Speech of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte during his talk to the troops of WestMinCom 
Camp BGen Gonzalo H. Siongco, Awang, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao
18 August 2016
Commander, give the order of tikas pahinga.

Alam mo iyong security, ayaw nilang magdaan na dito kasi magtuloy na raw. Sabi ko, masuko na mga sundalo, batuon ta ‘no. Naloko na.

Still I have time. At kung—sabi ko sa kanila, huwag mag-alala kung sumabog iyan, maraming maghanap sa atin diyan.

Lieutenant General Mayoralga dela Cruz, the Commander of WesMinCom; Major General Edmundo Pangilinan, Commanding General of 6th Infantry Division; the officers and men and women of the Armed of the Philippines; fellow workers in government; my beloved soldiers.

I came here to pay my respect for those who have fallen in the fight against all fronts of—the enemies of the state. This time, implementing orders to arrest and apprehend and to kill these idiots for destroying our country today.

Marami akong hinaharap na problema. One is the Communist Party of the Philippines, and I know that it would dampen your spirit, lalo na matagal na itong alitan na ‘to at marami nang namatay along the way. But you know, we cannot fight forever. We cannot build a nation over the bones of our countrymen, be it an NPA or a soldier of the Republic. My job as President is not really to wage war against our own people, but my primary task is to seek peace with everybody.

Kayo, half of your life was always been in the field of battle. I know that, alam mo na, iyong—the usual hurt, the stoical hurt since noon pa, iyong organization ninyo, the Armed Forces of the Philippines fighting the enemies of the state. But somehow, you must find the space in your heart at least to accommodate baka, baka sakali magkausap tayo nang mabuti at may kapayapaan. But it is no longer for you. You must remember that your understanding will bridge the peace between our generation now and the generation na susunod, iyon na iyong mga anak natin.

Kaya, you know, alam ko na medyo—peace talks, mahirap iyan. But that cannot—for all you know, ang anak mo might find another, you know, dimensions in life. It could be similar to our brothers now who are adapting the same ideological balance. Hindi man natin masabi iyong mga apo mo. But our job is really to bridge na kung itong mayari natin ito, maplantsa natin ‘to, at least iyong kinabukasan, by the time magtanda tayo, it could come three, two, five years from now, six years – then it is good enough for everybody. I’m also trying to talk to the Muslim insurgents.

Kami sa Mindanao, ano ba naman sa akin, lola ko Maranao. But, sinabi ko nga sa kanila, can we just be forever na masaktan kayo, na nandito kayo first time. Sila na yung una dito, itong mga Maguindanaos, they were the first inhabitants of Mindanao. 1521 dumating si Magellan, dala-dala niya ang relihiyon na Kristiyanismo. Hindi niya alam, 70 years, sabi ko sa archives ng Malaysia, but sabi nila 100 years, but I would insist on 70 years, Islam was already here in Mindanao. Kaya noong pinapasukan ng Amerikano ito at Espanyol, at inincorporate iyong Mindanao, nagkagulo talaga, eh hanggang ngayon.

And because we inherited a Republic that claimed Mindanao, so it was and still now na series of government, from the Spaniards to the Americans, kila Aguinaldo, then the 20’s of the Americans at iyong Republika ni—1946 and until now, they are resisting. Maybe for a good reason. I would say na lahat nang natituluhan, pagpasok ng Amerikano, pinaghati-hati nila ang Mindanao into cadastral and homestead: member, 24 hectares ang mga korporasyon, seven hectares iyong original na mga—kasi ho, noong unang panahon wala pa iyang cellphone, wala pa iyang TV. Noon, noong paghati-hati nila ang Mindanao sa malaking mapa, oh sabi, sino ang may-ari? Naka notice doon ‘those who are interested to apply for homestead, or corporations’ ang gustong pumasok doon. Those were the early 1909. Ayun, binigay. Hindi nila kasalanan dito. Hindi natin kasalanan.

And yan ang gusto kong maintindihan sa Moro. Hindi namin kasalanan iyong tatay kong pumunta dito at nakipag-asawa ng Moro. Simply, he did not know that this is a history. So there is really no reason for the Moro also to just keep on killing just because naagaw itong Mindanao. For after all, magkapareho ang balat natin, we’re all Malays. The only difference is that iyong relihiyon, nauna iyong Islam, then Kristiyanismo. But before the two religions came, we were all brothers and sisters, kaya ang balat natin pareho lahat, so with the Indonesians and the Malaysians. If you cannot understand that, talagang walang mangyari.

