(Note from MindaNews: This is the official transcript of President Rodrigo Duterte’s speech, released by the Presidential News Desk of the Presidential Communications Office)
Presidential Communications Office
Presidential News Desk
SPEECH OF
PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE
DURING HIS ATTENDANCE TO THE 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF PDP LABAN
“NO TO DRUGS, YES TO FEDERALISM”
[Delivered at the PICC Grounds along Vicente Street, Pasay City |
12 March 2017]
Kindly sit down. Thank you.
That is the maybe the drawback of iyong laki lang halu-halo ‘yung salita. Just like Davao City, it’s a melting pot.
I could talk hindi naman masyado but fluently in Ilonggo. I could understand the Ilocano dialect, pahabol-habol lang, Bisaya, pati Tagalog.
But nothing is good sa lahat na ‘yan. At lalo na kami, if we talk — and even kami, kami ni Speaker pati ni Senate — ‘pag ka nag-uusap kami, labas-pasok kami sa Bisaya pati Tagalog.
Kaya hindi tuloy ako natuto because I do not want to offend anybody. I really hated itong mga noon Spanish. May subject pa kami na Spanish. Sabi ko, bakit tayo magsalita ng Espanyol? Anak ng…Hindi natin kailangan ‘to.
Ang Tagalog naman. Eh mahirap, pandiwa, pandiriwa. Nakakaloka. [laughter]
Hindi mo na lang bigyan ng titser then she talks all day in Tagalog and maybe you can pick up something from there. Iyang isa diyan.
And meron akong… Just… Nandito kasi si Secretary Briones. She’s a Visayan. She used to be our National Treasurer. So I got her to be the Education Secretary. I believe in her and… Ma’am, pwede bang itong isang ano lang…
We were… I was in kanina sa Baguio, graduation ng Class Salaknib. At usap-usapan namin doon sa mga heneral kasi itong mahirap na mga subjects sa PMA. You have to be a technical guy. Foremost is you have the mastery sa Mathematics.
Sabi ko, “pwede ba natin tanggalin itong Calculus pati itong iba sa college?” Wala talaga akong naalala. [laughter]
You know, what is really… Sa akin lang ha. Nandiyan na si… Ako lang ma’am, ano lang.
Sa high school, Geometry pati Physics. Physics, kayang-kaya na. Geometry, because it is the fundamentals of, you know, construction and everything, what is really visible in the outside world.
Pero itong Trigonometry tapos Calculus, wala naman tayo pakialam diyan. [laughter] At bakit pa na, 1+2a+2b. Nasusuka tuloy ako. [laughter]
Bakit ihalo mo ‘yung alphabet pati Mathematics? [laughter] Hayaan mo ‘yung Arithmetic, hayaan mo ‘yung ano. [laughter and applause]
O kayo, dumaan kayo. May naalala ka sa Algebra mo? [laughter] Mapagkunwari pa. Let x=, let x=sum of money collected; let y, ganon. Puro pretentions let me be…Bakit pa I let me be natin? Ano ba ang gusto mo addition? Asan ‘yung cellphone ko? Ano ang gusto mo? Hanggang milyon. Ba’t pa tayo makialam diyan cosine, sine. Iyang Trigonometry, something which is really above our head ordinarily. Filipinos are not adept sa Mathematics. It’s because ganon tayo lumaki.
Kagaya ng Chinese, dinidikdik nila. You must remember that the Chinese dialect or language has almost 3,000 plus characters. Minemorize ‘yun nila. Itong atin kay A, B, C, D… Okay na ‘yan. [laughter]
Talaga ‘yung buhay ng Pilipino napadaan lang, ah, okay na ‘yan, okay lang. Pero ito ang sasabihin ko sa inyo and it is my commitment, my word of honor. Magkadiperensya tayo sa lahat ng bagay, huwag lang sa public interest. Kasi kung public interest na either magkasundo tayo or hiwalay-hiwalay tayo.
And I stress it during the campaign pabalik-balik iyan. I promised, nangako ho ako limited. You count it from the fingers of my hands and remind me I would tell you what it is or what it was. Number one, number two.
Iyong talagang pinupukpok ko noon was federalism, that was the centerpiece. Let me remind the Filipino people, ito ano ko lang — kung tatanggapin ninyo, ‘pag hindi then you can disregard it maybe, answer in contempt or sarcasm will apply. Pero ito ang tandaan ninyo, we have to change the system.
Hindi ho umubra sa nakararaming — napakataas na panahon. For the longest time, it has worked injustice to the Filipino people.
Ngayon, ‘yung sinasabi nilang maganda itong unitary type na may hari ka diyan sa Malacañan na ‘yan, na he rules the Republic as if he is a king.
Almost lahat ng gasa ng gobyerno magdaan pa sa iilang tao. Not because they do not deserve it, but because of the political set up. Ganoon talaga.
Ako mismo sinasabi ko sa inyo and I’ll give you that promise again tonight, remember it for all time, ‘pag ka… We are successful in crafting a federal system and it is accepted by the Filipino people because it is really the only remedy now.
