Paglaban sa POGO at iba pang isyu sa bansa, patuloy pa rin | The Mangahas Interviews
Binibigyang pagkilala ng Senado ang husay at tagumpay ng mga atletang pinoy sa 2024 Paris Olympics lalo na ang makasaysayang panalo ni two-time Olympic gold medalist, Carlos Yulo sa gymnastics.
Sa kabila nito, patuloy pa rin daw ang laban ng bansa sa POGO matapos na i-ban ito ng Pangulo. Ayon kay Senator Risa Hontiveros, magpapatuloy ang imbestigasyon tungkol dito at sisiguraduhin ang just transition sa mga Pilipinong nagtatrabaho sa mga POGO.
Ang latest sa usapin ng POGO at iba pang isyu ng bayan, sasagutin ni Sen. Risa Hontiveros sa #TheMangahasInterviews.
Sa kabila nito, patuloy pa rin daw ang laban ng bansa sa POGO matapos na i-ban ito ng Pangulo. Ayon kay Senator Risa Hontiveros, magpapatuloy ang imbestigasyon tungkol dito at sisiguraduhin ang just transition sa mga Pilipinong nagtatrabaho sa mga POGO.
Ang latest sa usapin ng POGO at iba pang isyu ng bayan, sasagutin ni Sen. Risa Hontiveros sa #TheMangahasInterviews.
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00:00The two Gintongs of Kaluyulo won the Epolympics, but the fight for the Pogos should continue.
00:15That's what the Senator Risa Ontiveros, activist, community organizer, feminist, and has 25 landmark legislations
00:28on women, youth, and families. Good day, Senator Risa.
00:35Good day, Rian Malu.
00:37Alright, so let's start with a soft issue, the so-called victory of Carlos Yulo.
00:43What do you think of the Epolympics?
00:52I think the whole country is cheering for him. There's nothing that can beat the heart and victory of Carlos Yulo.
01:07Above all, I just want to say to him and all of our Olympians, long live and thank you for the honor and joy that you gave to all of us, your fellow countrymen.
01:23But I think a lot of people are happy on Facebook that before our Olympic team left, the Senate gave P30 million.
01:33And in total, P23 million came from your office even though your fund is small.
01:41It means that before winning the medal, you already helped. Is that right?
01:46Well, it's not given as in cash, but in our national budget for 2024.
01:53Last year, the PSC chair, Bachman, requested that they need to add MOOE, one of the budget classes, for the preparation and training for the Olympics.
02:11My office made a plan in appropriation of our budget, a total of P22 million, P7 million for gymnastics, and P5 million for weightlifting, boxing, and sorry,
02:29P7 million for athletics, and P5 million for gymnastics, weightlifting, and boxing because the PSC budget is where some of our medal potential is for the Olympics.
02:44And we were not denied by Carlos Yulo. So it's really nice to be Filipino because of them.
02:51I think everyone is really happy, but they say that everybody loves a winner.
02:59But before winning and having a medal, the attention was small.
03:04But now, there are initiatives to add funds for the training of our athletes.
03:10Yes, that's a good recommendation coming out of the victory of Carlos Yulo.
03:15Let's really go back and seriously support a grassroots sports development program because Carlos Yulo and our other Olympians came from that.
03:28From the youth of our athletes, from those who study in elementary schools, to their local government units, let's support them.
03:38Those who are good in their childhood and grade school, let's support them to become varsity in high school, in their teenage years.
03:48Let's support them to play in the national games while they are already in college, young adults, until they reach the sea games, until the Olympics.
04:00Other small countries are also doing this as a powerhouse in sports, like the Netherlands.
04:05And we already have a lot of initiatives like that over the years, Malu.
04:08Grassroots sports development program. Let's get inspired by Carlos Yulo and let's do this in the end.
04:16And we don't need any infographics or pubmats anymore.
04:21The picture will be bigger when the people are screaming.
04:24That's what makes the netizens laugh, that this is really the Olympics.
04:29I see. Well, the biggest picture in our eyes and hearts is Carlos Yulo because all of us, as Filipino citizens, are the winner of their success.
04:41All right. Let's go to your investigation.
04:44During the last session of the President, he declared a ban on footballs.
04:49But there was no thank you to you and to Senator Nguyen Gatchalian who investigated this and gave a public clamor to ban footballs.
05:00It's okay if there is no thank you to the President for me and maybe for all of us who joined, especially in the Senate and even before in the House,
05:13against Pogo.
