hong mga supporter natin ang tumungo na sa kanilang mga presinto para siguradong makaboto. Yung dedication ng mga tao para mai-ayos yung bansa natin, dun po ako nakatutok ngayon.
Q: Kung manalo ho kayo, anong gagawin nyo ho first 100 days?
A: No. 1, itayo muna ang gabinete. Yun po ang mag-i-implement ng ating mga polisiya, proyekto, programa. Marami po tayong pinangako. For instance yung setting up the mechanism for closure of some of the issues that have been left pending. Ang gusto ko rin, as much as possible, maumpisahan, yung parang i-implement yung reforms in the judicial side. That needs kasi convening of a body called JELAC, which is the Judicial Executive Legislative Advisory and Consultative Council. The problem is, the legislature has to organize itself before they can send people to this body. Pero yung pagkaintindi ko po, there is a study, I believe, done by the Supreme Court, funded by the World Bank, that already has so many points of improvement in our judicial system. End point being, there has to be certainty of punishment to a crime number one, and number two, yung justice in our country is always delayed. Minimum of six years to adjudicate any case. There are suggestions as to how to expedite the process. The current Chief Justice, Chief Justice Puno, with his Justice On Wheels program, has managed to demonstrate that with will, in their case judicial will, they managed to resolve two to three thousand cases in two or three days, in two specific areas. So it can be done, it will be done. It can be done, it shall be done, and it will be done.
Q: Okay, yung closure na sinasabi nyo, pano nyo gagawin yon?
A: Yung technical terms I’ll have to defer to the lawyers. Pero the concept is, there is somebody, or a commission that’s set up to precisely detail the steps eh–gathering of evidence, gathering the complaints, parang training the special prosecutors. Ang focus, on all of these issues apart from the one that handles all the criminal complaints, all the civil complaints.
Q: So first 100 days you’ll do this?
A: Set up that commission, task them to do it in, hopefully, six months, and then implement.
Q: Yung Gabinete nyo ho meron na ho kayong napili?
A: Meron hong tatlo so far. Yung two of them wala pang specific na assignment. Si Dinky Soliman will go back to DSWD if we are fortunate. I really believe Dinky performed exceedingly well. Nakaka-impress ho nung mga may bagyong parating, early on in this current administration. Yung relief goods were in place, evacuation centers were ready. And the people’s suffering was minimized. Kasi lately ho, yung with Ondoy and Pepeng, I’m sure you witnessed, nagtatayo ng tarpaulin ang MMDA na humihingi ng relief goods. Sabi ko, “Okay ‘to, gobyerno na ang humihingi ng relief na ipamumudmod.” You also have the situation na yung ating calamity fund, ginamit before the onset of the first calamity. Once the elections are over I think I will have time to start talking to the people in my mind, and with various portfolios.
Q: Can you name others po?
A: Since they haven’t accepted, and in certain instances I have not given them the specifics, I think it will be unfair.
Q: Ano pong ma-e-expect namin sa isang Aquino administration?
A: Babalikan ko muna. Central theme namin, “Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap.” Yung corruption, nawala na yung kapangyarihan ng gobyerno, mabigyan ng pagkakataon ang ating sambayanan. So hinabol po namin. Good governance, kung wala si corruption, magkakaroon ng kapangyarihan uli ang estado na matulungan ang mamamayan abutin ang kanilang maabot. Balik ho tayo. Education na ang number two sa platform namin. Yung education may direct impact sa trabahong makukuha. Ano ho ba ang growth areas natin? BPOs, call centers amongst them. One out of 10 lang ang aplikanteng natatanggap. Tourism, very big potential earner. Unfortunately, ang necessary skill, communication is sorely lacking. Marami hong ibang problema sa tourism ‘no. Pero the education opportunities should redound to getting our people to better jobs than just minimum wage occupations.
