PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Yes? I’ll… Kindly limit your question to 150.
Sige kay guest speaker ako ng Chinese Federation sa SMX. Yes?
Q: Tungkol lang kay — tungkol lang po doon sa kay Chairman Nur Misuari. He said that he’s prepared to — he’s going to launch a war.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Yes, because… Well, he’s fighting a revolution.
Q: Opo.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: He has slowed down because he wants to talk and the original agreement I think, that was assurance given to him by Cory Aquino was that there will be a federal system that would govern this country, I mean the structure. And he is sticking to that agreement.
Tapos na man ‘yung federalism na being crafted by Congress. Maybe somehow we can now craft a — the set up within the federal structures. Pero it has to go into a process and I’m sure Chairman Misuari knows that — that everything must be in accordance with the Constitution.
Q: Sir, hindi naman po siya — he’s not talking about territories ‘no? I mean owning…
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Well, kung ano ang labas nung federalism, we’ll just have to craft something there that would be allowed by the Constitution and by law.
Yes.
Q: Sir, may we just get your reaction to the case filed by former Secretary del Rosario and Conchita Carpio. They filed a case before the ICC over the South China Sea dispute over China sa militarization of the South China Sea.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Well, I said they are entitled to file the case. They are Filipino citizens and I think we’ll just also have to defend our position vis-à-vis sa kanila. They think they have a good case and I would say that there is no jurisdiction over this country and of China. Mas — mas lalo na sa China. So we will just go along that line. Jurisdiction.
Q: Sir, si President Xi Jinping ng China po ‘yung respondent. Will the — will it not — will it not jeopardize ‘yung relationship ng Philippines and China?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: No, I’m sure they know that it — this… The Philippines is a democratic country. And anybody can bring a suit against anybody. But whether or not it would be prospered or whether or not we have the jurisdiction, that’s something else.
Q: Sir, good evening po.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Remember, China is not a member of the ICC. Dito, we were never — we did not withdraw. We did not withdraw because there was no law at all because of the flawed that it violated the Constitution.
Publication of the law is very important so that the people would know that there is such a law. Kung hindi mo i-publish ‘yan, eh makasabi ‘yan, “Papaano?” Ano alam namin? Kayo lang diyan sa Congress eh.
By publishing it, it puts everybody on constructive notice na merong batas. That’s what happened to me. You try to acquire jurisdiction over my person but they forgot to publish the law.
And so the Supreme Court in — Tuvera — Tañada vs. Tuvera, Supreme Court said part of the due process is really — due process is there that no man shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law.
Kaya ‘pag wala ‘yan, walang publication, patay.
Q: Sir, what do you want the MWSS to report to you on April 10?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: I will not make a prejudgment. I ask them — everybody concerned to submit a report by April 10 and I will decide before April 15.
Q: [off mic]
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Decide on…
Q: [off mic]
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Eh kung anong nangyari kay — who was responsible for it? Was there negligence or was there really something which is beyond the competence of the MWSS to control.
Q: Sir, last question. Do you think honesty should be an election issue?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Ang…?
Q: Honesty, sir, should be an issue, sir.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Too big?
Q: Honesty.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Honesty.
Q: As an election issue, sir?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: It depends. It depends. If you’re hanging by the thread, of what good use would it be if it’ll just create trouble.
There are things left unsaid and there are things which you can answer correctly. Okay?
Q: Thank you very much, sir.
— END —
