Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III; Ambassador Ralte, the Indian Ambassador to the Philippines; General Ronald Dela Rosa; Mr. Dante Jimenez; Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption Board of Trustees, Officers and Awardees; fellow workers in government; my beloved countrymen.

Alam mo, it is not only the drug menace that has created a crisis in this country, but we do not seem to agree all – and this is a democratic State. And I will always grant, concede that right to them, how we define justice in this country? As lawyers of criminal law, especially yours truly, I was a prosecutor for ten years. And in school there are two schools of thought taught in our schools. One is that it’s the classical theory that you pay for your crime. The other is the positivists which is actually the one adopted in most of the countries now, around the world, is that there is always a chance for the criminal to recreate himself and brought back to the mainstream of society. I agree, but not all.

Which is the better gamble? Me, I stick to an eye for an eye and a tooth for… iyong ganoon na istorya. Kasi ako, I believe in the classical theory. Lahat naman tayo, may mga Justices, lahat dito, mga taga gobyerno, si Senate President is a bar topnotcher. But ultimately at the end of the day, it is how you characterize yourself kung ano ka. It’s not really dependent on the professors or the learned lecturers of our country but I said, it is always how you gauge yourself as a human being.

Ang problema dito, I said different interpretations and different, you know, those pretenders and those who know too much or know too little, dito tayo nagbabanggaan. Kasi when I was pondering on whether or not I would run for the presidency, foremost in my mind was the problem now of drugs, corruption and criminality on the streets. The criminals had a heyday, I do not want to attribute anything to any previous administration, but I would say hinayaan nila. Hinayaan nila ang droga. When I was a Mayor of Davao City, I was the favorite whipping boy of the Human Rights people. Well, of course, if that is their belief, then so be it. But the problem is we do not agree or we cannot agree on our basic principles how we looked upon crime, criminality and the application of the judicial interpretation of criminal law.

Mayroon doon na mga hardliner, mayroon naman iyong gusto scholarly journey in this world. You know, we only live once. We cannot come back here again to correct our errors. Now during my campaign, I was hitting hard kasi galit ako sa gobyerno for actually letting the monsters to grow and grow, and I did not even realize until I became President how widespread and the dimensional problems of the drug industry.

You know iyong Director General ng PDEA, si General—he was with me, no, he’s the present one. Well, they made an accurate, almost an accurate estimate that the drug was about… the addicts rather numbered around three million. Noong na-Presidente ako—in Davao it was clean and I would be very frank with you, in front of everybody and the nation. In Davao you can walk, wala naman masyadong rape but there are nakawan pero hindi naman ganoon na iyong papatayin ka, i-rape pa iyong pamilya mo. Alam mo prosecutor ako and maybe, ultimately iyong persecution complex baka pumasok sa isip ko. But that ain’t the case dito, individual iyon eh, kaso por kaso. Well, I look at the guy, just also the body language naman na totoo itong yawa na ito. Parang ganoon. I have acquired that sense of… 10 years of doing trial work. Nakahalata na ako na mahirap kung hayaan ko lang ito noong Mayor ako – 1988 was the crossroads sa ating bayan. And there were a lot of guns issued to people without any investigation of whether he can handle a firearm in his hands. And because of the desire of the government at that time to get rid of the communist in my city, iyong Alsa Masa, and every time Dick and Harry, who claimed to be an anti-communist guy in town, was issued a firearm. And the manufacturing of the ‘paltik’ or the homemade guns — which is also very good — actually was produced inside the police main headquarters in Davao City. There was a lathe machine and they acquired for accuracy of you know, talagang finished product very good because they took in some guys na who are expert dito sa machining and everything.