Kaya dapat—I know that Murad is good scholarly, and he knows the history. At alam nila na wala tayong pakialam sa agawan dito noon. Eh pumunta lang tatay ko dito noong binata pa and so, he married a mestiza Moro. Iyan ang—those interested, anybody who knew really the history, I used to listen to my father. Sabi niya, gugulo ‘to. Pero ito ang sabihin mo balang araw, hindi naman niya alam na maging Presidente ako, kaya sinasabi ko na sa inyo. It has to be understood by the Christians and the Muslims that nobody is at fault here now, and so it’s really useless to kill each other until kingdom come.

But you know, kaming sa gobyerno, we want peace. Wala hong problema, maraming sundalo ang Republika ng Pilipinas. I mean, we could go on and on and on at war. Maraming patay, pero marami ring sasali, so with you. Pero alam mo, what good would it do to us to be killing forever? For what? Eh di mag-ano na lang tayo, mag-usap tayo. And if I could hack it with you in Mindanao, and probably the Communist Party of the Philippines would come to its senses, then we may have peace. Maski yan na lang ang maibigay ko sa bayan ko, huwag na iyang mga infrastructure, huwag na lang iyong mga ano diyan mga bridges. Mine is to seek peace; and if I can have it, I’m willing to go. As a matter of fact, frankly speaking, sinabi ko, ‘pag madalian ninyo iyang Mindanao at na-implement ninyo to the satisfaction of all, and if you can have it by three to four years, six years ako, I will give up the two years. I will resign and go into retirement. Because you have to elect a new President.

Sabi ko, huwag kayong pumasok diyan sa federal kagaya ng England na ang desisyon ng gobyerno is collegial. Cabinet talaga. So yung pumutok iyong double decker nila sa London, they had a hard time harmonizing and, you know, getting into mobilization the—or all of the—yung mga reservists. Kaya maski anong klaseng federal, maintain the presidency. Limitado ang power niya pero powerful, he holds the chain of command. He must be the Commander-In-Chief of all Armed Forces, and he must be the Commander of the Police Forces also. Para isang tao lang talaga ang mag-decide. And he must a true Filipino. Period. Ke Maguindanao yan, ke ma-Tausug, but he must be a true Filipino, otherwise, we are in trouble. Kung mapaganun-ganun ka, you side with one, ito kadugo ko, ito, ah, kalokohan yan. That is the one, he is not a true Filipino, throw him away. You better find one that’s really somebody who loves this nation and all the people in it.

So iyan ang ano ko, I’m here to—I said, to condole with the family and to drive home the point that itong droga and all other—in the meantime na nag-away tayo, I am the President and I have to be with my fighting forces. Wala kayong dapat, you know, worry. When I visited your center—ayaw ko na lang—I would not want into a blame game—but I gave you five billion for the acquisition of modern equipments. At iyong MRI, Baric (applause). Iyong Baric, importante yan kasi kung maglabanan at hindi ka na-extract kaagad and you have a wound there pestering or festering, napepeste ka tapos tinalian mo and you are tying but there is gangrene, eh kung mailipad ka lang kaagad doon sa center, I bought you a Baric, yan, it can—mahabol niya iyong decomposition ng gangrene. It’s very important. Noong nakita ko, and a host of other, Gamma Rays na—karamihan sakit ninyo kidney, almost 65 of them, kasi asin lang minsan ang ulam, basta malunok lang. Putang-ina. (laughter)

Alam mo, iyong kung mamatay kayo, kunin iyong kidney ninyo pati—anong tawag sa Bisaya iyong—liver ninyo, puwedeng i-ulam, tapa talaga. (laughter) So that’s one. So I bought you a—I saw that machine, yung may kaibigan ako na inoperahan yan, and I was invited by the doctor to observe, iyong beam lang na parang flashlight pero a very thin one, bluish, at makita mo doon sa monitor yung bato na sumasabog. Pero ang bato ninyo siguro, sand and gravel na. Iyon ang sakit ninyo. So karamihan, pati iyong mga retirees, and you can use it. And I will make the rounds one day again to inspect the hospitals dito, kung ano yung lifesaving.

And yung presidential jet na sinasakyan ng Presidente, sinabi ko kay Secretary Lorenzana, have it reconfigured to installation ng hospital beds. Kaya kung ikaw, sana huwag naman, but alam mo, itong ponderables of life, actually God’s play iyan eh, kung kailan tayo makuha dito. But mailipad kayo kaagad. Sabi ko, maski isang pasyente, pasakayin mo na yang jet na iyan, baka maging presidente pa iyang buang na iyan. (Laughter)

Pati ito, pati yung mga Fokker ko, gawain na ninyong parang deployment ng ano, dalawa ‘ata iyan, inyo na iyan. Balita ko, yung isang taga-ikot doon, wala ng twerka pero ito—mga lumilipad pero.

