Presidential Communications Office
Presidential News Desk
MESSAGE OF
PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE
UPON HIS ARRIVAL FROM HIS STATE VISITS TO BRUNEI DARUSSALAM AND CHINA
[Davao International Airport, Davao City | 21 October 2016]
Do you mind that I dispense with the acknowledgements of the personas who are here? Because magkakilala naman tayong lahat.
I am glad to be back after my State Visits to Brunei Darussalam and the People’s Republic of China.
In both my visits, we reviewed the sum total of our relations and explored other areas of undertakings that opened doors for more meaningful engagements.
A clear focus was directed more on economic cooperation and partnership to benefit our people.
In Brunei, I met His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah with whom I discussed ways of further deepening bilateral relations, particularly through economic cooperation.
We secured Brunei’s commitment to help develop Mindanao halal industry, especially in certification and in capacity-building. Brunei and Mindanao can be twin hubs for the production and export of halal-certified products.
We agreed to intensify trade and investments and work closely to further bolster the role of the BIMP-EAGA in growing our economies. We also agreed to address connectivity issues through increased air and sea linkages to facilitate trade and commerce.
I thanked His Majesty on Brunei’s role as a partner for peace and secured his continued support for the Philippines’ efforts to pursue just and lasting peace in Mindanao.
We will fully cooperate to combat the illegal drugs trade and collaborate on maritime and defense issues, particularly in addressing transnational crimes, piracy and crimes at sea.
To ensure progress in our discussions, we instructed officials of our respective government to immediately work together in transforming these agreed agenda into specific plans and actions.
In my State Visit to China, I met with President Xi Jinping and three other members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party—Premier Li Keqiang; Chairman of the National People’s Congress Zhang Dejiang, and Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli.
In all meetings, we had productive and extensive discussions on the full range of Chinese-Philippine relations, from trade and investments, to infrastructure and tourism, and to science and technology and health.
To realize the vision of a deeper and more meaningful engagement, we have opened formal lines of communications between our government and agreed on the full resumption of the regular bilateral consultations mechanisms which were put on hold for several years.
With security and stability recognized as necessary conditions for growth, the Philippines and China affirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, freedom of navigation and overflight in South China Sea.
We acknowledged the need to address disputes through peaceful means in accordance with international law. We also agreed to continue discussions on confidence-building measures, including a bilateral consultation mechanism to discuss immediate issues of concern in South China Sea.
To maintain stability, we also concluded an agreement between our Coast Guards for general cooperation to minimize incidents at sea.
To combat the menace of illegal drug, we will continue across a broad range of areas, including in capacity-building, equipment upgrading and support for rehabilitation purposes.
With the shared objective of achieving greater growth and prosperity for our peoples, the Philippines and China jointly worked closely on building a robust economic agenda.
Our governments signed 13 agreements. Mostly economic in nature, these agreements provide the framework with which to carry out intensified cooperation between the Philippines and China.
In my meetings with officials and businesses, there was a renewed and heightened sense of optimism in trade relations.
The friendship rekindled opened up deeper commitments to significantly enhance trade and investments.
My talks have resulted in public financing agreements and private business deals valued at 24 billion US dollars in soft loans we have agreed from other loans.
These agreements, covering various fields of economic activities, are expected to generate 2 million jobs for the Filipinos in the next five years.
Your government will continue to work very hard to ensure that these agreements bear concrete results that will better the lives of our people. We shall also make sure that the credit facility and the soft loans will solely be utilized in public financing that benefits all Filipinos.
My State Visit to China signaled a turning point in our shared history and showed that both countries are fully capable of working together for mutual beneficial cooperation even as we remain committed to settle disputes peacefully, in full adherence of international law.
In every step that took the Philippines and China relations further forward, I was guided by my bounden duty to protect the sovereignty of our nation and the interests of our people.
In all my engagements abroad, rest assured that I will always pursue our nation’s best interests, consistent with our independent foreign policy anchored on the basic tenets of sovereignty, non-interference and mutual respect.
On the personal side, the warm welcome and expressions of support of our kababayans in Brunei and China further strengthened my resolve to pursue the various reforms being carried by our government.
