TRANSCRIPT OF Q&A OF SENATOR RISA HONTIVEROS WITH LT. GEN. ANTONIO NAFARETTE AND BRIG GEN CONSTANCIO ESPINA III

Senator Risa Hontiveros (SRH): Good morning, sir. Mr. Chair, before my questions for General Nafarrete, yung isang takeaway ko dun sa latest line of questioning...is how important it is na kahit may magbago dun sa administrasyon ng traditional biggest ally natin, how important it is na yung AFP nakaka-cultiivate ngayon ng multilateral relations sa iba't ibang armed forces sa region at sa mundo natin.

And tinataas yung sarili nating capacity, for example, through the self-reliant defense posture program and the different horizons of the AFP Modernization Program. So hindi lang yung US, certainly not China right now, pero yung iba pang mga like-minded nations and armed forces around us.

So sir, kahapon lang may mga report na nagsasabi na may tatlong Chinese warships na naglalakbay sa internal waters ng bansa natin. Na-determine niyo po ba kung yung said Chinese warships na ito na identified ng Philippine Navy ay yung parehong warships na minomonitor ng WestMinCom?

Lt. Gen. Nafarrete: Ma'am, yes. These three ships came from Mindoro strait and for several days it passed by command two days ago and our action then was also to shadow and monitor this one frigate, one cruiser, and oiler. And currently it is at Cebu 2 Strait. And we're still confirming if these three ships will be participating in the upcoming Komodo exercise of Indonesia with the different foreign nations for that exercise, ma'am.

SRH: Salamat, General. Pero kahit ma-confirm nyo na sasali sila sa Komodo exercise hosted by Indonesia, okay ba sa atin na dumaan sila sa dagat natin or hindi pa rin okay, Mr. Chair?

Nafarrete: As I believe, we need to really to monitor them and their actions. And although this is a sea lanes of sea lines of communications and they're allowed for as long as they file a diplomatic clearance in passing on our sea lanes, ma'am.

SRH: Did they file a diplomatic clearance, General, for this passage recently?

Nafarrete: I believe none.

SRH: As usual, yung ugali nila sa atin. I appreciate, Mr. Chair, marinig yung sinabi ni General na shinadow natin sila. Ang sarap pa minsan-minsan tayo naman nag-shadow sa kanila. Hindi sila yung nanghaharras at nang-bubully sa atin. For now, salamat po para doon. Tapos, kinukonsider po ba ng AFP yung ganitong klase ng deployment ng Chinese ships na strategy nila para inormalize yung presensya nila sa waters natin, Mr. Chair?

Nafarrete: Yes, ma'am. We're looking into it and in fact, considering and planning also for our own deterrent actions.

SRH: I really appreciate that point, Mr. Chair, deterrents. Para bago pa at walang may gustong may any spark of a hot conflict, talagang ma-impress natin sa kanila na it's not worth their while na i-up yung ante nung hostile or unacceptable actions nila. So para po sa akin, General, talagang dapat front and center lahat nung political and diplomatic actions ng gobyerno while dahil meron po tayong ongoing AFP modernization program at iba pa, making it clear to them how costly it would be politically and diplomatically, first of all, and in other ways, pag lalo pa po nila tayong ginulo. So it's very good to hear po yung pinaplano nyo yung further deterrence.

I remember, sir and Mr. Chair, in another hearing, I think po yung hearing po namin tungkol dun sa drone na nakuha off Bicol. Sabi po nung I think it was the National Security Council resource person na in fact kahit libo-libong isla tayo sa archipelago natin but meron po silang in-identify na a certain number of choke points na kung meron po tayong equipment dun para i-monitor yung mga dumadaang anumang vessels ng ibang mga bansa, in effect, we could deter them from proceeding without the necessary diplomatic clearances and other, not just courtesies, but respect to our government and armed forces.

So it's very good to hear po na pinaplano nyo pa yung mga further deterrence. So in relation po to that, ano po yung ginagawa natin, ano po yung ginagawa ng armed forces para i-challenge yung ganitong Chinese encroachments sa Philippine waters? Maaring bukod po dun sa shadowing na binanggit nyo na po, Mr. Chair.

Nafarrete: Thank you, ma'am. In my area of responsibility, we have seven naval monitoring stations to monitor and pre-empt prior reentry and to challenge them outside of our EEZ if being monitored by these seven naval monitoring stations, ma'am.

SRH: Salamat, sir. And it's good to know na even beyond the exclusive economic zone, yung teritoryo pa rin natin, or that we have this capacity and we make this kind of communication vis-a-vis those Chinese vessels. And siguro, sir, yung susunod kong tanong, kaugnay nung unang tanong ni Rep. Marvie kanina, given the recent news of Chinese individuals suspected of espionage, maaari po kayang sa pangunguna ng Chair namin, i-brief nyo yung Commission at pati po yung Senado tungkol sa mga developments na ito in an executive session, Mr. Chair.

Nafarrete: Ma'am, we can request from the right office and the unit to brief the Senate, ma'am. Thank you, ma'am.

SRH: Alin pong right office po ito, sir?

Nafarrete: I think this is more on a intelligence units, ma'am.

SRH: Salamat, sir. And then in relation to this previous question, given the recent data breaches na pag-uusapan din po with Rep. Marvie and Majority Leader, in relation with given the recent data breaches and cyber intrusions ano po yung status ng gusto niyo o hindi niyo pasagutin si General Espina dito status po ng cyber defense doctrine ng Armed Forces of the Philippines?

Nafarrete: Mr. Chair. Yes ma'am may call again na General Espina ma'am.

Espina: Yes ma'am. Ma'am the Armed Forces of the Philippines has recognized cyberspace as its fourth domain of operation since 2013 so we've been looking at cybersecurity since that time and there are units and offices that were created to look into domain and we have already crafted doctrines to this effect of cyberspace operations, ma'am. So ito po yung binbuild nating capability sa Armed Forces of the Philippines and this is central also to the third horizon that we have right now, ma'am. Ito po yung horizon 3 sa AFP modernization program.

SRH: Salamat, sir. Well, it's good to know na na-craft na po yung doctrines kasi I remember hearing several years ago, I think si, correct me if I'm wrong, dear colleagues, parang si Ret. General Esperon pa yung resource person and at that time, ang sagot niya po sa amin ay hindi pa kompleto or wala pang doctrine. And without doctrine, how can we have strategy? So, mabuti po may doktrina na and therefore, I presume, binubuo nyo yung strategies po natin.

Espina: I add po na just recently yung pag-create ng cyber command ng Armed Forces of the Philippines is also an indication that we are serious with this type of operation, ma'am.

SRH: Yes, sir. Kaming mga sibilyan, we are serious about it and we do expect na kayong mga military leaders namin will be as, if not even more serious, again, to pick up on the line of questioning of Representative Marvie and the majority leader. Salamat po, General Espina. And, sir, Mr. Chair, if I may ask my last question again to General Nafarrete. Sir, ano pong opinion nyo sa renationalization ng national power grid ng ating ating bansa, Mr. Chair?

Nafarrete: Thank you, ma'am. Just an opinion. I think it would be very beneficial on the part of the security sector. We are more able to coordinate with that plan. So, we can strengthen our collaboration and improve when it comes to our national security, ma'am.

SRH: Salamat, General. Siyempre, ayaw natin na may ibang bansa na yung daliri niya yung nasa switch ng kuryente ng bahay natin, di ba, Sir? Daghang salamat, General.