Here are excerpts from #MeetInquirer Multimedia with President Aquino on Sept. 8 held in the Inquirer office in Makati.

Given the limited space, we’re not including the questions and answers on hard issues which the news section has run, and instead keep to the “lighter side.” (The full transcript is on Inquirer.net.)

John Nery (Inquirer.net editor in chief): What is your personal position on the construction of Torre de Manila and its impact on the Rizal monument?

President Aquino: I went to Paris not too long ago and in Paris, I understand, they have a rule that talks about architecture to preserve the old society and the concept of Paris.

So, on one hand, I do see merit with the idea that there should be that backdrop to Rizal’s monument that should preserve what we have always known.

On the other hand, I have sworn to faithfully execute all the laws of the land, and the other side does pose a legitimate question. It seems they went through all the processes. Zoning is a mandate of the local government unit. They seem to have gotten all the permits, so how do we balance the two?

And somebody who can come up with the correct solution that addresses the rights of all and the concerns of the country in terms of preserving— how shall I put it?—the sanctity of the people that we are supposed to be emulating… And that’s why we really await how the courts will decide on how to balance everyone’s rights.

Nikko Dizon (reporter): Can I have a follow-up on the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL)? Sir, on the ground there is restlessness, and I myself am getting feedback that there could be, you know, people who might start a war again, all because they are not happy with what is happening. If war does break out, who is to blame, Sir?

Mr. Aquino: I don’t submit to the premise that war will break out. I don’t think there is any interest from the major players to reengage in a bloody conflict.

Having said that, there will be the spoilers who will want to exploit the current difficulties to show that their avowed aims of gaining what they want through violent means is the only way to go about it.

So those of us who are advocating peace should really even redouble our efforts to thwart these groups who would want us to branch again into really a pointless conflict.

So, who should be blamed? I think I’ll leave that up to the Filipino people who will have an opportunity in next year’s elections to gauge the merit, or lack of it, of the people who will propose themselves to lead various offices.

Doris Dumlao (reporter): Which of the economic reforms under your administration do you think will endure, whoever is elected president?

Mr. Aquino: I think all of them will endure because there is an end-result already that is easily demonstrable. Therefore, there is a truism that says, “Why fix something if it ain’t broke?”
There will be refinements and we welcome that. Perhaps there is sense of new conditions that will engender different specifics. But, at the end of the day, this formula has been shown to be a success and I think you do not tamper with things that are successful.

Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc (editor in chief): Mr. President, I think the Mamasapano (incident) was sort of a “Waterloo” for your administration. I wonder if you have reached a closure because since you said, “I’ll carry this to my grave,” you haven’t mentioned it at all, notably in your State of the Nation Address. If there has been a closure, what was this? What event, what person, what insight—whatever?

Mr. Aquino: ’Yung Waterloo refers to, ’di ba, Napoleon’s defeat and after that he got exiled to St. Helena? He never came back and that’s where he died.

…Do I have closure? I still have quite a number of questions, and there are various agencies of government tasked to ferret out the truth of exactly what happened in its entirety.

There is an alternative version of events that happened there, which is undergoing very intense scrutiny. We are looking for witnesses that will prove or disprove certain observations. There is a case being filed specifically for the death of the members of SAF-55 and others and we’re…

Jimenez-Magsanoc: 44

Mr. Aquino: I’m referring to the (entire Special Action Force) company that, well, most of those who died belong to, plus the civilians, etc. There is over a hundred, I think, that will be indicted over this. We are meeting probably by next week to get all of the specifics.

…There is an alternative version of what transpired, and there is a picture that actually came out on the front page of the Inquirer that posed so many questions, and that is what we want to resolve… I would rather not talk too deeply about the specifics because it might really hamper our efforts to get to the truth of this matter —the complete truth.

Raul Marcelo (Business editor): I would just like to ask, to your mind, what would be the three most significant accomplishments of your administration on the economic front?

Mr. Aquino: Well, baka naman dapat we should go farther than that. I think if there is one legacy we will leave behind, from apathy to talagang vigorous involvement; from the idea that “we can’t do anything, let’s leave the country” to “we can demand everything of government yesterday”— ’yung parang to produce what we want today yesterday.