And so pag Mayor ko, nawala iyong NPA kasi medyo kaibigan ko. Ngayon hindi na masyado kasi we are saying just harsh words. Because maybe I’m not really… I’m a socialist. I’m the first leftist President of this Republic but it doesn’t mean to say I’m a member of the Communist Party. Iyon lang ang ano ko sa pagkatao ko. My paradigm is anak lang kasi ako ng mahirap. We migrated to Davao, it was a long sacrifice for all. Kaya lumaki kami na ganoon, and we never tasted iyong mga kotse-kotse at that time. It was not until, almost ano na kami, matanda na. So, ganoon ang ano. So, ang paradigm ko, madali kong kinausap ang mga komunista, ang problema pumasok ang criminality. And so, they would just enter any residence in Davao. Since you cannot withdraw more than P50,000, mahalata eh. The banks would limit each withdrawal. So, if they asked for a certain amount, kung hindi makautang iyong tao, they stayed inside the house as borders and well freeloader and raping the women, all of the women inside that house. Two-three days, parang hinostage nila. So doon ako na… sabi ko, this cannot go on, this has to stop. And noong Mayor ako sinabi ko, “Go out of the City in 48 hours, go out of the City lahat kayong mga durugista, mga holdupper, all criminals.” And there was a purge. For those who did not honor the… eh, patayan talaga, but that’s it. Pagka lumaban ka, any false move. You know, it was not until after the… nauso iyong bomba na self-destruct then blowing everybody out to the heavens.

Noon eh maghintay ka pa. But in the recent conference of the Chiefs of Police in Europe and United States it is now really… it’s agreed among the law enforcers na you make a false move. Kasi ‘pag sabi taas ka, taas ka talaga. If you—if you start to scratch your crotch, nang walang ano… firearm, ayun. And that is good and I said to Dela Rosa, that is the theory that we should follow. Why should I sacrifice the police.

I am very late because I just came in from Samar then I passed by Tacloban, the policeman that was wounded, and the other guy is very stiff there with the wife and children kneeling around the coffin. Hindi ko matanggap iyong ano na… you picture somebody, itong mga shabu users, that is why they can commit the bestial acts that a human being can make. Because of their brain which is already shrunk. Hindi maintindihan nitong mga… gusto kong murahin eh. Hindi ninyo maintindihan, akala ninyo mga bata-bata iyan o apostoles ito ni Cristo. God, when you talk about… you know, the bleeding heart would present, “Eh kasi mahirap lang sila. Bakit ang mga mayaman wala.”

Eh iyang mga mayaman naman hindi naman guma—it’s pure business sa mga malalaking tao. Itong yumaman lang sa droga, kagaya nitong mga p***inang pulis,eh mararaming mga mansiyon na ang bahay. With the active participation of the police and with the corrosive effect of money, which is really very easy since you have a colony of addicts, iyon ang nangyari sa ating bayan.

So they picture so lightly and so poignant that a dead idiot there who happens to, you know… If you were a user, then you are a pusher. Unless you are the son of one of the Forbes billionaire biz there, eh talagang… if you are hooked you have to take it, you have to have the fix, and you have to find something to get it. Thereby along the way, committing all crimes and when are already skank, they go around picking children and raping them maski saan – inside a truck or inside a junk. Wala nang takot ‘pag nakaano, hindi nila alam ang utak tumatakbo.

I’ve been dealing with criminals for ten years. Sino ba naman may gusto na pumatay ng kapwa-tao? They think that we celebrate every night? They picture us something like a vicious murderer. Oh well, sabi nga ng—may international reputation, I do not care. I never had any intention of going international. As a matter of fact I was not even ready to the last minute to be a national. Eh, small time lang ako po sa Davao.

Pero when I was here, I cannot allow my country to flounder because if I do that then, I will compromise this generation and their children. Iyan ang naka… Imagine three million, it’s not a joke, three million addicts. How do we fix them? Paano natin gawin? Do we have the hospital? We are operating on a budget. Gusto ko mag—so ang budget, which was prepared the previous year, is the one that I’m operating on as you wait and you just arrest them and place everywhere. Where do I get the money? You don’t move around in this planet without money. Iyong pera na ginagastos ko ngayon to operate government is part of—iyong iniwan ni… walang other source na there is a lump sum of three hundred billion to take care of the three million seven hundred addicts of this country.