Q: Kung sakali po kayo ay palarin at maging presidente namin, kayo po ang magiging pangalawang Aquino na presidente. Paano ho maiiba sa pagkapangulo ni dating Presidente Cory?
A: Ang nanay ko po eh, number one, hindi naman po sya ang pulitiko sa pamilya namin. No. 2, wala hong transition na nangyari. Bigla na lang parang umalis sina Ginoong Marcos, et al, bahala na kayo dyan. Hindi ko makalimutan ang imahe nung panahon na yon. Yung mga volunteers po ng nanay kong tumulong sa kanya sa kampanya, nung sinama sa Malacanang, for the next six months volunteer pa rin, to the extent na magdala ng sariling office supplies. But in that period of time, with the addition of about another four months, they managed to turn around the GDP of the country from negative to positive. Kami naman ho magbe-benefit from their lessons. I’ve been in the legislature and in government since 1998. I will not claim that I know all knowledge at this point in time. Meron ho talagang kilusan ang kasalukuyang nakaupo para hindi maibigay sa atin ang datos na tama.
Q: So paano ho kayo magta-transition?
A: Ayusin rin po natin ang eleksyon. Yung redistricting bill po ng Malolos, inaangkin po ng Malolos meron po silang 250,000–254,000 as of 2007. Yung NSO nagpakita na ang kanilang estimate, yun nga ang sinasang-ayunan. Nung kinonduct yung actual, biglang naging 226. What is funny is, that entire first district, Malolos lang ang overestimated. Every other component was underestimated. So I asked, using the same people, same systems, same office, same subset of a population. Bakit ho kabilaang direksyon ang error? And then I was never given a satisfactory answer? ARMM has increased its population. Its rate of population growth is about six something percent, six point something percent. National average is two point something. And so I did ask in the last budget, bakit times three? Three hundred percent ang difference? And they gave me a facetious answer, they don’t believe in artificial contraception.
Q: So ang sinasabi mo, compared kay Tita Cory, mas handa kayo?
A: Mas may kakayahan kaming maging handa, mas mahaba na po ang experience. Ang problema lang nga ho pareho yung pagmamanahan namin, na talagang, ano ba, di na lang ako nakaluhod eh. Baka nakaplakda na po ang bansa natin na ibinigay sa amin para i-ayos. Alam mo yung budget last year, yung budget deficit last year was pegged roughly at about three hundred billion pesos. This year when we started out, three hundred billion na naman ang pino-project. Yung latest, I understand, is over 400. Now, marami po tayong naririnig na report. Amongst them, inamin ni Secretary Gonzalez, acting Secretary Gonzalez ng DND, na pinapasukan nilang contracts. And parang mali na naman yung pag gastos eh. Merong commuter airline in Canada, bibilhin nila yung aircraft. Yung aircraft gagamitin for maritime surveillance. Yung total duration or yung flying endurance ng eroplano is four hours. Kung iko-compare po nyo sa, yung P3 Orion, which is used for maritime surveillance, has a 16-hour flying time. We have a very extensive coastline. Kung papunta pa lang don eh kailangang bumalik na, anong point? Pero pwede ‘to, in their last two months or so, kahit na ginamit, kung anu-anong kontrata ang pinapasukan hindi lang po ng DND, pati ng iba pong ahensya. In a period na may deficit, na yung scheme and downpayment pa lang ho balloons the deficit. Yun po ang mamanahin namin.
Q: Pa’no nyo susugpuin ang korupsyon? Lahat ng nakausap namin gusto kayo dahil sa tema nyong tatanggalin ang korupsyon. Pero ang tagal tagal na nyan. Pa’no nyo tatanggalin yan?
A: Nung ini-imagine namin, meron akong isang abogado, sinasabi ko, yan ang magiging papel mo. Every time na lumabas ka sa publiko meron kang aarestuhin.
Q: Kailangan may sampol.
