Press Conference of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte
Presidential Guest House, DPWH Depot, Panacan, Davao City
21 August 2016
PRRD:
Are we ready? Okay? Ah, good morning! It’s one o’clock na in the morning, and the reason why I could not be on time with you because I had a caucus with some of the Congressmen regarding legislative matters that will be taken up in the coming days.I took all this meeting because there will be a long hiatus of holidays and I am not sure if I could talk to you, again, earlier. You know, some of my relatives, yung “mga babae,” the women, were asking me — even from the States, they are residents of the United States — “Why did you have to include the relationship between De Lima and her driver?”

Now, the crux of the matter is if I do not talk about that relationship with De Lima to her driver then there is no topic to talk about. Because what is really very crucial there is the fact that because of that relationship with her driver, which I termed immoral because the driver has a family and a wife, gave rise—that connection gave rise to the corruption of what was happening inside the National Penitentiary.

Kaya nga nagkaroon ng special privileges… are you not surprised that during her term and for a longer period, when she became the Secretary of Justice, there were special privileges granted to all, almost all inmates. There were guns their inside, there were parties being held almost every night, there was a combo, a musical group, liquors and alcoholic drinks flowed freely and women went inside and out the prison.

Now if I do not mention the connect between the senator — who was then a Secretary of Justice — and her driver, how would you now explain, how would I now explain to the public, the State that these things happened: the partying, drugs and even cooking shabu, went well unbridled, unhampered because of the driver himself. Would you think that a driver of a Department of Justice employee could have allowed these things by all and himself, these illegal things which you saw on TV almost every day for about a month. Do you think that without De Lima giving him the authority to allow the inmates to do that. All of these could have only happened if there was the go signal from the head of the department, which is the secretary.

Barlaan? Is this his name? Yeah, Barlaan, he was also one of the bagman. He was also just another fellow there, Undersecretary. All of these things happened under your nose, and shabu was floating inside and it was being… and what was really painful, and that the reason why we knew and I know because they were trafficking shabu from the inside. Where it not for that authority these cell phones and everything else, the guns, could not have happened.

Now I am now warning everybody connected with the Bureau of Prisons in Muntinlupa. All the guards there and the supervisors, because if you do not tell the truth, before any committee of any governmental body, be it the Senate or the House of Representatives, be prepared to be charged, for what? That is serious negligence of duty, if not… I hope it is not that you were in conspiracy with the prisoners. You were there for almost all the time that these things happened. Do you mean to say that you did not report it to your superiors; or you allowed these things to happen by yourself, only your authority and nobody else’s? Then be prepared to be investigated because I will charge you for negligence of duty or under the Revised Penal Code for conspiring with these guys to precisely act the way they behaved there inside the prison. It could not have happened without your connivance. It could only mean conspiracy.

Now if you are not ready to tell the truth, I said be ready to be ousted. You’re all invited in the mean time to go to Basilan and find your places there and in Jolo. You’re going there, kayong lahat, I will be assigning you there; in the mean time that we are now waiting for the House of Representatives, which is also conducting its own inquiry.

I urge De Lima to proceed with the investigation and I would like to invite — there was somebody who told me, “Sir, there was this UN expert that Duterte is not doing enough” — to come to the Philippines. Have a conference to me in public, you can ask your questions, all that you want to know, but allow me to ask you also, you seem to be characterized “UN expert,” fine. I am just a simple trial lawyer. So why don’t you come here and let’s talk about what you are talking about. Extrajudicial killing, I will do the explanation in public, for international release if you want. For the things that really happened during the criminals and the police in operations, punitive operations, police action, I am willing to answer all of them. And I said I assume full responsibility for what happened, because I was the one who ordered it.

Now my instructions at the very first day of my term was that: “go out and hunt for these criminals. Arrest them if they surrender peacefully, but if they put up a violent stand, then you’ll just have to kill him,” because I do not want people in government dying needlessly for doing his work; where you will then be leaving behind a family and children. Now remember today we lost another policeman. On the average on the national scheme, we lose about two… on the average two, three, police officers killed in drug operations. Now I want the law expert to come here and to count the numbers of death also incurred by government, with his fingers to guide him, how many deaths were caused. For the extrajudicial killing they say, it’s not the work of the police to be wrapping people with plastics and putting them in the bag. That is not the job of the police. I just told him that one bullet will do. Why do we have to wrap it, waste your time that is not. But we know at the start what we planted the intrigues there. I’m just as a… well, I have not really—I have learned a lot during my prosecution days. We planted evidence. We arrested persons but we released them. But telling him that it was this person who squealed on him. And then, when he goes out about killing, then we said that it was this fellow who really did it, who did you in. We first planted the intrigues so that we would know where they were, from where they came from. It was not until—

I was the favourite whipping boy of De Lima, she was for the longest time Chairman of the Commission on Appointments, Philippines Republic, she was yakking. She never proved anything. When she became Secretary of Justice, she was yakking, accusing me but she never also initiated any complaint, any accusation anywhere. She simply loved talking in front of the cameras and microphones. Now she is conducting an investigation against the, in the matter of judicial killings. And then she had the gall again to mention my name “Mayor Duterte” that is what I call… my appleation is really Mayor, that is my nickname, so you call me “Mayor.” Do not call me “President,” I’m not used to it. I’ve been mayor for twenty three years. Just call me “Mayor.”

Mr. President Duterte follow me as I probe… start my probe. Good! Then we will have to include all: Your driver, all of the employees, Barlaan, and may I ask you, the name of the house in Pangasinan was named under the… the title was named under the sister of your driver. Where did she get the money? Tell me, where did your driver get the money to build such a good house? Can you show me their income? What is their business? And what is the worth of your driver? He was the only one residing their all the time. And you, Senator De Lima went there so many times. First during the house blessings, and on weekends you’re with your driver. And everybody knows, the Department of Justice employees know about it. When you were the Secretary… or the chairman on the Commission on Appointments, everybody in that agency knew about it. Is if you are the only one.

You know, the reason why I called for this conference is just to disabuse the minds of the many women criticizing me. I said I have to mention the connect between De Lima’s driver and her. Otherwise I’d look stupid. Why would the inmates obey a driver on the mere approval of a driver. Para kang gago. So that is one round. Wait until we present these guys. They can well, maybe deny it initially but you know, there are a lot of ways of doing it.

Allow me to ask you seven questions and I would get the truth from your mouth. I am not saying I am the best, but ten years as a prosecutor was a learning process of arriving at truths. Now the second round, I would be mentioning, again, the names of the police and most of the senior officials of the police, PNP, and some judges. But in between, far and wide in this controversy, I will now raise again the Napoles issue. There were a lot of billions and billions of pesos lost. You have been able just only to put several lawmakers there inside but only because the charge, the accusation is non-bailable. Otherwise, whether to tell… you have to recon and tell whether they’d be eventually put in prison, with finality, or acquitted. In the mean time they are just there in prison and that is not enough vindication for the Filipino people.

Let us revisit the Napoles case. I have some revealing things to tell you about it. You just wait, but I will… if that is the only thing that I’ll have to do until the end of my term, I will do it for I shall have done a singular task of giving you the truth about the government. The reason why I’m… I was raising my fist like this. (raises right arm with fist closed) It was in defiance all the time I was campaigning, because I was mad at government. People were being framed, the airports, the bullets placed inside their bags, being arrested, investigated for no reason at all except to the greed of those… I said I’ve been, you know, my mouth is they say, lousy.

But I would like to issue a warning that on Monday, I will declare all positions in the government, that per presidential appointments, or if you are there because of the presidential appointments, I will declare all your positions all throughout the country, vacant. You know why? Until now, in my provincial visits, I still hear corruption being committed by people especially in the regulatory agencies. I would like to point out one, the LFTRB. The LTFRB, the regulation board, I forgot his name but come to me and see me in Malacanang. The LTO and those who are appointed to the positions of LTO, except the career, consider your positions vacant as of this hour. All of them, lahat, it will number in thousands, consider yourself in the crucible of the truth about corruption in this country. I am… I hate it. I do not want to give the slightest headache to my fellow human beings.

