(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 THE 116TH POLICE SERVICE ANNIVERSARY
[Delivered at Philippine National Police Transformation Oval’s Grandstand, Camp Crame, Quezon City | 09 August 2017]
Kindly take your seats. Thank you for your courtesy.
[Troop Commander, give the order of tikas pahinga.]
I’d like to acknowledge the presence of former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada, sir [applause]; excellencies of the diplomatic corps; Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and the other members of the Cabinet; Undersecretary Catalino Cuy, officer-in-charge, Department of Interior and Local Government; Police Director General Ronald Dela Rosa; AFP Chief of Staff General Eduardo Año and the major service commanders; outstanding PNP awardees for 2017.
I bring with me the warm felicitations of the Filipino people and of the entire country for your service to the country.
Mga opisyal at empleyado ng Philippine National Police; mga kasama ko sa gobyerno; mga mahal kong kababayan.
As usual, I have only two pages of speeches here. I will finish this in about one minute and two seconds. Is that all right with you media? Then after that, we go home. [laughter]
You know, I might if I have time to read the prepared speech. It is short but it is almost words of dedication and tears for our policemen.
But let me ramble on first to a few nagging questions. There had been a lot of police operations in the past that resulted in the killing of…
For example, the Albuera Mayor who was killed inside the detention cell; and of recently, Mayor Parojinog of Ozamiz City.
You know, the police and the military — let us be clear on this — are directly under me.
I am your Commander-in-Chief and for the police, you are under the local governments which I direct and supervise and control in the person of your former Police General Catalino Cuy.
There are many cases of encounters. Some killing my policemen, some others killing my soliders. To date, I have something like… [Can I have this?]
You know, policemen killed in police operations, drug-related, I have lost 83 lives of policemen.
The AFP, including the raids in Mindanao where they are met with M-16s and bazookas, I have lost 289 assisting the police in the war against drug.
And time and again, I’ve been warning this country about the pitfalls of being a narco-politics country.
Albuera was controlling the drug syndicates on the Western side of — Eastern side of the Visayas.
Ito namang Ozamiz na ‘to, he was controlling drugs. In one instance, there was about one team of police operating against the drug people and he never really bothered to ask who they were and they were mowed down.
About five policemen in the team, ang nabuhay ang team leader. It’s a policemen under the hold and sway of the narco-politicians, the mayors, the governors, the barangay captains against government.
In the subsequent investigations, particularly the Albuera mayor who was killed inside the cell and while being served with a warrant by the police, prominent of whom was the supposed? leader Colonel Marcos? Major.
And it was an operation gone awry and the police killed the mayor there. When the report came to me I asked and I’ve been asking you to tell me the truth.
Whatever your problem maybe in connection with your work, tell me the truth. Do not lie to me. So that I can help you with the truth.
When the news broke out, I asked the people there on the ground and I said, “What really happened?” They said that he had a gun. And that he was gunned down by the police while being served the warrant.
And other said that he was rub… It was a case of a rubout and he was killed extra-judicially.
You know as the Chief of all the police, because the Constitution says the President shall be Commander-in-Chief of all Armed Forces in the country.
So I asked the police side. And they stuck to their story that it was really a case of a gunfire. And I had no reason to believe that the policemen were lying.
Albuera Mayor killed more than seven policemen during his time who resisted these illegal, criminal syndicates. And nothing happened.
In this country before, even if you are a colonel, police, army, and if you’re up against politicians, powerful, who have been there for decades controlling the votes or no voting is allowed on that day in an election.
They were so powerful then because they had the connections upstairs. And all they have to do is call the governor and some but not all congressmen and would simply pick the phone and call Malacañang and say, “Mr. President, stop this because he is our valuable leader in politics.”
So I thank God that I was elected President. There was no congressman except about my hometown, actually, Davao and — no more. Two. Another one, a lady from Mindanao also, a governor. But since she is a lady, we will not name her.
Basta tumulong lang siya sa akin. So there are about two governors of so many… How many…? We have about 120 governors? And I had no single congressman. No city or municipal mayor supporting me.
I won by 16 million, six of which was really my margin against my next opponent.
So you would say that I am a President who is freed of the vagaries of politics. Until now, I can tell you.
You can bug Malacañang everyday if you want. I do not call upon politicians for favors. I do not allow them to ask for favors from me, especially about in the assignment, in the mobility or movement of police and… I do not entertain a special request for special assignments. Hindi ko ginawa ‘yan. It’s all professionals.
And every time a governor or a politician would attempt to start or initiate a talk about politics, I would always say, “If you do not want your police chief, you go to General Dela Rosa and talk to him. Do not talk to me because this time, it will be a merit system.”
And I tell you now, marami ito sila. They are still excavating about how many bodies now? 21? Me, when I was mayor, I was charged for killing — not civilians, not political followers, not priests, [inaudible] killing criminals. But it was a — always a thing about performance of duty and life preservation.