We will harness our foreign relations for the inclusive growth and sustainable development of our country so that working abroad becomes an option and no longer a need for our people.
With this, I seek your continued support and cooperation as we strive to introduce fresh initiatives and more endeavors that will create meaningful changes in ourselves, our families, our communities.
Salamat po.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: We can maybe accommodate a few questions. Siguro mga isangdaan okay na. [laughter]
EDITH REGALADO (PHILIPPINE STAR): Good morning, Mr. President.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Yes, ma’am?
Ms. Regalado: First question is this: While in China, you declared, you had some pronouncements about severing ties with the US, both militarily and economic aspect. Now the question is, when are you going to come out with a written order with respect to the military? For the economic aspect, it would affect private businesses, and you know, the BPOs and everything so ‘yung side na ‘yun sir. And then second question sir, anuhin ko na lang sir ah—
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: that is the third?
Ms. Regalado: No, second question pa sir. Second question is this: is your attitude towards the US, does it have something to do with the Mering case? Has the US ever asked or apologized to you through those years?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: I’ll answer the second question. It has not really appeased me at all. Binastos tayo ng Amerika. Mering was carrying out explosives in and out of Davao City for several years. He was hosted sa Evergreen Hotel, hindi siya pumayag pumasok tagalinis and for five years, he was in and out of Davao City. One day, there was an explosion. It burned the hotel, not nearly but sunog. And he was brought to the hospital, he lost both of his legs but unfortunately, the following morning, early on, may nag landing dito sa airport na ‘to, a citation of the US Embassy at bumaba isang pulis na g*** na taga-Pilipinas, Colonel I forgot the name. And some Americans who [ponders?] their badges as, FBI daw sila, got Mering out of the hotel, brought him out, kasi sabi nila dalhin nila sa Makati Medical Center for better medical treatment facilities, whatever.
But what they really did was to fly out Mering, Michael to Singapore and shimmied him to the United States. To this day, parang batman and Robin mystery ‘yan. No explanation, for a week after or four or five days, Ricciardone, the Ambassador at that time of the United States, nakipagusap sa akin early morning with his aide only and Mr. Bong Go, apat kaming nag-usap and they promised to conduct a full scale investigation and committed to me that they will serve me a copy.
Sa awa ng Diyos, hanggang ngayon, wala pa akong natanggap maski note man lang sana. One night, during the campaign, at least may card ako sa kanya, I think Bong Go has the card. May binigay siya na card sabi niya, he was from the CIA. And sabi ko, ‘may I help you?’ and we talked about the Mering case and said that he would see me maybe the day after. And he did. We met almost four o’clock in the morning, I was very tired from a campaign sortie from that night at ang sinabi lang niya, and these were his exact words, “Mayor, pwede ba nating kalimutan nalang ‘to? Can we let this pass, this thing pass?” Sabi ko, forget it.
(Note from MindaNews: the name is Michael Terence Meiring. Meiring, not Mering)
Sabi ko, wala man rin akong magawa, I’ve been waiting for that report but until now, I haven’t so I really did not know what was the mystery about sa—
Ngayon, itong Amerika, if they violate their sovereignty, they will raise hell. They will go to war. Kung tayo ginagawa nila sa atin, there wasn’t even an apology for anything. Kinalimutan ko ‘yun. Ngayon, dumating itong naging Presidente na ako.
And one of the three promises I made to the people was that: I will cut corruption and I hope it will really—hindi ako naawa sa inyo, naawa ako sa ano. We will cut corruption. Period.
Second is I will fight drugs and third, I will cut criminality. Problema ngayon, I am faced with the dilemma, we never knew how exactly how many at that time, during the campaign that, how many people were infected or gone crazy because of drugs. And they knew it because they were there when it was unfolding. ‘Yung three million na ‘yun, figure ‘yun ni General Santiago when he headed the PDEA.
Hindi ko bilangan ‘yung akin kasi until now, we are receiving surrenderees and I think at the end of the year, it would have reached the four million mark.