De Lima, farthest from my mind is to denigrate your person. But I have to mention your relationship because it was your driver who was in contact with the rest of the guys there inside the prison. And eventually, Senator De Lima, it was your greed and your immorality that did you in. Di mo na matago yan, I think it’s beyond your control already. People are willing, even the employees of that Penitentiary, SAF took it over, it’s now under the police. But remember this, when we asked… start to ask question, you better tell us the truth or else, I will charge you all, superintendents, wardens, supervisors, a case of conspiracy to commit a serious wrong, or at the very least, seriously neglecting your duty.

The Napoles case should deserve a second look for it also it involves corruption and De Lima.

Any question? Yes, Bigornia?

Doris Bigornia:
Good morning, Sir.

PRRD:
You are the topnotcher. Always the first to raise your hands. Must be good at the exercise of doing it. Go ahead.

Bigornia:
Sir, De Lima had a press conference yesterday and she said that she’s willing to resign and be shot in front of you if your allegations are true. She said, all your evidence are fake, false, manufactured and perjured.

PRRD:
Same here. I said I’m putting at stake, at the start of my term, I said, I’m willing to put at stake my honor, my life and the presidency itself. Nauna na ako. I’d be willing to go, I said, go ahead change me. I’ve been telling the congressman, if I’m lying — we had a conference there for some time — I said you can impeach me.

She’s lying to her teeth. Because now that she is… you know, in all of her answers, she was only telling about drugs, now she denied her links about drugs. But she never said true or false about the driver. And the driver is the connect. Lahat naman sa loob, sinasabi, ang driver. Driver said, “I have the permission of the top honcho.” So that is why. Now tell me, De Lima, when I testified in the Senate, two years ago, about the rice smuggling of the city and at the behest of the BIR Commissioner Kim Henares, and she said, “Rody — in call — please help us in finding out who’s behind this rice smuggling.” I did. I never went—I do not go to, inside, they are—they are being operated independently of the local governments. But I did my work and it was not until—all of the agencies never knew Bangayan — from the Philippine Ports Authority, to the Philippine Maritime Police, to the Coast Guard, nobody knew the idiot until I went inside the intelligence community and asked for a picture. And I said do not fuck with me. Give me the picture of this Bangayan. And that is why I exhibited, when Enrile said, “do you know about this Bangayan.” “Yes.” “Can you identify him.” “Yes, he’s that idiot there.” And when he said, “what will you do if you find Bangayan doing smuggling in your city?” And I answered, “I’ll shoot him.” I’m dead serious. If you’ll do it again there, I’ll shoot him. You steal seven billion of the money of the people, of the Republic of the Philippines, and you think you can be alive forever? I will take the cudgels. God, do not do it. I will never allow you to steal seven billion of the taxes of the people. Sinabi ko. Then Jinggoy Estrada said, “ano sinabi niya?” It was really in sarcasm. And I said well, “I’ll give you an answer you want to hear, patayin ko yan. I’ll kill him.” And so when we went outside the Senate walls — at the termination of the hearing — De Lima, whenever she faces with the microphone and TV cameras, she changes the aura. Nag-iiba yung anyo. She becomes combative and she said, “Duterte should be punished for the… Duterte should be sued for making a threat against the life of a resource person there.” Forgetting, even as she is a lawyer, forgetting that nobody, but nobody can question my behaviour inside a Senate during a hearing. For it is only the Senate who can question me, of what I do, of what I did, of what I’ll be doing because that is an affront of the Senate itself as a collegial body, not an outsider even if you are the Secretary of Justice. De Lima, I thought was bright because she is a Secretary of Justice but I realized that I said, her aura changes from a Jekyll and Hyde thing. Forgetting the fundamentals of law and out of respect because you are now suggesting to the Senate to punish me, that is one implication. Second implication, she cannot do it because she is not a member of the Senate so she cannot sue me. Well that shows how bright De Lima is.

Again, I left unanswered. I made that gamble when I was, and I said, I said to the congressman, “Impeach me if I’m wrong. Impeach me if I’m lying.” But De Lima has to face this answer. She can remain the senator of the Republic of the Philippines but she has to explain why she is not answering now her connect, her relationship with the driver. Because that driver was the one who work it out inside the Penitentiary to allow these prisoners to have all of these privileges: cooking shabu, opening the gates for female guests to come in. There was a partying. There was a raid. There were guns. And at one time, the guards could only enter upon the permission given by the inmates. That’s why I said, “Send the combat troops. And if they go around rioting, shoot them all.”

I’d save money feeding criminals in this country, I’d rather give it to the poor and the hungry.

MODERATOR:
Yes ma’am, follow up question.

Begornia:
Sir, follow-up. In the same press conference she said, she got a call from the driver about a month a ago and he was, afraid and he supposedly expressed fear that you would be… that something would happen to him and that he would be used as a witness against her.

PRRD:
So, why would he be afraid? If there’s nothing to hide… the predicate if afraid if he’s going to be used. So why be afraid if there is nothing to hide? From the semantics itself, from the wordings itself, it’s very loaded. Very loaded!

You know, you can really catch the… Why would she say that? That she is afraid that he will be used as a witness against her.

Why give importance even to the statement if you have nothing there. You shouldn’t be mentioning it at all. Why would you say that even I don’t… I’ve never authorized you. I never give you any authority or whatever. But why would you say about being afraid of being used as a witness?

You know, De Lima might—we cannot use it as an evidence in court because that would be illegal and I would not say that I was the one who made the intercepts. It was given to us free by another country friendly to us. Even the ATM and the calls emanating from Muntinlupa to his driver.

And I told the De Lima, “De Lima, I was listening to you.” And if she would face me, kaming dalawa lang, the two of us and I would tell her, “Explain to me your immorality and explain to me your connection with the drug people. And why is it that during the birthday of one high profile inmate, you went ahead inside with your driver and celebrating with the rest of the inmates, a party inside the prison?”

She cannot deny it because there are pictures taken at that time. But she never, for a moment, even to just to deny it. So what’s it? You know you confirm one if it is true. And you confirm another if it is true and make it false.

I have no quarrel with you. It was you who started this ruckus many years ago. You made yourself popular at my expense. So now that you are at the receiving end of all of these you should not be heard complaining because there are serious matters already arrayed against you.

Wait until we revisit the Napoles’ case, Secretary or Senator De Lima. And I assure you, you will be horrified. Wait until that probe goes along even in your own committee. Because I will start to mention the names of those you opt to subpoena and to appear there to testify. That’s the committee that is being headed by you.

And of course there’s another parallel hearing being conducted at the Lower House. You are in a bind. Please think it over, seriously. Do not open your mouth unnecessarily because by the words that you have framed, it’s already defensive. That she is afraid or he is afraid the he would be used as a state witness against you. So, why would you be afraid?

There’s a psychological… it’s just like saying I am afraid that I’ll be forced to tell the truth, although forced but still the truth. That’s the problem. You know, because if I’m called and I’d be forced, the word is forced, subpoena is a force. You do not obey it you are cited in contempt. And the other word is “I’ll be forced to tell the truth.” What gives?

Any question?

EDITH REGALADO:
Good morning po, sir.

PRRD:
Why don’t you take a seat and… I’m comfortable answering you sitting down. You don’t have to stand up.

REGALADO:
Kasi tumatayo ako, sir.

PRRD:
Be careful there’s a chair behind you.

EDITH REGALADO/PH STAR:
Sir, at the start of your administration you were saying something about giving — informs or whoever — the bounty of 5 million, 3 million down to 50 thousand from big drug lords. What ever happened to that bounty offer po?]

PRRD:
Tapos na.

EDITH REGALADO/PH STAR:
You’ve given somebody, some people?

PRRD:
Tapos na, ibig sabihin nabigay na.

EDITH REGALADO/PH STAR:
Aah okay. Sir, next question: In this whole ano with De Lima, I wonder what end do you or do you foresee in this whole thing, what would be the end?

PRRD:
You know, I was really appalled, I was horrified. I was the favorite whipping boy as the number 1 violator of human rights because of the so many criminals killed. And that matter was investigated by the UN. I don’t know for the nth time again, and a UN rapporteur came here. So I told him, it is true that there are people killed in police operations and for that I assume full responsibility, because I’m the head.