A: First, I should lead by example, moral suasion on everybody else. Kung ako hindi ko ginagawa, kayo wag ninyong gawin. Then the most important thing, that’s why judicial reform is so important, talagang, yung prosecutorial service natin, ang basis ng performance evaluation is your ability to shift papers from your office to another office. Why do I say that? Happy ho sila na 18 percent conviction rate. The study that the World Bank commissioned was, I think, 2000. We’re now a decade late and it’s still there.
Q: Still 18 percent.
A: 18. One-eight. So 82 percent of the time, we lose our cases. But it’s the fiscal who decides eh. Sufficient evidence? Strong ba ang quality ng evidence? Pero pasok sila nang pasok ng kaso, tapos talo nang talo. Ano ‘tong meritocracy? Pag may sinampa kang kaso, talo ka, paliwanag mo. Bakit mo inaksaya ang oras, pera ng taumbayan. Now, yung, a real case, ‘no. When was the fertilizer scam, 2004. When did COA come out with its findings, 2005? When did they start investigating Mr. Bolante, 2008? So four years. In addition to the six years adjudication, assuming they filed cases against him. But they didn’t. So 723, 28 million po ang pinag-uusapan dyan, the guy is practically going scot-free. Pag natapos yung buong proseso, he is no longer a spring chicken. He might be 70 by that time.
Q: Hindi na sya pwedeng ikulong.
A: So that becomes an incentive to people to follow his path. Yung first ano, arestuhin muna natin. Tax evaders, smugglers, tiwali ng pamahalaan. Yung law, basically, chief executive, trabaho mo, implement. Importante, mailagay mo nga yung tama. Department of Justice, head of the prosecutorial service. Itong Ombudsman, dapat mas active. Ang difference sa mungkahi namin, puro stick po yan eh, puro pamalo. Asan naman yung incentive, yung carrot. So we call it the carrot and stick approach. Yung carrot, the president of the republic, before the new salary increase, na parang dinagdagan ng mga 20 percent, from 50,000 a month to 60 something thousand. Pero sabihin natin sa 50 para mas madali, pagkatagal-tagal, 50,000 sweldo ng pinakamataas na swelduhan na elective official–presidente. Presides over a 1.5 trillion budget. 50,000 gross does not even support education of (her) children in one of the best schools. How much more so for those in the bottom of the totempole. So ang sinasabi namin, every time na umiikot ho kami, gusto natin kasinggaling ng pinakamagaling na negosyante sa buong mundo. Kailangan kasimbait ni Mother Teresa. Tapos susuwelduhan natin, butong pakwan na lang yata, pira-piraso pa. Tapos gusto natin matino. Eh ginagawa natin ang imposible ho. Pero hindi naman natin pwedeng imungkahi yung increase hanggang hindi maipakita ang gobyernong humusay. At pag humusay na ho, pwede na nating sabayan siguro ang Singapore na kung saan 80 percent po ng private sector counterpart ang sinusweldo ng public sector. Habang gumaganda po yung ekonomiya may increase rin po kaagad–para naa-attract po natin yung pinakamahusay. Pero pag humiwalay ng landas pumunta dun sa landas ng baluktot eh pasensiyahan tayo maski sino ka pa kung kailangan palakihin yung Muntinlupa gagawin po natin yan.
Q: Magpapatalsik ho ba kayo ng mga officials ngayon na nakikita niyong hindi makatarungan, na corrupt, nangungurakot?
A: Siyempre po. Pag iniwan po natin na gagawin pa rin po yung parehong ginagawa di habang sumusulong kami baka hinahatak kami paatras ng dalawang hakbang.
Q: Hindi ho ba mas madaling sabihin yun kaysa gawin?
