(Note from MindaNews: This is the official transcript of President Rodrigo Duterte’s media interview, released by the Presidential News Desk of the Presidential Communications Office)
Presidential Communications Office
Presidential News Desk
MEDIA INTERVIEW
WITH
PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE
DURING THE 113TH FOUNDING ANNIVERSARY
OF THE BUREAU OF INTERNAL REVENUE
[BIR Covered Court, National Office, Quezon City | 02 August 2017]
Q: Sir, ‘yung sinabi ninyo, tinawag ninyong isang gunggong si dating Pangulong Noynoy Aquino.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Kasi sabi niya, walang nangyari sa campaign. Tingnan naman niya, in all of his six years, he was only able to seize or catch about 3,045 kilos of shabu.
Ako, dito ngayon sa akin, just one year, I have already seized about 2,000 — nearing 3,000 sa entire six years niya.
Q: Okay. So wala siyang karapatan na tawagin na — na sabihin na walang nangyari?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Eh wala… Eh alam naman ng tao kung ano siya.
Q: Okay. Sir, doon sa Parojinog case, jina-justify niyo po ba ‘yung sinasabi ng iba na overkill, masyadong OA ‘yung ginawang operations?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: The police and the military should make sure that their enemies are dead. Otherwise, if the other guy can still pull the trigger, you will end up with a dead police or a dead military soldier.
Bakit ko gusto ‘yan? Eh ako ‘yung Commander-in-Chief of all the Armed Forces, remember that. Commander-in-Chief of all the Armed Forces in the Philippines.
Pero no… I was criticized for not wearing the uniform properly when I went to… Kasi finold (fold) ko ‘yung ano tapos nakabukas. Eh talagang hindi naman ako nagsasara ng last. Alam ninyo ‘yan.
Tsaka I am Commander of all Armed Forces — Navy, Air Force, Army, CAFGU. I went there as a CAFGU. Kaya tinanggal ko ‘yung Duterte patch tapos may Velcro pati ‘yung President.
Kasi CAFGU lang ako pumunta. I can select the unit. Eh CAFGU ako, eh ‘di okay lang.
Q: Sir, sir ‘yung doon sa Parojinog case, meron pa po bang susunod na mga mayors involved in illegal drugs na ganyan din ang mangyayari kasi sabi ninyo ang utos ninyo?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Well, I will make it public. One time, I called for all of them. Sa kanila… Hindi ko kayo niyaya. I barred the media. Three batches. Sinabi ko talaga sa kanila, “Do not do it. Do not do it because my order is to destroy the organizations.”
Hindi naman ito na basta you pick one enemy at a time. You are up against an organization. Parojinog has been there and you can ask the ordinary citizen of Ozamiz.
Tanungin mo sila kung ilan ang pulis namatay doon na hindi sumunod. They were running the city as if it was a feudal state of the family.
Kaya sinabi ko, “Huwag ninyong gawain ‘yan.” Eh ‘pag hindi ninyo sinunod… Sasabihin, “Bakit namatay?”
I said my order, hindi itong droga, Doris. It’s all over everyday, may nahuhuli. It is really run by organizations.
And so my order to the military and the police and rightly so: to destroy the organization, both the supplier, the users and everybody connected with the organization because they keep alive the trade.
Sabi ko, dito ayaw kong mapahiya. I declared war against drugs. Huwag mo akong hiyain kasi hindi ako nakakatanggap ng kahiyaan.
Q: Sir, kailan ho ulit may matutumba na mayor?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Depende na lang sa intriga mo kung saan ang mas marami.
Q: Sir, good afternoon po. Sir, on Commissioner Faeldon. What is really your decision on Commissioner Faeldon muna?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Look, in fairness to Congress, they’re conducting an investigation. I will not be a multiplier to the messy thing if it is really… I think that’s a parang topsy-turvy.
But let me also advise everybody that if it’s just a question of mathematical computation or the equation used, then there is really nothing to it.
As long as there is no corruption, if it’s just a matter of computation, eh ‘di i-recompute ninyo ulit.
Whose equation do you want to use? Dominguez will decide on it.
Q: So, sir, you are keeping him, yes?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Wala pang…
Q: Wala pang desisyon?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Walang… Wala pang result ng investigation.
So due process. Pati nga ‘yung kriminal na humihingi ng due process, siya tuloy nasa gobyerno.
I said, if there is corruption, wala na tayong magawa. But if it’s just a matter of computation, kagaya dito ganon, I would not…
I know the guy. Sinabi ko, estudyante pa kami. Hindi nila… They are not… They are not up to it. Otherwise, I would not have invited them to the Cabinet.
Q: All right, sir. Thank you, sir.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Alam ko ‘yung mga taong kinuha ko. ‘Yung relo ni Dulay, ‘yung suot-suot niya ngayon, I gave it to him 10 years ago.
Tanungin mo kung ano ‘yang relo, kung sinong nagbigay. ‘Yun binigay lang rin. Ganon ako eh. Ayun, ang relo ko naibigay ko kanina. Sundalo, ‘pag walang relo binigay ko. “Iyo na ‘yan.”
Take a good look at my watch when I wear it. It’s Seiko. Take a good look. Lapitan mo. Basahin mo.
‘Yung Patek ‘yan ang niregalo ko sa iyo. Ah hindi? Ibang Pia pala ‘yun.