Then it provides a strong president but with a parliamentary working independently, okay ‘yan. Maganda ‘yan. Alam mo bakit? It will dissipate the authority of the few in the hands of holding the power.
Ako, pag na-ratify ‘yan, na-plebisito ‘yan at gets the nod of the Filipino people, I will step down. Do it in three or four — ang akin is six years — I will step down. That is my commitment to you.
Ngayon, bakit? Bakit napaka-importante? Kasi po, tumakbo ako nagtatanong, bakit late bloomer ako?
Eh nakikita ko kasi sa mga kandidato noon, without necessarily attributing anything or offending them, nobody was talking about Mindanao. And you must remember that Mindanao is part of the Philippines and we are having trouble and violence there almost everyday nonstop.
At bago nga ‘yung Abu Sayyaf. Nakita mo naman may — pati teacher, sa Bisaya ‘yung dinadaginot. Pati ba naman ‘yang, walang ikabayad, teacher lang, patayin mo mga bata.
And in some parts of Mindanao, ganoon ang nangyayari. Hindi lang kasi nila alam itong mga, EJK, EJK.
Hindi kasi… Wala kayo dito. Hindi kayo ang nagdadala sa gobyerno. And sabi ko sa inyo noon, walang tumitingin sa Mindanao.
This I can tell you, pabalik-balik ‘to, kung hindi mo ibigay sa Moro ‘yung federal set up, this country will never, never be peaceful until the last day of… [applause]
Well, tayo dito sa mundong ito. Remember that.
Ako lang ang pinaka — the ace ‘yung baraha na alas. For the longest time, walang Presidente sa Mindanao. By stroke of faith, we had a Senate President also from Mindanao.
Hindi namin plinano ‘yan sa totoo lang. And Bebot Alvarez was in my campaign trail and I was on the hustings almost everyday, when I was touring around. Kasama siya. And suddenly they decided that umuwi siya doon sa distrito niya to run again as congressman.
Hindi namin pinagusapan ‘yan. It came about just naturally as allies and shared vision kasi taga-Mindanao kami.
Ako taga-Mindanao. Nanay ko Mindanaoan, ang tatay ko Cebuano. Wala kaming dictatorship o ano. Huwag kayong maniwala niyang mga ganoon na style. We do not aspire for something which is not really good for us. Hindi nga maganda ‘yung Presidente na with too much power.
Alam mo may kwento ako sa inyo ha? My father was the governor of Davao noon. It was only one province. But when he died, President Marcos decided to do a gerrymandering. Ibig sabihin, pinaghati-hati niya ang Davao at ibinigay niya sa mga leaders na kasi malaki rin talaga ang Davao eh. So you had it, Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental ngayon, Davao Norte, Davao City, tapos ComVal valley. It used to be one huge province.
Ang tatay ko remained with the opposition. Most of his life Nacionalista siya. He died a Nacionalista.
Ngayon, ‘yung unang panahon, maski ngayon, mag-travel kami, tayo, we have to get the authority from the national government. Even a simple Christmas tree for your children. Maghabol ka pa ng permit just to travel using your own money. Walang… Walang kakoneksyon-koneksyon sa gobyerno at walang perang ginamit galing sa gobyerno. Kukuha pa kami ng permit. Barangay… Mas lalo na.
Iyong mga ganon na hindi na kailangan sana because the set up is imperialistic.
Iyang Malacañang na ‘yan, pati itong klaseng porma ng gobyerno, it was introduced by Spain. Adopted by the Americans and continued our way, ganito.
Tapos sabihin mo maganda ang unitary type of government. Kindly tell me now a country in the world who has adopted for the longest time a unitary type. Ang ano? Iyong mga king tapos ‘yung mga diktador tapos ayaw ng umalis. Iyan ang gusto nila kasi isang salita lang doon sa itaas, down the line.
But I said it has not worked. You know Magellan landed in Leyte, ang Mindanao, most of it was already Islam. Spain failed to conquer it. The Americans did it badly, going into so many massacres. Tapos tayo, we are perceived by the fundamentalist, mga scholars as the extension of Spain, America ngayon.
Ang sinasabi ko lang naman sa mga kapatid kong Moro, alam naman ninyo hindi ‘yon totoo. We are not there to perpetuate whatever, but you lost, we know of the historical injustice kasi ang nag-introduce noon ng gun powder, booom, pati bala pati cannon, were the imperialists.
So napaluhod lahat. Pati ‘yung dito sa Visayas. You know magtanong kayo ng pari… Hindi ako nag-aano, ‘yung totoo lang para labas natin ‘yung totoo.
Noon when they were trying to pacify — pacification campaign Visayas up to Luzon in the thy name of Christianity and Catholicism. ‘Pag hindi ka nag-simba noon, 20 lashes ‘yan. Diyan sa harap ng kumbento. Tapos magdala ka doon sa pari noon, mga itlog, mga manok. Every Sunday ‘yan. Ayaw mo? Hulihin ka ng guwardiya sibil. Iyan ang history na hindi — walang sumusulat. Kasi kontrolado tayo ng banyaga. Iyan talaga ang totoo. Ngayon okay na tayo.