Wala iyan, because of ano, we have to go to Congress. But there’s a hearing now of the budget for next year, and that is the time that we are—kaya nga lumaki pati iyong intelligence fund. Kasi hindi ko sigurado kung saan ko ilagay, but I ordered the military to open up their camps. Sila iyong may mga lupa eh, just give me about two hectares of your camp there where I can place the rehabilitation guys and also their patients. And I would need thousands of doctors, thousands of nurses, and maybe millions for the medicines and the psychologists and all. But you know as the experts have really warned us before, six months to one year of shabu use will shrink the brain of a person. Oh, how do we go about making their brains bloat again? Go to the gasoline station and placing…

Tignan mo itong Human Rights. I know it is… the target really is the Establishment. The abuse of government on its own people – that’s really the essence of it all. But at some time, you know, even itong mga Abu Sayyaf, you know, I have a little blood in me, Maranao ang lola ko. But for the first time sinabi ko talaga, and I’m addressing you now guys, nawala ang bilib ko sa inyo. Because a Tausug warrior, well that’s according to the stories of, sa mga—dito ako sa Moro community, supposed to be brave and honorable men. When you killed that child, 7 years old and the others in front of the camera, nawala ang respeto ko sa inyo. That’s why pinadala ko iyong mga sundalo.

I know that there will be some reprisals, I’m ready for that. There’s always a drawback there. But you know every time you do that, it’s a slap on the face of government. And ito iyong mukha ng gobyerno. Well, maybe Congress. But when you go it… what’s wrong, what’s… you know, what’s keeping this country jerky, it’s the face of the President. Kaya mag-ano tayo nito—I would say, just because he is a poor, and because he was poor – that is the dramatics of these idiots, poor, so he has special privileges because he’s poor. So, you do not go hard at him, maybe treatment even though he’s crazy already, you just have to sacrifice for publicity, “Oh dadalhin namin sa ospital ‘to.” And pagdating sa ospital, the hospital would just say “We’ll take care of him five days after that he goes out. Because we need the bed spaces for the others.”

Saan tayo pupunta nito ngayon? Where do I get the billions? Ang budget ko hanggang diyan lang. Sabi niya okay, kaya in the meantime pinapatay mo na lang. Ay anak ka ng, papatayin talaga kita. Huwag mong—magprangkahan na tayo. Magpatayan talaga tayo dito. I cannot simply define justice that is fair to all. Life is never fair. But when you start, you who is the cause of the cause is the cause of them all. Who gave you the right, forget about God, forget about the laws of men. Just think of the one universal equation. Who gave you the right to cook shabu, sell it to my sons and daughters and make them crazy? Sino? Huwag muna ang Diyos. Huwag muna ang batas. Wala iyong Human Rights. Huwag muna iyang sabi mong mga vigilantes. Who gave you the right to distribute shabu and destroy a community?

You are going to destroy my country, you will die. Anak ka ng… magklaro tayo dito. I will not allow it. I will not compromise the next generation, patay sila nasaan man iyan. Ang pamilya ngayon, if there is in a family, may drug, pusher or drug user, sira ang pamilya. Automatically, that family becomes dysfunctional, kasi magnakaw na iyong bata kung wala nang makuha doon sa ano.

Drug lord? There is none. Where’s the big fish, they’ve been always asking, saan sila? My God, I’ll tell you where they are? Outside of the Philippines. How they conduct their business? By cellphone, maski diyan sa presohan. This is the only country where you conduct business regarding shabu through the cellphone. So, ayaw naman sa… denial. Month’s before sinasabi na nga may luto ng shabu diyan sa loob. And I myself warned the Secretary noon sa previous administration. When she was criticizing me for spitting the words in the Senate hearing sabi ko, “iyong mga… iyan, patayin ko iyan.” And it was Enrile who also asked me. So I was just responding to the… Eh, sabi kasi ni Enrile if you find the smugglers who rise in your City, what will you do? Ako ang pagkatao ko, ganito, I’ll kill him. You rob us 7 billion pesos a year, hindi kita bubuhayin. And, you know, there’s an amigo, I kill people for money? But since you are a drug pusher, I’ll kill you for nothing. Hindi tayo magka-intindihan dito sa bayan natin. Well, this is a democracy. Unfortunately for you, I won the election. But what was my… wala man akong—ni wala akong Senador, wala na ako, si Koko lang mag-isa. (laughter and applause) Mayroon akong governor… kasi kasintahan ko rin kasi, isang governor na… si Abet Garcia pati si Imee, iyon ang Governor ko. Wala akong Barangay Captain, and yet I won by 15 million, 6 million of that was my margin over the… (applause)

