Q: Hi sir, I’m Ina from CNN Philippines. Can we get your initial assessment sir? Ilang — about one hour na lang po magko-close na ang mga presinto. Can we get your assessment on…?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Hindi teka muna ha sandali. Before I ask the question to you or you asking me the question, merong mga bagay na… There are matters which I would like to leave to Atty. Panelo to answer kasi ah…
Eh lalo na ngayong panahon fake pati genuine news, pagtingin ko na maalanganin ako o i-misquote ako o baligtarin ng media ang salita ko, eh I would rather refer you to Atty. Panelo who is the Press Secretary.
Now ako ang mag-una ng tanong: Kailan pa kayo dito sa Davao?
REPORTERS: (overlapping answers) Friday. Last week pa sir. Wednesday sir. Kahapon po.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Sinong gisubaybayan ninyo, ako?
REPORTERS: (overlapping answers) Of course. Yes, sir.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Only for this g****** finger? Okay ask the question.
Q: Hi sir, I’m Ina from CNN Philippines. How is your assessment, what is your assessment of election day? In just about one hour magsasarado na po ang mga presinto.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Well, I have yet to receive something that is more than just the ordinary — the vote-buying and violence there, violence here.
But nothing of a big one that would maybe probably disturb the conduct of the elections throughout the nation.
Q: Kamusta ang status po sa Lanao?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Lanao, gusto ko ngang pumunta doon but the problem is ganito, at the request of the party who are with me — iba-iba lang ‘yung pangalan — but the problem is if I go there today because that was — the request is last night, baka whether I like it or not ang maglapit sa akin people will always congregate where I am and political leaders will also be there.
So it might be construed by the many na campaigning beyond the allowable days. And rather than risk a disqualification parang hindi naman talaga pwede so I did not.
But ang Samar — ah Del Sur, Lanao, remains to be controllable. We are… I communicate with the — sa taas, the army and the police almost every hour. And for them to tell me if there is something big — a big plash splash sa — in the conduct of the elections.
Q: Sir, good afternoon. Sir, mukhang ‘yung mga reports ng mga media, mukhang maraming sira sir na VCM, that’s the common complaint — vote counting machines. All throughout po the country mukhang ang common denominator are “faulty” na mga voting — ah vote counting machines. Meron po bang iuutos kayo sa COMELEC to investigate why is that so?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: That would be early. COMELEC is an independent body and if there’s any malfunction there or if there’s any aberration at all in the procedure or process in the conduct of the election, let COMELEC explain first to the people before we even initiate a sort of an investigation.
That is in recognizance of the separation of powers — oh our independent organs.
Q: Sir, last from my part. Sir, they say that this is a referendum of your administration. Ibig sabihin kung majority manalo ‘yung mga bets ninyo or admin bets that means that’s an affirmation of your governance? Kung manalo man ‘yung oposisyon, that is the opposite. So what do you think?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: It could be. It could be taken as one referendum. So that if you agree with me, then you can vote for my candidates or the people I am supporting this election.
Now if I am repudiated by the loss of all candidates coming from the Hugpong slate, then that would indicate that the majority of the people ayaw nila ako. Madali lang ‘yan. Easy to solve.
If media demands that I step down, I will step down. But only accredited, legitimate, tax-paying, non… Hindi kasali ‘yung… Iyan ang ayaw ko talaga sa lahat sabi ko.
I can stomach a tricycle driver shouting sloganeerings at me. I will never bow down to any foreigner.
Q: Sir, based on the pre-election surveys, administration candidates are poised to win big this mid-term elections. Meron na po ba kayong mga expectation sa magiging resulta po ng halalan?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Alam mo ma’am ganito ‘yan eh ever since I have been in politics, it’s always at the start of the election campaign, I would always place it at 50/50 ang odds.
Maski na malakas ako sa survey, maski wala akong kalaban, it is always a 50/50 proposition. Because if I do not have opponents then I am supporting a group of people who will help me run the city government.
So kailangan mga tao mo rin. Ayun — sa awa ng Diyos mukha namang ganun ang lumabas sa Davao.
Q: Also sir the people are expecting a landslide victory for Mayor Sara and Pulong. And also si Baste sir wala siyang kalaban dito for vice mayor. May message po ba kayo sa kanya or sa kanila or kinakausap niyo na rin po ba sila?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: The earlier that they go out of politics the better. And Inday, I am publicly warning her. The presidency will not educate you, it will just destroy you.