So that fuels the economic aspect, you’ve changed your perceptions of what you can expect in the Philippines, and I think that’s a primary legacy that… I stated it, I think, at the start na pwede na ulit mangarap during the campaign at ’yung mga pangarap nangyayari na ngayon.

So, for instance, you’ll ask questions about the traffic.

Can I just reiterate the figures before? Department of Trade and Industry says about 20,000-24,000 cars every month, additional; 100,000 motorcycles, additional… We’re told that these two major Japanese manufacturers can only deliver in a two-and-a-half months, three months’ period; some models daw seven-month waiting gap.

So all of us who have experienced traffic will note that these figures are not really correct. So what does that tell me?

There are people, or there are lots of people, who are convinced that they cannot afford both the downpayment and the monthly amortization, which means that they now look to the future as a continuation, or if not, an improvement of what is happening.

So that, in turn, gives rise to so many things: our ability to challenge the established lobbying groups with regards to the sin taxes; the idea of, ’di ba, a PPP that is very transparent and parang the rules are really clear and that there is a good expectation that you do your due diligence, it can be profitable, and we can get the infrastructure we need right now, and a whole lot of other things.

But it starts out with the main attitude that has changed.

Marcelo: Looking back, what would be two areas in the economic front that you think you could have done better or more?

Mr. Aquino: Well, ’yung one thing is that pool of experts, ’di ba? For instance, sa purchasing, when the AFP decides to modernize, how do we actually know that what we’re getting is what we really need versus what a proponent is suggesting that we need to fulfill our needs?… And I have tasked the DOST primarily to start establishing a cadre of experts on so many different fields so that we avoid a situation like ’yung telepono sa barangay.

’Di ba, parang the way I explained it to them, how much did we spend? How many billions did we spend on telepono sa barangay that did not result in even a single phone call? Could we not have developed the talent that could have foreseen the growth of cellular communications, for instance?

And, in doing so, we could have made the environment so friendly to people who did best in telcos that could have saved us the telepono sa barangay and moved our communications faster. So that’s the dream.

We spend for scholars, have them trained here, trained abroad, be of intense knowledge on the cutting-edge technologies that might have implications on what we need on very many fronts—whether it’s transportation, communications, new health challenges, and so on and so forth—so when we talk to people who can supply it to us, we can specify, specifically to the intense degree, what we really need as opposed to them selling us what is available on the shelf.

Chato Garcellano (Opinion editor): When your mother passed on, the clamor for you to seek the presidency was quick to gather steam. It took many by surprise including, dare I say it, yourself. But you stepped up to the plate. If you knew then what you know now, would you have been as willing to take on the job? Would you have dragged your feet or passed up the task? Or did you know even then that the presidency was your destiny?

Mr. Aquino: Let me answer the last portion first. I wasn’t even sure of running for reelection in 2013 and it had gotten to a point you felt like something… Somebody like Don Quixote, tilting at windmills, or banging your head on the wall. As if no matter what you did, no matter what risks you took, no matter what energy you expended, it seemed you couldn’t change anything.

So I had gotten to that point that you were getting to be cynical and jaded.

Now, in answer to the earlier question, knowing what I know now would I have dragged my feet? Perhaps… I said my mother put it best. If I could have done something and I chose not to, I would not be able to live with myself, and I subscribe to the same.

So if I do that, we wouldn’t be in this position, and you name it: the investment grade, the health insurance program that covers mid- to high 90s already by this point in time, the 4.4 million households that are being taken care of by Pantawid Pamilya…

Siguro even the attitude of the two high school graduates now entering UP that represented the first corps or first cadre of those that have been assisted in the high school stage. They are entering the UP College of Engineering and I asked the lady who is entering: ‘You’re going to civil engineering, I understand. Why did you choose that?’ And she said: ‘Sir, hindi ba ’yon math?’ Parang masyadong ganado, and, of course, I am a lot of times challenged by the higher forms of math.

So to me it’s not a question. If I knew all of these successes would be achieved, ’di siyempre, I would have volunteered on day one. But at that time, if I can just remind everybody, we do… I read it in your paper quite a lot of times, the very numerous issues confounding my predecessor, and we knew that we knew was a portion of what the extent of the problems were.

So it’s very daunting; people would be wanting solutions even before we stepped into office, and tangible results, even before we stepped into office.