05:15For me, the biggest thank you of the President is the ban itself on Pogo, the effective July 22 ban.
05:23All of Pogo, whatever the name is, will wind down until the end of this year and the just transition for those who work at Pogo will start so that there will be a better and better job.
05:40And also, thank you to all Filipinos for the great success of this Pogo ban.
05:45To our victim survivors, whistleblowers, witnesses, government agencies such as DOJ-IACAT, NBI, and others who helped our committee.
05:59Thank you to all of them and this is the success of all of our countrymen.
06:06That's the thank you. That's the only thank you we are asking for.
06:09All right. Senator Riza, they said that the thank you is not enough because the ban on licensees, according to Pag-Court Chair Altenco, is only for 43-44.
06:19But the Sandamac-Mac 250 plus Pogo that has no registration or is legally working, how is that?
06:29I think the President's order is not enough.
06:32I think, as what Soljen Guevara and Pag-Court Chair Altenco said, the Pag-Court ban is complete and unequivocal.
06:41There are no exceptions for the President's ban.
06:44For me, it's complete.
06:48The covered licenses that were initiated by the Pag-Court, simply cancel them.
06:53The Pag-Court will recover the license.
06:55That is a violation of the President's order on his ban.
07:01For those former licensees who lapsed, suspended their license, did not apply or did not qualify,
07:09if those continue to operate illegally, then they will be a law enforcement concern.
07:16So our law enforcement agencies will shift to PNP and NBI to enforce the policy, the President's ban against Pogo.
07:29As what Pag-Court Chair Altenco said, our problem with this is that the illegal Pogos might go underground.
07:36You yourself in the Senate are exposing the so-called corporate bail or layers of concealment of subsidiaries,
07:44or sub-licensees, or service operators that are affiliated with Pogos that have licenses but multiple sub-licensees.
07:56How is that? Are they included? Because if the Pag-Court gave the order,
08:00the police operation that other agencies should also comply with is not enough.
08:05Well, the police operations or law enforcement will naturally follow the President's ban on Pogos.
08:14Those who do not cease operations, those who do not leave the Philippines if they go underground,
08:20they will be subject to the law enforcement work of the government.
08:26Those who did corporate layering to conceal a house in a company, that company will be concealed in a corporation,
08:36we will also point that out in the ongoing investigation and should be subject to the proper investigation of our investigative agencies and law enforcement agencies
08:46if it can be proven that there are administrative and criminal accountabilities there.
08:54That is on the whole menu of the power and duty of the government.
09:01So no excuses, the government or the state has police power.
09:06If there is a proper policy decision like the President's against Pogos in his own zone,
09:14then the rest of the government should follow suit and implement.
09:18Senator Riza, two weeks after the SONA, are you seeing a clear plan or coordinating action that is important for other agencies to also act?
09:31And should there be an executive order or legal issuance to actually take action on the licenses?
09:39They are saying that it might go up because of the illegals. The legals are in trouble now.
09:45Well by now, we are not distinguishing the so-called legals and the non-legals of Pogos.
09:51To all of them, goodbye to this great success.
09:55As for the work plan of PAG-COR, it was promised by PAG-COR Chair Tengco in the last hearing,
10:05In fact, the next day, they will have a meeting with DOLE to plan a just transition for the workers in Pogos.
10:14They are also scheduling a continuous meeting with other agencies.
10:20So they promised that they will have a work plan on how to put into effect the immediate ban of the President,
10:27the wind-down until the end of the year, and the just transition for the workers or those who are not looking for a job in Pogos or Pogos residents.
10:38We asked the committee and PAG-COR Chair Tengco promised that they will update us monthly on their work plan and timetable.
10:48Now there are 60,000 people who are affected.
10:53But there are 20,000 foreigners and the deadline for them to leave has been rescheduled by the DOJ.
11:00It's good that it has been rescheduled so that it is synchronized with the President's end of the year.
11:09Aside from our effort to have a just transition for Filipinos working in Pogos or looking for a job in Pogos,
11:22the foreigners, especially those who have been victims of human trafficking from their own countries,
11:31it's wrong to go here to the Philippines, they should be able to return home safely to their own countries.
11:39So if they were given a longer period of time than the first 60 days that the Bureau of Immigration decided,
11:47it's okay as long as by the end of the year, we have a just transition for Filipinos who used to work in Pogos or looking for a job in Pogos,
12:00and it's okay for them to return home safely, especially the victims of human trafficking from other countries.
