(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
CLOSING PLENARY OF THE 26th MINDANAO BUSINESS CONFERENCE (MINBIZCON)
[Delivered at Convention Hall, Xavier Sports and Country Club
Xavier Estates, Masterson’s Road, Uptown, Cagayan de Oro City | 09 September 2017]
Kindly sit down.
Let me express my apologies. Actually, I was on time. I took off from Davao, it was a good weather over there. But coming in, I was advised by the security that I could not proceed there immediately because there was this call of a thunderstorm maybe and the sky was blanketed.
And coming over here, as a matter of fact, we had to turn back and to find another route, an opening in the clouds, so that we could enter Cagayan. Sarado po and the clouds are very low and we had to negotiate the terrain.
But still, I made it on time because I noticed that the crowd is quite in their proper places. And of course, Mr. Ambassador, Igor Khovaev, is my good friend. We meet everywhere. He’s my idol, actually. [laughter]
We met in — it was a short time, but I was in the — in his country. Eh naudlot lang po dito sa developments ng ating bayan.
Let me begin by laying the predicate of this meeting. Actually, I have a prepared speech. For all of the thousands, maybe hundreds of kilometers by motor, I had several locations to travel in my motoring days in a big bike.
Actually, it’s about seven hours? But I have only three pages for you. Not worth the waiting for you and me. I was detained there sa holding room sa airport for almost an hour and a half before I was advised that I could take off.
I would like to also just introduce — maybe they have been already — the Defense Secretary Lorenzana; Mr. Pizarro, whom I met, the first guy to greet me; Agriculture Undersecretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat [bakit ‘kaw, marami ang pangalan mo? [laughter]; Cagayan de Oro First District Congressman Rolando Uy and other members of the House of Representatives; Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno — everytime I come here, he seems to be more handsomer, if there’s a word [laughter] baka sa babae ‘yan walang iba [laughter]; Mr. George Barcelon; participants of the 26th Mindanao Business Conference; mga kasama ko sa gobyerno; mga kababayan.
I said let me — hindi tayo magkaintindihan dito if I go directly. You know, we — the predicate is — what ails Mindanao? Why is there a lag in the progress of Mindanao? Why is it that they do not have manufacturing? This is supposed to be an agricultural land — well, the Philippines fundamentally is… ang economy natin is based on agriculture. Well, we do not have it here.
Well, one is you have to look into the factors but mainly because Mindanao seems to be in trouble. And I would admit that I have to correct the historical injustice asked by the Moro people. But then again, what’s happening in Marawi seems to stretch the trouble farther than we expect.
Let me assure the MI: we continue to respect the leadership and we would like to pursue the talks. And for Nur Misuari, the same thing. We made that guarantee, and it was the centerpiece of my campaign, that we will change the system to federalism. Alam mo, let me be frank… [applause]
This is aired all over the Philippines, so everybody’s listening. Just a caveat. I am not trying to, you know, agitate or scare anybody, but the historical system of unitary type of government — which is actually fundamentally for control [of] the population because we were colonized — would not work at this time anymore.
And if we cannot solve the problem of Mindanao, vis-a-vis the different contending parties for sharing maybe an equitable distribution of all things, then we are headed for a long haul of trouble.
I will guarantee you that being from Mindanao, with a mother from — a Mindanaoan, I will tell you now straight that there will be no peace in Mindanao for the longest time.
The only way that we can really correct the injustice in Mindanao is for everybody to reconsider that position. And the elite of this country cannot hang on to this unitary type of power grab every time.
Ganito — ang humahawak kasi nito, ang ano, elite talaga eh. The elite of Manila and the rest of the countries. That is why in every election, they decide who should be President.
It’s just the family of one or two or three before. The sugar block of Luzon and the Visaya — of Visayas, and some bright guys in Manila. Sila-sila lang ‘yan eh. They are the ones who meet there, decide who’s the best, they call for the Taipans, they call for the Chinese to pitch in and generate money for the elections. And so, kanila talaga ang mananalo.
