(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 DISTRIBUTION OF CERTIFICATES OF ACCEPTANCE AND OCCUPANCY OF TRANSISTORY SHELTER UNITS AND LAUNCHING OF LANDBANK FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR MARAWI AND SIYAPEN COMMUNITY BASED DRUG REHABILITATION CENTER
[Delivered at Brgy. Sagonsongan, Marawi City | 30 January 2018]
Kindly sit down. Assalamualaikum. Maraming salamat po.
You know I have this notice that I have to take off at 5:45, eh 5:43 na eh. [laughter]
But anyway to the — all sa gobyerno, isahin ko na lang, the Armed Forces, the police at ang mga tumutulong sa atin, the Chinese community and the donors, Ayala and the big ones, really gave their best to help us.
You know, it has never been an issue really of — I just like to give you an advice. Do not follow the events that happened in the Middle East. It was the work of terrorism but, of course, also of the unreasoned imperialism of some countries, which I would not want to mention now.
Pero ‘yan ‘yun sila. They came there many years ago, exploited the resources of the Arabs but at the same time with brutality and divided the nations there, in accordance with their wishes. They each claimed a territory.
Gusto kong pahabain ‘to kaya lang I’m warned that I have to take off. Maybe I can find time with you again. I was invited again and I’d be here, most of the time just to oversee the progress of the work.
Suffice it to say that — I would like to first to ask, to beg for your forgiveness to the Moro and the Maranao. Alam mo talagang at first, sinabi ko hindi ko ito kagustuhan. But, you know, there were some events that occurred that I as President of this Republic had to respond, otherwise I have been a derelict of duty and, of course, might have been ousted.
Eh talagang, walang choice, except that we had to do our part in government. Pero alam ninyo ‘yan na pinakamabigat sa lahat, na ayaw kong mangyari.
But anyway, tapos na man at nandito and we have complied our promise. We will continue to fund. As a matter of fact, nandito ‘yan sila DTI. Si Agriculture, wala, but si Berna nandito. You were mentioning about agriculture. Diyan kami magbuhos ng maraming — the rehabilitation of your agricultural production.
And, of course, ‘yung mga may mga ano… May mga pera nakatago, hindi doon sa Landbank mo, sa ibang lugar. I’m sure mayaman kayo. You can always rebuild your buildings there.
But anyway, let us try to avoid terrorism. It is not… It is not ako — nanggaling ang ka-party ko dito. It is not the correct way to obey Islam.
You do not kill and destroy for no reason at all. Kaya huwag nating papasukin, I beg of you not to allow them to enter because it will just cause massive destruction and the loss of lives, including the innocent ones who are really the helpless in case of war.
It was a nightmare to me being President and to see what was evolving here. Hindi nga ako makapagpasyal at baka ako ma-target rin ng sniper. So I had to seek cover sa kampo na — ‘yung kontrolado ko as President.
Pero I really wanted to go out there and, you know, maybe just cry with you. Pero that’s how it’s — avoid kung gusto ninyong makita what happened. It’s not only the work also of the Arabs ha. It has something with to do with the foreigners. ‘Yung the way they handled and maybe brutalized the Arabs in the past.
Pero hindi man tayo doon, dito man tayo. We try to build a new city. I will guarantee you for the remaining years that there will always be money for you, [applause] that you’ll be able to rehabilitate your business kung talagang gusto lang ninyo. Pagandahin ninyo ang Marawi and welcome everybody.
Alam mo, matagal kami… Nandiyan si Alonto, nandiyan si Dabs Mamao. Si Mamondiong. But kami ni Dabs, brod kami. There was never an instance even in the dormitory, ang kasama kong mga Tausug and — I was a roommate of a Mestizo-Chinese-Tausug.
To me ang issue lang, wala talaga. And even in the PMA, tanong ninyo ‘yung mga anak ninyo na nagtapos doon. That issue of religion is never discussed even in whispers.
Kaya huwag kayong magduda, huwag kayong magduda sa akin. ‘Pag gumanda na ito, invite everybody, invite the Christians because they want to see Lake Lanao. Just provide them security. Huwag kayong — [applause] Puro tayo Pilipino. Eh ako kapatid niyo ako.
What would you get? Eh terorista gusto akong patayin? And so? If you kill me, what? Ano? You just continue the — except of improving at this time para sa mga anak niyo.
Huwag nalang tayong mag-away. Let us build a community para sa mga anak natin.
Iwasan na natin ‘yung droga para ‘yung mga anak natin hindi maging gunggong at ‘yung mga anak nila magka-problema pa. That was what happened.
So itong kampo, hindi — sundalo, pulis, kailan pa ba nag-ano sa inyo ‘yan? But I’m going to set a camp here but I will pay you. This is a military reservation pero may mga may-ari naman ng lupa. O sige na lang, kung anong makuha nila, eh ‘di bayaran na lang.
We will pay para walang gulo. [applause] And that is your guarantee.
You can order your military to help you in whatever, pati pulis. Wala ‘yan silang… Sabi ko nga, matanong ninyo ‘yung mga Morong kapatid natin nasa PMA. Iyong mga lalabas — it’s not even discussed in whisper.
