(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
ARRIVAL STATEMENT
AND MEDIA INTERVIEW
OF
PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE
UPON HIS ARRIVAL FROM THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA
[Delivered at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2, Pasay City | 05 June 2018]
Sir, kindly sit down, sir. Thank you.
The Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and the other members of the Cabinet who are here tonight; former Senate President Manny Villar, who was with us; distinguished members of the House of Representatives; the Armed Forces Chief of Staff Carlito Galvez Jr. and other major service commanders; PNP Chief Police Director General Oscar Albayalde; fellow workers in government; ladies and gentlemen.
I am glad to be back from the Republic of Korea.
My Official Visit to Seoul was meaningful and productive. We are now writing a new chapter of cooperation in the shared history between the Philippines and South Korea.
My meetings with President Moon Jae-in were very warm, open and enriching – as things should be between special friends and long-standing partners.
President Moon and I committed to significantly strengthen our partnership, especially in the areas of defense and security, trade and investments, infrastructure development, and protection of our nationals.
I commended President Moon for his commitment to strengthen the foundations of security and stability in the region, and I expressed full support for all efforts [for] the eventual denuclearization in the Southern Korean peninsula.
New Government-to-Government agreements open up areas [for] wider collaboration in science and technology, infrastructure development, renewable energy deployment, trade and economic relations, transportation, agriculture, forestry, and communications.
President Moon and I both reaffirmed the need to work closer together to address traditional and emerging threats, again [including] terrorism, transnational crimes and piracy at sea.
To do this, we will count on South Korea as a steady partner in modernizing our key assets in defense, security and law enforcement.
We both also agreed to ramp up cooperation in the regional and international fora, especially in ASEAN, to advance security, stability and the rule of law.
Trade between our countries has been [reinvigorated]: More than 20 agreements were signed between South Korean and the Philippine businesses. These agreements hopefully are projected to generate an estimated of 4.8 billion [US] dollars in investments and [nearly] translated to about well let’s say modest of maybe 20 to 25,000 thousand jobs.
Both the Philippines and South Korea vowed to do more in this and, indeed, in all areas.
The Filipino community in South Korea also welcomed me warmly and I am humbled by their reception. I gave them my commitment that their government will continue to work hard to advance their interests, protect their well-being and uphold their rights.
The Philippines and South Korea also honored our joint sacrifices in defense of freedom and democracy in the Korean peninsula.
We look forward to the landmark 70th anniversary of our [relations] in 2019, and we will work together to make this occasion memorable.
Indeed, the Republic of Korea is a true friend of the Philippines. And President Moon an even closer ally. Our friendship is reaching a new maturity at even closer as deep and abiding friends. It is reaching on the level of mutual respect for each other, and our relations will only grow stronger in the years to come.
Daghang salamat! [applause]
I am now ready to well, answer some questions.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:
Q: Hello, good morning… ah good aft… good evening, Mr. President. With regards to your — with your trip, the P1 billion loan from the government of Korea and it will be used for the Build, Build, Build program and Marawi rehabilitation. When will this happen or when will this arrive in the Philippines?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Well, we have the money and we have the pace and we just cannot continue and work overnight to make it happen tomorrow. As we go forward, there should be enough time given also to government to make its effort bear its fruit.
But there is no problem about the commitment. We have given that to the Maranaos and to the Moro of Mindanao and to the people of the Philippines.
Dahan-dahan lang muna tayo kasi we already have the money sa — donors are there everywhere and even South Korea is still interested to help us.
But you know, we can only do so much, we cannot do it all the time and everytime and so there has to be an allowance of a timeline where we can complete — the rehabilitation complete.
Q: Yes, thank you. And another question, your reaction for the proposed multi-billion building of the Senate that will be completed in 2020 and it will be transferred in BGC?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Again I… Can you…?
SEC. ROQUE: Mr. President, reaksyon niyo daw po doon sa bagong building ng Senado na gagawin po sa BGC. ‘Yung reaksyon niyo daw po doon sa gagawing bagong building ng Senado dito po sa Bonifacio Global City?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: I seem to be having a jetlag somewhere there. I cannot make out… Again?
SEC. ROQUE: Magpapagawa po ng bagong building ‘yung Senado —
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Ah…
SEC. ROQUE: Reaksyon niyo daw po.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Well, they are occupying a place na hindi kanila ‘yan. I think it’s owned by GSIS, I believe. And if they can kind of — a more spacious environment, I suggest that, and even in the parking and the mobility of… Wala akong objection diyan.