The question was would you be given enough time to effect the changes necessary? And in fairness to our people, and the faith in our people, they did.

They supported the correct measures, and we are where we are because they were there, always behind us.

Garcellano: Sir, lahat naman po tayo nagbabago. Paano ho kayo sa tingin nyo? You are quite well known for being hardheaded, and obviously, if you take a position, you will stick by it. Paano ho kayo nagbago kaya nitong limang taon na ito na patapos na ang inyong term? Ano sa tingin ninyo ang pinakamalaking pagbabago ninyo?

Mr. Aquino: Mas marami na ho ang sakit ng katawan ko siguro ngayon kaysa noong araw. [Laughter] Hindi, seriously, ’yung… You’re with the private sector, you’re guaranteed what? Two weeks vacation, then you have the usual Holy Week, you have the Christmas… I don’t have that.

I think it’s a perpetual question between my doctors and my Cabinet—my Cabinet, more often than not—who will advocate “magpahinga naman kayo.” Cesar Purisima accompanied me on that trip to Europe and America and several members of the media, both who were covering us in Europe and the group that was waiting for us in America, I understand, got sick afterwards given our pace….So how have I changed? That’s true, ano. This job really ages you, number one.

’Yung  “hardheaded,” bakit ’pag ’yung… ’Di ba, I don’t make a decision lightly, pinag-aaralan. Sa tingin namin, given what is available, this is the best solution. ’Pag may advocate sa labas na sticks to their point, ’di ba, parang pinupuri; ’pag ako, ‘hardheaded.’

Ano bang pinagkaiba? Pwede bang… Hindi, kunwari, itong araw na ito sabihin ko puti ito, bukas itim, sa susunod na araw gray—pupurihin kaya ako no’n na  “wow, okay itong taong ito, pabago-bago ng isip kada araw.’

So ’pag mayroong dapat ipaglaban, ang paniwala ko, talagang isagad natin ’yung paglalaban. Pwede naman akong nag-join nung bandwagon na saka na muna ’yung BBL, pero naniniwala ba ako na ang pagde-delay ng BBL makakatulong kanino man? Palagay ho hindi e.

O, ’di solitary voice ako in a sense sometimes, parang after nung Mamasapano. Ang paniwala ko ’yon ang tamang dapat gawin.

At saka ang ikinaganda nitong Saligang Batas natin ngayon, hindi nakatutok ’yung presidente sa reelection dahil walang reelection. So ’yung mabigat na desisyon na baka unpopular sa ngayon, kung tama, magiging popular ’yon down the line—sasang-ayunan ng nakakarami dahil ’yon ang talagang tamang solusyon.

So paano makakaabot doon? Kung kailangang hardheaded, e ’di paninindigan ko na ho siguro ’yung pagiging hardheaded.

Pero nung panahon ho ng nanay ko parang insulto ’yung tinatawag na “balimbing” e, o walang paninindigan, walang lugar. Dito naman, ’pag talagang nanindigan ka, parang ang tigas ng ulo mo naman.

So ganoon siguro talaga ang buhay. Maski anong gawin mo malalait ka. Kaya ako, hanggang June 30, 2016, tatanggapin ko ho lahat ’yan—hanggang tanghali lang po, ala-una, hindi na po ako.

Magsanoc: I know you love songs, Mr. President. What will be the soundtrack of your five years in office so far, if you were asked?

Mr. Aquino: Siyempre, ’yung umpisa “Estudyante Blues.” [Laughter] Anyway,  hindi ko lang alam kung paano ise-segue ’yung “Impossible Dream” na medyo naging possible.

You know, I’m listening to this song by a singer, Eliane Elias—she’s Brazilian—and it’s an old song, “The More I See You,” and I guess in a sense that captures what I really believe.

’Yung parati kong sinasabi, basta nandiyan kayo sa likod ko, walang imposible—referring to my bosses—and, to this day, I still subscribe to that.

Kung nagkaroon ako ng tapang labanan kung sino ang kailangang labanan dahil naniniwala ako, at the end of the day, kasangga ko kung hindi man lahat ang nakakarami sa ating mga kababayan—ke kalaban natin dito o sa labas ng bansa.

