(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
ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES (AFP)
CHANGE OF COMMAND CEREMONY
AND
TESTIMONIAL REVIEW FOR
OUTGOING AFP CHIEF OF STAFF GENERAL LEONARDO B. GUERRERO
[Delivered at Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City | 18 April 2018]
Kindly sit down. Thank you for the courtesy.
I’d like to acknowledge the presence of Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo. You have the same name with Maria Leonor Rivera. She’s the heroine of Jose Rizal. Magandang pangalan ma’am; former Vice… former President rather, sorry, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo; former President, my idol, my mentor, my lahat, my critic, [laughter]sali mo na lahat diyan, President Fidel V. Ramos [applause]; House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez [applause], the exponent or the proponent of the divorce law. I am sorry but I cannot follow your… My daughter is not happy with that. [laughter] Really. She… mag-usap na lang kayo ni Sara. [laughter]; the Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Carlito Galvez Jr.; former Chief of Staff General Rey Leonardo Guerrero. Alam mo sir, matagal ng bakante ‘yan eh. You know, I had to extend your services because of what was ongoing war in Mindanao, specifically ‘yung Marawi. Kaya ‘yung MARINA, ‘yung director, ang silya doon multo na ang nakaupo. It’s about time na you report to that office by next week perhaps. [applause];the officers and enlisted personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines; my Moro brothers and sisters in and out of government, the private sector [applause], Assalamualaikum; distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.
I consider it an honor to join all of you today in congratulating General Rey Leonardo Guerrero for his successful tour of duty as the 49th Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
I’m sorry, sir. To the commanding general, kindly give the tikas pahinga. I can understand you, sir. I’m also tired.
Thank you.
Upon assuming command of the AFP in October last year, immediately after the Liberation of Marawi City, General Guerrero was met with great expectation to follow in the footsteps [of] those who came before him.
Under General Guerrero’s exemplary leadership, [the] AFP successfully facilitated our clearing and reconstruction efforts in Marawi—all while preventing the resurgence of any terrorist threat that could have escalated to another conflict and hampered the city’s progress.
General Guerrero ably led the clearing of all major roads, bridges, schools and places of worship, and with the help of the DPWH and the NHA, authorized the deployment of engineering units to assist in the construction of temporary shelters for Internally Displaced Persons.
One of the most notable accomplishments of General Guerrero’s short but impressive stint as Chief of Staff is the unparalleled number of communist and terrorist surrenderees. From less than 800 prior to his assumption, the number of surrenderees rose to more than 5,000 during his tour of duty.[applause] Congratulations, sir.
These achievements have not come without cost, but let me assure our uniformed personnel, kayong lahat po, that the government remains committed in enhancing your capabilities, promoting your welfare, and looking [after] the needs of the fallen and the injured and their families.
Within his six months [as] AFP Chief, General Guerrero has competently and effectively continued the tradition of dedication and hard work [by] those who came before him and left a legacy of his own for future leaders to follow. His efforts have strengthened the foundations of not only a stronger [and] a better military, but also [of] a safer and more secure Philippines.
As General Guerrero marches towards his final review of our troops, I am confident that the AFP will continue to move forward in the right direction under the leadership of your new chief of staff, Lieutenant General Carlito Galvez. [applause]
With an excellent and motivated workforce behind General Galvez, I am optimistic that the AFP will sustain its gains and remain at the forefront of our fight against all threats [to] our sovereignty.
Therefore, I ask our troops to support the leadership, including all in government, of General Galvez’s term and remain steadfast, of course, General Galvez… in your mission [of] ensuring safety of our people and the security of our land.
Armed with our people’s unwavering trust and confidence and fueled by the highest degree of professionalism and competence, it is only through our combined efforts as a people and as a nation that we can achieve lasting peace and sustainable development.
Mabuhay kayong dalawa, General Guerrero and General Galvez. [applause]
Now, I hope that is not the final applause I still have something to say.
Let me just state my case as a worker of government. It was not the military who arrested the nun, the Catholic nun from Australia.
It was upon my orders implemented by the Bureau of Immigration. And I take full responsibility legal or otherwise for this incident.
I ordered her to be investigated, not deported at once, not arrested but to invite her to an investigation for a disorderly conduct.
You know in our laws, the Philippine laws provide that I can deport you or refuse you entry if you are an undesirable alien.
Look, I’m addressing to the Filipino nation. I can swallow, I can take all attacks from the Lumads to the highest and religious orders of all sorts, from my brother Moro, from the military, from everybody.
Ang hiningi ko lang, you are a Filipino, you are entitled really to criticize. Freedom of expression is unlimited and it goes for everybody. But to otherwise undermine and treat the Philippines like a — mattress there to wipe with your feet, that is something I…
I will not… It’s not… I am a politician. I have been enduring attacks almost 40 years — nearing 40 years after my term, Inshallah.
Pero kung insultuhin ako under the cloak of just being what? A Catholic, a priest? And you are a foreigner. Who are you?
Now it’s a violation of sovereignty. I am with the Executive department. I am a worker of that department and I give the orders. And the order of who gets in and who goes out is with me. Not in Congress, not in the Supreme Court. Ako. Ako ang magsabi being head, being there in that office in Pasig.