Now for those who are really killed in the drug war, in the rivalry to date to take up a prominent place somewhere there and here, do not include… especially about people being thrown inside a sack or a guy being wrapped with plastic. Why would we do that? What is the point of wasting our efforts? When a criminal is a criminal and if he happens really to fight with the law… ‘pag sabihin na nila, ‘then why is it that they always lose the gun fight?’ You know, my police department is not stupid. When the police go out or goes out to hunt, to apprehend those selling shabu every night.

Invariably, they are already paranoid because a constant use of shabu for 6 months, almost every day, would shrink the brain of a person. And I’ve told you… and many of you media men were there, almost on time to observe that they really are paranoid, sick with paranoia and they are always armed. And even when if you have a relative or whatever, a friend who got hooked into drugs, you yourself would tell you that they are always… somebody is following me, that my wife is cheating me, always. And these are the standard behavior, and they would go for it. So when the police goes, they’re out. They are 2 or 3. And of course when you make a hostile gesture or you pull a gun, you’ll always killed, because the people approaching you they are ready for a gun fight and we have the backup. I do not allow my police to go there alone. So today, of last count, the other day I lost 2 soldiers who were assisting the police. This time it is a police they are after. We lose about 2 policemen a day in connection with the drug campaign. So I would like to bring in that law expert, somebody, the crawler of the ABS-CBN says that, “that law expert, Duterte is not doing enough.” I would invite her to come and to hold his finger and begin to count the figures and I would ask him, compare it with the previous administration. Same deaths but these were the innocent children being killed, raped, victims of holdups and everything, this time almost with the same number but it is the criminals who are dying.

You can hardly hear now of a student waylaid or a holdup victim in a bus and I would warn the criminals do not do it, you will die.

If you put up a good fight these policemen had practiced to kill people if they have to, because they are policemen. They are trained to shoot and if you are just an ordinary paranoid drug addict… it is better you’d be safe. That is the sad story.

The Human Rights Commission, I don’t know why but they would insist in counting the dead criminals and never make a comparison of the dead victims, innocent people, law-abiding people being killed in the streets at the same time last year.

So, come here. You are complaining that there is no process. Okay you guys. You law experts of the United Nations, come here and face me and make the accusations and I will show you the statistics and I will hold your finger and teach you how to count. And if you cannot do that, be prepared to answer for my questions. And it will really be a sad story for the both of us.

You do not publish there with the NGOs about killing. You are publishing the side of the criminal. How about now publishing the side of government protecting people or preventing the killing of people, innocent victims?

My job, ladies and gentlemen and of the United Nations, my job as President is to protect the innocent law-abiding citizens. I was never tasked by any law to protect the life of criminals.

Why? 15 million plus… or 16 million plus voted for me. I was given the biggest margin between me and my next opponent, I got 6… 6 million margin. So why am I talking this way? It’s the 15 million people talking to you.

For after all during the campaign, I was a … all I said was I have a very limited issue program of government. Even during the debates, three debates all across the country. I said I’ll take care of graft and corruption, criminality, and drugs. They gave me fifteen million. At what margin? Six million. So that I said I will put at stake. It’s so humbling that I said I will serve you, people of the Philippines I will put at stake, I said my honour, my life, and the presidency. Sleep on that thought and you’d maybe understand me better. I was never born to protect evil. I was born in this universe to suppress evil. I was not raised by my parents, I did not go to Roman Catholic schools, in Ateneo and San Beda, and taught how to protect the evildoers. I grew up, and taught by my parents to be on the side of fairness, to protect the good, and to take care of your country.

I am now 71 years old. I am on my way to my sunset days. If I go to hell, I will bring all of these criminals with me. Just like what —may I repeat, it’s a very—when I was a student of law, I copied this … and wrote it just in… first covered there is a clean page there. Then you have the title of the book and the author. And I copied it with the Revised Penal Code, I copied it with my hand writing. I lost the book because there was a flood, I used to live by the… But that was the only house that I can afford. I live beside the river, and all of you, all of you… you know it because you were there to cover that event. And I admired very much this man, maybe next to my father. He’s really my idol and he said “If I were to try to read, much less answer all attacks made on me, this shop — the presidency — might as well be closed for any other business. I do the very best here, I know how, the very best I can, and I mean to keep doing so until the end. If the end brings me out all right, what is said against me won’t amount to anything. But if the end brings me out wrong, ten angels of God swearing I was right would make no difference. I’d still be wrong.” With that message I’d say thank you for listening and I go home. Ah marami pa ba?

MODERATOR:
Last, last two ah, from ah, Edith Kaduayo of Rappler and then Trisha of CNN.

EDITH KADUAYO/RAPPLER:
Sir, clarification Mayor. Will the vacancies at the LTO and LTFRB include the Cabinet secretaries, will there be vacuum of leadership—

PRRD:
Look, I cannot go after each and every one of them. It would take, I said, I will answer all the attacks made on me. If I to go there every day, I would not have time to be President and sit there and make crucial decisions for the country. So, I will declare all the positions, there are the abs… assistant, there’s always a deputy or even the first clerk, they can take over until such time I decide whether I will dispose of you or not. But you do not… I gave you a warning, the Filipino people, STOP IT! I promised the people, the 16 million, “I will give you a clean government.” It will be clean and it would maybe, along the way, cost the employment of some who are really corrupt. If I go there once, twice, and I still hear about the complaints and if you are a presidential appointee, meaning to say I appoint you, or you were appointed by the previous president. But the appointing authority has the power to appoint and the power to dismiss without any reason, except that loss of confidence and your ability to deliver your mandate.

EDITH KADUAYO/RAPPLER:
Follow up sir. They are saying that there is a procedural problem, and the systemic problem within that two agencies which cannot just be corrected, sir.

PRRD:
It’s a problem that’s only in the system and the structures, maybe the functioning or the aberration in the system or the flow of that work, I really won’t mind. But if you are there to commit corruption, day in, day out, please get out.

TRISHA/CNN:
Hi sir, good evening. Sir, you mentioned earlier about you monitoring some conversations made or calls made inside…

PRRD:
No, no I did not. I said I heard…

TRISHA/CNN:
Uhuh, okay…

PRRD:
We do not have that, we do not have that capacity. It was done by a friendly country. Which I cannot reveal, for the simple reason is that, I just cannot reveal it. You know, wiretapping in this country is illegal, unlawful. There is a penalty for that. But ah, if you just happen to hear, and it is not to your doing, we do not have that kind of thing, that you siphon from the space there outside conversations of human mortals… in this place, in this planet.

TRISHA/CNN:
Sir, second question about the Napoles investigations. What could be now, sir, the fate of the senators implicated in it? Ano po yung mga possible na mangyari given the…

PRRD:
Well, I said uh, they might as well because it is connected with drugs.

TRISHA/CNN:
They might as well what, sir?

PRRD:
You might as well allow it. I’m referring the committee on the Lower House. “Itong sa Senate drugs, ito naman ito it’s open to corruption. Wala, drugs, and corruption in government”. So you might as well include it. The word corruption is there. So why limit? Go ahead and let the chips fall as they may.

MODERATOR:
Okay last question from Jonathan Miller.

PRRD:
Yes sir, may I help you?

JONATHAN MILLER:
Mr. President, at the risk of being shot down, the numbers of people who have been killed on the streets of the Philippines since you came to power six weeks ago, have risen to around a thousand. Now I know you have been contemptuous of your critics, but they are accusing you of unleashing a national death squad. Where is this gonna end? Because, some are saying that the social fabric of the Philippines is at risk here.

PRRD:
Good, that’s a very good question. Because at the order, past, and distant past, no police was willing to really work and risk her life, his life. You know it was a practice before, that’s why I said I take full responsibility. You know why? Because they are now encouraged and even brave enough to have a shoot off. The standard practice in the system of government is that when you accuse him, they would always file a counter charge. And say that there was due process or that they were unarmed, and anything, any answer that could give a leverage. And ordinarily, and you can check this out in the courts, they have to use that leverage against that poor old policeman. Now remember in this country, no lawyer is provided for the policemen and the other men in the security officers… I mean, when they get into trouble with the law. They are left at the mercy on their own. That was the policy before and in the previous ones. They are left behind. So when I was mayor, I told them “Go ahead, do your duty”. But if you feel that — in carrying out your duty — you would get killed, my God shoot him first. And they were protected here, and there were cases filed. And I provided the lawyer, and for the time that they are suspended that is why they are afraid. They face charges in court, then at the same time when they are accused, they lose the job because they are suspended. And for the time that they are suspended, and the hearing of cases can take you to eternity as long as it can ever be. The family is not without food.