I’m appealing to you na medyo i-redirect lang ninyo ‘yung paradigm or the mindset and allow progress to take place. You will need the Christians as the Christians need the Muslim population. The Moro na para… Well, we can improve the lives better than what our parents gave us.
So I have to go because I have to go. Pag nahulog ‘yung eroplano, going na ako, gone.
Sa gabi, pati — magsasara eh. I have been here for about eight times, twice no — it was aborted because I could not enter. I used to come here nighttime, take off nighttime.
Sabi ko lang na huwag lang sana ako tirahin ng buang diyan naghawak ng .50 caliber. Sasabog tayo dito. [laughter]
Ah but then alam ko man na… Alam ko man na wala man rin makuha kayo sa akin kung patayin ninyo ako.
As a matter of fact, this is our golden opportunity. We will proceed with the peace talks. And I said, I have been very, very [inaudible].
We avoid trouble in Mindanao, we go for a federal system and we’ll try to craft something that could fit the BBL or whatever is convenient that could make the Moro happy. [applause]
Huwag na tayong mag-ano sa Maynila, hindi tayo kasali doon. We will not survive there. Gugutumin tayo and the lifestyle is far different from what — ayan si Jun Macarambon. Kasama man kami congressman rin ‘yan. But we never really liked it there.
So nandito ako, umuwi ako, naging Presidente tuloy ako. Ayaw ninyo ng Maranao na Presidente? Maski konti lang. [applause]
Sige daw, maghanap kayo ng Maranao maski mestizo na lang. Eh ‘di ako ‘yun. Totoo.
Mag-usap-usap lang tayo. Jun, you can call Bong and… Itong si Dabs Mamao, classmate ko, brod ko pa sa… Mag-usap-usap lang tayo, huwag tayong masyadong… Do not help expect to…
Me fighting with you? Naloloko ba kayo? Or you fighting me? For what?
But the weather is not cooperating… [laughter] Malayo pa ‘yang Cagayan, yawa. Mag-uwi na ako so…
Jun, you have been wanting to — I heard that you have been wanting to talk? Maybe you can… We have a Cabinet meeting — oh Monday — you can go there. Ano ba gusto mo nang mag-oath? Sabihin mo… [laughter]
Hindi kaibigan kami niyan. As a matter of fact, when I went there to save the — ‘yung mga… Ito naman kasing mga Kristiyano, they were giving away rosaries, bawal man talaga.
Taga-Davao, so sabi ko kila Jun, pati si Salapuddin, “Saan galing?” Sabi ko, “Halika doon, tulungan natin ‘yung mga kababayan ko.” We were able to convince King Fahd. Nagpasama ako sa kanila.
Ganun kami ka-close, [garbled] mag-away tayo, kaibigan na lang, ‘yung — pagandahin ninyo, papasukin ninyo ‘yung — just like Zamboanga. The model is Malaysia. Bakit sila nag — bakit tayo dito nagpapatayan?
Kung ang — mabuti’t na lang meron tayong dito si… Lahat, you know, nung nagusap kami nitong how to rebuild Marawi, I would not mention the name but meron ‘yan silang presentation, committee, committee, committee sabi ko, “ah, sus”. [laughter] Pagkatapos niyan walang bahay diyan ni-isa.
So si General Ed del Rosario siya ‘yung Task Force Davao noon, kilala ko siya. He’s an honest man. He has integrity. Sabi ko, isang tao lang who will call the shots at matino talaga. Matino naman talaga sundalo ko sa totoo lang.[applause]
And I will never condone abuses. If you think that sabi mo naabuso kayo, may nawala kayo, let — give it to Jun or kay Secretary Mamao and I will try to investigate. I will not condone abusive.
But I would also like to thank the brave men of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, kasali na ‘yung — marami akong sundalo na Moro na namatay rin. [applause] I’ll salute them for their —katapangan nila to face terror and the police.
And pulis marami rin akong pulis na Moro na namatay. So sabi ko nga, it’s a useless war. Naglalaro lang ‘yung mga terorista. Do not allow them.
Bakit sila makinabang? Magpunta dito tapos mag — tignan mo ginawa ng mga… Nandito sila ngayon, nagtatago diyan, na-sight ako, hindi naman aabot ‘yung bala mo, [laughter] ang layo niyan.
Ah sabi nga nila, “If Allah wants me there, I will go.” That is what life — we all have our destiny. My destiny lies in the hands of Allah, walang iba. [applause]
If Allah says, “Time to go.” Time to go, but I am here always to help you and I will help you because I am a Moro. [applause]
Hindi lang nga full-time, pero wala rin akong… Ayaw ko rin mag-asawa ng marami kay — girlfriend na lang. [laughter] Kay mag-ligaw ako, kung mag-ligaw man ako sabihin ko, “Moro ako, pakasalan kita.” Pagka — hindi, ako walang relihiyon. Kristiyanos, pero pwedeng girlfriend-girlfriend na lang tayo. Ganun lang man ‘yan.
Tapos ‘yung nakikinig buong Pilipinas. Eh it’s a riddle, you solve the riddle. Tanungin mo si Jun Macarambon kung ano ‘yan.
Punta na ako kay talagang madilim na. [applause]
Jun! Jun!
—END—