Itong pagpasok ko sa Presidency, mind you, ah well of course, minimal ang utang ko. Kasi, except for Congressman Nograles and si Velasco of Marinduque because he’s a friend, wala akong congressman ni isa, even in Mindanao.
Ang governor ko — and I have to acknowledge — si Amante sa Agusan del Norte, pati si Imee. Wala na. So wala akong utang na loob. Kaya nagbu-b*** s*** talaga ako ng tao.
You know, ABS is here pati ‘yung nakikinig man ‘yang Inquirer has been sold to somebody else.
I will ask you frankly. Do you think that the Mile Long real estate, which has been practically given to the elites of Manila, kaya’t ano — isauli kaya ‘yan kung hindi ako naging Presidente?
Sleep on it. Kung ‘yun ang nanalo doon sa ano, puro elitista, masauli kaya sa mga…
Ang Inquirer, sumobra. They were using the — the Inquirer as a power tool to control politics and to destroy reputations of people. Pagdating dito sa kanila, bi-**** s*** ko sila, at pi****** i** ko sila. [laughter]
At si Gabby Lopez ng ABS, andiyan, sinabi ko, “Mukha kang pera. P***** i** mo.” [laughter] Totoo kasi eh. Sinong makasabi sa kanila ng ganun?
And they were foisting this lie that I was having 200 million, itong — itong anak ko ngayon, we were the favorite targets. Now, they have — during their time of the campaign, I told everybody, “You can go around up to the rural banks of Tawi-Tawi, if there’s one. Hanapin niyong pera ninyo, kasi kung nandiyan, if it is true, I will withdraw my candidacy.”
Now, I gave you my commitment when I won, there will be no corruption, as I have told you, and if you can smell one — with my daughter who’s theMmayor of Davao City, and ‘yan si Pulong na may magsabi — huwag ‘yang hearsay na ganon, natatanggap.
And I can’t invent… I’m coming up with Trillanes his bank deposits, all over. Ngayon, nakuha ko na, akala kasi niya hindi ko rin kaya eh.
So, I am giving you in a few days the number of deposits that he has with his — with Chinese joint accounts. It’s all over — Hong Kong, Australia, America, ‘yung ganun.
Kaya sabi ko, ako, I’m willing to resign immediately. I don’t have the illusions of the Presidency perpetuating in power.
‘Yang left, isa pa rin. “Diktador.” Look, you ask me if I am happy being President now? I’m telling you, no. I am no longer happy.
But because I was placed there by a mandate, with a sacred duty to run the country, I will just do it. I said there will be no corruption, and everybody has to follow, including Mindanao. [applause]
Some of the practices here — slavery is still prevalent. Maraming nagki-kidnap sa labas, tapos dinadala sa Marawi. Mga bata. Totoo ‘to. Hindi mo ako mabola kasi ang lola ko Maranao. Huwag tayong magbolahan dito.
Slavery has to stop. Because itong mga kidnappers, mga hold-uppers dito, hindi lang Moro, pati itong Kuratong Baleleng, they have to stop. I will order the soldiers to shoot you, G** ******.
Do not give me that s*** about due process. Huwag tayong magbolahan dito. Whenever there’s shabu, there is no democracy at all.
In Ozamiz, two decades — two decades of power. The mayor, being a narco-politician, was using government resources and manpower pati na pulis to run a city, was manufacturing drugs day and night.
After this Marawi incident, meron pang martial law. I will go after you. At ‘yan, ‘yang human rights with all the hullabaloo… Oh, tingnan mo ngayon sa Burma.
Si Suu Kyi is a Nobel Prize winner. O, tingnan mo. The Rohingyas, they’re being brutalized. Kita mo, walang — walang citizenship ‘yung mga tao.
Look at the TV, sa Al Jazeera. Tapos itong mga human rights na ano, they’re all — they all… Shut up.
