Presidential Communications Office
Presidential News Desk
MEDIA INTERVIEW
WITH
PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE
FOLLOWING HIS VISIT TO THE WOUNDED-IN-ACTION SOLDIERS
[Camp Evangelista Station Hospital, 4th Infantry Division, Cagayan de Oro City | 03 June 2017]
Q: Now that this is happening, and what is your respond to the attacks that your… since your presidency, drugs is still unstoppable; insurgency is still going on strong and now this international terrorism has penetrated and under sieged a city.
What is your assurance to the people and its national security?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: The Republic is well, it’s stable. There are pockets of war fighting in Mindanao and we are still assessing the environment vis-à-vis with the NDF, NPA.
‘Yung sa dito, alam mo sa totoo lang, were it not because government is bound by rules and the values of civilization, I can end this war in 24 hours.
Alam mo, bombahan ko lang lahat ‘yan, I have 10 new jets. All I have to do is to bomb the whole place and level it to the ground.
But since we are in a civilized society and we are a member of the United Nations and of the Geneva Convention Protocol, nahihirapan ako and we had to do it to the least maximum damage of collaterals lalo na civilian.
Eh ang kalaban kasi, they have no compassion about — bibira sila, baril sila dito, doon. Eh sa kanila mamatay ‘yung civilian o sundalo o pulis, baliwala sa kanila ‘yan.
But we, we have to you know, align our shots against the enemy. We cannot just press the trigger of a machinegun and just say, “to whom it may concern, pasensya na kayo.” To the —
Kailangan na wala talagang dapat mamatay na civilian and that is making it hard for us kaya ganon. We have to get close to the target and to be precise in — with our shots.
Hindi kami pwedeng mag — basta magpasirit ka na lang ng ano diyan. But in cases where it cannot really be neutralized or stabilized without the use of bombs, I will not hesitate to order the bombing of places where it could cost so many lives for the government.
Eh kung talagang well-entrenched tapos papasok ako, then I have to expend about 50 lives of my soldiers, ah kalokohan ‘yan.
I will not, I will not. I will just assess the situation. Kaya ito sabi ko, itong gyera na ito, in 24 hours tapos ‘to. All I can — would say is “fire at will at anything moving and bomb the whole place” and that is it. But we cannot do it.
And that is why we are also suffering great losses. But of course, ang karamihan ang kalaban.
So what we intend to do is there is martial law and for now, I think it would be good for the Armed Forces to deal with the problem of the guys who initially funded the terrorism there with the use of drug money. That was really planned.
Itong Maute brothers went to the Middle East to study terrorism. When they went back here, pumunta dito, they built the biggest laboratory dito sa — and everywhere in the area of Lanao del Sur tapos dito sa Buldon and it was really to fund terrorism.
Walang ibang source na malaki, tinignan namin ‘yung mga remittances. Ang palagi nakalabas na pangalan doon ‘yung babae, si Nobleza. ‘Yung pulis na pinapadalhan siya ng isang grupo doon na part of the terror groups fighting in the Middle East. She is really the lady that is a traitor to her country.
‘Yan ang dapat na — if there were — then things go out of hand, dapat bitayin at public hanging siya. And I will not hesitate to do it if it comes to that. I will hang every traitor dito sa gobyerno.
Kaya itong nahirapan tayo, this will be over in about three more days. At a gross of — at grossly disparity. Marami talagang patay sa rebelde. Eh ang gobyerno naman hindi nagkulang.
But in — sabi mo ‘yung bombing-bombing, I said I assume full responsibility for this. I have said that ako, ako lang. So those bombings were under my orders and I will account for it.
Wala pa, hindi pa naman tapos ‘yung martial law. I will report to the nation what we did and why we did it. O-authorize ko lahat ‘yan kasi kailangan eh.
And if I have to use bombs – eh kung isang lugar, sampu na ang patay na sundalo ko, hindi ko pa rin makuha, why should I not use the air assets? I’d rather use the rockets.
I have not used the jets that we have, ‘yung bago ngayon kasi rebellion is usually just fought with propeller-driven shoot run bombing. Pero pag nag-escalate ito, I hope it will not. I pray to God that we’ll just be there kasi nga I will not hesitate the armed might of the Republic of the Philippines, the Armed Forces, to use every power available in their hand to quell the rebellion and terrorism.
Q: Thank you, Mr. President.
Q: Maayong gabii, Mr. President. You spoke of precision po and the recent Marawi attacks. How do you feel po about the friendly airstrike who caused casualties po sa side ng —?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Guapa ka man ma’am. Sino ang pangalan mo?
Q: Hindi ako bago, sir. Davao ka pa lang, mayor ka pa, ako na nagkocover sa iyo.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Ah bata ka pa naman.