So, ang sabi ko noon, ‘pag nga ako, ito ang issue sa atin, eh, it’s not about iyong infra-infra, every year may infra talaga. That’s the source of corruption. Sabi ko, I will do away with corruption. It will be a clean government. Then and now, I will state to you publicly, there will be no corruption in my government. (applause) Because if you do that, baka ma-isip—I’m not good at Tagalog. If you that, then I’d be—you know, might try to reinvent you into a drug pusher, baka akala ko lang, sorry ha. Eh, corrupt ka lang pala eh. Akala ko drug pusher ka. Kaya nga eh, he who is the cause of the cause is the cause of them all. You only have yourself blame. So, if you should not be shouting na unjust ano. Sinabi ko na noon eh, when I was…

Well, the secret really there is Ramos. May pinakita siya sa akin sabi niya, “Mayor Duterte, you read this.” He went to me. So nakita ko. So I just kept quiet. So what do you intend to do? Sabi ko, “Sir, wala akong pera, sir, talaga.” “No, no, no, I’m not. Sabi niya, “What can you do for your country?” Sabi ko sa kanya, “Sir, I’m not the one who should be fixing this. Baka sila mismo sa militar at pulis.” “You have to run because you are the only one who can do it.” Sabi ko, “Ano, Sir?” Sabi niya, “wag na tayong… do not mess up with me. Tumakbo ka.” I refused. October 16, hindi ako nag-file. Nagalit, bumalik ng Davao. “Money, do you want money? I will give you a bank, you run.” “Saan ang pera, sir?” Sabi niya, “maghintay ka lang, kasi mag-contribute man iyong mga…” Pero may binigay siya diyan sa harap ko, sabi niya, “here’s the money. Donated by my friends and a little of mine. Here’s the list of the guys that you have to thank.” And so he was pressing me, so nag-substitute ako. So, what was my program of government? No corruption in government; I will suppress drugs and crime. So itong mga human rights, they should have campaigned against me. So how about now the 15 million who voted for me because they want corruption stopped. Iyong mga tanim-tanim bala diyan. T****ina, i-zipper kita diyan sa body bag. (laughter and applause)

Ako iyong tao na ordinaryo lang din, mga Cabinet members ko puro number one si Koko. Iyong akin diyan baka hindi niyo kayang… I have assembled the best of men in the Philippines today. Tugade, huwag niyo siyang… he’s a billionaire actually, if you know Art Tugade. When we were students he was already the CEO of Delgado Shipping. Sonny Dominguez kababata ko iyan, consistent iyan valedictorian. Okay yan lahat. Yasay, minsan ka mag… akala ko minsan may Amerikano ba dito nagsasalita. Pero hindi, kaibigan, kababata ko rin iyan. You know why, he is a son of a Pastor. Ano ano dyan, magwa-wally iyan diyan na ano… he learned a lot from his father kaya praktisado ang buang sa—kami mga Bisaya lang kasi… So, we are forced to… When we are first year, eh akala na itong mga Bisaya titigas ng dila, you may have… by the Jesuits sa Ateneo, so I have to—iyong basahin na, ‘You can’t have a brass band.” Para ganoong lang, ‘common guys. Kasi iyong matigas nga ang dila, kaya nga iyong lolo ko ‘pag ganyan, iyong mga pari noon. Tapos yung voice and diction sa first year napahirap. Talagang gaganoon ganoong ng pari, “now, follow after me. Silly kit kitten sitting in the kitchen.” Shoot na yan. “The old professor the Lord to school and broke into copious flow of resources.” (laughter)

Ang mga Bisaya nagtinuan kami. Talagang nabugbog kami sa ganoon ng pari. Totoo. Tatanungin mo ng… ang Bisaya kasi matigas eh. Tignan mo ha, I’ll give you an example. Itong mga politician, mayroon silang bata-bata. Hearing this guy every morning, “And now, ledis and gentlemin, the next song you’ll hear is from Doris Diy, singing Diy by Diy.” Sabi ng nanay ko sa, “Ipapatay mo nga iyan.” (laughter and applause) Well, that’s life.