So I’m trying to find that song that says, “basta nandiyan kayo, basta kahalubilo ko kayo, basta kasama ko kayo, ’yung pangarap niyo at pangarap ko kaya nating maabot lahat.”

…Perhaps that’s why I bumped into that song… The line is “the more I see, the more I want you…”

The more I get to interact with my bosses, the better I think I govern, from the feedback mechanism to even the idea of getting recharged to face whatever the next challenge will be.

Just the other day, I was talking to somebody, tinanong ako (what is my) most memorable experience o baka most important challenge. Sabi ko siguro parang ’yung period ng 2013 was kind of eerie. We started with Zamboanga, went to Bohol, went to “Yolanda.”

Parang may confidence ka na na after nung Zamboanga, “Wow, 100,000 mahigit na katao kayang-kaya nating pakainin; kaya nating siguraduhing hindi magkasakit; kaya nating mapalitan ‘yung bahay na nawala sa kanila”—at least the temporary shelter at that point.

Tapos binigyan ka ng greater problem with both Bohol and Cebu na happening almost simultaneously. So akala naman namin, “Uy! Nalampasan na naman natin itong challenge na ito. Kaya natin ito.” Binigyan kami ng lesson on humility by giving us “Yolanda.”

Tapos ngayon naman na medyo dito na tayo sa tail-end talaga, parang ’yung iba sabi “lame duck hosting”—ganoon.
May El Niño tayong very severe ’yung challenge up to next year—baka up to the first quarter and a portion of the second quarter of next year—and what do you do about it now when you could do something about it?

So even before this, ’yung probably a couple of months ago, we were already discussing with DOST and also the AFP—’cause the AFP has the assets —’yung cloud-seeding, which means baka pwede tayong… Makakatulong ba kung umulan na ngayon, dadagdagan ’yung naiipon natin (na tubig), para pagdating nitong malalang panahon ng El Niño starting December pero severe by January and February.

And, of course, the other challenges and the usual challenges of the pending legislation that we really are very interested in: BBL, rationalization of the fiscal incentives, and also the pension system of the uniformed services, and the others that I mentioned in the Sona.

Thelma Sioson San Juan (Lifestyle editor): Before I go to the expected question, I would just like to know and go back to the five years… What would you have wanted to communicate to the people but which was not properly and clearly communicated?

Mr. Aquino: Ang hirap sagutin niyan, katabi ko ’yung Communications Secretary… [Laughter]

San Juan: Nothing to do with the ComGroup but what I’m saying is because we live in a clutter of information—you have social media, traditional media—I mean, this goes beyond the capacity of traditional institutions.

Mr. Aquino: The challenge siguro is nung Martial Law, suppression of information; ngayon naman yata parang may information gap, and how do you actually sift the wheat from the chaff… what is garbage, what is really important. Managing information really is such a major…

It should be a subset of people entering political science courses siguro or people who want to get into politics. Hindi na sufficient ’yung “the truth will find its way,” sometimes it’s… Well, I guess it does find its way, pero sometimes parang the process is too long.

San Juan: So what is it that you would have wanted to convey but you were not able to?

Mr. Aquino: Siguro the times na bumaba ’yung ating approval rating, for instance, doon na naco-confuse ’yung mga tao. Pero at the same time, eventually, nalalaman naman nila kung ano talaga ang nangyari at siguro ’yun ang [iniisip natin].

Sana more efficient ’yung aming pag-disseminate nitong truth na ito.

I just remembered, there was a dialogue we had… We went to Tagaytay to meet with the KBP, and one media practitioner said, we’re asking: ’Di ba, pwedeng may balance? Kung may negative, baka pwedeng paminsan-minsan may positive.

Ang sagot sa akin was, “hindi namin trabaho na sabihin ’yung positive, bahala na kayo doon.”
And, to be honest, when she was telling me this and even on the trip back home—and a few days after that from time to time—sabi ko parang pare-pareho tayong Pilipino e. Para bang, ’di ba, madalas kong nakikita ’yung mga comment of foreigners: “Why do we Filipinos bring ourselves down?”

My dad had a joke about ’yung alimango na nasa San Francisco with the fisherman… There was a pail daw of crabs. There was an American guy at the bar, and the Filipino guy at the bar, and there was a crab that was about to escape the pail. So the American guy, according to my dad, talked to the Filipino: “Hey, buddy! You’re crab is about to escape.” And the guy said, “Don’t worry, they are Filipino crabs.”