JONATHAN MILLER:
With respect, Sir, you as a lawyer know, better than any of us, how important this principle of Innocent until proven guilty.

PRRD:
Look, PDEA said, two years ago, there are 3 million addicts in this country. That was the last figure, nobody cared to find out. Now it’s my time. So, three years—ah two years ago, between two years ago and now, how many do you think were hooked into drugs? Let us give it an incremental increase of about… just be liberal about 7,000… 700,000. So 3,700,000. And the confirmed 600,000 now who has surrendered and took the test for drug addiction. How do you call it? Just a problem? It’s just a police problem? Or is it really a crisis for this country? It’s not even epidemic my friend, it is pandemic. So what am I suppose to do as a President? Empower the military and the police for after all they are there to protect the integrity and preserve the people of the Philippines.

JONATHAN MILLER:
At the risk of gang law, sir?

PRRD:
It can happen. It had happens in America, they are shooting the blacks there. It shows on TV, you see it in TV. What’s the difference between the America and the Philippines? Nothing. So what is surprising here is surprising to us. We see policemen they are shooting the black guy there. How many times had it happened in the past? That’s why you have the most ah, the most violent demonstration. So, would it surprise you and me? Almost the same, 1 case only, 3 cases here. So what? It involves the same principle. Say for every one black there dead you have about 5 here. And so? Does it make this world more liveable because there is less killing? When you shoot a black there, dead, what is that? Is that not appalling? When you bomb Syria and Iraq, and you kill communities, and you kill children and old people in hospital, what is it? And why is it that United Stated is not doing anything? I do not read anybody in that stupid body complaining about the stench there of death. Look at the ah, I call it… boy that was taken out from the rubbles. And he was made to sit in the ambulance, and we saw it. So what’s the difference? Life of the criminal, or may be what really rubout? We cannot discount it. But what do you think the Americans did to the black people there? Is that not rubbing off also? I say well it was just one community there, one State of America. Well, but you have there about 10. So what’s the difference? Are we here for the counting or for the basic principles of human rights? Almost the same.

JONATHAN MILLER:
Thank you, sir.

MODERATOR:
Sir, ah, last question from Doris daw.

DORIS:
Sir, balik tayo kay De Lima yung sa sinabi niya, ah, meron na po ba kayong naka-linya or meron na kayong kinakausap na mga… to strengthen your case against her na mga preso or warden who would testify against De Lima, and are you or are your agencies making an efforts to track down the driver and to get him as witness?

PRRD:
No. I will not do that. She knows where her lover is, so leave her at that. What we have is the intercept, but the intercepts cannot be used as evidence, that’s illegal. Meaning to say you can load the intercept but it cannot be allowed in evidence in court. In this direct to lawyers says that you cannot even try it. But that was a time when we were using landlines. It’s a free enterprise now in the advent of digital age. You can siphon any of the conversation, China is doing it, America is doing it, Great Britain is doing it, everybody is doing it with the power to listen. They have the machines. There’s a law, you cannot prevent them. But then, you cannot use it in court because it would not be acceptable. So if I just listened and say to you, and say I cannot just reveal it, you must remember that I signed an Executive Order without waiting for Congress the Right to Information. And in that Executive Order I allowed everybody to even…to look at the diapers in Malacañang. You have now the access to all documents you need to know if there is corruption or not. And that is my desire to do away with corruption. Now, can I now go to court and file a case? No. That is not my job. My job is in the higher, the presidential do everything in his power to protect public interest.

As President I got this information, being a privilege as a President, but I am not required to prove it in court. That is somebody else’s business. Okay? So, that’s one. The second is I have every right now to tell you because you were the one, the media, bugging me several times. We met in Cotabato, everywhere, “Who is the next senator that you will reveal connected with drugs?” I said there is one, and I told you to wait because I have to do something about this. First, first of all you have to ask the permission from the country who provided it to just mention it without naming. But that country is really also mad at De Lima. Because she’s involved in drugs. Every country is mad at… even China is ah, they even execute people, Indonesia, Malaysia they hang them. Philippines, I have been asking for the restoration of the death penalty. So, if I were a soldier, I’ll give you a classic case. I am a soldier, I’m assigned at Jolo, Basilan fighting the Abu Sayyaf. I work very hard for this country. Then my salary is given to my wife. She sets up the house. Send the school… school children, while I am fighting to preserve democracy in this country. He knows now suddenly that his daughter got raped. That his daughter got killed because of the drug addicts. Tell me now, because this is really what happened, if I were the lawyer… if I were the soldier. If I go back to see the child raped, my daughter raped dead, stiff dead, inside the coffin. And I knew that he was raped by those people. What do you think I will do? I will ask the President permission, “Mr. President I have to kill these people.”

So why is it widespread? You know when generals are involved already. When everybody almost all of the policemen in every—in Region 4 there are 400 all in all, 100 in the same town – 600 – 100 only in one town. How do you cope up? Policemen into drugs. And so that is why you see many policemen are also killed in police operations. Because he does not surround himself, unless he is a drug lord. So, policemen are there.

The Middle East, guys, 3,000,000 of our fellow human beings there, Filipinos. One father is working in Qatar, the other one is working in Saudi Arabia. They worked their ass to death to send money only to discover that one of the rare visits that they are allowed to realized that their son is already hooked in shabu and is crazy. Does the lives of ten criminals really matter to me? If I am the one facing the grief, would one hundred lives of this idiot would mean anything to me? I was a prosecutor once, but if somebody raped my daughter because he was hooked into drugs and killed my daughter, my God I will kill you. Let it be known to everybody. You despoiled the body of my child then you expect me just to kill three because there are one hundred…. Okay, I will just kill three, because that would be a fair exchange of lives here. Can you measure an anger? If I were a policeman, you killed my son. If I were a soldier, you killed my wife and family. Could I measure that anger by just about maybe two hundred lives? Even the Americans taught us that it’s good. Charles Bronson. He was… was that ‘Death Wish’? What was the movie about? He was a cop, he was a vigilante, just like Clint Eastwood. They reflect, actually, they’re the mirrors of life. They mirror the lives of everybody.

Q:
Do you mirror Duterte Harry, sir?

PRRD:
Do what?

Q:
Duterte Harry.

PRRD:
No. In the sense that I do not believe the crusading justice there. It’s far different. He has his own duty, his oath to protect. Mine is a larger, I have to protect a country. He, is simply is appalled and he has pity to the fellow Americans who die needlessly in the hands of…they are law abiding citizens. They do not carry arms because they obey the law, and yet they are waylaid, they are killed for nothing. They are being… there’s a stick up and there’s a camera there and there’s a lady going out of the apartment and she ends up dead. So on the average that policeman has that paradigm: What’s happening to this fucking thing?

Then the serial rapists are sent to jail, after two years they are allowed to go out. Then they go out, they look for houses with open windows, nobody’s there except the daughters or the children; he goes into the room, carries the child, brings her to the nearby woods and… (taps on table). What is true there is true here. The mirror of life is portrayed before us, that is what I’m saying. If it’s a shade of my character? No. It is not an original trait. I have my faith to wallow. I’ve been telling everybody, you cannot build a nation over the bones of your citizens.

But with the crisis of three million, plus the five hundred that are now addicted, what kind of mirror do you want to portray your anguish and anger? Let us be clear on that. But you might think so, what are you? My friend, I am a human being. I know how to get angry, I should know how I would get soft. I know how to pity and I know how to have a rage in me. How do I react, it all depends. Well, if it’s my daughter, I will kill you. If it is just an ordinary citizens—I’m privileged because what? Because my children and I we are protected by the Presidential Security Command. Even my children, we are all protected. But I wish I could go around just like other times when I was mayor. Everybody [knows] here, I drive a taxi and I wait for the hold-upper to really do the hold-up to me. Why? Because if I kill them, then there one less kidnapper or hold-upper in the city. I used to go around because I was really hunting for them. But I do not go out just because of killing people. About lives, my God. Syria, six year hence, suffered bombings and everything and yet you hear this UN expert that Duterte is not doing enough. No. I’ll ask you, when is enough, enough? For a problem with three million addicts and in our control and in our custody, six hundred thousand. What am I supposed to do? Do I have the money?