Alam nila ‘yan and so I was hard pressed they knew, they operate the government. God. They knew that I was a mid-term President, that OI entered into the picture operating on a budget that was prepared last year by President Aquino for the operation of this year and I was hard pressed on everything.
And yet, they have the gall, these idiots they would just say, ‘Well, Duterte, why is he killing the criminals? Why does he not just build enough rehab centers for three million immediately, kaagad.’ It’s easy to criticize with that. They knew that I had no money. I am now operating on a budget.
We do not have capital outlay, ang atin is th maintenance, MOOE lang tayo pang sweldo, pangtawid nalang itong sa—and that’s the problem.
And so I ordered a full-scale war. I did not order a police action but because that would not have been enough. So when I became President, I pressed everybody and lo and behold, we are now nearing four million drug addicts in this country.
Alam mong ginawa ng Amerika? Ang unang-una, itong human rights. Ewan ko who’s that idiot also, another idiot there. There are plenty of idiots there criticizing me about human rights Sinakyan nila ang issue of extrajudicial killing which was not an issue at all. You were here, you were all around. It was not an issue against me until the dying days of the campaign, when my ratings were going up, lahat ng basura and this senator who talks with his mouth—the foot on his mouth, binasura na pati corruption. I said open the banks and all, you can have. I have authorized everybody go and see for the money.
At itong extrajudicial killing. Ngayon, eh binigyan mo ako ng bala, I must have just avoided it but you gave the window so– eto ngayon galit ako sa kanila kasi ‘yung 3,000 na namatay, they would like to make it appear like an idiot that they were all killed extrajudicially, not counting the policemen and soldiers I lose everyday to fight the drug problem.
To this day, the other day, that was the last briefing and I lost another policeman tapos sumunod na itong State Department, another idiot. Then the Office of the President, I don’t know whose name was—babae na. Then it was Obama himself.
You know, if somebody can give me an answer, I will resign tonight in handwriting. Tell me, what was wrong when the United States declared war against Iraq on the pretext of mass—weapons of mass destruction.
They entered Iraq, they killed Saddam, destroyed the country, killed so many people only to find out that there was no weapon of mass destruction.
Tell me if it is right because I will resign. Any man here n this room would stand up before me and say, ‘it was moral, it was right to kill the leader of a nation, wipe out his people and have the gall to criticize me about human rights violation.
They undermined Libya. Libya is a failed state. They are eating Saddam slowly. Were it not for a fact that China and Russia are supporting Syria. Why? Why? Because if Assad is out, they would have destroyed the entire Middle East.
Why? Maybe oil. Why? Stupidity. Another reason, idiotic behavior. ‘Yan ang problema diyan. Kaya ako galit kay Mering because binastos nila ako. Nung tinanong ninyo ako kinaumagahan—you were the one who asked the question, isa ka pa—sabi niya, si Mering nawala. So I called Laza, who is now the mayor of Hagonoy, Colonel Laza, pumunta. He was the chief of police at that time.
Sabi niya, mayor hindi ko alam. So I called General Lapeña who was the RD here. Sabi ko, Sid, anong nangyari? Sabi niya, mayor hindi ko talaga alam.
So, [unclear] Is that respect? Mutual respect and papahigain mo muna ako, uminit na ang– uminom muna akong tubig. Ikaw kasi, ikaw marunong ka talaga magpainit eh. Hindi na ko makatulog ngayon gabi.
Tapos sabihin ninyo Amerika lives by the values of what? Whose value is it? Your value? Our values? Because if there is one thing that they did not really want, you know, if there is one thing that the Americans have failed miserably, it is in the [proddings?] of the human dignity.
Dali kayong maano. Basta kung ano—just like Obama. During my Laos meeting, I was here. I answered a particular question, ano ang gawin mo pagka ire-raise nila ‘yung extrajudicial. Anong sinagot ko sa inyo? ‘Wag ninyo akong bastusin kasi pag hindi, bababuyin ko talaga kayo doon.
Did I mention Obama? But when I said the following day because it was fed to him, ‘those were hurting words for the President who has…’ Ni hindi ko nga siya pinansin eh.