I didn’t really get it at the time. ’Yun pala, ’yung point, basta may umangat guaranteed may hahatak pababa. So parang ’pag may nangyari sa ating tragedy, iko-cover lang for two weeks or longer kung may interest. One year later, uulitin; whether or not na-resolve na ’yung isyung ’yon, whether or not nagbago, bubuhayin ulit ’yung dating nangyari. So tanong ko lang doon, why do we have to wallow in a mistake, especially if it has been corrected? In the absence of telling the positive, does that mean the positives do not happen?…

San Juan: Not many know that you really love to read. What’s your reading material, bedside books now?

Mr. Aquino: About a third of my bed has all of these magazines and books. So mga techno-thriller in the mold of Tom Clancy, Matthew Riley… When I read, ’yung parteng ’yon pang-entertain naman. ’Pag medyo happy ’yung entertainment at saka educational, ’yung military history, various forms. May subsets: Civil War history, World War II, ancient and medieval warfare…

Nery: Sir, anything on the South China Sea?

Mr. Aquino: ’Yon naman sa office ko binabasa ’yon. [laughter] Although… Then various publications: The Economist, TIME, etc. Especially ‘The Economist,’ parang it seems I get so much knowledge of areas that are not normally covered by our own media.

I don’t surf the Net but I really like the hard copy. If there’s something that catches my interest that I think has to be shared, I point it out to various members of the Cabinet, various agencies involved.

Once or twice a month, my eye doctor reminds of these medicines na dapat gamitin ko. I have a gel that adds to parang liquid to tears, artificial tears. Nagda-dry daw ’yung mata ko.

San Juan: Sir, more than a decade ago, I think you promised me that I would get the scoop when it finally happened. And then we were talking and you said that, after 2016, you are actually… Well, you wouldn’t be surprised if you face things alone. So that means there is no more scoop?

Mr. Aquino: I would suggest that you take care of your health, Thelms, para we have all the possibilities for me to fulfill my promise to you.

San Juan: My health?

Mr. Aquino: Hindi natin maipapangako next week, next month, next year e. So, habang healthy ka, ’di ba… Habang may buhay, may pag-asa.

Dona Policar (Inquirer-Bandera): Nasabi niyo na rin po “habang may buhay, may pag-asa.”… Do you ever see yourself raising a child of your own? And what would he be kaya? Someone who is into politics, or into show biz, or into both, or in between?

Mr. Aquino: Pinalaki naman kami kasi ng mga magulang namin na ini-encourage kami to follow our dreams. Is it politics? Is it show biz? Is it something else? Baka naman ako ang maka-produce ng somebody na magre-religious. Wala pa kaming pamangkin na pumasok sa (seminaryo).

At the end of the day, I will support… Number one, first find a partner, then produce the child, then nurture the child that he gets to his greatest potential. Tutal marami naman akong imposibleng nagawa na, ‘yon siguro mas madali-dali nang konti ‘yon.

Policar: Mayroon na ba, sir, nahahanap or nahanap na?

Mr. Aquino: Basta matagal na tayong naghahanap. Pero, honestly, I was talking to one of our taipans and after ’yung topics na of interest talaga, biglang out of the blue sabi niya sa akin “mahirap mabuhay nang nag-iisa, malungkot ‘yon talaga.”

And the funny thing is, this was perhaps the second or the third time—and we don’t talk a lot—second or third time that ’yung last topic, every time I get to talk to him, has to be something on that matter. Pero, ’yun na nga, bahala na ang Diyos sa akin doon. Kung dito, kung may reward in the hereafter, kung talagang hindi ako entitled to any reward, hindi ko na pino-problema ’yung point na ’yon.

Basta ang isyu, if I do get that blessing, I will support the child in the same token that my parents supported me to develop the fullest of my potential. So where he will be happiest.

Policar: Good luck to you, Sir. One last question. Sir, nanunood po ba kayo ng AlDub or “Showtime” ’yung pinapanuod niyo kasi si Vice Ganda BFF ni Kris? Baka fan kayo ng “Showtime.”

