PRESIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE
PRESIDENTIAL NEWS DESK
SPEECH OF
PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE
DURING THE AWARDING CEREMONIES OF THE 10 OUTSTANDING YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN (TOYM) OF 2016
[Delivered at Rizal Hall, Malacañan Palace| 12 DECEMBER 2016]
Kindly sit down. Thank you.
Dalawang pages lang man ‘to. Ang lalaki pa ng…Anyway, I’ll just run through it, kaawa naman ‘yung gumawa nito.
To all government officials, the officers and members of the JCI Philippines, the 10 outstanding young men, TOYM awardees for 2016 and their families, good afternoon to you all.
Basahin ko ito but may isingit lang ako na akin
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte poses with the Ten Outstanding Young Men and Women of 2016 during the awarding ceremony at Malacañang on December 12, 2016. KING RODRIGUEZ/Presidential Photo
Over the years, the JCI has stayed true to its mission of providing development opportunities that empower young people to create positive change.
It has effectively promoted leadership and exemplary innovation among the youth: their service to the community and the nation, their professional excellence and untarnished integrity and their exemplary leadership.
These qualities are best demonstrated by our 10 awardees and with their selfless dedication, innovativeness and pioneering spirit, these exemplary people proved that everyone can be a hero as long as we do ordinary things extraordinarily.
As this year’s awardees join the elite circle of the past honorees, may you
skills and talents, their nation-building to effect meaningful transformation that this country direly needs.
By committing to do our part in nation-building and by even simply doing the things that is expected of us everyday, we can immensely contribute to the cultivation a far more better and more secure future for ourselves, our families and our communities.
Our nation is in a crucial period of introducing concrete and meaningful change. I need your support now more than ever so that we can collectively
overcome the ills of illegal drugs, criminality and corruption that has plagued our nation for so long.
As promising and brilliant youth, our country’s hopes are pinned on you. (inaudible) on your shoulders that the foundation of a peaceful, prosperous and progressive nation can be built.
As remarkable young men and women, I encourage you to share the responsibility of leading and lifting the Philippines out of the quagmire of complacency, a (inaudible) by fostering a culture of innovation and excellence that you epitomize.
Together, let us work hand in hand to secure the lives of our people, give them the best quality of life that can rightfully be deserved.
Once again, congratulations and good evening.
Iyong akin na, kopyahin mo na lang ito. I’d like to just — isingit ko lang. Please understand that when I ran for the presidency, I only promised, of course, added to economic future that we envisioned is the basic thing of eradicating or removing graft and corruption, drugs and criminality.
Let me dwell on corruption. Kailangan tumulong kayo and you have to report. You did not really tell me your name, just let me know. There is something [abusing] in any of the agencies and departments, iyon lang.
And there’s an 8888, that’s PTV-4. You can dial the number and just state out your statement or your truth without even mentioning your name. Hindi na kailangan. And if you are maybe a little bit timid or afraid, or outright — ayaw mong gulo — maybe you can just buy a new sim right away after making the call and I will take it from there.
Alam mo mahirap itong corruption. And I intend to not really stop it because nobody can. Even in other countries despite or in spite of their progress and bounty, they are still at it.
Dito, tingin ko, what has really pulled our country down even in the years to come without attributing it to a particular administration because that would be unfair. Iyong isa might have stolen more than the others. Hindi ko na maano but it’s a bit generic but relatively kung saan mo talaga ididiin iyan.
Pero we are, let me just give you an analogy of something like an airplane running at full speed on the runway for so many years without really lifting, wala hindi tumataas. And that is what the Philippines is.
Ako sa kaliit ko, probinsiyano lang po ako. I come from a corner in Mindanao but I tried to just envision something for my country during this administration. Talagang tatapusin ko ito.
Today, I understand that 92 itong connected with the regulatory. Basta may regulation, that’s what I hate about government intervening. The least that government will intervene in your affairs the better.
Itong regulation ang pinakamarami bukod sa 92 of them were fired. I gave them the option of facing charges or more, sabi ko, mag-resign kayo for you have become the pariah of this government and do not expect me to be courteous even to you when I see you there out. And itong drugs… Inom muna ako ng tubig kasi nagbabara ‘yung…
I know that people are killed. It does not make me happy. I am a Filipino. Kung iba sigurong tao ‘yan from the Middle East or Africa, I would — maybe if they are really guilty, I would not really enjoy but it will give me a satisfaction.
You know ‘pag may namatay na tao diyan, hindi ako naliligayahan. And when I sign vouchers and all and everything and allowing this unit to have more guns and more bullets, I do not find satisfaction in it because I know that ultimately, it will be used against the Filipino.
But when you…When I am down and I am faced with a choice between a disorderly society and maybe a failed state and my country itong drugs because of the enormity of the problems. I did not realize it when I was mayor about the widespread use of the drugs in the entire Philippines. I was just focused on my mayorship and wanted my place to just improve. And to this day, Davao is having a growth rate of nine, the highest.