Yesterday, I lost a policeman. He was hit in the head raiding a drug den. Same place, sa Caloocan. And, I will just shout, itong left, they are capitalizing, they want to get the cadaver to parade it. Well that’s a — that’s a… You will not affect me anymore. Psychologically, I will just think of some other things.
I cannot run for re-election. Andito ako. I will talk about the predicate of this [unclear]. The predicate really is order. So, ‘yang drugs, hindi matatapos ‘yan because it will never end. And everybody agrees with it. It’s either Trump or even President Putin when I was in Russia. We talked about it. And I said it’s a problem for my country.
And he said, “We will help you.” That is why… well, of course, I only visited China and Russia. The countries I feel that could help me and understand me. Without giving me the s*** about human rights. Ito, itong ganitong sitwasyon sa —- Itong mga kidnapper, mga Kuratong Baleleng. Huwag mo akong bigyan ng… don’t give me a sad story about them.
I… either we are freed of them, as free, or I will see to it that we will get it. Dito sa panahon ko. ‘Pag hindi ko kaya ‘to, walang makakaya niyang mga animal na ‘yan. Totoo ‘yan. Kasi sabihin man nila na, “Bakit ka pumunta dito?” Sabihin ko, “Gusto kong mamatay.” [laughter]
Pareho ng terorista. I really want to die. You know, my forebears are from Lanao del Sur. My cousins there are in the [what do you call the] mga mahirap lang at tsaka resettlement areas, sa evacuation centers. So it is good… it’s good to go back to the molecules of our… the past.
Tapatan mo. Gusto mong kamatayan? Gusto ko rin. I’d be happy to die anytime for my country. So what’s the problem? [applause]
It’s really law and order. Mindanao cannot progress. Nandiyan ‘yung NPA, exacting extortion. Tapos andiyan ‘yung mga warlords, sa gobyerno, mga titulo. NI… ano ‘yun? NICIP? NICIP.
Tapos nandiyan ‘yang DENR. Andiyan pang land registration. Tatlong titulo sa gobyernong ‘to, nag-i-issue ng land title. ‘di ko ‘to ma — but I’ll explore one day. Land dispute ‘yan. So these are the things that contributed to this disorder, including government, because of corruption.
‘Pag hindi mo na-control ang corruption sa gobyerno, walang mangyayari sa buhay na ‘to. Kaya talagang hihiritan ko. When I go back next week, I will abolish 1 to 3 agencies. ‘Yung Road Board, they have to go. ‘Yung Sugar Regulatory Board, I will abolish it. Just place it in an office.
Biro mo, the guy. Meron siyang consultant — tatlo — ang bayad, 200,000 buwan-buwan. Mas malaki pa sa Presidente. [laughter]
Sabi ko, I fired… but I will abolish them, I will suggest to Congress na i-abolish na. You better… pati ‘yung pera lahat, isauli mo sa Congress.
Let Congress decide. And I will tell Congress, be sparing in creating offices. Marami akong bagahe eh. Corruption dito, corruption doon. Hindi ko… And I have soldiers who are wounded seriously. Kulang ako sa pera, and then the guys there, consultants being paid 200. Mag-ku-coup d’etat ‘yang mga ‘yan, tignan mo.
Makikita nila ‘yung mga masugatan, wala masyadong… and look at this.
August of last year, when I became President. July, August. Pumunta ako sa AFP Medical Center, V. Luna.
Pagdating ko doon, because I am familiar… being Mayor for the longest time. “May CT Scan kayo?” Wala. May X-ray lang, luma. “You have a… you have a… itong MRI?” Wala. Sabi ko, “Ito, ganito. The hyperbaric?” That’s the high-pressure chamber when you use — you have the bends. Para mag-dive ka na, maunahan, embolism. Hyperbaric. Wala.
So Diokno, the budget officer, and the General, were with me. Andiyan si Secretary Esperon, I saw him here, Lorenzana. Sabi ko… I looked at Diokno, I glanced at him, and he said… nodding his head. So sabi ko, bigay ko, bigay, bigay, bigay.