You know these guys they ask, like the United Nations, why are there no… why are you doing this? You know the Philippines does not have that money just like the Unites States and the EU. I came midstream. Remember that midyear, the money was already gone. I am faced with this gargantuan problem of dealing with this. But the program is there, you cannot get out of that budget, it’s yearly. So where do I get the money from this budget? They are all programmed. If you get some money out, then you rob Peter by paying Paul. You deprive this one department with their money, so because there is a need for that immediately. So you rob whatever is programmed for the people, you rob Peter to pay Paul for you to build. Even in a matter of space, I have ordered the military to provide the space because there is really no space. If you just put it at one hundred thousand per region. There are thirteen, fourteen regions here including the ARMM. Let’s say in one thousand and one region. One hundred thousand. Where do I get the money to buy beds, blankets, pillows, water, building, doctors, medicines and nurses? It’s not that easy. And you worry about the lives of six hundred, five hundred.

You must remember that those who are already in shabu for almost one year, they are dead. They are the living walking dead. They are of no use to society anymore. And yet we have to sequester for them. We have to feed them because they are human being. And we need money and where do we get the money? We collect taxes to support government. The taxes that we collected were programmed already in the previous year to run this government. I entered the presidency halfway. So the taxes are programmed here. I cannot collect taxes and spend it. This is a democracy — judiciary, legislative, and presidency all co-equal. I have to get the authority from Congress, there’s such thing as supplemental budget and the national. No such thing as a—then you have to wait, maybe you borrow. But then again if you borrow, you need Congress. That is how it is complicated in a democracy. It’s not because you are the President you can order this immediately to stop this and that (hand gestures). How about the persons who have an axe to grind. Six hundred, six hundred. How many parents, and persons and sisters and brothers are hell mad at them? Then you presumed that is the order of the police because you want to catch them all. And you think that it is only the police who are interested. Of course the police is interested to apprehend you, and maybe they would really enjoy you if you put up a good fight. Because the police there would not go alone. When they go there around to arrest these people, they are already positioned. So when this guy, a poor guy with his idiotic mind would pull out a gun, he is dead. And that is why I said, why is it that in every apprehension… no police. “God,” I said, “we are are losing. I just lost one police today.”

Maybe another statistics by tomorrow I will be able to gauge. The CAFGU, the paramilitary units got killed in confrontation with drugs. It is flooding the country. With the help of the PNP guys, the generals, it has spread to every nook and corner of my country. As a matter of fact, and there are other countries with these kind of pandemic, they would have declared martial law. That’s why Thaksin, the Premier of Thailand. In one day he killed three thousand, piled them up in the truck alive until they all suffocated. The ones in the middle died because of suffocation, because they were placed there and were told to lie down so that they not would be able to jump out. But I see no outrage,well, three- four days, maybe BBC, CNN. But after that all is forgotten.

Here, there was this child, when I was still mayor. There was a reunion party in the family. The elder was this sister carrying the newly born child. Here comes the brother, without them knowing what was happening to this. He said, “Oh let me carry my new niece.” In the merry making, he disappeared. Then, there was a frantic search one hundred away in the riverbank, it was in Mandog. In the riverbank they found the child, eighteen months old, with her abdominal cavity wide open. So the death of this child, two hundred criminals, or at least those who fought against the police. Is there any rhyme or reason to say, how about the lives keep on piling? How about the child?

You know, I am forced to not really… I’m just saying that you forget the law. Forget the United Nations, forget your outrage. It is misplaced. May I tell you now, by what right do you have in this universe to cook shabu, feed it to my children and destroy their lives forever? I spend money, time. Here in the Philippines the police is eternally tied to the five-six. It is twenty percent per week. That is the tragedy of it all. So I borrow money. Every enrolment time, I go to the GSIS and it does come because of the efficiency of this.

I am also warning everybody and I said all those appointed, including the heads of the financial institutions, consider yourself resigned.

No, you go to this GSIS, you apply for a salary loan during enrolment time, it’s either no money, or it is not acted upon for three months. Long after enrolment or classes had already started. You know that. Some of you are… we are not the sons and daughters of well connected and had money. My mother was a teacher. She used to borrow money. The application sometimes, let alone not acted on, comes late. So you are forced to go to this Indian money lenders that you see.

So I said, here is an eighteen year (month) old child, precious human being, have not sinned because she is an infant, have not done anything, any wrong doing at all, and she’s dead. And you said that policeman so far of what… four hundred and you grieve. Here is Syria, there is bombing everywhere, child and everything dying, nobody is complaining. It was not only after the child was placed inside the ambulance and that picture became iconic because it was really the result of a ruthless ruler. If you were a… you know, even a president and you go about declaring martial law and killing political enemies, then I would be satisfied really to have to be happy to answering your question.

What did I do for this country? I release all the political prisoners. In other countries they are slaughtered. We are promoting peace. We are thanking Oslo for the good offices that they are providing. I’m talking to the MI, I’m talking to the MN. But I have ordered our police to crush… my order against the Abu Sayyaf, if you want to know, destroy them. So when you are a soldier when you ask me a question, “why did you order to destroy them?” And I would say to you, “never mind I will not answer you.” I will not destroy your innocence in this world. Answer the question yourself. You carry on your business slaughtering people in front of the public. What do you deserve? By what right do you have to cook shabu. There are laws, why don’t you just follow the law? You violate the law, you distribute your product, make our children crazy — our investment. Why? Human nature. Let me lecture why, because we are poor, we cannot afford these houses where we send our parents, old parents there to mga caregivers at homecare.

I am not that rich, I have enough money to sustain me in the hospital and maybe the oxygen, but it could not last for one year. Given maybe four months, the best equipment and the best everything, after that zero. If I get paralyzed who will feed me? Like any other family here, who will feed me with a spoon with my mouth hanging open? Who would buy the oxygen for me? If get diabetes, hypertension, cancer, who will buy the… (open palms) I am happy if my wife gives birth to about three – four, that is the average of the Filipino now, because I know that when my time comes to be old, they will take care of me. You destroy them with your drug, who takes care of me? You destroy me in advance.

Now I ask the question: Do I have the right to destroy you in advance also? So that nothing of the sort would happen to other families. If you only have two, one son, one daughter, there’s a lot of criminals now because there are so many people roaming around, they have to have this fixed. Or else the (stabs midair and shows other gestures). Now, my other son is killed, my daughter is not that successful. So when I lay there dying, nobody even feeds me. And I walk the streets, just like in America there are a lot of guy there (points randomly gesture). They sleep out. We do not do it in the Philippines. Even how poor we are, you do not match over old people roaming around. Because however poor we are, we always take care of our (hugging gesture). If it’s only the food is available then we give it to our children or to our mothers. We can even go hungry. Feed the child first, then if the mother or father old, already old, wheel chair bound we feed them. Never mind us. We can always take the leaves and put some salt there. That [is why] every Filipino is sick with kidney. We use so much [salt] to tide us with the taste of the food that is on the… only as can afford. Next question.

Q:
Mr. President. Sir, just to clarify yung appointive positions that you just declared vacant po, all departments po ‘yan, not just LTFRB and LTO

PRRD:
Ah, yes yes, government

Q:
Sir, including Cabinet positions, sir… Cabinet Secretaries?

PRRD:
Hindi. Hindi. Aga namang ma-corrupt yun. Hindi. Ang buang umalis o.

Q:
Okay. So pagdating ng Monday, sir, declared vacant na po yan. How will the government function then, sir? By Monday.

PRRD:
Eh, saan pala yung deputy? Bakit pa kami mag-appoint ng assistant kung… just like me, if I go today, you look for Robredo. That is how we work. If you lose the president tonight, then you go to the house of Robredo and ask her to report. Ikaw, yung manager ninyo, ang station manager, if she gets crack up, then there is the assistant manager or the most senior. Just like that. So what’s the problem? That’s why we have the bureaucracy.

Q:
You mentioned, sir, about a thousand positions po yan, sir.

PRRD:
Sobra yan. Sobra yan. Uunahin ko ito, I want that LTFRB to report at his convenience maybe this week.