12:08Is there a budget involved here?
12:11Because deportation, if it's not a crime, like this, it's like a government action that you should go home.
12:18Are we obligated to go through the condo to process their deportation?
12:24I believe in the regular appropriation of the budget of the Congress, there is a way for different concerned agencies,
12:34in their regular programs, including deportation.
12:39In the hearings, it was also revealed that there is ongoing coordination with the embassies of the affected foreign workers,
12:48especially those who have been victims of human trafficking.
12:53The leaders, the foreign Pogo operators, the members or leaders of criminal syndicates, and some of them are still subject to search operations.
13:08Not only by our law enforcement authorities, but also by the law enforcement authorities of their respective countries.
13:15What about the job placement of Filipinos?
13:18Pagkortse Altenco said that some are in BPO, not just Pogos directly, but they are service providers.
13:26If the so-called service providers are based in BPOs, and it's clear that they are not Pogos,
13:37their BPO companies will adjust where they will be deployed because if they are still in their home companies,
13:47then the BPO companies will adjust who will partner with other companies or industries.
13:56So I think it's also a regular programming for them just like the government.
14:02Do you have an update on where Ms. Alice Goh is?
14:06That's the million-peso question.
14:09Because she, like Apollo Kibuloy, continues to escape even from warrants that have been issued.
14:18For example, Apollo Kibuloy has three warrants here in the Philippines, two from the court and one from the Senate.
14:27If four cases against her in the U.S. are heard, it is possible that she will also be issued a warrant from there.
14:35And if she is put on the Interpol's red list, not just one, not just two, but more law enforcement agencies will pursue her.
14:46So my call to Apollo Kibuloy and also to Goh Hua Ping aka Mayor Alice Goh,
14:53show up and face the courts or the cases we have here in the Philippines.
14:59Face the Senate Committee on Women and respond to the accusations because you cannot escape forever.
15:06But these two people that you are investigating, all of them are hiding.
15:12Isn't this implication that our police and law enforcement agencies are a bit too much?
15:18Can they really hide for that long here in the Philippines while they still have contact with their lawyers?
15:24That's what's frustrating, not just to me or our committee, but to all of us Filipinos.
15:31So we continue to support and urge the PNP, our Senate Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms,
15:39and the help of the NBI to effect, to make our warrants of arrest feel.
15:47So as far as I know, our law enforcers continue to hunt them and I believe sooner or later the warrants against Kibuloy will catch up to her.
16:00And when the warrant is issued, not only the Senate but also our courts, Goh Hua Ping,
16:07because Goh Hua Ping already has a warrant against her, there is an ongoing process of recovering her irregular birth certificate.
16:16If there are other cases, DOJ has a case for qualified trafficking in persons.
16:21If that is also a case where a warrant was issued, Goh Hua Ping or Mayor Allison needs to come to terms with that.
16:34But the police seem to have mixed messages.
16:37The CIDG personnel who were raided in Bambantarlak were fired.
16:41They were removed from their positions.
16:43What does that mean?
16:44Is the PNP protecting someone?
16:47Well, that is also what we know.
16:49What happened, particularly in the case of the raid in Pogo Hub in Bamban,
16:55before that the chief of police in Porak, Pampanga also expressed concern.
17:04He is no longer the chief of police there.
17:08But I trust and urge Chief PNP Marbill to see through all these processes
17:18and to let the PNP feel under his leadership the impact of these warrants, not just raids.
17:29So my moral support and urge to Chief PNP Marbill continues.
17:36Because the PNP is the main target and we should expect that these warrants will serve and have an effect.
17:45Do you still have any doubts that the PNP is double-speaking?
17:49Because it seems like the one who is being arrested is being removed from his position.
17:52Well, that is what we asked and it has not been answered yet.
17:56What was the outcome of the local chiefs of police or those who led the raid, both in Bamban and Porak.
18:06But in the case of Apollo Kibuloy, the PNP sent two units of staff to Davao.
18:15They affected the change of leadership in the local.
18:20It also shows the flex of the organizational muscle of the PNP in the case of a particular fugitive, Apollo Kibuloy.
18:31As far as I know, they are part of the continuing hunt for Guo Hua Ping or Mayor Alice Guo.
18:40So I hope that there will be no double-speak, especially at the level of the national headquarters,
18:47where they are determined to enforce our laws and the implications of warrants of arrest.