Nauuhaw akong nanonood sa media, gusto man nila makinig: Putang-ina iyan. Yun ang gusto nilang marinig. (laughter) Gusto nilang marining kung ano iyong kalaban ko. Noong tinuro nung asawa ko, so iyong may caption doong mga rangers naghintay. I was supposed to go there. Hindi naman ako, iyon namang security, sabi niya huwag na kasi may thunderstorm, papuntahan namin doon. Hindi iyong kampo. Kung hindi ako natuloy noong isang araw but mayroon doon na parang naghintay na hindi dumating, nakita ko iyong boots nang tinuro ng asawa ko. Sabi niya, “Bakit kasi bili bala diyan, tignan mo iyong sapatos ng—”. Kaya ang una kong tinitingnan yung mga boots ninyo. You know, I said, “In my time and during my time, you will have everything you’d need. (applause).

Lahat. Inyo na iyong eroplano ko, maganda na iyong hospital ko. Iyong isang building ninyo doon, lumulutang iyong, bumabalik iyong—papaano ba itong – klaseng hospital yun? Ang imong tubol, flinash mo, mubalik. (laughter) Anong klase ito? Ingon ko unsa man ni? Is this a hospital or what? Sabi nila, it’s an old building, actually it was the original but sabi ko ganito na lang: You condemn, do not—huwag mong i-parking iyong mga tao diyan, it will be infraction.

Sabi ko, bilihan ko na, bigyan ko na kayong bagong building, it was 5 billion all in all. Mabuti’t na lang kasama ko yung Diokno, DBM. So, every time magsalita iyong mga ano doon, ‘pag mag-ganun si Diokno, approved, okay. Kung ganun nang ganun si Diokno, hindi ko alam katabi pala niya 45, nakaganoon iyong sundalo, putang-ina mo, kung magkamali ko dito, yari ka. (laughter). Kaya pala, hindi naggagalaw iyong pobre, tando na tando dun. Kaya naman pala, naka-kyugpos iyong kamay, arms akimbo nga. So, iyon palang dulo ng 45 ‘no, putang-ina mo, kayo (dialect) Huwag mong unahin iyong mga kurakot, kami pakamatay ng bayan dito.

Well, I’d like to be very, very, very honest and very, very frank with you. This will be a clean government. Kung magpakamatay kayo sa bayan na ito, you should be proud. In my time, there will be no corruption at all. I will not allow it. Ayaw ko talaga, hindi ako sanay, hindi ako nasanay ng ganun. (applause).

So mas malaki ang kita, hopefully yung, gaya ng online, tang-i—‘tong mga oligarchs. Iyan iyong mga bingo-bingo nakikita ninyo sa mall, oo noon. Iyan ay—para yan sa mga retirees, iyong matatanda na, just to while away your time until you die. Walang ginawa iyan diyan kungdi maghintay ng kamatayan diyan, ma-stroke. Ngayon, dumating itong mga bright na oligarchs na wala namang ginawa kungdi ma—impluwensiya lang. Pare, ibigay mo ito sa akin. Ano na ito malinis ito, akong bahala diyan sa ano. So really sprouting everywhere like a sari-sari store, putang-ina sabi ko, tapos walang—I cannot collect the taxes. It’s gambling per se, and yet, I do not collect taxes accurately. Ah sabi ko, “hindi ito panahon ng mga mayaman na abusado.” Sabi ko, “Gone are those days na special privilege.”

Gaya ng Laguna de Bay, makita niyo sa eroplano, lahat na lang ng—wala ng space sa—ang pobreng fishermen, you know, has to negotiate in between the—o sirain ninyo yan lahat. Mga abusado itong mga mayaman. Mabuti’t na lang na, at least sa panahon natin, and I can assure you, you will have everything, maski iyong mga baril at bagong equip. I never, sabi ko sa COA, “I will not allow any, iyong lowest bid, lowest bid.” Iyan, iyan kalokohan iyan. Even dito sa lowest bid, lowest bid, you’ll never know kung ang di-neliver, talagang Kevlar, gaya nung nagalit si Wong sa Navy noon, si Admiral, pinagmumura niya iyong marines. Eh, hindi naman kasalanan ng marines, kasalanan ng asawa ni Napoles, taga Navy. Ano man kasalanan ng marines? Pero dahil nga because iyong Kevlar na di-neliver, actually was not Kevlar eh. Makita mo iyong isa doon na sundalo, tinamaan dito, sumabog ng—those are the—kaya kung magdating sa iyo Kevlar, Kevlar talaga iyan. ‘Pag sinabi ko iyong mga equipments natin, intelligence, there are just two sources, two countries from where we can buy them. Eh, bilihin mo iyon ‘no, suksukan iyan ng bakukang iyan, makikinig na sila. Kalokohan. So you can buy it only into ano, iyong the best talaga, and I am really scouting for—yung mga shoulder-fired rockets. Baka maka-fire upon tayo, para makaganti naman tayo ng konti, medyo malayo ang aabutin.