Q: Bata pa.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: May asawa ka na ngayon?
Q: Hindi pa. Single pa po.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Buti’t naabutan pa. ‘Yun ma’am, it is a very sad commentary. But this thing will happen again and again and again. It does, it has not happened not only with the Philippine Army, minsan Navy, and then there is what you would call the “Murphy’s Law.”
The Murphy’s Law states that if anything can go wrong, it will go wrong. Pag posible ba itong mangyari, mangyayari talaga ‘yan.
So we are sad, there is an investigation. I am not privy to it and I leave it to the military alone to do their job. I don’t even make calls, I said. I have not called Lorenzana or General Año except once when I lifted the ceasefire agreement because I was mad. Kasi ‘yung NPA pinagpapatay na nila ‘yung pulis ko pati ‘yung sundalo ko doon sa Visaya.
So ito, I — we are sorry that it happened. And I hope that this will not be repeated. But there is no guarantee. Any war, everything is stretched and it can break any moment.
Q: Thank you sir.
Q: Magandang gabi, Mr. President. Bombo Charmaigne Tamsi from Bombo Radyo Philippines. Mr. President, noong linggo na pumutok ang gulo sa Marawi, ilan po sa mga mambabatas galing sa Upper House at Lower House, lalo na po si House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez ay nagsabi na umano’y kinulang ang intelligence capability ng government forces upang masupil ang pagpasok sana ng Maute at ASG group doon sa Marawi City. Ano po ang ating reaksyon dito Mr. President bilang Commander in Chief?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Well, ako, I am not worried. I said I can end any strife, any rebellion. Kung wala lang tao ‘yang — I could have flattened the place in 24 hours. Tutumbahin ko lahat ‘yan pati cogon if I wanted to.
But the fact is, I have a very limited power. If you are a President of a democratic state, you have to save lives, you have to be very careful. And the military must also be extra careful not to kill.
It is not easy to ponder kung ikaw sundalo ka and you know that you have killed children and civilians. Hindi ganon kadali ‘yan, mabigat sa konsensya ‘yan. And ako, I also realized that that is my bolden duty is to save lives. Not to destroy.
But kung sabihin mo, how is the Philippines today, whether it is threatened or not, maliit na bagay ‘yan.
Eh ‘yung sa Maynila, I am going there to visit the dead but I know kung — I – hindi ‘yun ISIS. Bakit mo nakawin ang plastic na alam mo naman hindi mo magamit? Eh loko-loko pala ‘yun. I — I — the guy is crazy.
Ang siniguro niya ‘yung plastic chips. For what? Hindi naman niya gustong pumatay. He went there, ang sinunog niya ‘yung — that is not the work of the ISIS.
The work of the ISIS is more cruel and brutal. They would just simply kill people for nothing. Not even for a reason. And that was the reason why the world today has bonded together to fight the scourge of terrorism.
Especially if you kill in the name of God, anak ka — there is no rhyme or reason, really. Nakakatakot na hindi naman natatakot. [signal problem] civilian na walang armas [unclear] that is why I’d be very extra, sabi ko harsh.
Do not carry a weapon in front of a soldier or policemen. Because kung maabutan kita, sabihin ko talaga, “patayin mo.”
Ang allowed lang — eh ako nga eh, wala eh. Of course I have my security but personally hindi ako nagdadala ng armas because I am bound by my rule. I am not allowing any civilian, including me, to carry a firearm. It’s only the police, the military and even the CAFGU, which is part of the Armed Forces, and the auxiliary police if they are allowed.
But many civilians, lalo na ‘yang areas where there are terrorist, pahawak-hawak ka ng baril, eh papatayin talaga kita. Andiyan ang Human Rights, bahala na kayo kung umiyak kayo hanggang katapusan ng mundo.
Q: Thank you so much sir.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: — Kaya mga gangsters sa Maynila, ‘yung kidnap for ransom and everything, huwag sana kayong ma-check point.
Q: Thank you. Salamat, Mr. President. [speaks Bisaya]
Q: Sir, sino ba po ‘yung tinutukoy na narco-politician na nagprotect ng Maute at saka naka-penetrate sila sa area sir?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: ‘Yung nakipag-usap?
Q: Protector na sinasabi sa presscon na may protector po daw ‘yung Maute group kaya nandon sila sa Lanao Sur kaya hindi sila napigilan?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Marami dito, ma’am. In the days ahead we will arrest all of them. Number one ‘yung nag produce ng shabu, nagbigay ng pera sa terorista, they will all be arrested, whether politicians or not.