Especially with the kind of media ngayon, paid hacks, mga hyena. And they themselves know that they are dishing lies. They proclaim to the world with protestations that they are the victims of…
Eh nandiyan sila of their own making. We do not control them. We have not organized any… Sa kanila ‘yan. And yet when the ruling is there, ayaw nilang tanggapin.
Then the idiots of the Western world start to give you the — and even people who are in jail facing criminal charges, trial, may mga awards na. This is a crazy world and let it remain there.
I’d rather that na ganito so that — allow the Western to — to muddle up everything. Because in the end, it is the Western world that’s going to suffer.
Q: Sir, SMNI sir, Sonshine media po. Sir, maraming insidente ng vote-buying po, naaresto at ano… Ano pong mensahe niyo sa vote buyers at saka nagbenta ng boto nila?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Well ganito ‘yan, if they are caught, they should be prosecuted to the full length of the law. Now, the practice of buying votes has been an integral part of an election in the Philippines.
‘Yang pagboto, lahat ‘yan. Walang hindi nagbibili ng boto dito maniwala ka. ‘Yang… Walang hindi nagbibili ng boto. Sinong — ituro mo kung sino ang hindi nagbili ng boto.
Q: Na kandidato?
Q: Rhetorical question.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: You know when you start to give money… Sabi ko nga sa COMELEC, it is not because I’m buying the vote of the fellow, it’s because I’m giving him money to go to the presinto, cast his vote, and go home. Hindi naman lahat ng tao may pera.
Or you send food to your leaders who are here sacrificing and waiting for the food to eat so that they can last until the last vote is counted.
Me? Hindi naman lahat ‘yang pagdaan mo na basta lang may makita ka nakain diyan eh binibigyan. Eh for all you know, lider ko ‘yan. Eh alang-alang naman patayin ko sa gutom?
Kaya mahirap ‘yang vote-buying. It can take many forms of… Basta mahirap talaga ‘yan. Hindi ‘yan ma…
For as long as the Philippines remains to be a poor country, for as long as the feudal system exists, lalo na sa rural areas, aggravated by the communists, ‘yon.
We are becoming poorer and poorer. Nobody can till the land, improve the land and the communist are there asking for money, asking for food and everything. And they think that they are on the right track.
‘Yan ang… Diyan ako humiwalay eh. I mean from the ideology which I wanted and the ideology that was implemented. Eh mag-start ka lang ng negosyo diyan sa countryside canning, sana mura na, sunugin ‘yung mga equipment, sunugin ‘yung…
And then you attack the government for breaking the law for… I cannot understand them.
Q: Sir, quickly. Sir, one lang. Iyon pong sinabi niyo na some subjects are better left and answered by Secretary Panelo, what are these things sir?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Those are the things that are — can be characterized as equivocal, can be the subject of two interpretations.
Now, kung nandito ‘yung mga professional twister ‘yung… Bayad ‘yan sila maniwala ka. They — someday you will know. They are bayad sa Western. Kayo ang kawawa ang wala.
You know they have sponsors. They have admitted it. They cannot organize without the money of the Western. Eh itong mga Western press.
Q: Sir matrix — matrix lang ‘yon, sir? ‘Yung matrix sir kay Panelo na lang?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Panelo na lang so that kung i-misquote siya, siya ‘yung madadale. [laughter] I get tired of answering questions which are stupid. And the one that would only make you…
Q: Pero sir, he told us to ask you about the matrix. Secretary Panelo said to ask you about the matrix.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Totoo ‘yung matrix. Totoo ‘yung matrix. Pati ‘yung Bikoy kita mo naman, pati ‘yung spectral analysis ng boses nila. Totoo talaga ‘yon.
Si Tordesillas talagang totoong ano. She’s an every inch a prostitute.
Q: Sir, but Secretary Panelo said we should ask you and not him about the ma… Secretary Panelo said we should ask you not him about the matrix.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Yes, that matrix. Bahala na kayong mag-interpret. But those lines are really not lines connections. There were a lot of communications there that were recorded.
Q: [off mic]
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Yes, wiretapping is against the law.
Q: Gretchen Ho, sir. Gretchen Ho and Hidilyn?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Sino — sino ang nag-wiretap? I really do not know. Finished product na ‘yan eh. Then only if you use it in court it cannot be accepted as evidence.
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