A: May proseso ho tayong dapat sundan at tagubilin po ng aking ama yung karapatan ng bawat isa kailangan proteksiyonan, kailangang pangalagaan, kailangang panindigan, lalo na dun sa kalaban. Yun lang ho talaga ang batayan at sukatan ng isang tunay na demokrasya. Pero ang sinasabi na nga ho natin dito bakit natin kailangan tiisin yung…
Q: Marami hong nagsasabi na while you’re out of the system, okay ka lang. Of course you’ve been in the system pero maari makain ka ng buhay pagdating mo sa sistema mismo na ikaw yung sentro ng kapangyarihan, ikaw yung pinupuntahan ng tao, sa yo sumisipsip yung mga tao, mangyayari kaya yun?
A: Meron naman po akong training na rin nung presidente nanay ko. Alam na rin natin suriin naman ang tamang impormasyon at yun na nga ho nagpapa-cute, sumisipsip kaya nga mungkahi ko ho, kung papayag yung mga kapitbahay ko manirahan pa rin ho ako sa tirahan namin sa Times, para ho at the end of the day eh medyo mapaalala ko sa sarili ko, “Hoy, ordinaryo kang mamamayan”. May hangganan po ‘no. Nakatutok po tayo ng anim na taon po kabuuan niya at sa anim na taon kailangan napakaganda na po nung pangyayari, yung pagbabago na magkakaroon ng sariling momentum kung sino man ang papalit maobligang ipagpatuloy. Ito na po ang huling kampanya kong papasukan kung ako’y palarin, huli na rin po itong paglilingkod ko sa taong bayan in an elective capacity, ayaw ko naman po sa end point pa eh nagkasira-sira pa.
Q: Sakali po na hindi manalo ang kapartner niyong si Mar, handa ho ba kayong makipag-ugnayan dun sa kung sinuman ang manalong bise-presidente?
A: Dapat ho. Pero siyempre ako po at the end of the day ang may responsibilidad kung saan patutungo ‘tong gobyernong kung tayo po ang palarin. Kung hindi ho kami magkasang-ayon dun sa pananaw, magkakaroon rin po ng limitasyon sa aming pag-uugnayan,
Q: Speaking of personal plans. Maraming nagsasabi sinong first lady niyo?
A: Ngayon yung mga kapatid ko ho functions as…papakiusapan natin.
Q: You’re known as a very shy person, hindi ho kayo ma-pulitika, nasanay na ho ba kayo na itong tatlong buwan na dinaanan niyo, nagbago na ho ba ang–
A: Sa trabaho ala naman hong problema eh kaya kong makihalubilo maski kanino pa. Siyempre kung minsan gusto rin nating mamili, kung puro bola lang ang mapapala ko dun sa kausap ko eh meron naman hangganan lahat sa mundo hinahanap ko po yung may saysay. Tapos may times naman po kung pupwede hong gusto niyo ng quality time mag-isa.
Q: Anong gagawin niyo dun sa mga, si GMA daw ho nag-midnight appointees, marami ho siyang in-appoint, marami ho siyang mga tinanggal at itong bagong chief justice baka ho siya ang mag-appoint.
A: Irereview po natin na lahat itong so-called midnight appointments. There is a provision in the Constitution if I’m not mistaken, it’s Article 7 Sec. 14. Ang sinasabi po dun for period of 90 days you can review all these appointments and I understand when they say all of these appointments.
Q: You can?
A: Except yung sa Chief Justice that becomes a question but there are other modes to handle that.
Q: What about your girlfriend? Are you going to get married?
A: Hindi pa ho namin napapag-usapan yan. She’s been campaigning, I’d been campaigning and this is something, running for this election was never part of the plans.
Q: If you become president, ah, you said, you won’t live in the Malacanang? Ba’t niyo ayaw tumira doon?
A: Malacanang itself, the palace itself, I think the people in my memory have chosen to reside there have been affected negatively. I don’t know if it’s the building, but President Marcos and Mrs. Arroyo both lived there and I don’t want to emulate anything that they did.
Q: So, you’ll live in Arlegui?
A: I’m really trying to stay in Times but I will have to ask my neighbors if they can tolerate my presence there. Yung, it’s so important na at the end of the day, I am a normal citizen.