And he didn’t even bother to say, I was wrong Duterte, I thought you were the—very libelous. My idiotic group also told me that you said this and that.
I never mentioned his name. And so what I did—during the round table engagement, nilabas ko ‘yung picture ng massacre and somebody, mga bright itong mga Pilipino eh. And even in that anchor something, there was this group of Filipino there.
You know, it’s one century ago. Those were not my words. Before the election, I tried to reach everybody: Nur Misuari, the communists, I went to Murad there, nadon sa kampo nila. I talked to Jafaar and we talked again here. But I said I was not satisfied. I tried to reach out to the Abu Sayyaf and to the radical grupos. And to, bantay kayo diyan, ‘yang mga scholars.
They do not carry arms but they preach fundamentalism and he told me, mayor Duterte we can talk to you but we ill not negotiate peace with you. Why? Because the Americans are still there in your country. We see so many of them, the Special Forces, scattered all over Mindanao. And they are here to finish us through your—
They are there to advise your troops how to wipe us out in the face of the earth. Kaya sabi ko, I cannot even talk peace.
This particular massacre did not happen yesterday. Sabi daw nila hindi akin ‘yun, sabi ng mga iskolar ng.. They cannot forget it because so many—sila, sila ang dapat sisihin. The Filipinos at that time mahirap lang, pobre. We did not have that camera. They all got those pictures of killings, massacre, piled bodies with a soldier putting his foot on the breast of a woman. Ginawa nila even as a postcard at kinuha ‘yan nila mga bright na, kinuha ‘yan doon sa archives nila hindi sa atin. So ganun tapos na tayo diyan—
May idagdag pa ako. Kaya ako pati pa itong EU. EU-de-p***, t*** ina, isa ring ugok. Some lawyers of EU, sinulat-sulatan ako that I could be…ang masakit diyan ganito, p***** ina nila.
When they criticize me and all of those guys who appeared before the international networks they would say this, Mayor Duterte you must account for those who were killed, blah-blah-blah-blah. Remember that if you do that, we will cut the assistance and the aid money. P****** ina kayo. Ganoon kaliit ang tingin ninyo sa amin? Pumunta ka dito ipakain ko ‘yang EU dollar mo.
Eh sila bastos ‘yun eh. Kaya if I react, I react in the manner of a Filipino na galit sa kanila. Kaya ako nag-iinsulto ng tao. What is there to defend my integrity and the integrity of the people of the Philippines?
Ganoon ninyo, paano ang mga Pilipino sa labas? Nandyan na nga nagpakahirap na tapos i—that we will cut the assistance. P****** inai-EU ninyo ang pera ninyo. You know the [janilo?] that’s a piece of paper when you run out of toilet paper you wipe out you’re a**, goddamnit. B***s*** kayo.
Why am I saying this? You know, it sounds the height of vulgarity. You stop [unclear]. You give me 10 I’ll give you 20. Bakit niyo sasabihin na we will not give the aid? Unless you know. Who are you to say that to me? Bastos ’yan sabi ko sa inyo eh. Do not do that kasi bababuyin ko kayo. So now the doors are open again, there’s a window open eh talagang bababuyin ko kayo. Anong un-statesmanship? I am not running for any statesman. There’s no position in this planet, statesmanship. You can eat it all.
But I have a country to protect and the dignity of the people. That’s why I give back to you—full length of what you want to say about me so let us place ourselves in the proper perspective. Assistance you will say, you can go to hell. EU? No wonder you are in shambles now. You cannot even agree to be together or not. Whether to form, stay in European community or disintegrate. Why? Because your lawyers who planned it are all stupid and idiots.
I’m ready for the next question.
Ina Andolong (CNN Philippines): Good evening sir and welcome back. In China, you announced a separation with the United States. What exactly sir do you mean by ‘separation’ and what actions—if any—would it take to formalize this pronouncement specifically–
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: You know, you have to take my words in the context of what I have been saying all along. It’s not severance of ties. When you say severance of ties you cut the diplomatic relations. I cannot do that. Why? It’s to the best interest of my country that we maintain that relationship. Why? Because there are many Filipinos in the United States of well, Americans, of Filipino ancestry. Why? Because the people of my country is not ready to accept– I said “separation”—what I was really saying was separation of a foreign policy.