Yes?
Q: Sir, the Senate investigation po kasi on the BOC issue shows that there are some suspicions that there was connivance between BOC personnel and the drug traffickers. So, sir, if the Senate investigation shows that there was corruption in BOC, will you then fire Commissioner Faeldon?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Let the investigation go to its hand. Let them wind up.
Q: Sir, why do you still continue to trust–?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: It’s just in the course of the investigation ang sinasabi mo. I want the report, final. Then I will review it and I will be fair.
Q: Sir, why do you still continue to trust Commissioner Faeldon?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Again?
Q: Why do you continue to trust Commissioner Faeldon?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: I believe in his integrity. As a matter of fact, he was in Davao four years ago when he was — together with some military men and they were urging me to run.
Marami ‘yan sila, ‘yung nasa gobyerno ngayon. ‘Yun ‘yung mga supporters ko sa military. Sabi nila, “Tumakbo ka.”
And the… The complaint then, as now is that corruption nga.
So we will look into it. But I said I would be fair.
Q: Sir, last question. Sir, are you inclined to veto the bill that will give free tuition for state universities and colleges?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Tertiary?
Q: Yes, sir. Sir ‘yung…
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Tertiary?
Q: Sorry.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: There’s a tertiary.
Q: Yes.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: You’re referring to it, tertiary?
Q: Yes.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Hindi mo nga alam ‘yan kung ano ‘yan.
Q: Sir, hindi kita narinig. Sir, are you inclined to veto it?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: It’s in my table. I will decide before the deadline.
Q: All right. Thank you, sir.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Wala na? Si Ina. Huwag mong sabihin na wala kang itanong. Maski sa private life. Tanungin rin kita sa private life.
Q: No, sir. I want to ask you about your meeting with the senators last night. Although you mentioned in your speech that you talked to them about the possible amendments in the procurement law, were there other topics that — ?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: No. I called them for some specific purpose, which to me is urgent and immediate. And then, we rambled on to so many things, itong — kagaya sa Customs and itong sa — about the finance.
Pero, I specifically asked them to be there last night kasi may mensahe ako sa kanila mas more important ‘yang mga ganon-ganon.
Q: You can’t share with us, sir, what—?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Regarding the state of security of the Republic of the Philippines.
Q: Sir, ano na po ang latest doon sa culmination of — termination, I’m sorry, of the peace talks. Have we formally communicated plans to terminate the talks?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: The what?
Q: Formal notice of termination, sir, nakapagbigay na po ba?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: ‘Di ba sinabi…. Meron pa ba ibang protocol diyan?
Ms. Andolong: Formal documents, sir.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Ayaw ko na, sabi ko. So is there any other protocol that I have to comply before it becomes final?
Q: Yes, sir.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: What is that, written?
Q: Yes, sir. That’s what the other party is waiting for.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Give me a piece of paper. I will write it for you. Give it to them.
Q: Thank you, sir.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: If there’s nothing to expect in the talks, so why are we continue talking? What do you intend to accomplish? It only ends up at name-calling pati shouting. Don’t waste my time, I have so many things to do.
Q: Thank you, Mr. President.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Thank you girls. Maghanap tayo ng… Siya. Hindi ko siya… Hindi ko siya narinig nagtanong. Siya o. May tanong ka, ma’am? Please, ma’am, magtanong ka, ma’am, please. Please naman.
Q: Sir, ‘yung…
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Taga-saan ka, ma’am? Anong organization?
Q: TV-5.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Lions? Sa? Ano ka? Jaycees? NPA?
Q: Sir, Beverly po sa TV-5. Sir, did you discuss with the senators during your meeting, did you discuss anything about Marawi?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Marawi, let’s just wait for a few more days. It’s about… We are winding up. We are winding up. And, ang masabi ko lang, I would need the money. That’s why I’ve been urging people to collect more.
Kaya rin ako nagpunta dito nagpapasalamat sa ating — the workforce of the BIR because they’ve been doing a great job.
I would need billions to rehabilitate… I would need about — billions para to rehabilitate…
I would like to assure the Moro people that they will not be abandoned or forgotten. We will rebuild Makati — ay, Marawi. Huwag lang, huwag lang muna sila papasok uli ng ano…
I’m warning everybody in the Moro areas, in the non-Muslim areas: Do not, do not unless you want a repeat of what happened.
And I have enough forces to do it. I do not want quarrel. I do not want trouble. I plead for peace, but please I said, do not destroy my country. Salamat po.
Q: Sir, one more question.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Sige, ma’am, I give you 10.
Q: Sir, word is…
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Huwag kang maniwala diyan security —
Q: Sir, word is there might be some changes within the BIR, sir, whether you’ll be removing some commissioner or… Is that true?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: ‘Yung in the field of… ‘Yung tax, that is the domain of Dominguez. Siya ‘yung mag-aral sa mga tao niya at pinag-aaralan niya ‘yan, ‘yung workforce niya. Then I will just… Unless, unless there is a compelling reason for me to intervene.
But that’s a far-fetched idea. I leave Dominguez to run his… In like manner, other secretaries, they have the autonomy to…
So kung ano lang, ‘yung talagang… I said, a compelling reason would be…
Thank you, ma’am.
—END—
