Q: Sir, tungkol sa bribery? 

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: No, I’m… Just give me enough time, I’ll talk about it openly but not at this time. I’m still digging. 

Q: Sir, Mighty cigarette daw?

Q: Sir ‘yung EO sa smoking, napirmahan ninyo na po?

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: I’m sounding of… I’m measuring the resistance. So whether I can compromise. Like, for example, smoking areas inside building, we did… We did not adopt that in our ordinance because ganon din papasok. So but there are a lot of dynamics there. So just give me enough time to study.

Q: Sir, when will you sign it? 

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: I am supposed to sign it this week, as submitted by Secretary Ubial. She wants to hurry the measure but I said Davao is different from all the rest of the nation.

So I have to be very careful in trying to navigate the way how I can present it to the public. For example, I’d need the pronouncements, not really the opinion, the pronouncements of our medical sector.

And they should be also in the forefront of this because they know the benefits of totally banning smoking inside– 

Q: Sir, did you order the arrest of the owner of Mighty cigarette? Did you order? 

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Yes, yes I ordered his arrest.

Q: Sir, why, why?

Q: Bakit po, sir? 

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: He’s the one behind it. 

Q: Behind what, sir? 

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Fake cigarette stamps.

Q: Sir, may bribery ho ba, sir? 

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Hindi lang ‘yan. It’s not a matter of BIR eh, tax laws? It’s falsification. 

Q: Sir, sinuhulan po kayo ng Mighty Corporation? Sinuhulan po kayo ng Mighty Corporation?

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Ako?

Q: Opo. 

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Bakit?

Q: Sinubukan po ba nilang suhulan kayo?

Q: Sir, bribe? 

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Ah, i-bribe ako?

Q: Oo, sir.

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Ah sabi ko, ilipat ninyo lahat ng korporasyon ninyo sa akin. Mag-resign ako. Bakasyon na lang ako. No, no, no. Nobody will do that to me.

Q: Sir, may lumabas po kasing na report na—

Q: Sir, there was no attempt, sir?

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Sabay-sabay kayo, I cannot — 

Q: Sir, may lumabas po kasi na report na may bribery attempt daw po sa inyo which you discussed during the Cabinet meeting.

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: No, I said there was a Christmas gift. It was a gun during — last Christmas. Sabi ko, hindi ko tinanggap.

And when I was Mayor, hindi naman, wala namang sinabi, basta iniwan lang. May hiningi pabor, sabi ko I am not into it.

Pero pag-tindig niya may naiwan doon na parang…Hindi naman, wala naman bribery, kasi wala naman sinabi. Parang gratis. Pinahabol ko kay Bong.

Akala ko… kung bote tatanggapin ko. Hindi naman ako umiinom eh, eh ‘di binibigay ko lang sa… Pero noong tiningnan ‘nong aide ko, pera. Sabi ko ihabol mo kung saan ‘yung g***** ‘yan. So nahabol niya sa eroplano mismo.

Q: Sir, kailan? Presidente na kayo, sir?

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Hindi, Mayor ako.

Q: Mayor, mag-a-appoint ka ba ng bagong NFA? Kasi medyo hindi sila magkasundo ni Secretary Evasco. 

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Well, let me see. You know, ‘yung traffic kasi, it’s really a question of money. If they will give Tugade the funds and he can do it in a jiffy or we can take the new route.

There’s no other… Wala mang… Because we’re dreaming about the person — traffic cannot be solved by just anyone, one brain there.

Q: Sir, you mentioned the DDS earlier, so, sir, in your knowledge of it, sino ‘yung creator ng DDS? 

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: You should ask Jun Ledesma. He’s a journalist in Davao. He would give you the history of ‘yung… Well, ayaw ko ‘yung to sound apologetic. You just ask him. He’s a kolumnista sa Sun Star Davao. He would be the right person because he was part of it actually.

Q: Sir, sabi ni Lascañas that you were the one who created the DDS? 

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: I need not do that. Hindi na kailangan. I did not create an air force, I have an Air Force. I will not create a DDS, may police department ako.

Q: Sir, si Lascañas ang sabi nagbigay daw kayo doon para sa [ano ‘yun?] pang-dialysis, pang kidney transplant? 

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: I don’t know, I don’t know. But we have a Lingap sa Mahirap sa Davao.

Q: So Mayor, ano na ang instruction sa nangyayari ngayon sa NFA na parang bangayan sa NFA ngayon between Secretary Evasco at saka ‘yung NFA administrator, si Aquino? 

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: No, I will… I said I am digging, digging deep.

Q: You are still studying it? 

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: I’m not studying, I’m investigating. Kaya nga I said, “digging deep.”

Q: Sir, ‘yung Lascañas na-monitor ninyo po ‘yung statement — ‘yung testimony kahapon? 

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Hindi ko pa napakinggan. 

[inaudible] will respond to that.

Q: Sir, do you think he’s a credible man? Is he telling the truth? 

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: I don’t know. Nandoon man kayo. 

Q: Sir, may bago na kayong NIA administrator? 

Q: Si Visaya daw, sir? 

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Yes. I have appointed retired General Chief of Staff Visaya. 

Q: Visaya, sir, confirmed? 

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Visaya.

Q: Si Ricardo Visaya?

Q: Sir, ano po ‘yung update po natin sa — 

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: It has a 150 billion budget so I’m very careful about the man on top.

Q: Sir, dun lang sa isa sa testimony ni Lascañas, pasintabi lang, sir. Iyong may isa daw hong pamilya na pinatay daw kasama ‘yung bata? 

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: I do not know what he’s talking about. [inaudible]

Q: Sir, ano po ang update doon sa peace talks po? 

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Well, ano lang, hang on, hang on kasi — do not spoil. We have… Well, I must admit there’s a backchanneling.

Q: Sir, ‘yung sa smoking, sir, appealable ba ‘yon?

Q: Sir, smoker siya.

Q: Sir, sa CNN lang, sir. Sorry. Quick. Sir, for freedom — sir, for Freedom Day lang ng CNN. Meron po sa March 14, may Freedom Day po, sir, by CNN. So we’re asking world leaders po sir, what is freedom to you, sir? 

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Freedom is to believe and do what is right and just. 

Q: Iyon po, sir, ‘yung free — sir, pakiulit? 

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Freedom to believe in and do what is right and just. You get out of that ambit then that is anarchy.

Q: Thank you, sir. 

—END—