In an interview, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
– divorce bill in Congress
– President Duterte to bring up Hague arbitral ruling with Chinese President Xi Jinping
– Manila Mayor Isko Moreno’s ‘recommendations’ vs non-performing local officials, cops
– corruption at the DOH and PhilHealth
– 2020 budget and guarding against ‘pork’

Quotes from the interview…

On the divorce bill:

“Gusto ko lang marinig ang arguments sa deliberations, sa committee hearings, tapos sa floor. I tweeted to evoke some discussions. And I received a lot of reactions, for and against. Napagusapan namin ito kagabi when we were in dinner with the Australian ambassador discussing the anti-terrorism bill. I was with SP Sotto, Sen dela Rosa. And nag-crop up sa discussion ang issue ng divorce. So sabi ko, tingnan natin, baka pwede once in a lifetime. And immediately I got some positive reactions even from the counterparts, ang mga staff ng Australian Embassy na naroon.”

“Let’s put it this way. Once in a lifetime, tapos the one who filed for divorce cannot remarry and the one who did not still can. Let’s see. The former will think a million times before he or she files for divorce kasi hindi ka na pwedeng mag-asawa uli pag ikaw nag-file for divorce at na-grant ang divorce.”

“Para hindi masyadong whimsical. Ang topic namin kagabi and even dito sa lounge, huwag naman ang parang Las Vegas style na drive-thru ang kasal, drive-thru rin ang divorce. Parang ganoon kadali. We don’t want to cheapen also the importance of marriage.”

“That could be a feature if adopted by the majority that could be a feature even when napasa ang divorce.”

“(Sabi ni SP) na ang divorce kasi parang masyadong traumatic and parang masyadong madali. Ang kanyang suggestion is instead of using the word divorce, dissolution of marriage. Tapos ie-expand ang mga requirements more than sa annulment or declaration of nullity.”

“(Ang present annulment procedure), magastos. Kawawa ang walang pera kasi malaki ang gastos pabalik-balik ka sa korte tapos io-oppose pa yan ng SolGen as a matter of course kasi yan ang lawyer ng government. Parang ang SolGen papasok pa and coming into the picture and oppose kasi yan ang trabaho nila.”

“Tinitingnan ko parang mahirap din. Hindi ganoon kadali mag-decision mag-file ng divorce. Tama ang sinabi ni Sen dela Rosa. Magkamali ka minsan pwede mo i-correct. Ang pangalawa di na talagang mali yan. Parang sinasadya mon a. Ang pangatlo lalong sinasadya mo pa. So mas mainam mag-isip ka ng isang milyong beses bago mag-file. Kasi isipin mo rin useless on your part tapos hindi ka makakapag-(remarry).”

“(Ang alimony) dapat lakihan ang child support para ang nag-file, dapat pagisipang mabuti. Hindi parang napakadali mag-file ng divorce. The whole idea is about that.”

On Mayor Isko Moreno’s seeking a one-strike policy to suspend non-performing local and police officials:

“Kailangan pa ba ng legislation? Siguro a local government ordinance would suffice. Empowered sila to enforce local ordinances. So kung may ordinance sa Manila, mabuti nga yan para malinis talaga.”

On one-strike policy to demote ‘non-performing’ cops:

“Hindi niya saklaw yan. Sa PNP na yan. It is not within the authority of the mayor as per RA 6975 … ang disciplinary authority, pwede gawin yan through the PLEB, ang People’s Law Enforcement Board, which incidentally is not really that active. Pero kasama yan sa batas. At yan mayor ang may control doon.”

“Meron namang available mechanism. May available na batas RA 6975 sa PLEB. E di yun na lang i-activate niya at gawing basis sa pagdisiplina.”

“(Ang pagdisiplina sa local officials) nasa Local Government Code naman, may disciplinary mechanism ang DILG. Sa pulis naman NAPOLCOM.”