Would you believe it, when the government doctors were there to inaugurate the Malacañan… ‘yung mga sa sundalo… the Presidential Security, they have a medical thing there, hindi naman… parang ospital na pang-ano lang. Hindi naman tertiary.
Tinanong ko ‘yung mga doctor. “Do you have the equipment and the machines already?” You know what they told me one year hence? “Wala pa.” T*** i** [inaudible] Gusto kong mag-resign na… the exasperation. Kaya mainit ang ulo ko palagi. Sino ba namang hindi?
Kaya ‘yang hyperbaric helps control the spread of gangrene. You know, the soldiers are there, and they are extricated about half the day. And there are open wounds, infection sets in, bacterial or otherwise.
‘Pag hindi nadala kaagad ‘yan doon, maputol talaga ang paa. And all we have to do is to bring him to a hyperbaric.
Anak ng… kaya pabalik ako nang pabalik diyan. Sabi ko sa Congress… I don’t know, but I… I specifically, I asked the Senate President and the Speaker, “Kindly do away with procurement.”
Kasi ‘yung procurement is the evil of them all. [applause] Kasi ‘yang procurement na ‘yan na lowest bid, pabagsakan ‘yan sila.
Itong mga p*****i**** ‘to, either they cabal, or they agree na magpasok sila dito — may project dito, tapos may… well, open ng ano, open ng sa bids. Mag-ano ‘yan sila, tapos sila-sila lang ‘yan. Ibagsak nila.
Ngayon, ‘yung iba, tataas kunwari. O, ‘di bagsak. Pero iwi-withdraw niya. Pero sila-sila lang magbayad. That’s one. ‘Yung iba naman, kasama dito ang Korte. I know what’s happening to the judges here in the Philippines but some are really corrupt.
Ganito ‘yan eh. ‘Pag manalo ito. And it happened kay Consunji pati kay Ayala. May manalo na, and the project, it’s about to start, because we are in a hurry to start and finish the job. Papasok naman itong isa, magkukuha ng TRO. Ito namang mga g***** judges. That’s why I have to warn you.
I am not the traditional, courteous guy ha. [laughter] T***i**, mag-uupakan tayo dito and — [laughter and applause] They are not… binibira ko.
Sabi ko, “Look, I will read. I am a lawyer. I should know if you’re… if you are a son of a b****, I would know.” Pati na si Ombudsman. So what’s the problem? They criticize me about the lack of, what, due process or human rights?
Kayo? Kayo, anong ginagawa… selective justice. Wala pa akong nakikitang yellow, nademanda. Puro kalaban. Last time, si Gringo.
Unang-una, selective justice si Morales. Si Sereno naman, she’s running the Supreme Court as if it’s a private firm. At tsaka kung mag-abroad… sabi ko nga, I’ve always led a simple life. ‘Di tiningnan naming ‘yung mga ano sa hotel, mga suite. What’s the…
Alam mo, sa gobyerno ngayon, sinasabi ko sa kanila, ‘yang Cabinet members, lahat. “You ride economy class. Wala kayong Mabuhay. Mabuhay-mabuhay kayo.” [laughter] “Gastos ng tao ‘yan eh.”
And I don’t use the… wala kang nakikita. Cabinet members, they have this specialized number — 6.
President is 1, I do not use it. I use the ordinary. When I go out, you can look at the plates. It’s an ordinary one.
When I was Mayor, I never placed that plate “Mayor.” When I was Congressman, I never used the 8. I find it very corny. [Speaks Bisaya] [laughter and applause] Tapos ‘tong mga ito, high officials, they travel, suite, first class. Do not do that.
What you should do if you’re a government official… you want to travel, okay. Get in an economy. Then if you have the money, you buy. Pa-upgrade ka lang. Otherwise, kukwestiyunin kita. Tatawagin kita sa Malacañang. [laughter] Sabihin ko, “Ikaw ba may pera, o wala, o ano? Mayaman ka ba o mahirap?”