Mr. Aquino: Baka maraming magagalit ho sa akin dito. Kadalasan ‘pag nanunood ho tayo ng TV ‘yung mga (palabas) sa cable na History Channel, National Geographic or Discovery, Discovery Turbo, ’yung mga ganoon.

Policar: Sir, hindi pa po ba kayo nakapanuod ng AlDub?

Mr. Aquino: May nakita akong picture, counted na ba ‘yon? May humahalik sa TV screen. [Laughter]

Policar: Uyy… nanuod na nga kayo. Updated naman pala kayo, sir.

Mr. Aquino: Sa inyo ko rin nabasa yata ‘yon e.

Bayani San Diego (Entertainment Writing Editor): How much weight do you put on the opinions, suggestions of your sisters, especially Kris, when it comes to entertainment and cultural issues?

Mr. Aquino: Well, parang ’pag kay Kris ’pag entertainment, cultural wala namang discussion e. Parang ang dating niya siya ang resident expert.

But to be honest, all my sisters normally do not interfere, unless there is something… Kahapon, Pinky texted me about… “Uy! Ang laki ng asenso nitong traffic, I’m headed southbound…” Or mayroong mga, ’di ba, may concerns [that] are brought to their attention para i-channel sa akin.

Pero ang nanay kasi namin noon, pag-upo bilang presidente, sabi niya, “bumalik na kayo sa kanya-kanya ninyong buhay, ako na ang bahala rito.” Tapos nadamay na lang kami… May coup, may baha, may pagputok ng Pinatubo—’yung mga ganoon—kung inatasan kami to do something specifically. Parang nanay namin e, ’di ba, nagmamalasakit kami sa kanya. Pero ’yung “malasakit” should not mean  “makialam” and I think my sisters also do that.

So if there are, well, ’yung typical na sisters ano… Para bang ’pag nakita nila, “ang laki ng ipinayat mo o tuloy-tuloy ang pagpayat mo”—ganyan.

Minsan nagka-cariño ako sa kanila na parang… She has this salad dressing na type na type ko. Paparinggan ko na “matagal ka nang hindi nagpadala…” And she actually has a calendar ’cause hindi raw healthy ’yung Caesar salad kasi. So parang once every six months yata e… And, being a typical sister, she will call Yolly and say: ‘Yolly, fourth day na, puro natural ingredients ’yan. Walang preservatives, itapon mo na.’

 

Fe Zamora (social media editor): What is the government doing—what is “daang matuwid” doing to solve slow Internet connectivity? That is a question from Jester…

Mr. Aquino: Slow Internet, well, alam mo ’yung expansion po of engaging the Internet that is DOST’s proposal, ’di ba, a lot of public sites, get more of our people connected. There has been no formal study presented to me yet but there is a question of whether or not, have our telcos, parang oversubscribe.

There are too many people under their services and too little expansion of the services involved. That has to be determined by DOST and NTC. So we will have that checked out at what point is the study with regards to ’yung capacity versus their subscriptions.

JV Rufino: Why did you choose Mar Roxas over Grace Poe?

Mr. Aquino: At the end of the day ’yung track record, meaning experience. And I think I stated it categorically when I endorsed him, ’yung mahaba-haba na ang service ni Mar. Nakita na natin ang performance in so many other categories.  And as far as Grace Poe is concerned, I think she is a fellow traveler on the road to daang matuwid. But at the end of the day, is she as prepared as Mar? And I don’t think anybody can argue that she is as prepared as Mar at this point.

I did propose the idea to her na, ’di ba… ’Yung one of the hindrances to getting our growth picture consistent is the idea that sa atin ’pag long term five years e. With the change in administration, everybody has a wait-and-see attitude. What changes will be wrought.

But if we could have a system wherein parties are really platform-based and issue-based and that there is continuity to governance, then perhaps that enhances our ability to grow at a faster rate and a more wide-ranging format at that.

Michael Lim Ubac (chief, News day desk): But would Mar win a three-cornered fight with Binay and Grace?

Mr. Aquino: Iyong mag-umpisa tayo siguro ano ba ‘yung tamang gawin? Sino ba ang dapat suportahan? Tapos ang dulo no’n, paniwala namin —nakasandal kami sa mga boss, that’s why, ‘di ba, in one of my speeches I said kung… Next year referendum, tama bang ginawa namin, mali ba ang ginawa namin? Kung tama ang ginawa namin, babalik ito ‘yung susunod na hilera namin. Kung mali ginawa namin, sisisantehin niyo kami, karapatan nila ’yon.
At kung palagay nilang tama ay handa rin akong makiambag pa tapos no’n.