Q: So clarification. So it’s okay to transfer po sa BGC — Bonifacio Global City okay?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Anywhere the Senate wants to build it, we will say Amen.
Q: Okay. Thank you.
Q: Hello, Mr. President, okay. The DFA has always been saying that the Philippines has been taking diplomatic actions on the West Philippine Sea issue. Now, could you please specify what diplomatic actions we have already taken and in what specific issue?
SEC. ROQUE: Sinasabi daw po ng DFA na meron silang mga diplomatic action na ginawa sa West Philippine Sea. Pwede ba hong i-specify kung ano ‘yung mga diplomatic action na ito?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: DFA? DFA does not — does not on its own do a policy. It’s the Office of the President. And so they just implement.
It’s the sole organ of the foreign policy of this country lies with the Office of the President.
And as I have said my piece, unless we are ready to go to war, and I would like to embody to be drafted if they want, and I will send them first.
We cannot afford a war at this time because it will result in a massacre. I am not prepared to lose my soldiers and policeman for a simple adventurism.
Diplomatic protest everytime we open our mouth, we are protesting actually. And if you might want to know, the first time I met President Xi, I already protested and insisted that we will dig our own oil there.
And the response was always, I said, it might lead into some kind of trouble.
And when you say that word “trouble” in Chinese, it means exactly what it means. Are we prepared to go to war?
It’s easy to postulate a theory. Maraming scholar na bright ang Pilipinas. Hindi nauubusan eh. Libo ‘yan.
With the population of 105 million, you can easily say that there are about a million who’d want something more than just the dramatics. Kaya ba nila? Are you being realistic or you are just indulging in a public display of brilliance?
Madali sabihin ‘yan kung hindi ka nakaupo dito. Eh kung gusto nila, sila ang umupo ng isang buwan tignan natin.
I’m willing if there is an opportunity in law or the Constitution, I’d be willing to let anybody run this country and solve all the things that you have been having qualms since… Madali sabihin ‘yan eh.
Now, there is an offer for a joint exploration and others would say that it’s unconstitutional. By what standard? Can’t a country go into a business just because there is a pending issue of jurisdiction?
If this is historical claim and this is an arbitration award, now, who wins? Nobody. Can I rely now on America and drop the first bomb when we attack?
Can I rely on anybody’s help? If all of my soldiers will die there and all of the policemen to assist them, nadisgrasya ang Pilipinas, sino ang managot? I. The people will execute me right at the Luneta and you are either inviting… If I do that, I either I am inviting trouble within my country or the military and police will oust me.
Hindi ‘yan preparado silang go into a suicide. You would rather dispense me rather than lose their soldiers unnecessarily and needlessly.
Madali sabihin ‘yan eh. ‘Pag sinabi ko ‘yan sa military pati pulis, “pumunta ka diyan, mag-suicide kayo”. Do you think they will follow me?
I’ll be the first to — just like the others. I’ll have some trouble under states and eventually, the one who are now yakking will take advantage of that and gain power.
Now how many times did the military intervene in this country? Are you sure that this time they will give it back to the civilians? Just like the other sad experiences which they could suffer. Ibinabalik nila sa military civilian eh.
And they also — there’s a lesson to be learned every coup d’état or every change of radical ways of removing a — an official of government. Sigurado ba kayo na susunod ang military if it means a massacre right there on the beach of Palawan?
Madali sabihin ‘yan. Kung ako ang military, ako ang general, utusan mo ako na pumunta ka doon, magpakamatay ka samahin mo ‘yung sundalo mo. Sabihin ko, “f*** y**. Why do I have to do that?”
Sinong g***** susunod sa iyo? This is not an… This is an armed forces of service not suicide.
Remember that they have learned their lessons in several occasions in this country. You are not sure this time if they will give it back to the civilians. Remember that.
Ako? They will not spare me. They are there because we are the duly constituted authorities of the Cabinet running government. But so long as you do not ask for an impossible, they will obey.
But eh kung sa Bisaya “ibahog nimo”, you feed them to the jaws of hell, they will not. Be careful with that, kayong mga oposisyonista and all.
Q: Just a quick follow up, Mr. President. Could you confirm a report na nagalit daw kayo sa China dahil hinarass (harass) ng Chinese soldiers ang Filipino soldiers na may resupplying mission sa Ayungin Shoal?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Again, I…
SEC. ROQUE: Paki-confirm daw po kung nagalit kayo…?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: The acoustics really is bad. It’s bouncing.