Ako, okay kasi ako. Hindi naman ako mahirap, hindi rin ako mayaman. So pareha tayo lahat dito. And so why f*** with the money of the people?
‘Yan ang predicate diyan. It’s corruption sa government, then the law and order is affected. ‘Yang Cotabato na ‘yan, puputok ‘yan, kaya isang… isang lote, tatlo ang titulo. And somebody has to explain that. Otherwise, pupu… tignan mo, ano ang sunod na… the next flash point is still in Mindanao.
Ang akin lang kasi, sa aking mga kadugong Moro. We know the situation. We know that you are the original occupants here. Pero lahat naman tayo, we belong to the Sri-Vijaya empire.
Kaya nga kayong mga Bisaya, if you listen carefully sa Tausug, maiintindihan mo ang salita nila.
So we are all Malay. Hindi naman namin kasalanang nag-migrate kami dito because pagkaalam namin, ang Pilipinas, kasali ang Mindanao. So we are not really squatters here.
Me, I have a mixed blood, and I’ll tell you, let us understand each other. But we must also provide for our Moro brothers. Kasi nawala talaga sila eh.
Because when the American came, they granted homestead. If it’s a corporation, 24 hectares; if it’s an individual, 7. No Moro was given any piece of land. Kaya ganun.
So we have to correct that. If you want a definite territory, fine. And that is why I continue to talk with the mainline revolutionary fronts.
They also want peace. Pero kung ganito lang naman ‘yung iba, including the communists — Sison, gusto niya, masunod kaag— Kaibigan ‘yang mga ‘yan eh. But you know, when I became President, when I was in Davao, we used to talk. ‘Yang mga sundalong NPA sa Mindanao, hindi ‘yan kanila lahat. Iba niyan Duterte faction. [laughter] Tignan mo, when they start to come down. I’m negotiating with the big ones. Bumaba kayo, I’ll give you the piece of land and I’ll give you livelihood.
‘Wag muna tayo — iwan mo na ‘yung… We have been fighting for 50 years You want another 50 years? You want to kill Filipinos for another 50 years? ‘Yan ang gusto ninyo? Ayaw ko. I’m very hesitant really to kill my own brother.
Pero kung gusto ninyong bakbakan, marami man akong pulis, nakapila ‘yan sa Aguinaldo diyan o, araw-araw. Naghahanap ng trabaho ‘yung mga bugoy diyan na walang…
Okay, sige, ikaw ayan, magsundalo ka na. I am recruiting 20,000 new soldiers [laughter] and I will train them just to kill.
That’s how — war is all about killing, so hindi mo naman — wala nang ibang kurso diyan eh on how to target your ano enemy. ‘Yan ang gusto ninyo.
If you want to talk peace, fine. But do not be too incessant ‘yung sa gusto ninyo kaagad-agad nandiyan, mga komunista.
And I get the blame for not — na-TKO sila doon, ‘yung dalawang — I’m the only President na naglagay ng mga komunista diyan sa Cabinet ko.
Binigay ko pa DAR because that is the closest to their heart, and DSWD binigay ko rin sa left kasi makatulong eh. Pero ako pa — ako pa ‘yung [unclear] — ako pa ang sinisisi. [laughter]
Sila ‘yang nakipagaway, daldal nang daldal… “‘Ang gobyerno corrupt.” Siyempre ang mga Congressman nasasaktan ‘yan. Hindi naman lahat ng Congressman corrupt eh. May ilan, pero hindi ‘yan lahat, well most of them — wala akong — I could not even imagine one.
So ‘yan ang ano — that’s the — having said that, I will now read my speech. [laughter and applause]
I thank you all for organizing and inviting me. [laughter and applause]
Sa totoo lang, ‘pag nabalitaan ko na — in other occasions, some — in other places, if it’s really not a viable thing to penetrate the clouds — magsabi naman ‘yan sila na, “Sir, postpone mo na lang.”
