PRESIDENT DUTERTE: So what’s the question? Why I did allow — why did I allow Bong Go to attend the PDP [unclear]…
Q: [off mic]
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: No, because he is a party [unclear]… And that those — the [crowd?] there should understand what PDP and what PDP is fighting for. Siya ‘yung…
You know, ang tatay niyan si Wency. Wency is the original sa PDP. He is an ideologue. He would need a guidance and I can only think of Secretary Andanar who can do it well. That is why he was an exception. But the law says they can campaign.
I did not allow the other members because they might — they will be campaigning if they want to and they will be using government cars, government fuel. And I wanted to remove that kind of issue just to be fair.
But Andanar, he’s an ideologue. His guidance is very important to all of the PDP members. He’s a son of one of the founding fathers of PDP-Laban.
And there are only few of them left original. Pimentel is quite old — I mean the father. The son is very busy. He’s tied up with his Senate work and so I had to look for any — somebody there to fill the gap. Wala akong ibang maisip kung hindi si Andanar.
So every time there is a meeting and the talks or the dialogue and the narratives of PDP, not where to get the money or how to cheat, but rather to guide everybody the values that the PDP stands for.
I was not around. I was not an original member. So that’s the reason why I allow him to go public.
Q: Sir, even po ‘yung Europe trip is a segue lang? Iyong Europe trip nila? Iyong PCOO? Okay sa inyo ‘yun sir?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Well he’s — he is a chief of office. I do not tinker with the decisions of how to do it, do it better, and do it more better than the rest.
Kung gusto niya, diyan. But ‘yung — basta wala lang corruption and the funds are properly accounted. And he is the mainstay in the propaganda of government. We have to have a propaganda division you know. It’s a political entity itong presidency and of course all others. But more importantly ako because I execute the laws.
So if he — it’s the decision of that — the head of office. Then all he has to do is to tell me that it is good and I will listen and if I agree, go ahead. The only thing is spend the money of the government correctly and properly.
Q: Sir, may napili na kayong Secretary ng Department of Human Settlements?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Wala pa ma’am. That would be a long shot because that would also need the — I need to talk to Speaker Arroyo, Senator Pimentel, and Tito Sotto.
Mabuti ‘yang gusto nila ‘yung tao para he can receive the — a better reception, you know kung kilala nila ang tao.
Q: Sir, ‘yung BTA kumpleto na po ‘yung 80? Or kulang pa tayo?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Tapos na but — kaya ako late eh.
Q: Ah na-fill up na?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Eh ‘pag hinabol pa — hinabol pa ‘yung…
Q: Mayor, so ilang lang ang deputy?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: What body are you talking about?
Q: Iyong sa BTA sir? All 80 have been filled?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Yeah, kaya nga ko na-late. May hinabol sila na late. May in-exchange.
Q: Sir, what can you say about the membership of Commander Bravo?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Well, he is a revolutionary. We are talking here of ending a revolution. So you should talk to a revolutionary or a warrior of that war.
Q: Do you think sir na makakabuti ‘yung membership niya?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Yes of course. He took the brunt.
The burden was there. Kagaya ng Army ko, Armed Forces ko, Police ko. They do the dying. They do the talking.
Q: Sir, baka may namimiss kayo.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Oo, si Carol. How are you ma’am after… She’s Carol Arguillas. She’s from Davao and she asks questions.
Q: Sir.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Yes?
Q: You promised that you would provide resources for the BARMM right? Dito sa ano po, sa bagong Bangsamoro region. But at the moment, the budget for the BARMM is only the budget for ARMM. Are you going to push…
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: They cannot function if the offices are vacant. If there’s no one sitting there to decide what course of action to take in a particular issue, then there — the entity, it becomes useless if there is no rather.
Q: What about the budget?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: It will be sailing on…
Q: The budget that we have right now…
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: We will provide the budget.
Q: Including the special development fund and the block grant for this year? Will that be possible?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Yes, but it will not be given in one time. It’s impossible. We cannot afford to do that.
As the need arises and as we collect the funds. You know kagaya ng TRAIN, it has been criticized.