Ubac: Sir, corruption has ebbed under your term but is far from over. How do you intend to ensure that it would not be business as usual when you step down in June 2016? And with JPE out and now back in the Senate, some doubt that the current trial would lead to conviction. Is this fear or doubt misplaced? And would you want a conviction before your term ends?

Mr. Aquino: Conviction, would I want? What I want and what I can get, medyo magkalayo ’yon e… Probably I read it in your paper. There was a letter to the editor complaining about the length of time it takes to conduct trials. Merong constitutional provision, for instance, even the Supreme Court having a two-year max period to render judgment. Pero may nagsasabing mga pilosopong abogado, siyempre, sila rin ang nagsasabi kung kailan mag-uumpisa ‘yung start no’ng two years.

So how do I ensure? You know, there was somebody in Naga who asked me, a young lady says beneficiary siya ng Pantawid Pamilya, paano mo gagarantiyahin na magpapatuloy ito pagbaba mo?

So paano ko nga ba gagarantiyahin, by Noynoy Aquino by himself? So ang sagot ko sa kanya, aba, dito sa sistema natin kayo ang magbibigay ng pahintulot may mamahala sa atin. So tayo ang magsisiguradong—‘yon na nga ang point e, referendum next year, tama ba ang ginawa namin o hindi. Paano magpapatuloy?
’Di elect niyo ’yung nangangakong magpapatuloy, imbis na ’yung magkokontra.

The corruption fight end? That depends on the people. Okay lang ba sa inyo? E kung hindi okay sa inyo, ’di habulin niyo ’yung—’yung suportahan niyo ang mga taong hahabol dito sa mga palagay niyo nagkamali sa atin. Ako mag-isa, ano bang magagawa ko? Palagay ko may push back ako by next year. Lahat ng binunggo ko mabibigat, wala ka ng immunity ganito’t ganyan, uulanan na ako ng kaliwa’t kanang kaso.

So ang tanong naman dito, okay ba sa tao ‘yon? Akong naging mukha ng laban natin, parang will you throw me to the lions, and I don’t think the people will do that.

Ubac: Sir, follow-up lang, prepared po kayo doon sa what Lacierda was saying “a universe of possibility” that you will be charged after you step down?

Mr. Aquino: Merong nagdedemanda na sa akin ngayon na may immunity ako. Siyempre, siya at saka ’yung abogado niya dapat yata ma-examine. Bawal nga e, ginagawa mo. So patunay lang yata ’yung mga akusasyon namin sa kanya na mali nga yata mga pinaggagawa niya kasi hanggang ngayon hindi pa rin marunong sumunod sa batas e, dati pang mambabatas.

Juliet Javellana (Central Desk head): Are you inclined to choose Leni Robredo if in case Senator Grace declines to run for vice president?

Mr. Aquino: Marami nang sinacrifice (sacrifice) si Leni. I owe it to her, will have to have—if Mar decides it’s Leni then we talk to Leni before we tell anybody else, imbis naman na dagdagan pa namin ’yung pressure kay Leni at this point.

Joey Nolasco (managing editor): …in the Philippines the unexpected is to be expected. What do you think of a Binay presidency?

Mr. Aquino: Alam mo siguro… Para expand ko na lang ’yung kanina, ano. ‘Di ba nag-resign sa akin one line, tapos ang dami nang sinasabi from that period on. Ang dali namang ipakitang may katotohanan ba doon sinasabi niya. I was asked in an ambush interview what I expected him to say that afternoon. I think this was before the Cavite speech. And sabi ko nga sana he just tells the truth. Okay na ako doon.

If you believe in democracy, my parents did tell me, and my father in particular said, the true test of a democracy is your ability to defend the rights of even the people in opposition. Actually, I think he said, “Defending the rights of your enemies is a true test of democracy; defending the rights of your friends is the easiest thing to do.”