Q: Bakit importante sa inyo yun, I mean, hindi ho ba nababago yung estado ninyo kung kayo ay maging presidente?
A: ‘Pag hinihiwalay ho niyo ang estado niyo sa estado ng mamamayan, baka magpapahirap na rin po na asikasuhin dahil di niyo naiintindihan yung problema nila.
Q: Ganun ba?
A: Yung simple as traffic po no? O di, kino-convince ko ang aking mga security advisers na i- map out na ninyo habang may traffic, tayong chief executive, kung tayo ay manalo, tayo ang may kasalanan, o di kung nagsa-suffer sila, tiis rin tayo. So, sa kanila ho, iba yung moving target, versus stationary target. Sabi ko, “Magtatalaga naman tayo ng traffic czar na time-based. Ayusin mo ito.”
Q: Ganun ha?
A: Hindi puwedeng eventually, puro pangako. Ngayon, aminin po natin, sa Pilipinas, medyo unique din naman. Meron hong mga kotseng, 1950’s kotse na siya, tumatakbo pa rin sa kalsada na tin. Yung life span ng vehicle dito, may nakasabay akong 30-40 year-old car na po, hindi na po bumubulusok ng usok.
Q: Pero umaandar naman?
A: Maganda ang takbo. Pero babalik tayo dito, may bagong sasakyan taon-taon, may lumang sasakyang di nag-re-retire, para yung infrastructure natin, may pangangailangan.
Q: Parang tao yun di ba?
A: Sana nga.
Q: Okay, anong babaguhin niyo sa sususnod na eleksyon?
A: well, dito nga ho sa, actually, marami ho, ang hirap i-detail lahat. Pero, yung ating Comelec commissioners, gusto natin sana, somebody who can focus na constitutional office, One term then, wala na hong considerations other than, really fulfilling what’s in the law.
Q: Senator, sa palagay niyo ho ba, ang gaganda ng ideas niyo, but can you really implement that considering na napaka-walang disiplina tayo, sanay na tayo sa kalakaran noon–
A: Ma’am, yung kampanya po natin, di naman natin masasabi na sobrang maganda yung organization namin, na naibuo lahat ng volunteers namin, kumbaga, na-i-traning, namulat lahat. Ang daming pagkakataon, yung bawat sektor ng ating, yung bawat isang volunteer, talagang binubuhos nila yung makakaya nila kahit hindi iniuutos sa kanila, maski di pinakiusap sa kanila. Nagkusa ho sila. So, hindi lang po dito, paano ba natin i-ha-harness yun. Kunyari ho, may hihingin tayong batas sa kongreso, itong mga taong mulat at gising, pupuntahan yung kinatawan nila at uutusan, “Ito ang gusto naming posisyon mo diyan.”
Q: Kung manalo ho kayo, at di niyo makuha ang mayorya, sa Senado at sa Kongreso–
A: Mahirap pong di makuha ang mayorya, napaka-incompetent ko po kung di ko makukuha ang mayoraya–
Q: Sa Senado po?
A: Sa Senado, at the end of the day po, yung hindi natin nakikitang kasama natin, yung mga beterano, babalik tayo du’n sa kung maganda yung mungkahi natin, mahihirapan po siguro yung iba na kontrahin.
Q: Babaliktarin ko lang yung question, given a two-digit lead in the surveys, do you still think you can lose?
A: Palagay namin, ang layo-layo ng lamang ng aking ina, nung dumating na po doon iba na na-proklama na ng Batasang Pambansa, afterwards, nung umalis yung principal, binabawi nila.
Q: Nininerbyos ka ba?
A: Nerbyos hindi ho, pero parang may sense na rin ng contentment. From nowhere, to frontrunnner, that we have achieved this level, I have to emphasize yung we ano, hindi lang naman ako ang nag-iisip nito.