I do not care about ‘yung sabi nila na –- we will charge you accordingly. We will detain you more than ‘yung six days-six days. There will be at once an inquest and if there is a probable cause, I would like them to be detained forever.
Marami ‘yan, dito sa Marawi, kalakasan. Kaya nga ang supply ng shabu dito sa Cagayan hindi maubos-ubos eh. ‘Yung mga holdaper dito, pinapatay ‘yung, two months ago, three months ago ‘yung babae na. Iyon ‘yun. Shabu ’yan.
Tapos itong si… sino ‘yung p***** i***** ‘yun na nagpunta dito na ang shabu raw cannot affect the brain. ‘Yun, ‘yung g*** na ‘yun, I think he was black, yeah, pati si Callamard, it was really true na sinabi niya ‘yan, actually naka-shabu sila ‘nong panahon na ‘yun. Ang mga g***. Even suggesting na tayo raw, I will put up clinics all around the urban cities at ibigay na lang ‘yung shabu para hinsi na patayin. Just give them shabu as part of the solution.
So kung hindi mo talaga… kaya ang sinasabi ko, ‘President Duterte is fooling a stupid…’ Eh ano pa pala ang tawag ko sa inyo? Eh di s******.
Bakit ako mag [unclear] sa kanilang ng cocaine pati shabu. Eh ‘di para akong nagpakamatay diyan sarili ko. T******** talaga itong mga puti. Walang utak. Itong EU? Walang utak.
You know this EU? They’re all hypocrites. Itong, ‘yung Europeans, Tell them na sinabi ko. You know, there is only one conscience of mankind. It is unchanging.
In 1914 to 1917, when the Duke of – Ferdinand — Austria was killed, you went to war with each other. How many died? Fifteen million. Kami dito nag-imbento kayo ng 15 million, gagara-gara kayo sa’kin. Ano bang konsensya ninyo.
Si Obama was reprimanding, chastising me in public. Para niya akong empleyado, p***** i***, sa federal government. Pagdating ni Trump, “Oh, Mr. President, you’re my friend. You’re doing it right.” Tignan mo. Saan mo ko itapon diyan?
There is one value of a President who is infected with what, I do not know. Here’s another guy, my friend, Trump, that says “you’re right. You have every right to protect your country.” That’s what he said. What is important, dapat, would be the people.
Itong mga ‘tong mga… sino ‘yun? Callard? Hindi ko nga ma-pronounce, nakalimutan ko. Pangit kasi eh. They are concerned more of criminals rather than the 4 million already contaminated. And they want me to distribute shabu freely? P***** i** sa harap mo, sampalin ko ‘yun. Honestly. You tell me that in front of the public? I’ll slap you. Sabihin mo sa kanila. Totoo ‘yan.
Wala namang Presidente na preso na sampal lang. Bahala na ‘yang mga ambassador-ambassador. P***** i**. Hindi pa kasi nakatikim ng wallop na — You suggest that to me, I will slap you in public. Murahin kita. ‘Pag hindi kita tinadyakan.
Q: Thank you, Mr. President.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: — The gall of these idiots. Ano bang… And itong others, itong State Department, they go around offering assistance to countries. What do they want? They want a legislation that will allow same-sex marriage. Bibigyan ka nila ng aid. Lalaki sa lalaki, pwede nang magpakasal. Babae sa babae. Mag-practice pa ako ngayon nito mag-embrace ng lalaki? T** i**** ‘yan. Live ba ‘yan? Live tayo? Mabuti. P**** i***** mga ‘yan. S*****.
‘Yung sa ano… we cannot — I cannot have a good reading diyan sa, ‘yun sa. He has no connections at all sa reliable ano. Wala, wala pa kaming nakita. Baka meron. It is possible, it could be the handiwork of — pero as of now, wala kami ‘yung mga contact niya. What was really — Ako ‘yung na- ano, ‘yung it was Nobleza. What was really… When I was reviewing the remittances of the Western Union, so ‘yung si Nobleza na ‘yun, siguro sa isang page naano, tatlong beses na… Maraming pera ‘yan. Maraming pera ‘yang si Nobleza. Makakakita ‘yan ng asawa ‘yan diyan sa loob. Mayaman ‘yung asawa niya. Maraming pera ‘yun. So wala na. Maghintay na muna tayo ng next event.
Nandoon ba kayo ‘nong… when it was raging? Were you there? Kayo? Mga local lang kayo. Taga-Maynila ba kayo? Siya o. You go back to Davao, you are not supposed to be here.
May kamukha ka, kamukha ka. Guess who? Taga Cagayan rin. Nakikinig ‘yan siya ngayon, maya-maya pagdating ko nakasimangot na. Kasing ganda mo.
—END—