SEC. ROQUE:Ah pinapa-confirm lang po kung totoong nagalit daw po kayo dahil sa Ayungin eh meron daw harassment na naganap diumano?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE:I don’t know about that incident, I was busy talking to Korean officials.
What kind of harassment in the first place before — before I commit myself to answer the question, what kind of harassment was this?
Q: Ang report, sir, hinarass (harass) ng Chinese soldiers and Filipino soldiers na may resupplying mission sa Ayungin Shoal, nagpapadala po ng mga karagdagang Filipino soldiers doon sa Ayungin Shoal.
SEC. ROQUE: Nag-harass daw po ‘yung mga Tsino ng mga sundalong Pilipino na nagde-deliver ng supply sa Ayungin Shoal.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: I have to have a more… Not even… This is the first time I’ve heard of it.
It would be dangerous for me to answer questions without really having the slightest idea of what it is all about.
Q: Thank you, Mr. President.
Q: Hi. Good evening, sir.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: What is your question, about the kissing?
Q: Yes, sir.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: We enjoyed it. It was a showbiz and everybody enjoyed it. Asking for malice, I do not do it in public if there is malice. I would pull the woman’s — down somewhere along the empty hall there.
Q: So, sir, I just wanna ask because a lot of Filipinos have been criticizing you for that, well, very controversial kiss. So what will you say about…?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Eh kasi ayaw ko sa ka — makipaghalikan sa kanila kasi bad breath sila kaya ganun. Inggit lang ‘yan. Smack.
You know, I’ll tell you what, there are people here from Davao. During the campaign in my mayorship days, I kiss every woman there, lips to lips.
Ayaw mong maniwala? Tignan mo ng footage ng ABS-CBN. Hindi lang ‘yan smack, ‘yung ibang babae gusto talaga ng romance.
Style ko ‘yan eh. Maghanap kayo ng ibang style ninyo. There is nothing wrong in asimple kiss you cause an uproar. Inggit lang ‘yan sila. Sabihin mo sa kanila palitan nila ang pustiso nila.
Q: If I may ask, sir, how did Ms. Honeylet react to…
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Tsaka hindi ‘yan tanong. Tanong ‘yan ng mga pervert. Why do you have to dwell on kissing? Sabihin mo na lang baka nag (knocks). Next question.
SEC. ROQUE: One more, Mr. Mayor. Isa pa po? Okay, one more.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE:Same about the kiss?
Q: No, sir. It’s about Ms. Kris Aquino’s reaction to Asec. Mocha Uson’s post. Have you talked with Asec. Uson about this, sir. Ms. Kris Aquino got offended with Asec. Uson’s post showing a video of the late Senator Ninoy Aquino, her father being kissed by two women in defense and in comparison to your controversial kiss, sir. Ms. Aquino said she never disrespected you and she didn’t react negatively on other issues about your family that Asec. Uson brought up until this 9 o’clock in the evening. She also mentioned that what Asec. Uson recently posted reminded her of her father’s death, the sorrow resurfaced because of Asec. Uson’s post. What is you reaction to this, sir?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Ma’am, I am very sorry, I got lost along the maze of the question. Can you put it in one statement?
SEC. ROQUE: Ah ang reaksyon niyo daw po kasi may reaksyon daw si Kris Aquino doon sa pinost ni Asec. Mocha Uson na larawan po ni Ninoy Aquino na hinahalikan ng dalawang babae. At ang sabi daw po ni Kris Aquino eh nasaktan daw siya doon sa ganung isinulat ni Asec. Mocha Uson. Reaksyon daw po.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Well, the logical answer would be to ask my daughter also if she was hurt. I can only ask for my territory. Hindi ko — I cannot dwell into the…
First of all, with due respect, wala na ang tao dito, patay na. Second is I do not know the exact feelings of… Maybe if you want a comparison, you can ask my daughter what she felt when she saw me.
But I said she was around. May dala-dala ako noong mga ball noong mayor pa ako and every time that may bibigyan ako, I would pick out a woman, sinasadya ko. Matanda, bata, lahat. Bata dito. Basta maganda, bata, “O, halik gusto mo? O, sige.”
So? But I never felt any sensation if that is what you mean. I… I can only generate an emotion if I kiss a woman I love. Any other stranger is pure showbiz.
Q: Sir, nakapag-usap na po ba kayo ni Asec. Uson regarding the post?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Wala akong… Tanungin mo na lang ‘yang mga babae, ma’am.