But let us be clear on this: I am committed by my oath of office. Iyong mga victims, they did not start the process that turned out to be bloody, sila iyan. Sila iyong nagluto, sila iyong nagpapabili. Alam nila na bawal iyan, mahirap ka o mayaman. The world turns every 24 hours in a cycle. It will never stop to listen to you, of your excuses. Just because mahirap ka lang, diyan ka lang hanggang… Ako kung hindi ako sa gobyerno, ang anak ko ni-rape ang babae, bungog ka sa droga, bubuhayin kaya kita? Iyong mga sundalo nandoon sa Jolo ngayon, there’s fighting raging on ngayon sa ano. Binuhos ko talaga iyong sundalo doon. Pag-uwi nila malaman nila na ang asawa nila, iyong naka—nilulong mo sa droga o anak nila ginalaw mo. Would you think that you could assuage his anger, his hatred by just one dead body? Magwawala iyan. And—look ganito iyan. At the start, talagang pinasok namin iyong intriga na si ‘A’ yan, nagturo hulihin namin, si ‘B’ ang nagturo sa iyo. So, bayaan mo lang, hulihin mo at let him out. He wants to fix the things, let him. Tapos, we begin to look for ‘D,’ and si ‘C’ naman sabihin namin na si ‘A’ man ang nagpiaet sa iyo. Tapos hulihin namin, o sige… you know, you want to bail? Okay. No po, walang problema paglabas iyon nga.

So we sow intrigues. I got it from the readings of so many books about the mafia. So, it’s just a—sayang walang mafia dito. I could be the head of Omerta. Bright na ako diyan sa intriga and we started. Kaya iyong mga balot-balot, torture –that’s not ours. Maniwala ka. Ang intention ko lang, panahon ni Dela Rosa. Hindi raw niya masuklay-suklay iyong buhok niya. magbalot pa siya ng tao. (laughter) You just shoot the guy and throw him there. Why do you have to—ilang oras gawin mo iyan? Iyon ang trabaho ng kabila. Iyan iyong torture nila.

So hindi lahat ng… baka government, government, lahat na lang government. That’s the drama that’s being played out to you. So you choose. Me, I’m a hardliner. Me, I’m ready to kill because you destroy my country. I’ve been telling you, do not destroy this generation or if you allow everybody to just come in and invite them to do business sa drug industry, then there is no tomorrow for your grandchildren. Wala, you’ll end up just like the failed States of South America.

Basahin mo iyong kay Ioan Grillo, and how they operated led to – iyong mayor noon babae. She takes her oath of office in the morning, in the afternoon, she’s dead. That is why I am in favor of… (glancing at Senate President Pimentel) Senator, iyong postponement ng election, because there is a war going on. And you know, ‘pag ginamit ng mga ano ‘to, tatapusin ko muna ‘to sila. So, kakapunin ko ‘to, castrate them so that they will not—because otherwise, next thing that you’ll realize is that we have a narco-politics. Sabi ko in 3 to 7 years’ time papasok iyan, because of the so many billions. And I’ll have to destroy their lieutenants. If the lieutenants is rich, eh ‘di—poor, ay ganoon rin. You know, I cannot be selective, there is a war.

Actually my orders to Dela Rosa is, “destroy them.” My orders to the Armed Forces of the Philippines now fighting the Abu Sayyaf, “destroy them”. Wala tayong drama diyan sa—na pag-usapan na natin iyan, treatment, UN o treatment of prisoners – not now. We are busy with the… then we will have a reckoning when the day comes and we will answer. Ako, but let me—let it be known to everybody – iyang pulis, pati military, if I order them to do something against crime and to stop criminality and terrorism, they will have my blessings and I will support them all the way. I will never, never, never allow a policeman, a soldier to go to prison for doing his duty to the country. Fight tayo diyan.

Pero iyong mga tag-dalawang asawa, eh ikaw ba, ilan asawa mo, Chief PNP? Taga-Davao ito pero I have not heard or if I heard, I did not hear it. So I cannot stay long with you. You know, I’m also invited for dinner iyong mga may tama na mga sundalo. So, because it is kagitingan sabi ko, “let’s have dinner in Malacañang.” So I bought so many wheelchairs, give them computers.