“Meron tayong due process. Di pwedeng maski summary dismissal proceedings, kailangan may due process. What if masyadong discretionary o arbitrary ang ginawa? Na sabi ng mayor sa pananaw niya hindi ginawa, sinuspend, you sacrifice due process.”

On President Duterte’s reported intent to bring up the arbitral ruling when he meets with Chinese President Xi:

“About time. Dapat noon pa. Yan dapat i-discuss din nating mabuti. At tamang tama makikipagpulong siya kay President Xi Jinping, magandang mapagusapan. Kasi it’s there.”

“It (the ruling) is there, it’s permanent. Hindi yan mai-a-appeal na. Ano lang yan timeline pinaguusapan at circumstances kung ito ma-implement o hindi because it is not enforceable per se. But kung pumasok ang international pressure, kasi history will tell us there were instances in the past na maski ang America ang katapat, nag-cave in din because of supervening events after a ruling was rendered.”

On President Duterte meeting with his legal team:

“I believe he does. He meets regularly with the legal team lalo ngayon papunta siya sa China. I’m sure there are discussions being made.”

“Ang problema di niya kasundo (ang original team ng last admin). Hindi siya naniniwala. At saka administration niya ito. Let him discuss this matter with his own legal team. Wala namang dearth ng legal luminaries in every administration. Kung saan siya kumportable, doon siya humingi ng counsel.”

On Chinese contractors reportedly wanting to develop 3 PH islands:

“Yan security concern dahil kung Chinese investor ang magde-develop at ang proximity sa facilities lalo na’t may report na lumabas ang Western Command ng Palawan may allegedly Chinese tourist na kumukuha ng picture. Anong intention? Sino ang turistang yan? I’d like to believe ang ating security officials are conducting an investigation ano ang puno’t dulo ng nahuli nila. It is a valid concern. Kasi meron na nga, di ba swarming na ang Chinese vessels na di natin alam kung militia ba ito o civilian vessels. Sinabi nga natin sila mismo nag-admit way back in 2014 na strategy nilang employ dito ang cabbage strategy, layer by layer niwra-wrap. E mukhang ganoon kasi nang swarm, sabi ng Maj Gen, ang military expert, ang cabbage strategy, ito ang paaalisin mo, you exert pressure para ang mga tropa natin doon o inhabitants umalis, never to go back kasi it would be risky at saka gutom. Kaya ang cabbage strategy is gutumin, uhawin, deny mo ng resources para ma-pressure na umalis palalabasin nila di na babalik, so they can easily take over. Sa kanila mismo nanggaling yan. Hindi ito speculation. Hindi ito haka-haka sila mismo pinanggalingan niyan, yan ang gagawin nilang strategy sa WPS.”

“(For the PH government), it’s a balance between investment and security. It’s up to the government to decide maski sa safeguards kung ano ang dapat ipasok na safeguards para they can have both.”

On the change in the visa-upon-arrival policy:

“Dapat din ano kasi masyadong marami na at marami ring reports na nag-overstay kasi nagtatrabaho, ini-issue-han kasi ng Immigration, and there’s a flaw in this process. Ang pag-grant ng temporary working permit binigay din sa Immigration. Kaya hindi namo-monitor ngayon ilan ang Chinese na narito for the longest time hindi namomonitor kung nag-overstay ba at ang nagtatrabaho pa merong parang “authority” talaga magtrabaho. Kasi dapat nako-control ng DOLE ang influx ng Chinese workers. Kasi kung kaya naman ng local workers natin we are denying them ang kanilang revenues or income.”

“Ang visa is just a privilege. Hindi yan matter of right. So kung sabihin ng DFA mas maganda wala ang visa upon arrival that’s their decision. Mabuti na rin yan para nasasala ang nag-a-apply ng tourist visa papasok sa atin sa konsulada natin sa China.”