Kasi pumunta kami dito sa dagat. Nag-sara. Balik kami, nag-ikot doon sa bukid, tapos dito kami nag-ano — diretso na sa ano, hindi na kami — hindi na ako dumaan ng Poblacion eh, diretso ‘yung target ng chopper.
Had it been some other kind of activity, in some other place, ma’am, I would have just — you know, and there’s not — there’s the weather, and simply, it’s dangerous to be navigating in a — kasi pababa na ‘yung clouds eh so hindi mo na makita and the helicopters can only fly so much, and there are mountain ranges.
Were it not for the fact, really, that Cagayan de Oro is full of beautiful women — [laughter and applause]
Mga puti na lithe ang — very lithe itong mga babae sa ano. Lithe ah, hindi masiyado tambok pero [laughter] wala kang makitang — it’s not a sexist ano, I’m just telling you the truth. Mahirap din kasi nito — “That’s a sexist statement.” “No, of course not — beautiful.”
We have lost the right of oratory — “Ikaw ang babae na pinuntahan ko dito.” [laughter and applause] “At sapat naman sa akin na sana makarating. At dahil sa ulan at makapal na ulap,” [laughter and applause] “Ganun pa man, sumugod ako.”
Saan ba ‘yung ibang maganda dito? [laughter and applause] Ganun ‘yan eh. So…
You’re continued support for the government’s [laughter] development efforts is deeply appreciated.
I have always been a firm believer in Mindanao’s great potential. As long as it has the right infrastructure and a sound business environment, Mindanao’s abundant resources and hardworking and dynamic people have the capacity to contribute even more to our country’s growth and development.
It is for this reason that the government is aggressively pursuing infrastructure projects in Mindanao.
We have allocated funds to build structures that facilitate the transfer of goods and services as well as enhance mobility and connectivity.
Key projects such as the Mindanao Railway system, the Panguil Bay Bridge and the Laguindingan Airport development are in various stages of implementation. [applause]
To secure Mindanao’s important role as the country’s food basket, the government is actively providing assistance in the production of high value crops, and the development of agricultural products and marketing of its goods, among others.
The Color-Coded Agri-Fishery Map is now available to our farmers to help them identify the most suitable crops for their farms.
This will be continuously improved with new data and tools to provide more information for our farmers and fisherfolk. All you have to do is just look at the map. Ito, ito ang itanim mo dito. It’s actually — it’s simply stated as the soil analysis of what should be the appropriate tanim mo.
However, our efforts to promote business, trade and investment in Mindanao will be in vain if we cannot ensure stability and order, as well as secure just and lasting peace in the island.
That is why the government is intensifying the fight against illegal drugs, crime and corruption, even as it creates a more enabling and nurturing business environment in Mindanao.
The government remains firmly committed to wiping out local terrorists and other threat groups that continue to hinder our peace and development efforts, especially the ISIS-inspired ones who have attempted to take over the City of Marawi.
I assure all investors and businesses in Mindanao that the government will do everything to make sure that Marawi City recovers and that it will rise again as a thriving and flourishing city.
The government is now expediting preparatory works for the implementation of the Marawi City Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Plan to see to it that this will really happen.
While we have big and grand plans for Mindanao and our country, all of these will not succeed without the help and participation of the private sector. I therefore ask everyone in this conference to continue supporting the government’s programs and initiatives.
Rest assured that the government will continue listening to your inputs and suggestions.
With your cooperation and our people’s support, I am confident that we will create a more prosperous and progressive Mindanao.
Salamat po. [applause]
I have the tendency to ramble the words ha, kasi ‘pag ganun magtingin man ako kung sinong maganda, ‘yung isa, ‘yung nandito, ayan o. [laughter] Si kuwan…
Thank you. Salamat po. [applause]
—END—