Basta ako, ganito: What can I assure you is that, ang standard ng fire power natin pati quality ng—dito talaga atin. Ito yung atin, ito yung kanila. Dapat tie tayo, the best talaga. Ngayon kung ang gumagamit maraming asawa, luya mag maneuver, kay sige tsuktsak, ay wala. (laughter) Alam mo, kasalanan mo na iyan, gago, hindi ko na iyan problema. Mayroong mang ganoon, pag sinabi mag-move out, mahapit pa giyud adto sa gawas pag kampo, kung dili mabarilan, the lure of the—ganoon diyan sundalo.

But anyway, sige I have to be back to Davao, there’s a celebration going on. And if you want to go there, kayong magfu-furlough, you might want to go to Davao …. Just be careful along the way, you might struck with so many dangers. But, I said, I can assure you that the police, tutal itong August, ang suweldo ninyo, makikita na ninyo iyong increases ninyo, (applause) hopefully, doblado iyan. Hopefully by December, doblado na kayo, you will be the first to reach the level of—so puwede na kayong mag—(laughter) Ilang beses na iyan, ‘pag namatay, dalawang mag-claimant, (laughter) nagpakasal sa Zamboanga ang buang, ‘pag abot sa Leyte, nagpakasal na pud usab. Ito, dapat—there has to be a mechanism there kasi kawawa iyong mga—hindi ako naaawa sa babae, eh ang babae pareho (unclear) sa lalaki. Biology lang iyan eh. Iyong bata, iyong pamilya, I pity the human being, iyong tao na—so, buti’t naalala ko, one last thing is I’d like to address myself to the higher echelons of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

I would like the Armed Forces to have an office. I’m willing to spend for it including the—lahat ng computers, na kung may biyuda, isang puntahan lang niya, pipirmahan niya yung log book, ibigay sa kanya iyong pera. Hindi ang biyuda ang maglakad, ang Armed Forces, kasi alam ng Armed Forces kung saan naka-duty yan all these years at ano ang inutang diyan sa ano. And we have to do the computation, for after all, akala ko ba computerized na tayo? So that what’s I did with the—itong si Bebot Bello, mahusay ‘to. Isang ano na: DILG, NBI, Customs, isang window lang for—sa overseas workers. Yan ang gusto ko. Dito naman sa AFP, pati pulis, itong pulis, I would publicly criticize them. They allowed these things happen na ang biyuda, mag-sige balik-balik doon. Tang-ina ‘tong pulis, minsan kagagaguhan nila, ang biyuda, pag maganda, mabuntis pa, pag-uwi wala na iyong pension, naubos na. Look, these are the things that are totally unacceptable to me, maski ganito lang ako. Sabagay, tatlo rin ang asawa, ko pero okay man sila. Ito ganito, hindi ko—okay lang iyon, pero yang—the fall victim, so I told the police, nag-serbisyo yung tao, namatay in defense of this country.

Dapat isang opisina, kayo ang mag-ayos. Kayo ang magkuha ng death certificate, hindi niya kung saan niyang kunin, doon sa munisipyo nag encounter o doon saan, sa Manila? You do it, kasi computer na iyan doon sa statistics. Pagdating ng asawa doon, sa region, not in Crame, but in the region. Doon niya kunin ang lahat ng benefits, pati pension. Isang lakaran lang para sa biyuda, kasi kung papaano pa maubos na lang ang pera sa kakautang, sige ka-follow up, this a very stupid and idiotic set up. So, it behooves upon government who did employ the person, the person served his government with his life, the least thing that you can do is to reward the heirs, mga anak, pati asawa. The most comfortable, pinaka-komportable na, she need not standing there outside waiting. You provide a sala there, and with it, they can have to find a seat. Nabiyuda na nga eh, patindigin mo pa, kalokohan.

And all governments, ayaw ko na yung magpila ang tao. Saka lahat ng gobyerno, kung gusto ng—yung anak ninyo sa barko, diyan lang. Diyan lang, isang NBI, doon niya kunin, birth certificate, NBI lahat, punta siya doon. At mayroon pang mga konti-konti. Lalo na itong mga LTFRRB pati LTO, babalik-balik pa yung taong kung saan. Lalo na iyong mga linya-linya. ‘Pag ikaw ang may linya, may pera lang kaunti, mag-invest ka, pinabalik ka limang beses, barilin mo, akong bahala. Totoo.

Maraming salamat po.