RICO HIZON (RH): Sorsogon’s governor wants to return to the Senate. Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero wants to strengthen local government units especially during this health crisis. Joining us now, for an up-close conversation is Governor Chiz. Chiz, thank you so much for joining us. First of all, you have been a governor of Sorsogon for three years now, why not have another three years to continue the programs and initiatives that you have started in 2019?
GOVERNOR CHIZ ESCUDERO (CHIZ): First of all, Rico, to you and to all of our televiewers, a pleasant evening. Magandang gabi po sa inyong lahat. I’ve only been in the Provincial Capitol for less than three years. A little over two years, Rico. For one simple reason, whatever it is I do great in my province, it will never be enough to help uplift our entire province and our people without the country being uplifted as well.
Sa laki ng problemang idinulot ng pandemyang ito sa ating bansa at sa ating ekonomiya, kailangan ng tulong ng bawat isa at nais kong iaalok ang tulong na iyon. Anumang nalalaman, karanasan, eksperiyensa, galing o talino na meron ako ay nais kong ialay dahil ang aming Lalawigan ng Sorsogon. Hindi aangat ng kami lang. Kailangan umangat ang buong bansa para umangat din kami. Iyon ang aking paniniwala kaya ako ay tumatakbong muli. Iaalay muli o muling ilalagay ang pangalan ko sa balota para sa isa sa pagpilian ng mga kababayan na maging miyembro ng Senado.
RH: You were a member of the Senate, Chiz, from 2007 to 2019 and if you win in May of 2022, you want to push for legislation to strengthen and empower local government units (LGU). How do you plan to do this, Chiz?
CHIZ: There are many regulations; issuances not really lost which will restrict the hands of local government units. For example, my budget in the province needs to be approved by the DBM. Any positions I create needs to be approved by the DILG and the Civil Service Commission. Nasaan ang debolusyon, nasaan ang kalayaan ng LGU na magpasya para sa sarili niya at gastusin ang sarili niyang IRA?
Now, if we are talking about funds emanating from the National Government – like a subsidy, like an aid. Then, they can impose a menu. They can say where we can spend it on. However, if we are speaking about internal revenue allotment or the locally-generated revenues of the LGUs, I think the LGUs should be given a wider latitude, if not, total freedom to decide what to do with that money. Because by far, they know what their constituents need compared to what other officials in the national government who are only limited in staying at their respective offices in Manila and not really knowing the true problems and situations in the various parts of our country.
Add to that, Rico, that I’ve seen many best practices in so many LGUs that will, by far outweigh, more efficient and successful. Compared to what the National Government is imposing on us which we should follow. I think one of the solutions in this pandemic is to allow the local government units to decide based on the idiosyncrasies of their respective local areas. What needs to be done to address this pandemic right now.
RH: Do you think LGUs should be able to procure their own vaccines?
CHIZ: Well, for those who can. Our province could not afford to do that, Rico, but there are many provinces who can afford to do it. And why not? In fact, I am waiting for the time when you can buy a vaccine in a drugstore near your house.
RH: Right.
CHIZ: Hopefully, that time will not be too far from coming. LGUs, private companie, it took a while before the government could see and enable the companies to buy using their money and even ask the 50% be donated. Probably, the private sector would have been more efficient in terms of procuring and even rolling out the vaccines that they themselves will be purchasing.
RH: And Chiz, you also want to solve the economic and public health problems of the country. How do you plan to fight this pandemic through legislation?
CHIZ: The most important piece of legislation in Congress – any members of the Congress – the House or the Senate, should pass would be the yearly General Appropriations Act. That is the most important law that they will pass. And that is an instrument by which the government acts and makes other people react. It dictates whether our economy will indeed grind or grind slowly or grind to a halt.
I have been fortunate. I have been the Finance chairman of the committee in the Senate which handles the National Budget and indeed it is a very important piece of legislation that can be used to either bring back the economy to where it was or make it slump further. Or on the other hand, helps us overcome this crisis or help us remain in the situation that we are in up to today, after more than one and half years.
RH: Of course, we all know, Chiz, millions of our kababayans are still out of jobs. The economy is weak and faces a long road towards recovery. If you can become Senator once again, how will you try to jumpstart the economy and create jobs through legislation?
CHIZ: The National Budget is the instrument that can create jobs, Rico. Number one, by way of expenditure. They can create jobs; however temporary it may be. But, if the government spends enough, it will stimulate the private sector to engage in spending and provide jobs, as well.
Number two, the government must be able to balance. It is a difficult balancing act. But they must be able to balance, on the one hand, the safety and health of our people and on the other hand, the revival of our economy. Meaning to say, how to bring back jobs, how to reopen businesses that were closed in order to pave the way for – not only the new normal but a normal life for everyone.
Hopefully, Rico, so far, the research on a cure has been very positive and by the middle of next year, we hope that indeed our projections are correct and a cure will be available. In which case, it will be like your other diseases, hypertension, then, you eat lechon, Rico, and then bring your fill. Diabetes, then eat your cake and ice cream and then drink your fill.
Same is true here, instead of vaccinating 110 million Filipinos we would only be providing medicine to those who would get sick, which is about 2 % of our population.
RH: But of course, Chiz, we also have to make sure that the budget that is appropriated to the various government agencies has to be used properly. No graft and corruption. Everyone has to be held accountable. There has to be transparency. Which budget is used?
CHIZ: Let’s start with used. There are many agencies whose absorptive capacities’ very low. Congress allocates them a huge amount of money but they were not able to spend it or they did not spend it- either for some, one or another bureaucratic reason or red tape reason.