Q: Did you think na mananalo ka noong nag-umpisa ka?
A: May magandang laban. Pero katulad ng survey na namin, sabi ko kung number 3, okay na siguro yun. Late na late tayo, number two. Yung survey namin, number 1. (Lazaro: 50%?) Mga ganun. Pero, pag-ikot namin ngayon, tanghaling tapat, ganito yung weather, yung tao nasa highway, may reflecting effect, more heat. maghintay kayo ng tatlong oras, apat na oras, limang oras. may paulit-ulit na yung tao nandun pa rin, alas-nuwebe ng gabi. Di naman kayo nagkakakitaan, wala namang ilaw yung trak na ginagamit namin s aloob. Yung dedication ho, nandoon. Yung motivation.
Q: Anong epekto nu’n sa inyong personal na damdamin?
A: Ala ho tayong kainan, on time man lang. Let alone, whether quantity or quality. Normally, I have a doughnut siguro at the start of the day then you have dinner at about 10:30 or so, pero you sleep, 3-4 hours. They were supposed to give me Sunday as a break, they took four of the last Sundays for this or that. So no sleep, no food. You’re exposed to all the elements, be it sun or rain. But the people are there. I don’t know if that’s adrenaline rush but you don’t feel the hunger, you feel energized. You seemed to draw more reserve from somewhere. Sana from God.
Q: Sana from God. Are you devout like your Mom?
A: Not as devout as my Mom.
Q: But you look to Him for guidance?
A: Lalo na po ‘pag matters affecting our people and country. I am very confident that He will provide what we don’t have. Yung reverse nu’n, kayo na nagsabi, hindi ka pa kinakasal, sabi ko, “Boss, kailan ba yung ako du’n?” Kasi that signifies peace time to me. I get a partner, tapos na yung masalimuot na buhay.
Q: Just in case we have another EDSA 1 scenario, do you think, yung ganitong cycle, sasabihin nila, tapos na yan, dapat wala ng People Power…
A: Hindi naman dapat mangyari na magkaka-People Power pa eh. Lalo na kung yung kasalukuyang administrasyon, niluklok ng People Power, ay kinilala yung kanyang mga pangako. Pero, lalo na after elections, pinakamatindi na mula 2005, naging masyadong concentrated. Personal na interes at yung grupong sumusuporta para maitaguyod ang personal na interes. Balik tayo, nawala na sa equation ang taong-bayan.
Q: Anong gagawin mo kay Mrs. Arroyo?
A: Hindi po ako ang gagawa kay Mrs. Arroyo. Korte po ang gagawa kay Mrs. Arroyo. Pero, babalikan ko po na, yung fertilizer scam ba, P728 million dapat pinakinabangan ng ating magsasaka, walang nangyari, dapat ba forget na lang yun. Yun bang ZTE na siya mismo nagsabi, ang daming bagay, P5 million lang dapat, walang sovereign guarantee, naging government to government, naging P40 biliion, paano nangyari yun? Pabayaan na lang nating di matakpan yung loophole? Yung extrajudicial, okay na rin ba na wala na lang, “Sorry ha, victim kayo. Ewan namin sinong paparusahan.” Hindi ho puwede yun. Ang dami ho, balik ho tayo, may mga closure na ba? Yung sa eleksyon po natin, dapat ang taong bayan ang trabaho na lang sa eleksyon, pumunta ka sa presinto, bumoto, hindi yung nangangamba, nag-iisip, “Kailangan ba mag-People Power, dapat peaceful transition, napakadali. Yung Garci, six years tayo binigyan ng oras para ayusin, wala tayong ginawa. So, papabayaan bang next time, 2016, ganito na naman, tense na naman nag buong bayan. Ang daming ganun, pipilitin naming baguhin. Sana kasama kayo.
(Publication of the transcript was made possible by VERA Files trustee Booma Cruz, who is the general manager of Probe Productions.)