The TRAIN pays for the free education. The TRAIN pays for the Universal Health Care. The TRAIN pays for the free education.
Q: Mayor ‘yung…
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Kaya sabi ko, what’s the…
Q: Mayor, ‘yung Abu Sayyaf…
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Iyan ang sumasagot ng lahat ng gastos because people are clamoring for free education.
So education is now free, universal. Health Care, universal. Lahat ng social legislations natutupad because of the health care — TRAIN. And so they are trying to derail the TRAIN, eh well…
Q: What about Nur Misuari?
Q: Mayor…
Q: Sir, si Nur.
Q: What about Nur Misuari?
Q: Chairman Nur?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: I commissioned a few of them, specifically, Nabil and si ano — si Alonto and si Gerry Salapuddin.
Q: Okay.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: He used to be congressman of Basilan. Sabi ko, you break the ground there and I will talk to Nur. Whatever. No conditionalities.
Makinig muna ako sa kanya tapos kung makinig siya sa akin. And maybe in the — in God’s own time, we will have — then it’s complete.
So ang NPA muna na lang. Kasi mag-resign ka na diyan sa NDF, kahit member ka ng central committee.
Q: Hay nako. Here we go again.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Iyong mga mili — ‘yan ang hinahanap ninyo.
Q: That is not funny sir.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: So huwag ninyong arestuhin ‘yan kasi may…
Q: Mayor, ‘yung Abu Sayyaf pupugatan daw ‘yung tatlong foreigner na hostages. Iyong Abu Sayyaf…
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Well, that’s part of the mission of — then I would appeal to Nur Misuari to stop it.
Q: May order po kayo…
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: And tell the Abu Sayyaf that, “Look we’re talking. Don’t make it hard for us to seek peace in our land.”
Q: Sir, sino ‘yung dalawang deputy ng BTA? Sino po ang dalawang deputy ng BTA?
Q: Sir, ‘yung chief minister mag-appoint? Deputy? Deputy Chief Minister?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Well, I have to appoint it. But it has to be with…
Q: Sir, do you have someone in mind?
Q: Pero sir sa Abu Sa —-
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Meron ako but…
Q: But isn’t the BTA going to do that?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Yeah, sabi ko nga but…
Q: [unclear] BTA will decide on that?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Yes, but… Anong sabihin — mag-appoint ka lang diyan ng… You have to tell me [who I’ll appoint?] then we’ll have to talk about it.
But I won’t interfere in the decisions. But I just would like to hear sino.
Q: Sir, si Chairman Nur, how is it going? How is he going to be factored in? Sa regime ba siya ng BTA? Or you’re thinking of some other maybe mechanism for him?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Who?
Q: Si Chairman Nur po.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: No, ganito ‘yan eh. It has to be a different entity. Alam ni Carol ‘yan. Makinig ka na. Ito ‘yung ideologue ng…
Q: Hay, Lord.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Lord. Sige ka Lord-Lord diyan.
Q: Ano ba talaga? Make up your mind.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Noon ka pa. Pag naging Abu Sayyaf ka, putulan kita ng ulo.
Si Carol knows the — actually she’s pretending to be walang alam. But si Carol, magtanong na lang kayo. She knows better Mindanao than anybody else. Iyong ano…
Sabihin mo na lang na sila ang… That this one cannot mix with this one because this one has to… Ganun.
Sabihin mo na lang. Hindi naman ako makasa — alam mo hindi ako makasagot publicly niyan. But Carol can answer you correctly, accurately, and…
Q: Historically.
Q: Mayor, may order kayo sa military?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: But at the least that you can… You — you know, you are the only politburo member na who can go anywhere.
Q: Hay, you are very funny.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Because sinasabi ko sa military pati pulis huwag mong galawin ‘yan kasi original ng Davao ‘yan.
Q: Thank you sir.
Q: Thank you sir. Thank you. Thank you.
Q: Salamat po.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Carol, i-escort mo ‘yang si — si politburo.
—END—
SOURCE: PCOO – PND (Presidential News Desk)