If the women — if there are enough women to… Well I think if all women here would sign a petition for me to resign, I will resign.
But as to the posting of — and the — maybe the corresponding emotional feeling that was generated, I said, I cannot answer you.
‘Yung anak ko pwede mong tanungin, Inday and… Eh ‘yung isang anak ko ‘yun talaga selosa ‘yun. ‘Yun mag — baka she will put me to task. I expect my second daughter to say something about it in front of me when I…
Kaya ayaw ko munang umuwi eh. Pakalmahin muna natin kasi… Alam mo hindi tayo pwedeng makipag-ayaw ng anak na babae. ‘Yan ang… We fathers, we cannot afford it to…
So every time a daughter comments, medyo ‘yung lalaki pa, pero ‘yung mga babae, hindi ko — ‘yung — lalo na si Inday. Hindi ko talaga kaya so… ‘Yan ang… Pa-cool off muna ako dito ng ilang araw sa Maynila.
Mabuti pa sa inyong mga babae, tulungan na lang ninyo ako tuloy mag-explain to them na natural man ‘yang ganun. And because I really, I — I want people…
Hindi niyo kasi ako kilala. I’m a small town political warlord, in politics, not in arms.
Ganun talaga ako sa amin. I embrace lahat. ‘Yung ano — ‘yung… Lalo na ‘yung nandiyan sa baba. You can hardly see me embracing the high and the mighty.
But kung kilala ninyo ako, I — talagang embrace ako lalong-lalo ‘yung may sakit and even with ‘yung may mga lumalabas na… I always reassure them that government is there.
And you know what, I’ll tell you, that was my secret in politics. Nandoon ako sa baba kasi galing ako doon.
And if I want women to feel important even if they are sick, may mga infection na lumalabas sa damit, I try to embrace them and calm them down, and say, “we will look for something else.”
I’ll tell you now, ‘yung PGH, ospital, they are always stretched beyond its normal capacity for… And so they said that — pati ‘yung mga interns… Sabihin ko na, hindi na ito — matagal ko nang itinago ‘yan, matagal ko nang ginawa ‘yan.
Tapos sabi nila na pati ‘yung mga intern nagco-contribute sila ng pera just to help a patient there.
So one day I called them. Sabi ko, “how much is your…” Sabi, “sir, maliit lang masyado. Enough for our wages and salaries, no more…” Sabi ko, “gaano kahirap diyan?” Sabi, “sir, talagang ganyan lang.”
So sabi ko, “would 100 million a month help you?” Ang sabi ng mga doktor, tanungin ninyo. Sabi niya, “Mayor, malaking bagay ‘yan. Yearly?” Sabi ko, “No, I will order PAGCOR to give you 100 million a month.” Check it out. [applause]
O ang media hindi nag-clap ng hands. Kayo ‘yung nagpa-answer sa akin, angang… ‘Yan, sa totoo lang.
And soldiers, ‘yang mga retirees, how much do you receive? Kaya talagang papatayin, ipa-suicide mo ‘yang mga ‘yan, who will take care of their families? Ilan lang ang sweldo niyan.
Kayong mga empleyado dito. Kayong mga ABS-CBN, wala kayong mga salary na ano, all these years in your service, kayo diyan, what do you receive? Talent fee. ‘Di ba?
Sinong tumagal diyan sa ABS-CBN na nabigyan ng malaking sweldo? Anong ibinibigay sa inyo? Talent fee. T*** i***** ‘yan. How many years? 15, 20 years. Talent fee.
Kala mo malalaki ‘yang sweldo diyan mga bata pinapalaro nila diyan sa ano. Even how good you are, it’s always talent ka lang, forever. Gusto mo talagang malaman ang buhay ng Pilipino.
‘Yang mga sundalo, ilan lang ang makuha nila. Ang problema nito because they retire at the age of 56. So doon na kunin ‘yung… How much do they get? One billion, two million?
Si Bato. Sabi nila, 14? How old is Bato? 56? Well, do you presume that he… If lives about another 15 years, doon niya kunin lahat ng pagkain niya pati… Bato is — the physique is good, but only now. He will get old one of these days.
You think that 14 million with the cost of money rising is enough? Na tapos sabihin mo ako makipag-giyera ako, sinong magpakain ng mga biyuda…? Tapos pension bigyan mo lang ng what, 4,000, 3,000?
