(Note from MindaNews: This is the official transcript of President Rodrigo Duterte’s speech, released by the Presidential News Desk of the Presidential Communications Office)
Presidential Communications Office
Presidential News Desk
MEDIA INTERVIEW WITH
PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE
FOLLOWING HIS MEETING WITH THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY IN HONG KONG, SAR
[Regal Airport Hotel, Hong Kong SAR | 13 May 2017]
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Regarding the issue of an additional three million sa SAL(N). Alam mo kasi nagkaroon ako ng girlfriend, parang sugar mommy ko. And binibigyan niya ako ng pera. Vanessa ang first name.
Q: Sir, noong naging Presidente ka po, sir, noon? Hindi ba recent SALN niyo lang po, sir?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Oo kaya nga pero i-declare mo the following year pa man. Hindi ‘yung pagtanggap ko.
The SALN is after a year. Iyong anong ibinigay sa akin ni Vanessa, iyon ‘yung ini-report ko. Mayaman siya, sugar mommy ko.
Q: Sir, can you give us more details about Vanessa?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: She is about 35, 36 years old. She is working but she is well off and nagkakilala kami. Marami siyang pera from — estimate lang naman ‘yon eh.
Q: Sir, alam po ‘yon ni Ma’am Honeylet po?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Ah alam kaya ako gustong patayin ni Honeylet eh. Pero alam mo itong Pilipinas pera-pera lang ‘yan eh. Eh wala akong magawa kung may magbigay ng pera sa akin.
Q: Sir, ano pong work ni Ms. Vanessa?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Ano siya parang checker ganun. She checks on…
Q: Sir, wala na kayong relasyon ngayon?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Meron. Kaya… Siya nga ang sugar mommy ko.
Q: Hanggang ngayon, sir?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Oo, oo.
Q: Good evening, sir. On Monday po magro-roll out na ‘yung process ng impeachment trial. Ano po ang ini-expect natin?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Wala. I expect them to go for the truth. Kung ano ‘yung totoo ‘yun na ‘yon.
Q: Mayor, there is a study here in Hong Kong that 3 out of 5 OFWs, domestic workers, have inadequate accommodation, meaning maliliit talaga ano. Anong balak ng…?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: No. There’s a legislation. I was informed and it will — I will correct the inadequacies. Sinabi nila sa akin ‘yan. There’s a legislation.
I was promised that there is now a pending law — not law but a pending [How would you call it?] bill.
Q: Good evening, sir. Sir, may we know kung i-a-appoint ninyo rin ‘yung Mocha Girls sa government?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Not all. But kung gusto nilang magtrabaho, patrabaho ko. There is nothing wrong working for government. I… Absolutely, I see none.
Q: So, sir, saan pong posisyon, sir?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Ah well hindi naman pwedeng maging ano, secretary.
But that is a job that is appropriate to their qualification. Walang problema tingin ko sa isang Pilipino na mag-hanapbuhay.
Q: Sir, can you expound on the OFW bank? Na-acquire na ba ‘yung postal bank?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Yeah, in process. We are acquiring it. We are now preparing the law.
Gusto ko pati ‘yung marino, separate bureau, or whatever na ano kasi ang gusto nila ganun rin eh.
Pinagpapasa-pasa sila kung saan-saan sila pumunta. I want a building all for themselves where they can get — follow the requirements from government. And I told government to go online.
Q: Sir, would that bank operational by October as mentioned…
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Ah no, no, mahirap ‘yan. Pag-aralan pa ng… It has to pass Congress. It cannot be done by an executive fiat.
Q: Sir, clarify ko lang po. Iyong doon sa tulong sa mga OFWs, ‘yung bukod sa inhumane na pag — sleeping quarters nila, ano po ang pwede niyo pang maipangako sa kanila like ‘yung kanilang mga problema sa mga recruiter?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Ah ‘yang recruiter, if I have the cooperation. Ang problema kasi wala tayong…
We need an agency dedicated just to regulate itong mga recruitment. And making it illegal to operate independently sans the government participation.
Pagka-illegal recruitment is wala kang lisensiya, automatic ‘yan.
Q: Sir, magka-crackdown ang gobyerno?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Yes. I will go after — kagaya ng mga itong 5-6.
Q: Sir, what do you expect to gain from the Belt and Road Initiative sa China? What do we hope to gain there? Any specifics?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Wala pa. We have to listen to the presentation. It’s all economics.
There is no advance copy in our hands. There is no previous notices of what is or what will be taken up there. And we have to see the blueprint. But I think it’s all an economic situation.
Q: Iyong pakikipag-usap ninyo ho, will there be bilateral talks?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Yes, plenty. Turkey and Mongolia and, of course, China.