I never allowed… And you can ask anybody here If I allowed a policeman to kill a human being kneeling down or their hands astride in surrender.
But I’ve always told you that if you have to shoot, shoot them dead. And this is what the human rights idiots are trying to complain.
You know, when I say, “I’ll shoot them dead,” I’d prefer they’d shoot them in the heart or in the head. That’s the end of the problem.
Because if we’ll just arrest them with the money billions of it, they can always go out, have the best lawyers and that is why all these years, the country has always been on the edge when confronted with cousins of senators and the mayors.
So this is what I really did. I called all the mayors, I did not inform you about it. I called all the mayors — no military man, no police was there — all of them just plain mayors – municipal and city, and I told them, “Do not play with me or suffer the consequences.”
And General Loot — your general before was also there. And I pointed out to him, “There’s one idiot general here who has been at it.” I said, “You better shape up because you will suffer the consequences.”
I’m sure Parojinog was there and everybody. So wala tayong sisihan. There’s really no remorse for you and for me. Fair warning, I told you. Do not dest… Like when I was mayor for 23 years in Davao. How many? That’s an idiotic number, 7,000. How would you kill 7,000?
If you place the number at around 4 to 600, yes, during my time as mayor of Davao City for 23 years that many, because I was fighting drugs and criminality.
And I told them, “Do not destroy my city because I will kill you. And do not destroy the youth of the land, our only asset, because we are poor. The tomorrow of the Philippines.” They are the assets. We do not have money. We are always short of money. But with an enlightened, educated society, maybe, in the fullness of God’s time, we will have a better Philippines.
So at this time, it is our sacred duty to protect them. And I told everybody, “Do not mess up with the — for after all, we are all poor. Because if you are rich there — media and the troops, lahat dito and the spectators — if we are rich or we were rich, we would not be standing there under the heat of the sun and I would not have to bother myself about governance, what happens to this country. But we took this course in life because this is what we believe we can do most.
I repeated that warning when I was President. “Do not destroy my country because I will kill you. Do not destroy the youth of the land because still I will kill you.”
Now, find me a law — local, international, be it in Somalia or Yemen — that says it is illegal to say those words, “I will kill you if you destroy my country and the youth of my land.”
We are poor, all of — working. We are not even average earners. So if you go old, who will buy you the medicines? Who will pay for your hospitalization? Who will buy the oxygen and pay the funeral parlors when we’re all old?
The cycle of life in the Philippines is always like that. We take care of our young and they will take care of us when we are old. It is the way of life, the Filipinos.
The… Our parents stays with us until kingdom come. Then in the meantime, tayo ‘yung nagbibili nang lahat. The medicines and even some of us will mortgage the acquired lands that are all conjugal just to see that our parents live.
Now, you do away with the second generation, anong maiwan sa atin? What do you want me to do? Rot in the sidewalk streets? So that has been a fair warning to everybody.
And I tell you now: Do your duty and I will protect you. Do not abuse, do not commit crime, not the extra-judicial killing pictured by the human rights, just leave them alone.
You know, people judge best when they condemn. That issue, you know, all of you who are policeman, once upon a time, you were assigned in Mindanao.
It started as a political issue, picked up nationally by the opposition, then those idiots there in Europe and in America pretending to be the moral guardians of this planet called Earth invented all of these things.
Kayo — you were once upon… Your chief was once upon a time my… General Cuy also once upon a time, he passed by my place as chief of police. Well, there are many of them. Si Apol — Apolinario.
You could ask them frankly, did I ever, ever, ever order them to kill a person on bended knees? Just give me one contradictory word and I will step down as President.
But you know, the one thing that I really hated and that’s why I’d give them a bad mouth is because they are so naïve and stupid that they come here and visited the Secretary of Justice who was all along running the show of shabu and illegal drugs inside the prison. And that is what is happening in Mexico and in China. And they are now back with vengeance in us.
It’s all directed… The mafia does it inside the jail. ‘Yan ang problema dito and we are helpless. We cannot kill them because they are already inside. We cannot imprison them because they are already in prison.
But I would tell everybody: No matter what it takes, there are always consequences. Me, if there is a shootout, if they offer the slightest violent resistance, if you have to shoot them, shoot them in the head.
For after all, we have had training about shooting. If they want to put up a violent fight, thereby placing yourself, the lawmen in jeopardy, go for it. That is my order.
You feel that your life is in danger, go ahead. Do not come empty-handed.
You know, in the case of the policeman who are no charge, Marcos. The Secretary of Justice is here, Vit Aguirre. Not only that he’s a Chief Justice — Justice Secretary rather.
At [inaudible] justices who are my classmates, we are all classmates. There are about three of them, two — three of them in government. Two are justices of the Supreme Court, one is a…
In the Cabinet meeting I told them, “You go for the truth there. I have the theory of the police. Go and find out what’s the truth.”
And he said, “From the witnesses, we gathered from outside, not from the policemen.” He said, “It all points to murder.” And I said, “Go ahead, go ahead, file the case.”