Pero we are still under the mercy of the rich nations. Ngayon, dito sa Pilipinas, anong nag-rule itong mga ganito, sinong nakabili? Puro oligarchs.
Iyong nakadikit kung anong klaseng administrasyon at nakakahingi sila ng gusto nila. For example si Jack Lam, ‘yung ipinapahuli ko sana na gambler. Kasi kung magsalita siya; and I was reading the intelligence report, briefer ko, lalabas nang lalabas ‘yan eh.
Hindi mo matago ‘yan. Either may nakikinig sa’yo o ‘yung telepono meron na diyan, daldal ka nang daldal. He was proclaiming to the world that he had in his pocket ang mga taga-gobyerno.
Kaya noong binabasa ko, it was 2 o’clock in the morning, tinawagan ko ‘yung aide ko. “Tawagan mo si Bato. Arestuhin mo ‘yan.” Sabi niya, “anong kaso?” “Walang kaso-kaso. Siya ang may kaso sa atin. Hulihin mo.” Iyon pala nakaalis na, oligarch eh.
You know, he got a contract from the Aquino administration, ‘yung nanay, for a measly one percent sa sugalan. And he was able to perpetuate the practice until ‘yung ipinahuli ko siya.
Iyang, iyang… Kung sinong… Kasi ganito ang Pilipinas eh. Tingnan ninyong mabuti, nababakante ang goyberno, eleksyon, sino ang naguusap dito? Who are the people… Who are the people who would want to decide the destiny of this country? Sila lang ‘yan, mga mayaman dito.
Nagkita sila diyan sa Manila Hotel. Tapos, “Adre, sino ‘yung tao natin diyan?” Ganon. “Tawagan mo si, ‘yung mga mayayaman.” Filipino, Filipino-Chinese, and Chinese. Sila ang namimili ng Presidente.
Ang pagpasok ko kusang-loob ko lang ‘yon kasi nakikita ko rin nobody was talking about Mindanao and also ‘yung graft and corruption na hindi natatapos kailanman. Pati ‘yung droga. Tingnan mo ngayon sa Cagayan. Everyday is asking for blood. But pagkatapos ‘yan, pagka-kinabukasan sa radio, pati newspaper, nakakalimutan.
Iyan nga ang sinasabi ko. Sino ang namamatay? Mga durugista, mga drug lords. You grieve for them because there’s a law. Ang problema kung naniniwala pa rin ‘yung mga kriminal ng law. Baka sabihin nila na anyway it’s the job of the government. Hindi ganoon kadali — magsalita. It’s just a matter of talking, uttering words, very easy.
But to solve and meet the challenges, ibang istorya ‘yan. Lumabas ngayon ‘yung [crying for blood?] kasi dapat patayin, putulin ‘yung ari dah, dah, dah, dah… But kinabukasan wala na until the next weekend. All under the influence of drugs.
Ang horror ng drugs. Dito, at least may fighting chance ka. Ito ba’y talagang criminal into it or hindi? Pero ‘yung babae na kinatay wala ‘yun, walang kasalanan, walang ginawang masama sa kapitbahay niya, sa kapwa niya tao.
But you have this gory incidents every now and then. Buti na lang doon lumabas. But in the provinces, lalo na ‘yang mahihirap na Pilipino, ‘pag sabi, believe me, pag na-rape ‘yang anak, kalimutan na lang natin or mag-ibang bayan na lang.
Hindi kasi lumalabas lahat, kasi ‘yung iba ayaw na eh. ‘Pag ka ang nag-rape, ‘yung anak ng mayor o ‘yung may impluwensya sa gobyerno, wala ‘yan tabla ‘yan.
Sabihin lang pagdating ng istasyon, “O wala ‘yan, kasi ikaw pa-sexy-sexy ka rin diyan eh.” Bayaran lang ‘yan. Iyan ang hindi nila matanggap. Iyan ang katotohanan sa buhay ng Pilipino.
Kaya ako I promise corruption, it will stop. Iyong sa Gabinete ko, wala kang masabi diyan. Pero down the line ‘yung mga direktors, niwawarningan (warning), marami na. Ang unang piniga ko talaga LTO pati LTFRB, ‘yung mga regulatory bodies.
The more intervention or interference from government, the more corruption.
Mas gusto ko nga, huwag kayong makialam sa tao. Do not.
Kaya dito, baka akala nila nagbibiro ako, pati ‘yung mga negosyante, ‘yung binasa ko na ano, binasa ko na — sabi ko nasa Bansalan ako noon eh. That day I was, I went to the wake of — only two of the four that were slaughtered by the communists.
Sabi ko doon nga, “Maligaya kayo?” We have been fighting for 50 years. Mag-biyahe muna ako ng ano. You want another 50 years? Kaya nga tinanong ako ng media, what about itong si Mighty?