18:56They say that you cannot hide if you don't have money and if you don't have protection.
19:01It seems like there is a type of movement on the sides or on the back of these two characters and maybe they have money.
19:08Because how can they hide if they cannot help them to hide?
19:17They surely have money, not only on their backs but also on their hands.
19:21The money in the hands of Guo Hua Ping or Mayor Alice Guo
19:26and the money that Apollo Kibuloy has been begging for for many years through many of his members,
19:39subject to various cases here in the Philippines and even in the United States in the case of Apollo Kibuloy.
19:49It seems like they are moving in moneyed circles, in powerful circles.
19:55So it cannot be blamed if there are doubts that they are also being protected by their friends in high places.
20:04I think that is also a violation of the law and a violation of justice.
20:10So even if there is an issue of a scary arrest warrant,
20:14it seems like these people will not be seen unless there is a political will or approval from the President
20:20that this should be put to an end and results should be produced.
20:24Are they still waiting for that because the warrants are already there.
20:29There is another warrant from the legislature, the Senate warrant against Apollo Kibuloy and Mayor Guo Hua Ping.
20:41The warrant is from the courts.
20:46So the three branches of government are already talking.
20:50I think there is no need to wait anymore or the law enforcement agencies are not waiting anymore.
20:57The entire government is ordering to put these people in front of the courts and even the Senate.
21:06I think that's where people's doubts come from that maybe this is just a political play
21:11or we are just dancing and it's not clear.
21:14It's a shadow play.
21:16Unless there is a result, how many weeks has it been since Pastor Kibuloy and Mayor Guo Hua Ping were arrested?
21:25When will this end?
21:28That's what we are waiting for because the legislature did not play a shadow play, especially the Senate.
21:36Obviously, the legislature did not play a shadow play.
21:39So in a way, the ball is in the court of the executive because it's not just his mandate,
21:47but all the particular instruments through the warrants to get these people involved and to deliver them,
21:57to put them in front of both the legislature in the case of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality
22:04and even the judiciary in our courts.
22:08They should not wait for the U.S. government to issue an extradition request to our government
22:15because they want to put Apolo Kibuloy in front of the courts in the U.S.
22:24But no matter which one it is, the court process here in the Philippines where Apolo Kibuloy is already there
22:30or the court process in the U.S., as long as the process of taking accountability from him has already started,
22:38the delivery of justice or even partial justice to the victim-survivors of Apolo Kibuloy can start in earnest.
22:46And we will not forget the justice for the victim-survivors of Pogo here in the Philippines.
22:52There was a side issue that was discovered that there are birth certificates and many of them came from Davao.
22:59Now you have a question, how did that happen to Mayor Alice Gove?
23:04Because her Filipino citizenship, there will be an election in May.
23:09How can that be settled?
23:11Many Filipinos were not registered to be born.
23:15But in Davao, it's like there's a factory of birth certificates.
23:20That's why it sounds like there are many coincidences that the open-door policy in Pogo started during Duterte's time.
23:31In the case of Guo Huaping, we were shocked that a foreigner can get an irregular Philippine birth certificate.
23:42He can pretend to be a Filipino and start a business here in Pogo where there are a lot of criminals and he can even run.
23:52Yes, a Filipino mayor here in the Philippines.
24:00Someone even said that the money from Pogo might have an effect on our midterm elections.
24:10And now, thousands of fake Philippine birth certificates are being investigated in the region of Duterte.
24:20Of course, in the case of many Filipinos in remote areas or in poor areas,
24:26the late registration of live birth is innocent and our fellow Filipinos should not suffer because it's their right to have a name and nationality.
24:40But it's a different story for the foreigners who buy fake birth certificates and use it for their ill-intentions.
24:50That's why it's important to ask, is Mayor Alice Guo the only one? Is there anyone else?
24:55They might even run, not just start a business here as Filipinos, they might even run as fake Filipinos to enter our government.
25:08In your committee, birth certificates are of great importance because they say this is a document for claiming rights.
25:15What is the most important thing for birth certificates and registration, even if it's late, for our fellow Filipinos?
25:24Wow, that's very important.
25:26I can tell you that we have a partner NGO called IDEALS.
25:32They have a few years of campaign to extend the rights and entitlements for every Filipino to have a birth certificate and a genuine Filipino.
25:44They have a good name there and a motto about the birth certificate and it's genuine just like what you said, Malu.