On the 2020 budget and possible pork:

“Lumalaki ang requirements. Siyempre I for one will be there to scrutinize as I always do. Hindi ako magpapabaya sa tungkulin naming mag-scrutinize ng budget. After all paulit-ulit ako lifeblood ito kasi pag pinabayaan mo kung saan-saan napupunta, dami nasasayang. Ngayon nakikita natin one of the biggest beneficiaries of the budget sa 2020 is the DOH. Nakita natin sa overstocking lang we’re counting over P3B na nasasayang. Plus ang loss in inefficiency and corruption baka mas malaki pa. Anyway there will be a hearing the day after tomorrow and we will find out from them kung ano ang mga corrective measures na dapat gawin.”

“Huwag kalikutin nang husto madadali yan. Pero pag may nakita kaming kung saan-saan napunta ang budget ng mga agencies at naglutangan sa mga distrito, hindi natin maipapangako na madadali. It’s on them to pass the budget on time or not.”

On DOH/PhilHealth corruption:

“I don’t know the reason bakit nagkaroon ng overstocking. Sa COA report sinasabi 2 months lang dapat ang procurement. And we discovered na nasa warehouse pa ng supplier, bayad na. Isipin nyo yan. Ang hirap nga maningil sa gobyerno. Di ba matagal ka nang nag-deliver di ka pa nababayaran. Pero in this case di pa umaalis sa warehouse ng supplier nabayaran na pala.”

“We’re still determining pero may amoxicillin na nag-overstock din. Aside from amoxicillin, may food supplements na dine-deliver ng DPI. And DPI has also … manufacturing agreements with other pharma companies. There are 9 of them though 3 are inactive; ang 6 na active hindi pa namin na-identify and we want to find out sa hearing kanino sila nakipag-(toll?) manufacturing agreement. Ibig sabihin noon, subcontract. So bakit hindi pa direktamenteng nag-supply ang 6 na yan bakit idadaan mo sa DPI? We want to find out also anong klaseng mga drugs, ang brand name ng drugs na na-overstock. Without sounding malicious baka na-oversupply ng DPI, baka lang, I’m not concluding anything, that says a lot.”

On Thursday’s hearing on the DOH/PhilHealth issue:

“May request ako kay Sen Gordon na imbitahan. Kasi ang iba, they are also from PhilHealth and they are willing to talk.”

“Definitely (I’ll attend). Ako ang proponent aside from Sen Angara who filed a resolution, ako nag-deliver ng privilege speech. Yan ang naging basis for this hearing.”

“(On Rep. Janet Garin), I asked her kung pwede siya mag-attend. And then I voiced it out muna kay Sen Gordon. Mukhang averse siya sa idea so wrote him formally. Hindi naman para mag-grandstand si Rep Garin. Specific ang tatanong. Ang suspension order na in-issue niya against DPI at ang cease and desist order. Dalawa yan. Issue muna siya recall order tapos nang nagkaroon ng inspection may nakita pa ring other violations like contamination. So lumalabas ngayon iisa lang ang makina sa paggawa ng amoxiciliin at supplement. Di ba gumawa ako ng halimbawa, allergic ka sa antibiotic, hindi mo alam pero nakaka-adverse effects. So I want sana Rep Garin kasi siya ang acting DG ng FDA at the time, to testify. Ipaliwanag ang technical terms kasi may mga technical terms na di namin maintindihan.”

“(Expected din ang) mga regional senior vice presidents (ng PhilHealth). Many of the information we got came from insiders from PhilHealth themselves. Ito ang ngayon lang nagsasalita kassi nakakita ng opportunity dahil nilabas sa privilege speech. And many from PhilHealth requested for copies, and then point by point ina-analyze nila and they came up with their own analysis.”

“WellMed will be included. I am also requesting that Perpetual Succour Hospital be invited. I want to find out ano ang puno’t dulo bakit in-overturn ng PhilHealth ang final and executory ruling ng higher court which is the CA. So maliwanagan lahat yan kung bakit ganoon ang nangyari.”

*****