Q:
Sir, what if you’ll find out that those who are in career positions are the ones doing, are causing these problems, sir. Will you allow them to be transferred?

PRRD:
Hija, if the rule is enforced, it must be enforced against all or none at all.

Q:
In GSIS, sir, you haven’t appointed a GSIS manager yet. How will this affect the situation, sir?

PRRD:
Well, I’m really in no hurry. Next line na sila, andito pa ako sa undersecretary, there’s always one appointed every day. Di naman ako nagmamadali. There are departments and agencies na hindi ko pinalitan, simply because the performance is at par with the rest of the best of the employees there.

Journalist:
Sir, another issue. 12 midnight, ceasefire with the Communist Revolutionary Forces took effect.

PRRD:
When will it start? Tonight? You know. I, motu proprio, I declared the ceasefire first. But I lifted it because I thought there was no way we can… because despite of my declaration some soldiers were waylaid and some died. So, I must confess that I was disgusted so I lifted it. Now that they are imposing the ceasefire, I will have to ask the military: “Are you safe around already?” I will have to ask them because they are the ones dying for us. We cannot just the go with it without consulting them. I lifted it, but they knew that it was coming. I mean, they knew that I was thinking about the… because I wanted to show my good faith, that was all there is it to it. I wanted to show good faith, and declared a ceasefire. But somehow, along the way, soldiers were being killed in ambuscades everywhere. And so I got fed up. And I said, you guys, “if you are not willing even to just avoid each other”… what I would have wanted them was really just to avoid each other so that there will be no violence. Problem is, I said soldiers were killed along the way. And I said, no.

Now, as to whether when I will declare the ceasefire, I will have to consult the Defence Secretary and the Commanding Generals of the Navy, Army and even the police, Air Force and I would tell them, “are you safe?” Or would it be safe for our country now to declare ceasefire vis-à-vis with the government… or with the Communist Party of the Philippines. Because if I feel that it’s not, then it’s not high time really to do it. Give me an assurance. What I would like to say really is for the two panel, government and the Communist Party, already talking over substantial issues. No problem with me. I said, to show good faith, and that we wanted really peace, desperately, for this country.

And I’ve been successful in convincing guys of the MI and MN just come to a negotiating table and talk. So my problem now is the Abu Sayyaf who’s been—you know every time Abu Sayyaf does that thing. You put to shame the country. And I can only, since I am the President, I can only suffer that much. I hope I do not have to… to destroy them. But there will be no negotiation, no forgiveness, no nothing. Crimes against humanity, too…

Then just like in the Middle East, they burned 20 women simply because they… she refused to have sex with them. If you place me there, then that scenario there you are afraid of, that I will do, will really happen. If I were a Commander of the forces there, my orders would really be, “go in and you go out. I do not want to see anybody standing there.” Given that kind of situation. Here, the biggest hullabaloo here is the drug problem. That’s what I said, “who gave you the right to cook shabu? Feed it to my family.”

I will ask again the shabu people, “who gave you the right?” For those crazy guys, “what have I done to you as a father of the child or the mother? What have we done to you? Why do you do this to our children?” Anong kasalanan namin? Anong nagawa namin sa’yo? What have we done to you to do this to me and to my children and to my daughter and to my son who is already crazy? Remember, I went in warning everybody. I said, it could be bloody because I knew that the police would now be equipped with a certain mindset that they will be protected by law if they go in and have this. You know, you have this violent confrontation because before they were afraid of this human rights. And a lot of them lost their jobs because they could not even have a lawyer to defend themselves. You know, your Philippine Journalism knows that. You know very well that it has happened and it will happen, but not during my time. If you are a police, you are into kidnapping drugs, look at what happened. So you end up dead. Because you are a police, you have arm, maybe nobody does give a hoot if you are dead or alive. I told the police and that was my statement, “you will be the first to get it.” Because there will be a confrontation because I will insist on the police to go after you. Time was that, nobody really wanted to do it.

Remember, I was not yet sworn in as President, there was this party in Pasay. They distributed drinks that was a deadly mix of chemicals. Five young men and women died. So nobody was really… except for the reporting, nobody was there to order. And I got mad, and I said, and I said, putang ina ninyo. You just wait if I become the President. You will prepare to move out because I will assign you to fight with the Abu Sayyaf, or feed you to the mouths of Abu Sayyaf. If that is what it takes.

And so these officials, these LT, regulatory bodies, be prepared to be assigned in Jolo or in Basilan. I was there. So nobody moves there without a gun. And so you deserve the ambiance. Enjoy the environment. You only have yourself to blame for being corrupt. I told you before, I was very empathic: “Stop your drug now, stop corruption now, or you will suffer.” Do I have to make myself more clearer with that? Maybe next time, you have find something there dead, and the police say that he was killed in a shootout. I’ll just have to take their word for it. Anybody was doing… I said, I’m reminding you of the Pasay incident, before I got mad. Tell me now who was operating there to solve the crime. Sige. You ask the Pasay, they said that it is the jurisdiction of the Narcotics. And if you ask the PDEA, they would say that it’s the police there within your… You see? How they were fucking the Filipino? Nobody would take jurisdiction and nobody would… and I said, “God”… or maybe because it was the police themselves doing it. And so nobody was interested because they would not fight. If General was there, just like Loot. How can you be effective during the time of corruption of Loot. He’s a Police General, he’s a millionaire, he’s enjoying his… he’s wallowing in his filth. He has his riches there and he has filed a statement of assets and liabilities, one hundred million pesos. What is your business to have this one hundred million? Those are the declared. How about the undeclared? The liquid cash, those stored in your basement. So, how come—what’s the use of the… because the police were not there. And Loot said, anybody in my region conducting a police punitive operation regarding drugs must report to me first. So when the police went there inside a warehouse, nobody was there, there will be residue of the, taken from the drums of the precursors of shabu.

So, drugs flooded this country, and that is why we have three million. And that is why we have now in custody six hundred million and still wondering what to do about it. Now, there are countries offering to help. And I appreciate it. China said, “we will help.” I said, “thank you.” Then they said, “just point out the place and we will help you build it.” So, I told the Chinese, “we will remember you for all time, for the things that you’re doing for us.” They were the first country to offer it, actually. Let me be very clear, they offered only the materials that we will use. Do not connect it with the other topic that we were discussing earlier. You know sometimes, journalism can take…

Q
Mayor, I just like to go back to the ceasefire topic.

PRRD:
It’s a long way again, going back. So we will travel again. Ask me. Okay.

Q:
Mayor, kasi po nag declare na rin ang kabilang, ang Red, ng kanilang sariling unilateral ceasefire effective today, August 21. I just wanna hear a comment from it, from you po.

PRRD:
It is not yet 21? Ngayon? Your watch is, maybe, made in… No, China is good. Maybe it’s made somewhere in… let’s put it Africa. They have not yet mastered the art of time making.

Well, I said, that I was the first to show good faith. I would insist that it was my only intention there. And I was reciprocated by a lot of ambuscades by the Left. I really would not know whether it is true or false. I assume this time, not mine, but the soldiers at my command, actually, soldiers are of operating still, in all places in the Republic. I still have to… this time, I will consult I said the military and the police. It would only be proper, kasi noong nagdeclare ako ng ceasefire, namatayan sila. So napahiya ako. Sabi ngayon, “tignan mo mayor, pa ano, ano ka kasi diyan. Tignan mo ngayon, namatayan kami.” Ganun yan eh. So it’s a matter of a… at the end of this story now, it’s a matter of sincerity. Is it for good, is it true?

Q:
There was this question of sincerity—

PRRD:
What? Well I said, I have to see the two groups talking together in a table, facing each other, talking about substantive issues — one that could promote, rather than divide this country. I am willing to walk the extra mile just to… Even if the only one I would be able to ano siguro to ano, I would be happy to retire. I will retire. I said go ahead, I’m urging everybody, go ahead with the federal shift. I told the congressmen there, madalian ninyo, go ahead and I have a six-year term granted by the Constitution. But if you can arrive at a consensus and give us a setup within three years of federalism, then you have to elect a President of which I would be disqualified either that. I would give way. No need to give me a transition period. After three years, I would be happy to retire. I said, “I’m here to offer my honor, my life and the presidency itself.”

