Q: Sir, can you tell us first why your changed your mind? You said dati it’s causing “uncertainty”. What specifically your concerns?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Siya oh.
Q: Sir…
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Hindi magpakita. Ikaw kumukuha ka lang sa kanila ‘no? Hindi ka man nagtatanong.
Q: Sir, what specifically were your concerns about ‘yung uncertainty na sinasabi ninyo that made you decide to endorse — ?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Well, apparently, alam mo na. You know how — how it was before. Pumapasok na lahat eh and there was no concrete concession kung sino. Apparently, that is always the case sa Pilipinas. So I said it’s — I thought that it was time for me to talk.
Q: Why Representative Cayetano?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Well, I said… I have been very clear on that na during the campaign, sabi niya kung manalo siya, gusto niya mag-speaker.
He was the first one at least to intimate to me that — nagpasa na gusto. Then Lord, that is du — that was during the campaign. After the campaign, pumasok ito si Martin Romualdez, also a supporter of mine. So ang sabi ko para walang gulo ‘to…
Mabuti ang pagkagawa mo ma’am. Huwag mo masyadong anohin ‘yung kilay mo. Maganda pa. Leave something for… Kagaya sa kanya oh pati kay — si Pia. Maganda pagka ano. Huwag mong ubusin ‘yang ano mo, kilay ninyo. Sa… Ang — ano gani ‘yung tanong mo?
Q: Bakit po nauna si Representative — ? [overlapping voices]
Q: Bakit, sir? Bakit ganon ‘yung sequence, sir? Bakit ganon ‘yung sequence?
Q: Bakit po una si Alan?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Siya nga una nagsabi sa akin. So I promised him. Then Lord, sabi ko, “Let us see.” Kay Romualdez sabi ko, “Let us see what develops.” There might be some developments. Eh wala eh.
Then pagka ganito, it’s time for me to talk. I will insist na kung anong ‘yung pinag-usapan natin, ‘yon ang sundin natin.
Q: Sir, ‘yung term-sharing sa inyo galing ‘yon? ‘Yung term-sharing — ‘yon pong term-sharing.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Well, it was — it was what was agreed upon. Maybe out of just to do away with the conflict, parang pareho ko kayo kaibigan, pareho ko kayo naka utang na loob ako. So term-sharing na lang.
Q: Sir, how about representative —Representative Ungab who was endorsed by HNP, Hugpong ng Pagbabago. Ba’t hindi po siya kasama sa mga pinagpilian niyo?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: I did not talk to him. Ang nakausap ko lang si Martin, si Lord, pati si Cayetano. Wala kaming pinag-usapan.
Q: Sir, do you expect po na ano, kasi magbobotohan pa naman sa House on the 22nd. Do you expect siyempre to — the Congressmen to follow your…
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: That is their privilege actually. I was just trying to end up the impasse. Nobody was sure to vote for whom and they kept on asking ano ‘yung — sino ‘yung kandidato ni Presidente?
So I shied away and said na, “Iyan oh.” If you can resolve the matter comfortably between you, do it. I hate to intrude. But apparently, considering what happened in the last few days, and malapit na ang session, sabi ko na my statement would really be, “It’s time for me to talk.”
Q: Hi, sir. Good evening po. Sir, paano naman po natin masisigurado sa publiko na nirerespeto pa natin ang independence ng legislative branch at saka nung executive branch na hindi po ito meddling sa House of Representatives?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: ‘Yung sharing?
Q: Separation, sir, legislative and executive.
Q: Separation of the two branches.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: There seems to be a crisis already. Nobody was willing to state with certainty. It’s not really independence. I am not interfering with the work sa legislation. Leaders lang itong pinag-usapan natin.
It has nothing to do with the independence of the legislative body. Up to that point, it’s all politics. Ganun ‘yan. But interfering in the legislation and in the workings of the Lower House, ibang istorya ‘yon. That’s entirely a different scenario.