In the past and until I became President, we always follow what the United States would give the cue. What he would give the cue that we are there, we are there. We follow. Pasunod-sunod tayo. Hindi ako magsunod. Now, for example Russia came out with a statement that, there’s mention here that I had a talked with Medvedev and they are ready to extend any and all assistance. So that if I would like to have an atomic bomb and if it is given to us, I will bring it here. That is what it means but I would like to thank Russia for understanding us. My problem—and they know also that how hard I am in dealing with the economic stress of my country.
And for them it was a very nice human gesture. To the Russian Republic, salamat po.
Ms. Andolong: Last from me sir. The pronouncement has raised concerns or questions on what it could or how it could impact existing deals like VFA or EDCA, the Mutual Defense Treaty and also concerns from Filipinos–
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: EDCA–
Ms. Andolong: —in the US sir, working there in the…those hired by US BPO—
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: That’s what I said.
Ms. Andolong: And do they have anything to worry about?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Yes, I have to, already are worried. I worry that they would not get out of this country, that you have to force them. That is my worry. Why should I be worried? It will affect EDCA and the rest of the agreements? Maybe. But I would have to consult the military, the police and everybody because at the end of the day, it is all security, ‘no?
Ms. Andolong: Sir yung sa Filipino workers hired here, they’re working for American BPOs, do they have something to worry about?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: How about the Americans working for– here also in the Philippines? If I should worry about the Filipinos, they should also about the Americans here and their investments. [On hold?] That’s why better be careful with the word ‘we separate or severed, severed our diplomatic relations.’ Second one is not feasible. Why? Because the Filipinos in the United States will kill me.
That is why I am not going there, not in this lifetime. T*** ina inaabuso kasi tayo ng mga walang hiya.
Sec Andanar: That ends our press conference ladies and gentlemen.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: No more? How about the young lady? Yeah, yeah the blue one, in the blue shirt. You will have your time. Alam mo nagpapakpak lang ‘to kay inaantok na ‘to galing kaming Beijing eh.
Q: Hi sir also in Beijing you announced the alliance, you’re eyeing alliance with China and Russia. Apart from these countries what other countries are you looking for to have alliances with?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: So many alliances really, actually. Alliance is a generic term. That could be so many agreements, so many treaties to talk about. What is very important is that we have agreed to help each other economically but the bulk of that burden will really be coming from China.
Look at what happened we just, they just gave us thirteen billion. So it’s not easy to just give so much money to a debtor na walang siguro but the fact that they have the trust and confidence for us to pay on a long-term soft loan that would give us the drive, the impetus, public-private yung ano ha mga bangko ng malalaking company nag hiram rin. It will be part of this, I’m sure those are things which are not confidential anyway.
Pero on a personal note ‘yun na ngang usapan namin, you may ask me some other time because it’s late but I’d be, I would be able to answer you at least some but not all. Security matters that is not a proper subject matter.
Q: Sir follow up. There are some people na nagsasabi na you are announcing your separation from US and yet you just announced alliance with China and Russia. Hindi po ba conflicting ‘yun dun sa lagi nating sinasabing independent policy? Foreign policy? Your thoughts on that, sir.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: May I look at you for a moment? It could be ma’am a military alliance. It could be an economic alliance. It could be an economic bloc. Separation of my foreign policy that it need not dovetail the foreign policy of America. That’s what I meant actually. Even “sever”. Sever means to cut. Separate is just to chart another way of doing it.
Q: Thank you sir.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Forgot to announce your name kasi… Yes, yes, yes, there, there Para ano, para walang magsamaan ng loob…and then GMA ang sunod. Siguro we can…maybe last two questions? Or three? Maybe you…three questions.