25:50This is our instrument to fetch identity, rights, entitlements as a Filipino resident and as a person here in the Philippines.
26:07It's very essential.
26:08Rights to vote and be able to vote.
26:12Exactly. Rights to social protections from BIR, SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-ibig, even to aid during the pandemic or now during disasters.
26:30Even in our four Ps.
26:33Even if you fly to school, to work, to get married.
26:39So from birth to death, home to tomb, birth certificates are very important.
26:45They should be taken care of.
26:47Let's go to the former Secretary Harry Roque.
26:50What is the latest?
26:52Is he not in the whole departure order?
26:55He's a person of interest, according to Immigration.
26:59What is the truth? According to the Pag Corps Chair Altenco, he really joined the lucky shine and joined the Pag Corps.
27:08He's really in the org chart given by the lucky shine.
27:13What is the truth? Will the house be added to Tuba Benguet?
27:17And in the house in Tuba Benguet, it's not just an ordinary Chinese who was arrested there.
27:24Although he also held a Cambodian passport, Sun Liming was caught red-handed in the Interpol red notice because 500,000 to half a million people were fooled.
27:43And the house where Sun Liming was found was owned by a company called PH2, but the majority shareholder of PH2 is another corporation.
27:57We also have a corporate player here whose name is Biancham Holdings.
28:02Attorney Roque admitted that he was an incorporator there and his associates.
28:10Harry Roque also admitted that he had a bodyguard in that house and he supervised what was happening in that house.
28:18So it's really surprising that there are so many houses here in the Philippines, even in the well-known house of Attorney Roque where he was looking for Sun Liming.
28:28And yes, as Paok said, Sun Liming is not just an ordinary person.
28:33He is the IT manager of Lucky South 99, a POGO company that is regulated by Harry Roque.
28:41The debts of Lucky South 99 are POGO.
28:45So it looks like this fugitive Sun Liming and Attorney Roque, they run in the same circles.
28:53Let's not forget, just like in the case of Guohua Ping, who started investigating him because there are documents about him that were found in Bamban, Tarlac, POGO Hub.
29:04Our committee also started investigating Attorney Roque because of the documents found inside POGO Hub in Porac, Pampanga,
29:15where his former executive assistant, A.R. de las Herna, was found living for free in that POGO Hub.
29:26So it's really clear, speaking of the corporate layering that we talked about earlier.
29:31The documents we got show that these layered companies are using to hide the truth that a POGO is operating and that there are fugitives hiding there.
29:46Secretary Roque is distancing himself. He said that he rented a house in Tuba, Benguet, and he didn't know that there was a fugitive living there.
29:57In Porac, he said that his former executive assistant was not paying rent and he didn't see the people moving inside the POGO Hub.
30:08So Secretary Roque said that the accusation you're making is unfair or the word you're using is insinuation that is not fair.
30:18So what do you think? Can he distance himself if there is no direct documentary evidence or link here?
30:25What's hard for him is that there are documents linking him.
30:30Not only the organizational chart of Lucky South 99 where he is listed in the legal box, his name,
30:39but also the documents we showed to the incorporators and shareholders of Biancham Holding Company,
30:47the majority shareholder of PH2, the owner of the house in Tuba, Benguet.
30:53How can they say that he didn't know what was happening there?
30:57He admitted that he was supervising the house and he was the one who put the guard there.
31:02So it's impossible that he didn't know and the guard didn't tell that there are people hiding there.
31:08Recently, Paok was arrested and they are also investigating Attorney Roque and his wife,
31:19the shareholders and incorporators of the layered companies.
31:25So what can you say? It appears that in Tuba, Benguet, the beneficial owner and majority shareholder,
31:32even if the companies are layered, Secretary Roque said that he didn't know. Is that allowed?
31:39They are lawyers, they are highly educated.
31:44It's impossible for him to say that he didn't know, he has no relation to those people.
31:51The fact that he accompanied Cassandra Leong to the PAG-CORP to discuss the loan of Lucky South 99 to PAG-CORP,
32:00the fact that he followed up on the PAG-CORP problem of Lucky South 99 dozens of times,
32:10it shows that he has a relation to those people and their company, Lucky South 99.
32:17So it can't be reduced but it can be added by those who are investigating him, including Paok.
32:24The President's deadline for the Pogo Ban is this December.
32:28Maybe there will be a Pogo Free, maybe it will be Christmas, but there is still a delay in the action.