And you have been to Davao. I am sure all of you. And if you go west, north, south, it’s really booming. And they live in peace, criminality is down to the barest minimum.
That is how I envisioned my city when I became mayor in 1988. True that I am very harsh ika nga bastos pa, outright. And I kind of credit myself for that.
When I said that if you are here in Davao and you continue to do drugs that I am mayor, I will kill you. And if you destroy — if you deprive us of the youth of the next generation, I will kill you.
Make no doubt about it, talagang tatapusin kita. But that statement is not punishable by our laws. Bakit ba sabihin ko na sisirain mo ang bayan ko papatayin kita? I have every reason to kill you. And when I say that you do not deprive us of our youth for the next generation or eventually with four million drug addicts, it could cause the failure of my country.
You know, we have been narcopolitics since about 15 years ago. Little did we realize na ang pulis pala it’s about 2,000 of them, ang mga barangay captain who holds the governance of the basic unit of our government and some mayors and some governors and a few congressman were already into it.
Little did I realize na ganun pala kalala when I started to squeeze everybody when I became president. At doon nakita ninyo surrendering by the hundreds of thousands. Pur Diyos! Anong gawain ko dito?
And these 4,000, mga barangay captains ito, mga pulis, mga negosyante, at walang ginawa kundi gawaing g*** ang Pilipino. At maraming may tama na sa mga bata natin and those who… Eh tingin ko, this is televised, maybe if you have an IQ of 14, talagang papasok ka diyan. And even lawyers and doctors and even mayors. Ano ang mangyayari dito kung ganon?
Remember that that four million is spread all throughout the country, and if nobody would interdict them in the next four to six years, kung hayaan mo lang ganon because ayaw mong pumatay, we are in a sorry state.
Indeed, we are in a sorry state. That four million will contaminate another 10 million. Then it would be too late for us to really even save the country.
And we would just like be the Latin American na ‘yung mayor, she takes oath of office in the morning and in the afternoon she’s killed. And they choose who will be the governor and who will be the mayors.
Alam mo doon, sa Latin America, and you can read Ioan Grillo. He was here. And the books about the fate and the destiny of that continent there.
Ang mga…Dito, ang mga mayor ang binabayaran ng mga durugista. Doon, ang mga mayor ang nagbabayad doon sa mga cartel para hindi sila patayin, hindi sila galawin. And that they would secure the election of this idiot. Kung hindi ba naman idioto ‘yan.
And it…No, I will not… I will not govern. Kung ayaw na talaga ninyo, I am ready to step down. Walang problema sa akin ‘yan. I have no illusions about power or about the president.
As a matter of fact, may binulong nga ako kay Sir Manny Pangilinan. Sabi niya, ‘Kamusta?’ But sabi ko, ‘if I were to go back in time, I would have not committed the same mistake.’ Totoo ‘yan.
So ganon na lang. In Mindanao, there is no solution. Believe me and remember me for all time because I’m telling you the truth. Nothing short of a federal setup would appease the Moro of Mindanao.
Otherwise, we will continue to fight until kingdom come. Pass it on to the next generation and we will still have the explosions here and there. And a lot of killings to decimate the population from so many millions to a few thousands. Maniwala kayo.
Ako, if the Congress decides to call for a constituent assembly by Congress introducing or me creating a commission to introduce amendments to be adopted by Congress or by the constitutional convention with would really be expensive at matapos ‘yan four years after.
Just like our experience ‘yung the last time. But if you can craft and we can call a commission for that next year, if you can craft and put into place the federal system, I… You have my word, I am going to step down. Alis na ako.
Because I suggest that there will be a strong executive. It could not be like a parliament in England because it does not work. We have so many islands, so many decisions to make decisive actions on diyan, diyan.
Remember, Britain when it was hit by terrorism, ‘yung double-decker nila, it took them time to react because a Cabinet is a consensual thing, it’s collegiate. So no one takes a definite…Pero kung may presidente ka but limited powers, to call, to dissolve a parliament, to call for new elections then the power of being the commander-in-chief of all Armed Forces, including the police kasi Armed Forces ‘yan eh, including the CAFGUs
Ako, I’m not interested. If they can do it in two years, two years and a half, I am out. Because then I would not be eligible for any election. And, of course, rightly so, delicadeza ‘yan eh. Ikaw ang nagdadala diyan eh.
Alis na ako. Pero sinabi ko, bantay kayo dito sa droga. Wala akong problema diyan sa mga pari. Talk about the sanctity of life. But you know, I have to make a choice now. It’s the greatest good for the greatest number.
I cannot allow or run away itong…But believe if you are thinking that… Remember that at the early days of my presidency, I fired almost nine police generals and so many mayors. Tinanggalan ko ng mga bodyguard because sila ‘yung maging warlords na eh. They strut around. Pati ‘yung mga military, sundalo… He was, ‘si mayor ‘yan eh’.
So I had to reduce them to nothing. And I said, ‘if you do not report to Crame, I will kill you in 24 hours’. Storya lang ako diyan. Panakot lang. And they did and we were able to take full control.