Hindi ako nakikiusap. ‘Yan diyan tanungin niyo. I never influenced my Secretary of Justice and say, “You better file a lesser charge.” “Go ahead, file. Let the courts hear it.” Then, if they are convicted, it’s my turn now.
There is a trial, convicted, sentenced and — that’s the last step, and there is the President.
And after the trial, if I still find out, with all the cross-examinations and all of things, if they are really innocent, I will pardon them immediately after.
The reading of the promulgation of judgment either for conviction or… Sabihin ko sa judge, “Judge, you free him because I just pardoned him.” “Why?” “Because I believe in his story.” Why?” “Because he is my subordinate.”
You are all my subordinate and you are supposed to follow instructions. If I think that your behavior was misinterpreted or because of politics, or simply they just don’t want you, [inaudible] especially Parojinog, all those policemen assigned there all these years, some of them who went against his illegal activities were killed.
There were a lot of policemen murdered by Mayor Parojinog including the killers of those policemen with him.
I will be visiting Ozamiz. I will not tell you when. But I will warn the policemen there. ‘Yung kasama ni Parojinog and his cahoots who are members of the PNP and who were responsible for the deaths of the six soldiers before, you will have your comeuppance.
I will see to it that you two will get a fair share of… And there is the Secretary of Justice and you can ask him.
That’s about the only time that we talk about the case of Marcos. He said, “It points out to murder.” Sabi ko, “fine”. Because right in front of me was the Chief of — or the police.
In a Cabinet meeting, General Bato is always there. Because when I need some information I always require them to be present during Cabinet meetings.
We will do it legally. Convict kayo? Okay sige, convict mo, walang problema sa akin ‘yan. But I am giving you advance notice. The Constitution says the President can pardon a criminal, either conditional or absolute or grant amnesty with the concurrent of Congress. Period. It does not even say, he can pardon everybody except to himself. It does not…
So when I sign a pardon for you all, my name will be included. And the letters, D, Duterte. Ganoon lang ‘yan eh. I will not preside, if I get to live for five years, over this country with a drug craze population.
I am not about to go on experiment like Colombia and Mexico. All the criminals here, if you insist on a drug war, I will kill you all. I will kill you. That is my warning to all.
Do not destroy my country. We are poor. And as a matter of fact, we are trying not to offend countries because they might suspend their aid and something.
That’s why I was very frank with several ambassadors. There will never be a time that I’ll go to your countries because if you refuse to understand our problem, I do not think you’ll be able to understand anymore.
You are so engrossed in the lives of criminals, forgetting the narco-politics which could bring this country down — teetering edge. The lives of those idiots there if I kill them a hundred a day will not bring this country down to the dogs.
But if you allow politics to enter into the mainstream of the Filipino life, then we are in danger.
So for my… For my take, do not do it during my time. Kayong mga durugista, you will live a little bit longer. You just wait, but never, never… I have shown it and I will do it, and do it again and again until I shall have wiped out you from the face of the Earth.
‘Yan lang ang tandaan ninyo. So all those… The police chief of — who supervised the killing of Parojinog and Marcos who was — who is being prosecuted now, they will have my protection. Not to disrupt justice. I will allow justice to run.
But there is a time where a President will have a part of it. And that is where I can assure you: You will have the justice that we all want. Remember that.
But do not go into the contraband itself. Like the policemen who are now shortlisted in the killing of so many civilians buried in a cemetery there at the back of a barangay hall. Each of you those policemen carry on their head now, I am announcing two million per head.
And you are free to… You are free to go and leave. Ano lang… You just…
I’ll cut short my speech here so that you will have a chance for a crack at the two million for those idiots of your men there f***** the Filipino.
‘Yun lang ang iwan ko. Two million per head. Dead or alive. Better dead because I have to pay for the funeral parlor. That is an added expense. I’d rather buy rice for the people.
Maraming salamat po.
—–
Maraming salamat po.
This will be — the shotgun — it will always be for the forensic — two wounds, two large wounds.
‘Yung ano hirap tayo ngayon, I do not have the money yet but I am ordering the AFP to start the training of about 5,000. And sa police 2,000, I want you SAF-trained.
I have… I do not have the luxury of waiting. But we are not as yet really well… But we are there almost, so I have to prepare. I do not have the funds but I can maybe provide five and two or five and three.
Three police SAF-trained, just the one that — my twin brother there standing. Pati ‘yung sa Special Forces or Ranger.
I want tough and learned soldiers. I want a strong military, a strong Armed Forces and a strong police.
And when we are there, we’ll be able to fight the enemies of the state better and more equipped. I said you will have a priority in governance.
And this time I have disallowed the PNP and the Armed Forces to buy second-hand arms, airplanes from anywhere.
If we do not have the money, we will just fight them with the bolo. But if you want to buy things, helicopters, I want all, all of the equipment for you, brand new, new ones.
Thank you. [applause]
—END—