Q: Ano ho kaya ‘yung pwede ng sabihin ‘yung ano details?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: I cannot…I cannot give you the imponderables of life.
Q: So ang tanong ko po dito. For years po ang problema po ng mga Pilipino, overseas Filipino workers dito ay ‘yung OEC. Several times na-cover ko po ‘yung pila ng mga Pilipino natin. Umaabot po ng 12 to 15 minutes. Kung minsan oras hanggang mula alas-nuwebe hanggang alas dos ng hapon, nakapila po sila sa tulay doon po sa may bandang Admiralty. Iyon po ‘yung panawagan nila dito for years na tanggalin po ang OEC. Nagbago po ito noong nagkaroon po ng online kind of pagre-rehistro.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Wala naman OEC ngayon, certificate?
Q: No, sir. Meron pong online ang ginagamit po pero given po na kakulangan ng ibang Pilipino po natin na hindi malaman po doon sa teknolohiya at iyong iba po naman talaga ay may problema sa pag-register, nagkakaroon po ng problema. Ang bottom line po, ang kailangan po nila sana — ang panawagan po ng OFWs natin ay tanggalin ang OEC. Ilang beses na po ito naipangako pero ganun pa rin po sa pagbabago po ng maski ng online po na pamamaraan nagkakaroon po ng problema.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: There has to be an aberration somewhere in the system. I will ask Bebot Bello to study. I am not too familiar with the — I mean, what is wrong here and what is not.
So I will ask Labor to conduct a study. I’ll just give them [Ano ba ngayon?]… May? Until the end of the month. Then every month you can tell our countrymen here that I will decide. Basta I have to have some basis actually.
I would not pretend to know something which I do not have in my hands.
Q: Good evening, sir. I understand po nag-uusap daw po ang China and Manila about the possibility of signing a labor agreement about sending Filipino workers in China. Can you tell us more about this?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Wala ako because the — even the study itself, I am not posted. It might be dito pa lang ‘yan sa baba.
Masyadong… The suggestive substance of what the agreement would be. So it’s all… The ball is in the Department of Labor.
So you are satisfied with Vanessa? Ha? Eh ‘di hayaan mo para magtanong ‘yan sila kung sino si…
Q: [off mic]
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Hindi basta. ‘Pag hinabol na ako ng Commission on — pati BIR sabihin ko na ang totoo. Ngayon… Iyong lahat ng totoo about Vanessa.
Pero as of now, she remains hindi naman incognito but… Mabait siya. And someday I will reveal the truth.
Pero ngayon mag-ano kayo saan talaga galing ang three million. May pera ‘yung babae eh.
Q: Is she single?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Yes. Oo. Mukhang… Ayaw niyang sabihin ang totoo kung separated siya o single.
Q: Sir, taga-Mindanao po?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Hindi taga-Maynila. She has been traveling with me every labas ko.
Q: Sir, nandito po siya?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: This time wala. This time wala. The previous labas ko she was always a member of the…
Gusto na ni Bong sabihin ang lahat sabi ko huwag muna.
Q: Sir, kailan pa po siya sugar mommy po ninyo?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Bago lang. After the elections.
Q: Sir, sabi niyo before?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Matagal na ‘yan.
Q: One year?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Hindi pa, ma’am. Pero matagal na. Six months is matagal na. Ano ka ba naman, Doris. Matagal na ‘yan ha.
Q: So, sir, last year lang po nagsimula?
Q: Sir, are you serious?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Bahala na silang malaman kung sino ‘yan.
Q: [off mic]
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: No, let them find out the truth. Bakit ako pa ang magsabi na kung sino ito.
Q: So it’s not a joke, sir? Are you serious?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Nakita mo sa interview ko sinabi, hindi ako serious? Kaya nga… Kaya nga, totoo.
Q: Pwede naming sulatin, sir?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Bahala na magmukhang tanga kayo. Sabi ko nagbibiro ako, nagtatawa ako eh nagpapatawa ayaw man niyo maniwala eh ‘di ‘wag.
Hindi, hindi. Sobra ‘yan sa ‘yung dumating na wala ng purpose ang pera. Tapos hindi ko na malaman kung sinu-sino. Maliit ito eh.
Iyon ang idineclare (declare) ko na as income. Income eh nandiyan sa kamay ko eh.
Secretary Bong Go: Election excess.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Oo, income. Tingnan ninyo sa returns nandoon ‘yon pati sa SALN.
Secretary Bong Go: Nagbayad man kag…
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Nagbayad ako ng ano…
Secretary Bong Go: Income tax.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Income tax.
Kayo suspetyoso, sinabi ng babae, sugar mommy. Hala, ‘yung tainga ganun na.
—END—