Q:
Sir, I would like to ask if the Dapecol (Davao Penal Colony) has been investigated for possible operations of illegal drugs. Recently, there were three Chinese detainees killed. Were they involved with illegal drugs?

PRRD:
Well, I do not know. I do not even know reports that there were Chinese killed.

Q:
Sir, would there be any investigation?

PRRD:
Of course, where is it? There’s only—when a person dies or persons die there has to be an investigation somewhere. Where is that? Ah, yung ano?

Q:
What about the possible illegal drugs operations in the Dapecol, sir?

PRRD:
There is no drugs there, penal colony? Sa Muntinlupa lang yun. Baka naman nag-riot siguro. Wala, wala, wala, walang ano diyan, wala sa penal colony. Malayo yan, walang operations sa drugs sa ibang… Well, operations but not emanating from there. One thing is sure; I can tell you now there is no shabu being cooked in the penal colony, Davao, ah.

Q:
Sir, the CIDG 11 claimed that there are drug transactions happening in Dapecol.

PRRD:
Well, gustong pumasok. Pero yung sabihin nagluluto? Ah wala, hardly. Wala man. Paano made-deliver, saan man. It’s not being manufactured here. Baka siguro gamit yung puslitan pero that would not be enough really to cause a riot there somewhere. There has to be some other reason. But I’ll ask the police there.

Q:
Going back to the Left po, with the historical release of the Tiamzon couple. When can we expect more political prisoners to be released and kumusta na ba talaga yung relationship with the government and the Left considering na binawi nila yung support against illegal drugs?

PRRD:
Bakit? Kasali ba talaga sila noon din? I have not heard of any accomplishments by connect carried out by the communist against the drug people. The closest that I can really link drugs is what happened in China before. When opium was sold to the Chinese population by the British for the exclusive franchise of [hand gesture like that of putting a spoon in your mouth]. It took many centuries to correct that because a lot of Chinese were also hooked into opium use, addiction.

Ah, itong sa, ano yun, si Tiamzon? Di ganito yan, tama na muna yan. I released 20. Now if you think that I will release all prisoners, NPAs already in custody, di wag na lang tayong mag-usap kasi release naman sila. Ano pa ang baraha ko? Wala na. O di, peace na lang. Tutal na release naman kaya, yung naman kaya ang gusto ninyo? So what is there to talk about? The only thing is that when is the time of surrender? Do you want this Republic to surrender to them, or the NPAs and the Communist surrendering to us?

No, I will not release yung key personalities. Like kay Tiamzon, yun ang nagdadala eh. They’re really the ano [crosses two fingers]

Q:
Sir everybody’s asking, can you see an away–bati relationship between the Left and the government kasi parang ganun talaga yung nangyayari?

PRRD:
Left and?

Q:
And the government, and you, your administration. Parang away-bati yung relationship yung—

PRRD:
Okay lang ba. Madami naman akong sundalo. Ano ba problema nyo? May eroplano ako, may Navy ako, Air Force, may pulis pa ako. No, no. Ah, I was, I was… I will really be very comfortable with the Left. And—are you here in Davao or from Manila?

Q:
I’m from PTV po. I’m Lala Babilona from PTV. I replaced the other.

PRRD:
You’re now based in Davao?

Q:
No po. For 15 days lang, rotation.

PRRD:
Because if you’re from a Davao journalist, you would know that I would go in and out of… I usually bring… the Communists would always invite people from media to witness the turnover of a captive soldier or whenever I just want to be there to talk to them. The last time that we had really a confrontation, it was a shouting match [giggles] many years ago. But ah, Inday, the mayor, had hers also one time.

Ah, komportable ako. Well, not really—I said I am a Left-Center ako. I believe in the aspects of socialism. The problem with these NPAs, they are socialist by spirit. But the problem is they organized a party, the Communist Party of the Philippines with only one objective: to seize power by armed struggle. That is not acceptable to me at all. And I said, I told them that there was this party that they were trying to organize right after Aquino won the presidency, and it was called the Partido ng Bayan. Well, I and Bebot Bello went there to join because we said we believe our philosophy, our ideological lines run along that same line… socialism and—but when I noticed that the hard core were coming in, I told Bello na we better get out. It’s not what I really wanted for my country. So hindi talaga ako puwede diyan sa ano. But we are comfortable with each other, because when we talk we share the same passion: land reforms. I mean, lifting the… you know, contractualization, all of these things. It’s despicable to me to be changing—sabi nya the only justification is marami itong trabaho because another set of—wag na lang kasi I do not want to… it was a stupid theory. There was no security of tenure for Filipinos. We spend millions to train them sa TESDA and when you find job for the first time kasi carpenter, the next job he would probably get is electrician. So when he was programmed to be an electrician, he ends up being a driver. So he does not acquire the expertise that he was trained for at the expense of government. And then even when you go out of the Philippines, you are… as always, it’s two year experience. So—

Q:
Mayor, last lang. Point of clarification. Secretary Dureza just announced the restoration of ceasefire.

PRRD:
Yes, sa August 21.

Q:
So, ngayon, 21, mayor.

PRRD:
Ay hindi diay ani, kanina, kahapon pa yan.

Q:
So restored sya, sir?

PRRD:
That statement was given yesterday. Bakit August 21 na ba kahapon?

Q:
Sir, nag take effect ba 21, according to the statement, 12 midnight po?

PRRD:
Kanina.

Q:
As of now, effective na siya.

PRRD:
I have to talk to the Armed Forces and the police.

Q:
Okay.

PRRD:
Sila yung namamatay eh, sila yung nikikipag-away tapos hindi mo bigyan ng importansiya.

Q:
Sir, just a follow up again on the phone calls. Can you just at least please describe the conversation, sir.

PRRD:
No, of course not. I only listened to it once, and I… but what I mostly heard were lover’s talk. I am sure you will not be interested to hear it. Because chismosa ka talaga pagka ganon.

Q:
Sir, I just have a quick question, sir. On the Napoles case that you would like to have…

PRRD:
To revisit?

Q:
(chuckling) No sir, to have a second look on it, sir. How do you plan to start it, sir?

PRRD:
What again?

Q:
Yung Napoles case po. You planned to have a second look on it as you said.

PRRD:
Yes, I said let us revisit, maybe I’ll have something for the Filipino too, kasi alam mo, ang hinahabol natin dito graft and corruption. I thought we were agreed when you voted for me. I know you voted for me. Because, because, basta because. Because lang. I know you voted for me, and our deal is that we have to stop corruption, drugs, and criminality. So it is just maybe—well the Pandora’s box really is itong kanya. She started to say na you could have just go ahead with your… bakit pangalanan mo pa ako? Or do you Duterte, you follow me. Which means sundan mo itong imbestigasyon. So I followed her. Now, I stumbled again ito, ‘di, isali mo na sa imbestigasyon to. Because it was when Muntinlupa was opened that drugs came in and out of the National Penitentiary. Whether it was made clear by the driver to amo, but if that money was passing hands, masyadong bobo ka naman, diba, saan man galing ang perang ito. Parang sige lang, basta wala akong alam dyan. Ganun yan, eh. Nothing usual, bahala na kayo, basta ako, walang alam. So itong driver, sabihin nya that I’m afraid that I will be called to testify – bakit ka mag afraid? Too afraid to just tell the truth? Or maybe afraid to just tell a lie? Which is which? Sabihin niya totoo, magkabulgaran na, sabihin nya na sinungaling, pag nahuli sya, he goes to jail again. So ano ang takot niya? Afraid to tell the truth or maybe to deny the truth? Sabihin lang patawag ka, e di sige.