Masahi Yamaguchi (NHK Japan): Sir welcome back. I am a reporter of Japanese Public Broadcasting Corporation, NHK, and next week President will go to Japan and meet Prime Minister Abe. What do you–what are you looking forward to meet him? What are you looking forward to talk about? And last week Japan donate Coast Guard ship. Like this Japan government has concern about dispute about South China Sea and next week do you plan to talk about the dispute about South China Sea?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Well, I didn’t get your questions in totality but I will just answer you. So yes I’m going to China to visit—ah Japan?—Japan nga pala. Ako’y inaantok.
I’m going to Japan maybe, I don’t know, kailan ‘yun? I’m going to Japan to visit your country I don’t know if it’s just an official visit or a state visit. To me it’s all the same and of course I have to talk to Prime Minister Abe and the rest of the officials of the Japanese government. Maybe go to the Diet to just see it for myself. I have looked at the place from the outside and I was not really able to go in.
My talks with the Japanese government particularly the Premier would really be solely on…most of it actually is economic operation and of course shared interest. Now the most important thing there is the shared interest is really if I get what you’re driving at…
it’s about the South China Sea. You know I said, I cannot talk for your country. I have to wait until I meet Minister Abe of what we would really be talking about. But the South China Sea has been the contention with several other countries vis-a-vis against China.
The award to my country was the arbitral decision and it said that, that piece of property there, if at all, is really part of our Exclusive Economic Zone. It has nothing to do with the territorial waters. But if you are entitled to a fishpond as agreed upon by all, that each country shall own, shall own a fishpond for its sustenance, that is what it is being talked about in that judgment.
I told everybody and I told China, I cannot surrender anything there. And in passing, I mentioned the, they said that,they answered that at least what was, you know, we do not want trouble there. We can only talk and we hope that your country will not, you know, do something foolish to start a violent war there or incident. And I said no and we cannot talk about it because I cannot give, or promise anything which I cannot do under the laws of my land, particularly the Constitution.
And that would be, maybe they also, the meat of what I would tell your Minister that we can only agree to talk peacefully, resolve the dispute and maybe come up with something that is good for everybody, just maybe.
In other words, if you are asking me now, since I have to talk to Minister Abe, I cannot make any projections of what will happen. But to the Chinese government, I said, well if that is the thing, that is what is in your mind because that is also my stand, we will find the day to talk about it, only on the issue of the South China Sea and no topic at all. It could be bilateral, it depends on the development, it could be multilateral and that would include Japan. Those are what I suggested, in the future.
Gem Avanceña (TV 5): Sir, maayong gabii. Sir comment niyo po dun sa nangyaring dispersal sa harap ng US Embassy ‘nung Wednesday po.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: You know, the police said that natakot kasi na-corner sila. There were just two of them I think, in the crowd they were surrounded by the group of militants.
Alam mo ‘yan ang sinasabi ko ah, even in war, even in everything, it’s miscalculation. Well, I think that the police there was– nobody would ever do that in the midst of a troubled– I’m not justifying it. Just a maybe, baka he was under stress, he might be ganged, they might gang up on him, hurt him, and so he acted on a, by instinct, self preservation.
So’yun naman ‘yung ano, hindi naman talaga yung may gusto siyang patayin. Padiretso diretso lang eh. Hindi naman talaga ‘yung pinipili niya kung saan ‘yung mga tao.
But I said I am not– this is not a brief for the police, I might say that, pero I intend to look at it. I will try to talk to the police, invite him for coffee and I will talk to the activists. Para naman hindi sila–I would like to know what really happened. The dimension can only be, can be had if I would do the questioning myself.
I do not want a quarrel between the, there is no more left here. I do not want to hear it. From our side, gobyerno right or from the left. Well, we should stop it because we are talking and we are all Filipinos. I do not want anybody hurt there. Not the police, not the young militants.
It’s about time that we should really treat this as a matter with civility. Hindi na ‘yang ano na lang dyan kasi batuhin mo ‘yung mga pulis. Pulis naman come in swaggering and beating people. I would not like that in my, this things happening in my administration. I’m praying to God that we will succeed in the talks and I, baka sakali makatsamba tayo. So with the, our Moro brothers. Baka maka, one for reason or another it might dawn upon everybody that we should be just talking.