But I would like to announce, tutal nandito na rin kayo, I will take this opportunity that I’m going back to the Alunan doctrine. Two or more armed guards is… More than two rather is a private army. ‘Yan ang…Then dalawa lang ‘yan.
If the two bodyguards cannot save you, then that is your destiny in this world. [laughter] You will have to die some time. Do it earlier. It will spare the country of headache and maybe we can produce better citizens.
Ganon lang po. I do not offer any excuses nor apologies. I will answer God when I face him. Pero dito, hindi ako pwedeng mag…Alam ko and even a close friend of mine. Gordon wrote me a very poignant letter. I respect him very much. I know that it was his letter. Pero, tingin ko, Dick, you know, it’s about too late in the day. Hindi ako pwedeng mag—
But anyway, konti na lang naman ang namamatay. Medyo ubos na eh. [laughter] Talaga, hindi ako nagpapatawa. Pero I cannot… My next, my successor should be freed of this kind of malignancy. Hindi pwedeng ano, talagang ayaw ko.
And corruption must go. You help me. Any agency… In the past, I myself, Davao City applied for a, something of a approval of NEDA to have a railroad. Maliit lang, ‘yung commuter. Sa awa ng Diyos karumata ang dumating sa amin. Tinutulak pa rin ng tao.
Kaya, NEDA sat on it for about two, three years. Dito po sa ano… Let it be known to you, so that alam ninyo, it’s one month. One month. Any… Anong klaseng department, one month.
If you cannot release it in one month then let me know so that I would not suspect that you are — you practically sat on the papers to… Diyan nagkaka-ano eh. And even permits. I would encourage or I would not like to impose on the local governments kasi elected ‘yan sila so it’s just a supervision.
But control. Kagaya ng mga pulis na, you know, I… In-impose ko ‘yung order ko kay Bato. That’s my discretion. I have control of the police and of the army.
I guarantee you, there was nothing wrong with it, but I was just trying to figure out something there.
Hindi ko kasi malaman kung talagang it was a network or just the work of one or two policemen. So I have to study more closely. There was nothing to it. Huwag kayong matakot. I do not receive drug money, susmaryosep.
Iyong mga kasintahan ko, kung meron silang pera ibigay sa akin, tanggapin ko, because it’s out of love. Do not… Bigyan mo ako pera? Babarilin kita diyan dito sa harap ko.
So that is how it is, but I just like to inform you that nothing is evil in this… It’s your Palace. I do not sleep in this building. Kay ang multo dito harap-harapan maski sa araw. [laughter] Hindi na naghihintay ng gabi. [laughter]
They just, you know, materializes in front of you. And I do not sleep here with more reason. Maya-maya tulog mo diyan makatabi mo, buti sana kung white lady, pwede mo ng dumugin. Eh kung paghawak ko bigotilyo. [laughter] T*****, Español pa dahil noon maraming dumaan dito na mga g***.
So I sleep outside in a hotel. It’s a small hotel pero secret. Wala akong ano dito. I am solve to the simple ways of life. I’m a son of a poor man and I don’t…Naumpisahan na rin ng tatay ko na sa hirap, eh ‘di tuluyan na natin ito.
Kaya hindi ako sanay, I am not even up to…Ako lang dito ang nagsasara ng ilaw. Malacañang, they want it bright and you know. Sabi ko, no, no, no, no. P*** kalaking gastos nitong p***. [laughter]
Pati doon, ‘yung aircon ko sa, ‘yung full blast. Hindi diyan sa Pagbabago. I have to cross the river in coming here. Eh mahina ‘yung lantsa I was late for about a few minutes kasi maraming basura ‘eh, maraming water lily.
So sabi ko, tulakin mo lahat ng water lily doon. So I was a bit late but I’m sorry. It’s just a — the crossing of the river was just too slow.
I go back and forth everyday and sabi nga ni Sir Manny, ‘Why?’ Because every night, I have a folder of each department, Defense, Trade, Education. And before I countersign it, even with the marginal note, I have to read it. Mahirap na masabit eh.
So I sleep, I go home earliest two dito. Then I review papers until sometimes six o’clock in the morning. Kaya kung pabalikin ako… Wala naman akong ano… I have not totally misgivings. But truly kung pabalikin ako, sabi ko nga sa kanya, ‘Ayaw ko na. Ayaw ko na’. Maliit, t**** i**, maliit ang sweldo. [laughter] Dalawa ang pamilya ko. [laughter]
Hindi ba kita mo noong inaugurate ako, doon pati dito, may isa dito, may isa doon. Graft and corruption ka maraming… Sa Davao may mga investigative journalists, nagtatanong ng tanong, wala kayong makuha sa akin, really.
I’ve been mayor 23 years. Hindi… I’m not just up to it actually. Kasi okay na ako sa buhay ko. Not so beautiful, but not so ugly. Stay in the middle course para you know, ‘yung kaligayahan ko. And I do not enjoy going out. It’s a…
I’m just like you, a simple Filipino.
Maraming salamat po.
— END —