32:35What are your suggestions on the next steps that they should do or milestones that they should achieve before Christmas?
32:45There are next steps that are being started as we were told in the PAG-CORP Chairtenko's hearing.
32:52There are milestones that we are monitoring because they will form a work plan and timetable until the end of the year.
33:01The Pogo Ban, the wind-down of operations until the end of the year,
33:07and providing a just transition for our countrymen who work there and also for the countrymen who are looking for a living
33:16in selling products and services to those who work there,
33:22and also to foreign nationals, especially those who are just human trafficking here and should be able to return home safely.
33:31So monthly, supposedly, the PAG-CORP will update our committee.
33:37The day after, in the last hearing, they had a meeting in Dole to plan the just transition for the employees.
33:45In a way, the President's ban is already complete because when we unpacked that ban,
33:56all the agencies and executives saw what they should do.
34:00What is the scenario that you are seeing?
34:03Because to be honest, before this ban, it was clear from NEDAD, the Department of Finance, that the cost-benefit equation
34:09was that there are more social costs than monetary or revenue benefits.
34:14Now that there is a ban, what is the cost-benefit equation in your opinion?
34:18Especially if the ban is not implemented by the executives.
34:24They should really implement their ban.
34:27In the Senate, I feel that Malu is really overseeing, exercising an oversight function there.
34:36Because we valued the support from DOF, from NEDA about the Pogo ban that was finally implemented by the President of SONA,
34:47I am still expecting the DOF, NEDA, and the whole executive to weigh in on how to dismantle the weighing scale that was there before
35:00and set up a new, not just cost-benefit analysis, but in the process of taking accountability for those who have wrongdoings and negligence in Pogo,
35:11delivering justice to the victim-survivors.
35:15Set up a proper just transition as part of our economy, of our labor force for those who used to work in Pogo and make a living there.
35:29And justice to the victim-survivors as well.
35:33Start a shift in our society because of the terrible social costs brought by our women, children, and other vulnerable sectors.
35:44And really shift from that negative economic activity to the proper development of our agriculture, industry, manufacturing, and services sector
35:59that was abused and distorted by Pogos, our services sectors and sub-sectors so that we have a post-Pogo economic recovery and development.
36:14But it seems like the weakest or possibly strongest link in solving this problem, the total ban, are the local officials, mayors, barangay, etc.
36:26But it seems like they have a free pass, the President did not give them an order because it seems like that is what is needed.
36:33How can there be a construction of a large Pogo hub that mayors, governors, or barangays did not notice?
36:39And that is what we also highlighted in the hearings.
36:43First in the case of Mayor Alice Guo, we discovered that Guo is really stingy.
36:48We can almost think that the mayor ran to give legal and governmental cover to Pogo and the crimes there.
36:57That is also what we highlighted in the ongoing hearing with Mayor Kapil in Porac because he is really stingy.
37:05It is impossible for someone to construct mega Pogo complexes and run a large Pogo operation that the local government units do not know about.
37:15But I also heard that our local government officials, local chief executives, gave a list of Pogo companies that operate in their respective territories.
37:28So I hope that after the President's ban against Pogo, the entire machinery of the government, the entire executive from national to local will move as one.
37:41They always say a whole-of-government approach to stop the operation of Pogo and bring it out to our country.
37:50It's not as good as the declaration of drug-free barangays and local.
37:56I hope that by May or this December, Christmas, there will be Pogo-free cities or towns or municipalities.
38:06It looks like that will not happen because people already know where the Pogo companies are, local officials already know, but there is no restriction.
38:14Restriction is an important part, not only in investigations like us in the Senate Committee on Women but also in communities.
38:23Post-conflict transition, healing and reconciliation that should be based on justice.
38:31So to our locals who will not follow the President's orders, there are those who will continue to blunder or continue to benefit,
38:43or those Pogo companies that will continue to operate illegally in defiance of the policy order, they will be concerned with law enforcement.
38:55But that is also in the power of the state to enforce a President's order.
39:04Senator Riza, let's go to the issue of PhilHealth PANDA, P89 billion that was returned to the Treasury.
39:10But they said that this is also the allotment that was obtained from the GAA, this is not the fund that was collected by PhilHealth members.
39:20What is your view on this? Senator Coco Pimentel and other academics and former finance undersecretary have filed a case.
39:29But what is your view on this? Should this be returned or is there an indulgence to the members who contributed to PhilHealth?
