Is it Mr. or Mrs. Aiza Seguerra?
Senator Manny Pacquiao appeared confused when he addressed singer-actor Aiza Seguerra at a Senate hearing on Wednesday.
Seguerra, who now heads the National Youth Commission (NYC), had criticized Pacquiao during the campaign period when he compared gays with animals.
But whatever animosity was caused by Pacquiao’s remark at that time seemed to have disappeared even for a moment when he could not find the right word to acknowledge Seguerra’s presence during the hearing of the Senate committee on public order.
“Karamihan ng na iinvolve sa droga ngayon ay ang ating mga kabataan. Ang tanong ko doon sa National Youth Commission…Alam na natin sa bansa natin bawal na ang droga. Ano ba ang gagawin natin para ma-encourage mga youth natin, para maibaling yung focus sa bisyo nila, instead na magbisyo sila dun sa ibang bagay?” the senator asked.
“Anong aksyon na ang nagawa nyo po Mr…Mrs…Mr…Seguerra?”
(Most of those involved in illegal drugs are the youth. My question is for the National Youth Commission…We are aware that illegal drugs are prohibited in our country. What should we do to encourage our youth, to shift their focus away from their vices, and to instead focus on other activities?
(What are the steps you have taken, Mr…Mrs…Mr…Seguerra?)
“Senator Pacquiao, hindi pa po ako Mrs… (Senator Pacquiao, I’m not yet a Mrs.)” said Seguerra, who is married to actress Liza Diño.
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Seguerra then went on and explained the NYC’s role in the government’s fight against illegal drugs.
“Actually, naniniwala po kami sa NYC na ang drug problem ay two-fold po sya. Ang isang parte ay naaksyunan na po ng ating Philippine National Police, ang isang parte ay yung pinapagtulungan ng NYC, ng DOH at DSWD,” he said.
(Actually, we believe in the NYC that the drug problem is two-fold. One side is addressed by the Philippine National Police, the other is addressed by the joint efforts of the NYC, DOH and the DSWD.)
DOH is the Department of Health while DSWD is the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Seguerra stressed the need to create more programs to provide training, among other things, to the youth especially the out-of-school youth.
“Yung pagsugpo natin sa droga ay multi-faceted. HIndi lang po ito dahil lang sa kahirapan,” he said.
(Eradicating the drug problem is multi-faceted. It is not only about poverty.)
Asked later about his encounter with Pacquiao, Seguerra said there was no issue against them even if they have different opinions.
“It’s a thing of the past. Magkakaiba man kami ng opinion (Even if we differ in opinion) as long as may mutual respect, I don’t see any problem,” he told reporters.
Asked again about his previous statement against Pacquiao, Seguerra said: “It’s done.”
Seguerra earlier called Pacquiao an “ignorant, bigoted hypocrite” for his comparing gays to animals. CDG/rga
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