Here is one lieutenant who lost his eyes, both noong—iyong umiyak sa TV, iyong yumakap sa akin. Sabi ko, “Do not worry, I will take care of you. I will re-invent you.” So he is now learning Braille. Maybe will have something… baka sharpen your memory at magkuha ka ng Law doon sa San Beda. Kausapin ko iyong mga pari na… just if he… somebody is reading to him. Will find out if he can be of service to his country in other way. Iyong AFP, to may horror actually, huwag kayo maingay sa… dating wala silang MRI, wala silang…lahat. Ang building nila was iyong drainage, bumabalik na. Ano ba, paano iyan. How about the germs? Wala namang drainage bumabalik na. So sabi ko, you condemn it, then I’ll give you a new building. I gave them almost half a billion pesos. And sabi ko itong… let me discuss, well mga negosyante tayo. Itong … although inato lang tayo ng Bisayang istorya-istorya na lang muna. And I’m talking to him after delivering a speech. I’ll at end of 3 minutes.

Ganito iyan eh, itong… itong lowest bid tanggalin natin iyan. It’s the source of all corruption. I will not compromise the Armed Forces by—nandito iyong COA. Sabihin ko sa iyo, “Ay, my God I will not follow you.” Eh kasi graft and corruption kasi naman iyan eh. Iyong pinakababa walang capital iyon, laway lang. Mag-imbento ng korporasyo gaya ng MRT natin. And iyong… kaya nangyari sa Crame nag-express. Pag sagot ni—Eh kung siyempre may negosyo ka, tutubo ka, patay na. Kasi gusto bidding, tatama iyan eh. It should be quality first, ang specification is quality and durable because it’s being used by government. But let’s cut this crap of lowest bid, lowest bid. Walang capital iyan, eh sub-contract na iyan. Tapos iyong 20 percent alam mo na (whistles). Tapos another 20, would you believe it, even the Barangay Captain signs the completion sa barangay niya. So, he gets another two, three percent. So ang project mo — kaya ang mga sundalo sabi ko, ito-itong mga sundalo one day puputok ‘to. Because they go around the country, would you believe it, may airport. Ang airport akala ko kuwan ito. Sabi ko ano ito? “Airport, sir.” Bakit may building? Parang basketball court. Tinignan ko sa record kompleto. Eh, talo pa ang NAIA eh.

Kaya ganito iyan, iyong 100 kilometers, puwede talaga mag lowest bid ka, ang dadating sa iyo it’s about 60. Ganoon iyan, kung sino ang makabigay. Eh, ikarga niyan doon sa kanyang contact price, better disabuse naman itong ano… iyong lowest bid, lowest bid. It’s just a source of corruption. Tapos maraming na-file-an ng kaso. Ako, file-an mo ako ng kaso, sipain kita. I would not compromise with the—There’s only two sources, two countries where we can buy the… you know. Eh magbili ka sa iba, lalagyan nila ng bakukang iyan diyan eh. Nakikinig sila sa atin 24 oras tapos oh iyon ang lowest bid mo, kalokohan. Kaya I have—we have to talk to the… itong COA. Sometimes you know, when the integrity of the Republic is at stake, do not give me that shit about the… kailangan magbili si ano ng lowest bid. Tapos iyong mga baril, ay naku. Well I said there are only two sources, two countries where we can buy the armaments and especially the gadgets for intelligence gathering. I have to inform you this because you must know. Alam ko hindi niyo alam ito pero… I have been, 23 years ako sa gobyerno, 10 years akong prosecutor. One term akong Congressman, one term ako iyong Vice Mayor ako nung anak ko iyong nanuntok, iyong si Inday. (laughter) Ganoon ang istorya ng buhay ko. But I’m happy that we are here. Eh iyong… kasi ‘pag sinabi na victims of crime and corruption lahat tayo may tama, kasi taxpayers tayong lahat eh.

You know, but I said let us give our people a respite sa corruption. I’ll give them 6 years. I will very harsh, very strict, only because it is not our own money that we are spending. It’s the people’s money. So I agree with the vision, hindi lang ang objective, with the vision na sa ating country and I suppose that dapat na tayo kasi marami ng… alam mo ‘pag ang tao bored na magsige kamot ng kamay, kung ano ang kati-kati na lang. I now I realize it’s time to stop talking. (laughter)

Maraming salamat po. (applause)