Everybody is progressing. Whether it’s in China, Japan. Eh, why are we still trying to fight them? Para tayong nagra-rumble dito na mga bata eh. Look at those young people there fighting street fights every night. Stop it, it’s a–nako-kornihan na ako. But this is one thing I would like to suggest. I do not want any firearms during demonstrations.
Maybe a pistol but no, no, no M-16’s there. Wala eh, they should be stationed far away. The worst that they can do, or maybe the demonstrations, is cause damage. I do not want to see M16’s there, there is no fighting there. That will never happen. I mean, those are anathema in the modern sense of the word demonstrations. They’re everywhere. In every country, there are always demonstrations, and the government- police and military should expect that. That when there is almost a disagreement in [descent?] everybody, in any country. It could be Turkey, it could be anywhere. It’s always France, andyan talaga ‘yung demonstrations. It is a part of the territory of democracy.
Yeah, yeah. OKay I might not be able to hear you. I had this sleeping when I was– you might want to use the, yes sir.
Will Ripley (CNN Tokyo): Thank you very much Mr. President for taking my question. I was just wondering, who would you get along with the best in the White House, Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: You know my friend, I would like to answer your question candidly, honestly and truthfully. Problem is, of course personally, it would notreally matter much. But I am a President of a country and we have this splendid relations with America and the fact that there are already millions of Filipinos, maybe, in your country. Are you an American? Okay, ah, I cannot gamble an answer. Because either way, it would affect, you know, they might create a hostility here, antagonism here. So I am better off in saying that my favorite hero is Putin.
Mr. Ripley: Some in the United States and elsewhere have compared you, the reason why I asked, have compared you to Donald Trump, the Republican candidate. What do you make of those comparisons, speaking of the [unclear] speaking what’s on your mind. Donald Trump has also done the same things.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Valid issues, actually. Valid issues. Trump is airing something which is should also be a concern. One is terrorism. Everybody should be worried about terrorism. And of course, in this modern world, multi cultural countries. There should be some, some semblance of, your know, acceptance and maybe, especially in the matter of religion, tolerance. Those are vogue words but they have deeper meanings if you go into—
Tolerance. Tolerate your religion and respect it in [inaudible]. Terrorism is there and ah, frankly speaking, I’d like to be honest with you.
Americans somehow, not all, somehow provided the reasons for the terrorist, terrorism there right now. Why? Well, you need not be a terrorist. There has to be an explanation. For an Arab of Syrian descent, of Iraqi, or Iranian to be there, migrated to the United States and was even born there and yet somehow gets into a radical thing, maybe not even the history of the Persian Empire and all of this things.
What they see are the bombings and the killings of sort. And if I were, it’s not being done on the Filipino, I would really, and even you. If you are from the outside and you see Americans being treated that way, villages bombed, killing soldiers and even hospitals and just say, oh, it was the wrong target. You, by those pictures alone, you need not physically import, bring him inside United States. With those images on TV and on the Facebook, you have created so much terrorism in your time. That is what I can say honestly, my observation about America. You have imported terrorism to your land. Yes sir, ah the last one.
Ian Cruz (GMA 7): Welcome back Mr. President. Ian Cruz of GMA 7, sir. Sir did you bring up the issue of Filipinos’ fishing rights in the Scarborough Shoal with President Xi Jingpin and was there any assurance from the Chinese that they will not reclaim any part of the Scarborough Shoal, sir?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: I leave it to the– yes of course we did. I leave it to the Chinese authorities, what they will do in the next few days.
Napag-usapan namin pero no, no, no, no, I leave it to them to, it’s one of the things I said that in the private talks which I cannot, but tingnan natin. Let us see what develops in the days to come. Last–hindi ka man media.
Q: Hello sir. I just want to know, because the US Assistant Secretary of State is coming to the Philippines, what issues are you going to take up with him?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Again, again
Q: The US Secretary of State Danielle Russel is coming to the Philippines. What issues are you going to take up with him?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Secretary of State?
Sec. Andanar: Assistant Secretary of State
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Secretary of State here is ah, Perfecto Kerry Yasay. [laughter] Salamat.
Sec. Andanar: Thank you Mr. President. Good night.
—END—