Papasukin mo ‘yan at mabait na tao. Huwag mong papasukin kasi walang-hiya ang bunganga ng madreng ‘yan. You do not have that right to criticize us. But you can come here and enjoy all the sights. And even I could invite you to attend.
Ako politiko ako but do not insult us every time that you open your mouth with your [unclear]inside at hanggang tilaok mo, throat.
Huwag ninyo akong… Dictatorship, oppression, the military forces in this ground will guarantee the Filipino nation that there will never be a dictator and there will never be anybody who would extend his term even for 22 hours.
They are bound by that rule of that flag. They are not bound to nurture loyalty to me and I do not like it.
Pero habang akong nandiyan, do not insult my country. Because you come here and go, akala ninyo… We never did that to Australia. We never did that to European countries.
Ikaw madre, why don’t you criticize your own government? The way you handled the refugees hungry and dying and you turned them back to the open sea. And now you’re getting rid of the natives there and refugees in an island. Bakit hindi ka magyak-yak doon?
You are too presumptuous about looking at the Filipinos. May human rights violation kayo mas grabe. Eh buti dito kriminal ang pinapatay ko, kayo
Men, women and children seeking sanctuary. Under the heat of the sun and in the coldness of the night. You drove them back to where they came from and you know that they were also being rejected from the country which they were trying to flee.
Kayo marami kayong sakit ng ulo. Do not just pretend that you [unclear]because you’re a nun or priest. Who — I said who are you?
Your God is not my God. Remember that.
The way you adore God, it’s [unclear]on — corrupt. Stick to your own religion and try to correct the abuses within your organization, to address homosexuality and malpractices and adulterous priests. P*****…
Then you come in messing up with us, with this neo-liberalism of yours. You are trying to promote international or geographical governance.
That’s the more than [threat?] the west imposing their values on us. Please do not do that. Go home and try to solve your own problem.
European community, you cannot even handle the refugees, son of…
Beginning today, I will decide who gets in, who gets out. You want to question that, you go to court and I will follow.
But until then, you do not mess up with the sovereignty of this country. You treat it with disrespect, you come here with — you [unclear]and you try to defame government.
Huwag ako. Kaya ko. You know, I can — gusto mong murahan? I can give you a mouthful were it not for the solemnity and the dignity of… Kaya huwag ninyo ako.
Kayong mga left, do not ever, ever try to invite. I will not allow them in this country.
And if they decide to enter surreptitiously, they will be arrested. But if you come here, just deliver your piece about human rights in the proper way.
Pero kayong mga on the other side of the fence, ‘yung mga — kayong mga komunista, kayong mga left, huwag ninyo akong — I decide.
Kung gusto ninyo kayo, eh ‘di sana tumakbo kayo ng pagka-Presidente. ‘Di nanalo sana kayo, ‘di inyo na.
I have a duty to protect this country. If every time your loud mouth opens up, you would say, “It was the military who…”
It’s not their job. That is not the job of a military, watching whether who goes in and out of the Philippines.
Huwag ninyong abusuhin. Eh kung ganun, then you will suffer, not us.
Sabi ko na sa inyo eh, baka akalain lang ninyong isa akong ignoramus galing Mindanao, ay l****. Subukan nga natin. Not…
Martial law? Why would I need a martial law? And I said, “I can order your investigation.” Anybody. Six, nine, 36 hours for investigation purposes. It’s legal and especially if you shout there — sabihin mong mga military, mga taga-gobyerno mga g***, mga ano. Eh ‘di who are you?
Just because you are a nun? You go back to your country and try to ponder the enormity of your problems.
Kaya hindi ako pumunta dito — your race seems to be and every westerner in town, you think that you are far more superior than us, the Malay race.
You try to impose your values. You go about selling an idea from the State Department that if you agree to a same-sex marriage, we will give you this assistance.
Eat your money. I don’t give a… you can have your money. We will survive. Kakain kami ng… But this, the Philippines is not a pasture, it is not a grazing land for just any carabaos and animals like you to graze in the fields of… huwag ninyong… hindi ako papayag ng ganun.
‘Di bale ako. Wala man rin kayong magawa. You try to oust me then if I try to commit abuse, then there’s the military and the civilians, there’s the President Ramos, President Garcia — Arroyo, and the generals there.
Ba’t, wala ba itong mga utak? They would know a dictator. They can sense a son of a b****.
So do not worry. Their loyalty is there o. Ayan. It’s flying. This is where our loyalty belongs.
You come here and insult us, you trample with our sovereignty. That will never happen.
I assure you: if you begin to malign, defame government in any of those rallies there, I will order your arrest.
The only reason why she was released was she was not caught in flagrante delicto. Meaning to say she was not caught during her berating the government.
Sino kang pu — nasira tuloy ang barong ko. [laughter] Nakakasira ka ng porma. Do not give me that ke pari ka pati — we do not share the same God.
You Gods or God are different from mine. You do not have any authority more than mine. My God has common sense. Your God does not have it.
Salamat. [applause]
—END—