Eh kung mamatay ‘yan sino ang magpa-aral ng mga anak niyan? Sila? Itong mga China-China? Ako payag ako anak ng… Sabay-sabay tayo. Pero gusto kong pati kayo kasali tayo. You want…
I will not only insist. Sabihin ko ngayon sa China, “Okay, I will find out and then I will go to war to retake whatever they think.”
Alam mo kasi itong mga… They are complaining about the bombers of — it… That airstrip is in Woody Island. It is far beyond our territorial and our economic zone. Malayo ‘yan.
Eh itong mga ‘to, sige reklamo without even looking at the map. Where is Woody Island? It’s near the opening going out of Asia towards the — Philippines towards India. Madali sabihin ‘yan. Maghanap ka lang nang away. Ngayon sabi na — p***** i**.
Look, all the superpowers and America were already put to knowledge. ‘Yung newspaper lahat natin that there was something afoot there building a reclamation.
Ang America, pati itong mga justices, sige iyak. But ang ginawa mo noon? How about the time of Arroyo and Aquino, what was done?
Tapos ngayon dito na meron ng missile, ngayon pa kayo mag-sigaw. And America is prodding me to be vocal about it. In the first place, you are the only superpower at that time, or even now.
Why did you not send the Seventh Fleet? Pinarking (parking) mo doon, at sinabi mo doon sa mga Chinese “stop it because you are not allowed to build artificial islands in international waters.” Bakit hinintay ako? Bakit gusto din nila akong ipaon?
Eh puro t****** itong mga p***. Ngayon, gusto mo ako sa panahon ko sisirain ko ang bayan ko. Bakit hindi niyo sinira noon? You knew very well na the overflights were made, we already had, naka-publish na diyan sa lahat ng newspaper.
Itong Amerika, anong ginawa? It kept silent. Neither did a — was there any public outcry o — takot.
Do you think America will survive if there is war going on? Did you really seriously think that America will be there when it goes to war with China and Russia? You must be dreaming.
Eh bakit tayo kasali, bakit? Eh nandito ‘yung mga… Just like World War, II. Why were we attacked by…? Because they were here. And this country was a colony for 50 years. Akala nila sila ang geopolitics. My God.
Alam mo kung sinong professor namin diyan? Department of Foreign Affairs. Si Rosalinda Tirona. She’s now retired. You ask the DFA dito. And she was good. Very good. Because she was employed sa Department of Foreign Affairs. She was our professor sa geopolitics.
‘Yan nagsasabi na “Alam ba ni Duterte ang geopolitics?” My God. Why don’t you try to debate with me in public so that you will know that you will know that I know. Hindi naman ako torpe.
Alam mo kasi kung bakit? Kung mas bright itong mga justices, itong mga p***** i**** ‘to, siya ‘yung presidente ngayon. Hindi ako. Totoo. If you are smart more than enough you claimed to be, then why are you there? Why am I here?
Me, I am here. I’m going to serve my country. This is the last chapter sa buhay ko. I will dedicate it for the service of my country. Good or bad, you may not like it, but itong bayan ko. Last chapter ko na ‘to.
And I thank God that binigyan ako ng panahon mag-silbi sa bayan ko so that there will be changes in the coming days including public order and security. There are simply too many crimes and too many — claiming to be this and that.
Well, remember that there is — there’s no difference actually between martial law and a declaration of national emergency. So I’ve been warning all. Lahat. I’m warning all including the Human Rights, it’s either we behave or we will have a serious problem again. Mahirap ‘yan.
Most of the complaints here is ‘di papasok dito kasi takot kidnapin, patayin. Well, somehow, even with this meager emergency power, I will use it to the hilt at put things in order.
Ni-warning ko lang kayong mga kriminal, lahat na. Nasa gobyerno, sa labas. I will make radical changes in the days to come.
For those offices na hindi talaga ma-control, I will place you under the Office of the President. Ako na mismo ang kaharap mo araw-araw.
Any other questions? Nawala ang migraine ko. I was… you know, I puked in the — because of pain. That’s why I also not able to go around the plane. Kukumustahin ko sana ‘yung mga mostly Filipino passengers.
And I had to ask Señor Roque here to apologize in behalf… Sabi ko in behalf of me na gusto kong umikot para lang ma… Most of them are OFWs.
Ano pa ho?
May tanungin ako sa media. Who would want to answer me? Please volunteer. Bakit, kayo lang pala ang magtanong? Halikayo dito.
Ah I will just about to ask if you’re satisfied with my answer or not.
Good night to you all, ladies and gentlemen.
— END —