Number two, would be, as you said, it should be spent properly. That’s why, Rico, I am totally against the reason being used by the government citing NDA or non-disclosure agreement as a reason not to disclose at how much did we buy the vaccines that we procured. Because to my knowledge, Rico, the government borrowed over Php300-B to procure vaccines and the prices of the vaccines are in the website of the WHO (World Health Organization). In other countries, they publish it in newspapers and come out in newspapers as articles.
But here in our country, and I believe, in about three other countries, they are using the NDA as an excuse not to be transparent with respect to how government money, public money was spent, specifically in buying the vaccines.
RH: Chiz, let’s talk about this provision of substitution in the Omnibus Election Code. Some critics are saying candidate’s substitution by political parties has been abused. What should be done by Congress in 2022.
CHIZ: Historically, Rico, that was not a problem before, because the last day of filing has always been followed by the first day of campaigning the day after. But since we automated our elections, filing had to made earlier so that COMELEC can still print the ballot and put the names of all the candidates in the ballot. It opens up the floodgates for period of substitution.
Two things can be done, Rico: One, do not allow voluntary substitution after the last day of filing. In other words, there can be substitution but it should be involuntary, meaning, if the candidate becomes incapacitated or decides to withdraw or is killed or dies. But voluntary substitution/withdrawal maybe prohibited or excluded from the law.
To avoid situations where we see that the last day of filing is being – there’s a mockery with respect to the period for filing certificates of candidacy. They simply file without being serious in filing, simply to fill-in the gap or warm the chair for someone else. In a way, it’s a circumvention of the provisions of the law providing for a period for filing certificates of candidacy.
RH: Chiz, there are a lot of issues to talk about but let us jump to, you running for senator and you’re a guest candidate of the rosters of several presidential aspirants: VP Leni Robredo, Senator Ping Lacson, Manny Pacquaio, to name a few. Does it help your cause to be a guest candidate of many line-ups instead of just one party – one group?
CHIZ: Rico, sinumang kandidato na kulang ang makinarya at kulang ang pera na maglunsad ng kampanya sa buong bansa ay malaking bagay na maisali ka, maampon ka, ma-adopt ka at may mag-alok ng tulong sa iyo. Kahit sino sigurong may mag-alok ng tulong, hindi naman tatanggihan iyan ng sinumang kumakandidato. Basta’t walang hinihiling na kapalit na prinsipyo o paniniwala mo.
But Rico, on the other hand, I also see it as a positive step. A positive step, because, if presidential candidates are competing right now can agree and can find common ground with one, two, three or four, five candidates or several local candidates. Then, probably there is also a possibility that after the elections, they can also find common grounds and come to agreement with respect to fighting for the interest of the 110 million Filipinos.
RH: I have to ask you these questions, Chiz, because your late father was a part of the Marcos administration. If Bongbong Marcos asked you to be a guest candidate in his senatorial slate, will you agree?
CHIZ: First of all, Rico, like I said, sinumang mag-aalok ng tulong nang walang hinihiling na kapalit, walang rason para sinumang tumanggi. But, if the premises, I will automatically agree because my father serves as minister of former President Marcos. I hope to remind our televiewers that I also ran against Bongbong in the 2016 Elections for vice president. So, that would have nothing to do with it. The only reason, if that would only be the fact is that I am a nobody to refuse or say no to someone offering help and is not asking for anything in return.
RH: Chiz, we have six questions for you but you only have to answer them with a yes or a no and no explanation is needed. OK? I am putting you on the spot. Here is the first question. Do you favor easier public access to the Statement of Assets and Liabilities and Net Worth of the president, vice president and the members of Congress?
CHIZ: Yes.
RH: Do you support lifting foreign ownership limits in the constitution?
CHIZ: No.
RH: Do you favor the re-imposition of the death penalty for drug related crimes?
CHIZ: No.
RH: Should a sitting president be allowed to run for vice president in the next elections?
CHIZ: Yes.
RH: Chiz, yes?
CHIZ: I can’t explain ‘no?
RH: No, you can’t explain. OK, do you favor, you thought about that for abrupt seconds there. Do you believe in the so be peace talks with the communist rebels?
CHIZ: Yes.
RH: Should the country be more aggressive in protecting its maritime interest in the West Philippine Sea?
CHIZ: Definitely. Yes.
RH: And finally, Chiz, before we end our up-close conversation, a final message for our kababayan who are thinking right now if they should vote for you or should not vote for you and return you the Senate in the May 2022 Elections.
CHIZ: So, I can’t use this to explain my yes and no answers?
RH: No. Final message?
CHIZ: Sa bigat at laki ng problema ng ating bansa, bawat isa sa atin anuman ang kakayahan, anuman ang talento, anuman ang karanasan, anuman ang galing. Dapat iaalay iyon para sa bayan. Bilang public official man o bilang pribadong mamamayan. Sa parte ko, naging buhay ko na sa matagal na panahon ng pagiging public servant at ito ang nalalaman kong gawin at puwede kong maiambag sa ating bansa.
Kaya muli kong inilagay ang pangalan ko sa balota ay para sa isa sa mga pagpilian ng ating mga kababayan na maging miyembro muli ng Senado para maimbag, maitulong, maialok kung anuman ang nalalaman ko at puwede kong gawin hindi lamang para sa aming lalawigan bilang gobernador ngayon pero para sa buong bansa at sa ating mga kababayan.
RH: Sorsogon Governor Chiz Escudero, thank you so much for joining us on the ‘Final Word’.
CHIZ: Maraming salamat, Rico. Thank you and good evening.