Abalos defends viral photo with Alice

The Manila Times

Abalos defends viral photo with Alice  Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. says there will be  no special treatment for dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo following her arrest in Indonesia and return to the Philippines early Friday. Abalos also explains his and Philippine National Police chief Rommel Marbil's photo with Guo, which has gone viral and criticized by netizens.  Video by MPC pool  Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe  Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net    Follow us:  Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook  Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram  Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter  DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion    Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital    Check out our Podcasts:  Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify  Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts  Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic  Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer  Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein   #TheManilaTimes  #tmtnews  #aliceguo  #pogo  #abalos

Transcript

00:00Yesterday, I got your reaction photos with Alice. You look too happy, sir, with Alice.

00:07Okay. Okay. Let me clarify.

00:10When we got Alice, we asked for a private meeting between me and General Marbil.

00:20So, we went to this room with the Indonesians. It was just 5 minutes.

00:25So, he was telling me that there's a threat to his life.

00:30What General Marbil did, he recorded it.

00:33He said, can I have it recorded?

00:35Because it's important to have it recorded.

00:36Later, if something happens, I'll be sensitive.

00:39So, Alice refused.

00:41At that point, we got a feature to have it documented.

00:45So, we looked at the camera.

00:47Of course, when you look at it, you don't know what you're doing.

00:50You're trying to make it cute, right?

00:52But if you're going to look at it, I was looking straight at the camera.

00:55I was not looking at her.

00:57So, that's what happened.

00:58There was no selfie or anything.

01:01It was a pure...

01:04What is important here?

01:05I hope our countrymen understand.

01:07When we went to the place of Jakarta,

01:12there's no certainty that we'll get Alice.

01:15Nothing at all.

01:16In fact, what he told me, I was in Naga at that time.

01:19He told me, you should go early in the morning.

01:23At 1 o'clock in the morning.

01:24If not, we'll let her go.

01:26So, I had to find an airplane to bring us there.

01:30I just borrowed it from a friend of mine.

01:32Because if you're going to take a commercial flight,

01:34there's a lot of things you can do.

01:35Of course, you'll get tired, you'll get sick, etc., etc.

01:38So, that's it.

01:40I just borrowed it.

01:41I didn't pay anything.

01:42The government didn't pay anything.

01:44This is all free.

01:47When we went there, we negotiated.

01:51And I thought, if we don't go home, we'll be embarrassed.

01:56So, and the rest is history.

01:59We were allowed to go home.

02:01After one hour of meeting, we were allowed to go home.

02:07Sir, going back to the photo,

02:08do you realize now where the criticisms are coming from,

02:11the outrage even,

02:13that there was some impropriety with you and General Marvin

02:17taking a photo with a fugitive?

02:19Well, as I said,

02:21these kind of photos,

02:22like, wait, he's in front of you,

02:24you cannot tell him,

02:25he's next to you, etc., etc.

02:28As I said,

02:29this photo is off-shoot of that meeting

02:32that he documented.

02:35I do not know what he was doing,

02:37how he did it.

02:39So, I hope,

02:41as I said,

02:42I hope these women understand,

02:44it was never a selfie,

02:45that you took a selfie, etc., etc.

02:47Let's just take him,

02:48while you're talking about things

02:50that he's telling me.

02:51And during your Facebook Live, sir,

02:53it was your account,

02:54I heard your conversation,

02:56I have observations that you were a bit too cordial,

03:00a bit too pleasant towards Alistair.

03:02No, no, no.

03:03What happened is,

03:04when he came,

03:05I said,

03:06it's like he knows me.

03:08So I said,

03:10now I remember,

03:12because as BILG,

03:14there was a governor,

03:16Governor Young,

03:17who organized meetings

03:19with all of the mayors of TALAC.

03:22So they were there.

03:24So, that's it.

03:25That's what we talked about.

03:26They said,

03:27I'm like this,

03:29you're like that,

03:30I said that.

03:31So, that's how it was.

03:32There's nothing to it.

03:34But what is important right now is that

03:38she is now in the Custodian Program.

03:41And there is a search warrant of arrest

03:44that was issued to her.

03:46And mind you,

03:47warrant of arrest,

03:48we demanded from her,

03:49DILG,

03:50that this was stopped by Ombudsman,

03:53that this is a criminal case,

03:56where yesterday,

03:57the warrant was issued.

03:59So, if you can see,

04:00on the plane,

04:01when we arrived,

04:02she put things on the plane,

04:04when she got off.

04:06Then, she was handcuffed,

04:07she was given t-shirts,

04:09CIDG, etc.

04:11She was handcuffed.

04:12So, this is a selfie?

04:14Well,

04:15it should really be like that.

04:17Not like selfies,

04:19selfie,

04:20but,

04:22the impropriety,

04:24that's already there.

04:25But my point here is this,

04:27my point here is that

04:29these people,

04:30like us,

04:31I just slept for the whole day,

04:332 hours or 48 hours only.

04:36There are things that,

04:37you're there,

04:38you're standing,

04:39someone is taking a picture of you,

04:40or someone is taking a picture of you,

04:41you don't even know.

04:43It looks like,

04:44why are you handcuffed?

04:45I'm being handcuffed by the Indonesian Police.

04:47I'm thanking the Indonesian Police.

04:49Right?

04:50Next to you.

04:51I mean,

04:52there are angles like that.

04:53But,

04:54because,

04:55this is important,

04:56I've done my best,

04:57mission accomplished,

04:58that I brought my wife.

05:00There are no special treatments.

05:02Right now,

05:03she has a mild shot,

05:05no cellphone,

05:06no airpods.

05:07Just like an ordinary Filipino.

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