39:40It should really be returned because it is clear in the law and in the laws that our contribution as a member of PhilHealth should be spent and should only be spent on covering our benefit packages.
39:58It is important what the resource person, Dr. Tony Dance, said in our hearing about this.
40:04I also filed a Senate Resolution regarding this because I think that the transfer of PhilHealth funds to the national government is not justified.
40:13And it can cause harm to the rights and well-being of every Filipino.
40:23Meanwhile, the budget that came from the national budget that we passed by the Congress every year should be used for the payment of health emergency allotment by our health service providers.
40:40The two funds should not be mixed and the PhilHealth funds should not be transferred according to the law and according to the laws, it should only be used for the payment of health emergency allotment.
40:56That is the intention of my resolution to prove and clarify the evidence that the PhilHealth funds should be returned and that is also the purpose of filing a case in the Supreme Court.
41:11But Senator Rizag, the issue there is the absorptive capacity of PhilHealth, the under-dispersement for members and services.
41:20That is the issue. Why did such a large fund not be used?
41:25That is not a solo issue but it is an important issue.
41:29PhilHealth is not blameless here.
41:32The value of benefit packages should be increased for our PhilHealth members.
41:41The turnaround time of reimbursing hospitals should be fast so that they can continue to operate and provide free or subsidized services to their patients.
41:57So it's on PhilHealth also why this happened and why it reached this point.
42:05So under the Universal Health Care Act, they are a part of our UHC system.
42:11They need to up their game as our health financing or health insurance pillar.
42:18Okay, just a few more but it's like the PUV modernization.
42:2122 senators issued a resolution to suspend, of course it's a bad trip for those who are already cooperating.
42:29What is your view on that? Should it be suspended? What is lacking? What should be fixed?
42:34There are things that can be fixed in the resolution and in the temporary suspension.
42:43I already informed Chair Rafi about this.
42:45When it comes to the period of interpellation and amendments, I want to add something there.
42:52First, how to make the resolution clearer on how to make the lives of passengers easier.
43:01And importantly, in my conversation with operators, transport co-ops, and drivers,
43:09as you said, many of them are hesitating about the possible suspension of the PUV modernization
43:18because many of them have already spent money.
43:21They stopped at the bank to borrow money.
43:24They started to scrap and replace their old vehicles because they followed the government's order on modernization.
43:33So I will add that I hope the suspension will not affect the groups that will consolidate first.
43:42So I haven't reached the signing of the resolution, but if my amendments are accepted by our drivers, operators, and co-ops,
43:54especially those who joined the modernization and by our passengers, I will vote as long as those two are included.
44:06I already informed Chair Rafi about that.
44:08Last question, the divorce bill.
44:10Like what Senate President Chief Escudero said, the third and last regular session of the Congress might not be able to do it.
44:17What do you think? Can it still be done?
44:20Well, it can be done if we want.
44:22I am following up with the Majority Leader that it can be scheduled.
44:26We will discuss it with the Committee on Rules, but it can be scheduled for plenary interpellation and amendments.
44:34I am thankful that even though SP said that it is not for the bill, he will not stop it.
44:41He will give way to a conscience vote here just like what happened in the House.
44:46I am also ready to call this dissolution of marriage bill.
44:50As long as the second chance at life that some of our countrymen are asking for can be given to us.
45:01Lastly, we are thankful again.
45:04It's like you are the so-called investigators of the Senate.
45:07It's like they are just assisting you, although of course there are senators like Senator Uy that are really good at assisting and helping you.
45:18Others are quiet on the sidelines?
45:21There are former committees of the Senate that investigated POGO.
45:25The former Committee on Labor, the former Committee on Ways and Means, they issued a committee report on banning POGO within three months.
45:35Under them is their former chair, Sen. Sherwin.
45:38And now we can see that the entire Senate was shocked when the President banned POGO.
45:45So as you were saying, everybody loves a winner.
45:50The Filipino people here in POGO banned POGO and we in the Senate are one with the joy of it.
45:57And we will oversee that the entire government should follow that ban and enforce it.
46:03I think that's what the Olympics should be like in POGO.
46:06Not just for Kaloy Ulo.
46:10Poor kid.
46:12There are so many who want to be talent scouts.
46:17As long as Kaloy Ulo and our Olympians are alive.
46:20They have a very sweet victory for us.
46:23Thank you very much as always.
46:27Senator Riza on Tiveros.
46:29Good day ma'am and always.
46:33You're welcome.