You are not interfering because we are choosing only the leaders. Now, when they begin to work and do their task, and you interfere, that’s the time that there is — we can hear the complaints.
Q: Hi, sir. Other issue po there are reports from PCG (Philippine Coast Guard) at Marina that Recto Bank saying na it’s “a very serious marine casualty” ‘yung nangyari sa Recto Bank incident. How do respond to that po?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: ‘Yung bungguan?
Q: Opo, sir.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: It is a serious ah… Pero when you talk about marine transportation and all, it is a maritime incident. And that is very small because nobody died. Why do you have to — ?
And besides, ‘yung sabi nila na unconstitutional, well, you wait. Maybe sa SONA, I will educate people na ‘yung ginawa ko, sabi ko you can fish ano… Tama talaga ako. At hindi maging unconstitutional ‘yan.
Alam mo, magpunta ako doon, nag-aaral ako. Hindi ko lang sabihin ngayon kasi mahilig ako ng… Sige, salita muna kayo diyan and then I will talk.
By any stretch of imagination, hindi unconstitutional ‘yung ginawa ko. As a matter of fact, it was in keeping with the law.
Q: Mr. President, there was this SWS survey na…
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Ay sorry.
Q: May survey po ang SWS na 80 percent of Filipinos are satisfied pa rin po sa inyong performance as President. Ano po ang inyong reaction?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Wala. Ako, basta I… I… I… Alam mo naman ako, I do not go for this kind of things. Basta ako, trabaho lang.
As always, sinabi ko, if you are satisfied with my work, then I’m happy. If you are not satisfied, then I’ll work more.
Dagdagan ko ‘yung pawis ko. Pero to be — sabihin mo maintaining a… I don’t know anong nagawa ko. Basta ginagawa ko ‘yung…
And I’ll tell the people now, sa mga kababayan ko, wala akong kasalanan diyan sa Constitution. Maniwala kayo. Kaya makinig kayo diyan sa mga maingay.
Kaya ako I have a proposal. Kung gusto talaga ng Amerika na paalisin ‘yung China, hindi ko man kaya, maghingi ako ng tulong sa kanya. I want the whole fleet of the Seventh — the Seventh Fleet of the Armed Forces of the United States there.
Magpasok sila sa China Sea, magpasok ako. I will ride doon sa Amerikano na mauna doon sa ano. I will invite Carpio, del Rosario, Morales to ride with me. Then sabihin ko sa Amerikano, “Sige, pasabugin na natin lahat.”
Tingnan… Wala. ‘Yan man ang gusto nila away talaga.
What would really result if we — I go there and insist on driving them out? You would think China would — would allow itself to be bullied? Papayag kaya ang China? They… Kaya ang tanong ko sa inyo is who is in the possession of the property under the claim of the legitimate ownership?
Tayo ang nagsabi illegitimate. Pero ang China is there which says, “This is ours and we claim it.” Tayo naman, “Go out because that is ours.” Pero kung sabihin mo I committed a constitutional infraction because I allowed the Chinese fishermen to fish, hindi nila pinag-aralan talaga.
Kaya ‘wag kayong maniwala niyang mga constitutionalist-constitutionalist. Mga Carpio diyan, susmaryosep.
Q: Sir, with regard to the accident, would we at least push for China to be at least liable — ‘yung Chinese fishermen?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: No, we have our recommendations, we have our report. Then we will wait for China to make its report. Then we can compare notes.
And then kung sino ‘yung within a better position to assert justice, gawain nila ‘yan. Kung sila, magbayad sila.
Q: Sir, may napili na kayong next DA secretary kapalit ni Secretary Piñol?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Wala pa. But Piñol is very important eh. Piñol was not oust — was not ousted. I asked him to transfer sa…
Wala akong timon. Nobody is minding the store there. Puro lang sila and you know, they have to grapple how to create a government. What lands are available are — or are included in the area which they claim should be their territory.
Q: Thank you, sir.
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