Noong mayor ako di ba sabi nila gusto nila imbestigahin sa Congress. Go ahead. Call me and I will… and so what’s wrong about giving orders to shoot-to-kill? I did… I cannot give an order, “shoot but be sure that he is alive.” (Chuckles) Crazy. O, shoot, but make sure that he is alive. And then the police would just say, I’d rather shoot you mayor for giving us stupid instruction. O one wanted, dead or alive, yeah. If you die there and you are wanted, okay. If you are alive, then explain to me why you did these things. You-you-you cannot blow it by just… those words were not invented by the Filipinos, remember. Those words were invented by the marshals, the cowboy marshals of the United States – ‘Reward. Shoot-to-kill.’ Then we copied it, we are bad, they are good. They never made an apology for teaching us the words – ‘Shoot-to-kill. Reward.’ We got it from the movies and they sometimes use it against the terrorists. They would say that be careful because he is a danger, he has got a firearms. Susunod-sunod lang tayo ng Amerikano tapos tayo ngayon ang masama. What’s wrong when you gave orders to shoot-to-kill? Yes, but because the Americans used it, why can’t I use it? They taught us English to understand the words, so I understand it to be this way, shoot-to-kill. Or maybe I will just make a deviation there. Sure but be—‘Shoot, but be sure he is alive.’ If he’s dead, you get this into the newspaper then UN will come again and—

Ayaw ko din kasi because you know, you do not do that because you are interfering in the sovereignty of a country. And I’m now really very serious. Do not take away by just giving a stupid explanation, because you are infringing into the territory of the sovereignty of the country. What would it be to you if I go to the UN and start lecturing to the employees there? You should do this, you should not do that. And when you say, hey guy, this is the UN, this is the United Nations. And so? Are you really united? United Nations, when was a United Nation ever really united? They could not control America, they could not control Russia. They could not control the bombings, they could not even plan of how—

The problem with this UN is they send UN troops to protect the population. So the war goes out of control. So there’s a little fighting, they start it and then the contending parties come in and fight a real war, slaughtering people. And they are not able to stop it. So the United Nations starts a war, but does not know how to end them. That’s the problem. (Chuckles) Alam nila kung paano mag umpisa ng giyera, hindi naman alam kung paano tapusin.

When Iraq was being invaded on the very slim excuse that there were weapons of mass destruction, they were not able to stop – the United Nations. Maybe you’re guessing, guys, the truth has really come out. There was none at all. So what happened to the country? The United Nations never stopped it, it allowed a war to start, now they are (chuckles), climbing here and there to stop it. And you come and interfere in my country because there are now criminals killed, or even people killed. There is not even a judicial finding that these guys were innocents or these guys were really the gangster. And you just count the bodies there, and then say that, you know, the United Nations must come in. My God, do you really know what you are doing? Isinali pa sa’yo yung presidente to give a word, because you rely on the NGOs and there is a lady there who keeps on also prodding people. Pilipina yan, nandyan sa United Nations, nagbibigay ng intriga.

Tapos, eto namang newspaper na pick up, how many people were killed by that 600 or three million drug addicts? Do you have the count? We have. How many? More than the criminals that are killed today. And who are these victims? Wives, workers, students? And yet you only know how to count correctly when you are counting the carcass of these dead criminals. Cannot even have a kind language or sentence of those who have died in the wake of a drug problem as serious as the Philippines.

So the next time you issue it, I do not want to insult you. But maybe we’ll just have to decide to separate from the United Nations. E kung ganun kayo ka bastos, putang-ina, eh, umalis na kami dyan sa inyo. So take us out of your organ—you have done nothing anyway also.

When were you here the last time? Never. Except to criticize. You do food world, where’s the food? There’s the world but there is no food. World hunger organization, maybe. When have you done a good deed to my country? We are contributing money, you remember, okay we go out. And I would invite everybody. I would invite maybe China, the African, they have not been able to stop it, but also that Middle East. Why don’t we just form another organization? Why do you have to listen to this stupid… threatening me with what? You want me to go to prison? I said there are three stakes there — my honor, my life, and the presidency. Do not shit with me. Ah automatic kaagad ang reader ko.

Q:
Your seriously contemplating on separating from the UN considering that you said—

PRRD:
US? Yes, because we have never been a member.

Q:
UN po.

PRRD:
Ah, UN. Ah the joke is on you. You have to refund me with the so many contributions that we have made all these years. Isauli ninyo iyong contributions namin then we would go out. We contribute a certain amount for the maintenance of the UN. Right? O, you return the money to us and then we’ll go out. With that amount I can build so many rehab centers all over the country. But there was a time, I think, that a few countries really contemplated of going out. One was China, I do not know what is inside their minds now. But huwag ninyo akong kuwan, you know, because it’s an affront, even you, when you, do that. If it is really the Congress or the people of the Philippines would say that I am not doing enough, I would verily accept that. But you do not just throw that kind of allegation or statement without coming even here to just… relying on the reports of the newspapers. That’s what you do, fucking, that’s what you do, newspapers and these tabloids. And you you make criticisms against the… remember that I am not a mayor anymore. I represent the country. Kindly do not do it.

So I’d like to talk to that… said, alleged expert of the UN. I demand that he comes here. Or if you wants, we can go somewhere else to a third country. Let him talk to me, and let him face me with hard facts, not newspaper clippings, because… na unless it is edible. You do not do that to… just go around insulting people. You know, United Nations, if you can say one bad thing about me, I can give you 10. I tell you, you are an inutile, because if you are really true to your mandate, you could have stopped all these wars and killing. Five hundred thousands already killed. They got the gall to call my attention, e nagpapadala ka diyan sa mga NGO NGO. Mga newspaper clippings and critical, all you do is to read editorials. What have you done for the world, Mister United Nations? At iyang tao na yan, expert ninyo, let me… you know, if he comes here to tell my mistakes.

Mayor Duterte would ask only five questions to prove that you are stupid. Only five questions. He will just ask you to answer five questions. And he will prove to the world that you are a very stupid expert. As if I did (blow into mic). You know, we must remember, baka akala nito, I took AB Foreign Service. Check it out in Lyceum. Political Science, then I add another one because I had an accident sa motocross accident, one of the many, so na late ako ng isang semester. So my extra time, I took Foreign Service — Consular practice and procedure, geopolitics, world trade, international trade, baka akala ninyo (chuckles) Putang ina. Uy mga ulol. Ang sabi debate, hindi nga ninyo ma-enforce enforce mga order ninyo diyan; hindi ninyo matapos-tapos yang patayan. Then you worry about the lives of criminals, with the bones of the criminals piling up. And so how about the bones of the other guy on the side, those who were killed innocently? Had we not stopped it, so the count will continue in favor of the criminals. Just imagine, kung hindi had I not be elected President. And the top narco general was the military aide of a presidential candidate. What would have happened to this country?

Gentlemen and ladies, it is already three o clock, in the morning, and if you, somebody knows the song, “All that I ask of you,” (sings) it’s three in the morning, please let me go home. (end of singing) .

Q:
Sir, di po ba magkakaroon ng serious repercussions ang statements na binigay nyo about UN just now, sir?

PRRD:
What repercussions, I don’t give a shit to them! They are the ones interfering. You know what? They should have started it with the protocol. No, you know, they would have sent somebody to talk to me or at least the rapporteur. You do not just go out and just give a shitting statement against a country. What repercussions? You have fallen short of the protocol needed for respect. And you want me to respect you? You must be a shit. Dapat ganun, President na ginaganun mo, wag mo munang ipadala dyan. Do not criticize immediately. Itong si Uthank naman, how do you pronounce the word? He should have written me a letter. Addressed to the Foreign Service: Mr President, can we have your… My performance as a Mayor has nothing to do with it. These are recent events na ang bastos hindi ako. They should suffer the repercussions. You have not followed the basic rudiments of courtesy and protocol. Kayo yung bugok, hindi ako. I studied my laws very well. Look at my records, sabi sa iyo, look at my subjects that I… consular practice and procedure international law, international trade and everything. Baka akala ninyo gago ako. At least kunsabagay, hindi kasing gago mo.

Tell the United [Nations] you observe protocol because if you do that directly, you are addressing yourself to me. Remember that I am… I do not like to say it because I want to be called mayor, still. I am a President of a sovereign country. Sabihin ko sa yo, sina, meron ba silang representative dito? Tell him straight. Bastos ka. She is an American, Indian, Chinese? Ano, Filipino? Oh what? America. Tell this American, show your respect first. Show your respect. Because sabihin ko, let’s start to criticize him. Why are you Americans killing the black people there, shooting them down when they are already on the ground. Answer that question. Because even if it’s only one or two, or three it’s still human rights violation. God damn you. Tell that to that American there or better still tell him that I will pay him a visit if there is time. You just tell me where I can find him. Sabihin mo: The mayor is asking where he can see you. Ako ang pupunta dun. Tangina mo, gago. (stands up to leave) Ulol.