Now, am I saying the VP is my enemy? Hindi. But I do believe that he said he is the head of the opposition and yung parang… “I oppose everything you did.” O ’di fine. So sana ’yung ginawa namin… Kaya referendum e. Itong ginawa namin, palagay mo baliktad ang tama, pero limang taon palagay niya tama.

So bahala na ang taumbayan, ’di ba, at ang may karapatan taumbayan. Iyon amin bang ginawa ang tama o ‘yung pinapangako niyang—may pinapangako na nga ba? Isasangguni raw sa inyo ’yon ba ang mas tama or ’yon ba ang tama at mali ba kami?

The campaign will make that even more glaring, ’yung ipinagkaiba ng pananaw namin, at ang taumbayan ang may karapatan or sole right to decide who should run this country.

Match a word/hashtag

Nery: This is actually another way to get to know you better, Mr. President…

Chito de la Vega (Inquirer Libre editor in chief): Good afternoon, Mr. President.
It’s match a word to a hashtag.

Mr. Aquino: Iyong group dito corned beef hash lang ang alam. [Laughter]

De la Vega: So the first word, at mamili si Pangulo ng hashtag is “Noynoy Aquino.”

Mr. Aquino: “#LOL.”… Sana tama ang pagkaintindi ko ng “LOL.”

De la Vega: Teka lang, ano ba ang pagkaalam niyo ng ano…

Mr. Aquino: Hindi ba “lots of love” ‘yon?

De la Vega: Lots of love. So Noynoy Aquino #lotsoflove. That’s my President.

Mr. Aquino: Thank you po sa inyong lahat.

De la Vega: Second word, “Inquirer.”

Mr. Aquino: Same choices ba?

De la Vega: Yes, sir, mamimili kayo diyan. Inquirer. No repetition, sir. So wala na ’yung “lots of love.”

Mr. Aquino: Iyan na nga siguro “#itscomplicated.”

De la Vega: “It’s complicated.” Next word “German shepherd.”

Mr. Aquino: German shepherd.

De la Vega: Parang mahirap ah, nahirapan si Pangulo bigla ah.

Mr. Aquino: Iyong nagkaroon ako ng German shepherd recently.

De la Vega: Iyon na nga, sir, kaya namin tinatanong.

Mr. Aquino: Four months old pa lang, hindi pa puwedeng i-train e kaya…

De la Vega: May bagong aso si Pangulo it’s half-German, half-shepherd. Hindi, hindi, it’s a German shepherd.

Mr. Aquino: Hindi, totoo meron akong aso.

De la Vega: Totoong aso, totoong aso.

Mr. Aquino: Hindi, para safe, ’yung “#beautiful.” It’s a really beautiful dog.

De la Vega: Sir, ano ba, is it male or female?

Mr. Aquino: Male, male.
De la Vega: It’s a male. Buti na lang hindi “in a relationship” sinagot niya. “Mar Roxas.”

Mr. Aquino: “#Inspiring.”

De la Vega: Oh… Ang bilis sir ha.  “Leila de Lima.”

Mr. Aquino: Siguro ’yung “#lovepamore.”

De la Vega: “Love pa…” [laughter] Next is “Grace Poe.”

Mr. Aquino: Iyan ang “#satamangpanahon.”

De la Vega: “Vice President Jejomar Binay.”

Mr. Aquino: Iyan ang number one, ’di ba, “#ediwow.” [Laughter]

De la Vega: Ito ang pinakamainit na topic ngayon, “Metro Manila traffic.”

Mr. Aquino: Nasaan ba ‘yung may solusyon diyan? Closest na siguro ’yung “#moveon.”

De la Vega: “Move on.” [Laughter] Ito “July 1, 2016.”

Mr. Aquino: Hindi, June 30, 2016.

De la Vega: “June 30, 2016”

Mr. Aquino: 12:01. “#Bestdayever.”

De la Vega: “Best day ever.” [Laughter] And last sir…

Mr. Aquino: Maski half-day lang ‘yon.

De la Vega: “Love life.”

Mr. Aquino: [Laughs]

De la Vega: Ang lakas ng tawa niyo, sir ha, kahit wala sa mikropono naririnig.

Mr. Aquino: “#Blessed” na siguro ang ano… If you are blessed, you will have it.

De la Vega: Thank you, Mr. President.

Mr. Aquino: Thank you.