(Note from MindaNews: This is the official transcript of President Rodrigo Duterte’s media interview, released by the Presidential News Desk of the Presidential Communications Office)
Presidential Communications Office
Presidential News Desk
MEDIA INTERVIEW
WITH
PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE
[Reception Hall, Malacañan Palace | 16 May 2018]
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Yes, what is the trouble of the day?
Q: Hi, sir. Sir, can you — sir ‘yung statement niyo lang kahapon, can you clarify about China, ‘yung may ouster plans, tutulong po sa inyo ‘yung China. Sino po in particular, sir?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: No, that was the time when there was this parade ‘yung “oust, oust, Duterte.” We would not want to see someone duly elected na… otherwise, these threats about ‘yung mga yellow pati Magdalo, pati ‘yung… ‘yung mga left nag-join, they were demonstrating almost everyday.
I was just trying to recall his statement by [one?] — not… by one of them pero… Actually kasi nandiyan sila lahat, we will not like to see a duly-elected Philippine leader ousted by itong ‘yung oust-oust na ‘to. ‘Yun ‘yun.
Q: Si President Xi Jinping? You were talking to President Xi Jinping…
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Again?
Q: You were talking with President Xi Jinping regarding these threats that China…
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: At that time, hindi na. It was just a statement siguro ‘yung… Pero ‘yung ano… Ah ‘yung sabi niya na — oo. It was passed on to the Ambassador, I think.
Not clear to me pero parang… I think it was the Ambassador who told me. It would not be good to oust elected leaders, parang in a free and honest election.
Q: Sir, comment on the action by the Supreme Court to oust si Chief Justice Sereno?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: No, no. Ayaw kong pati ako diyan dinadamay nila eh.
I said if there is one congresswoman or congressman, or a Justice, single Justice magsabi may kinausap ako diyan na, I can guarantee you, I will resign.
Sinabi ko na nga kay Sereno, “hindi ako nakialam.” Kaya ‘yung galing akong China, akong pinagbintangan, nagalit na ako but that was — hindi ako tumatago ng sentimento kay… [garbled]
But tanungin niya maski sino, I never lifted a finger. Calida, well, Calida was… You know Calida is an Ilocano. I think he’s related to the Marcoses.
Calida, it is his job to find faults. Hindi ko inaano. Sabi ko, I do not order Cabinet members to work on this, work on that.
Whatever he thinks that it is his duty to perform, hindi ako nakikialam. But in one of those meetings here regarding the issue of the burial of President Marcos, siya ’yung pinaka-ano and Calida is passionately, pro-Marcos ‘yan. Ilocano eh.
Q: Sir, you also had that statement kasi about the former Chief Justice before na “you’re now my enemy” and then —
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Kasi pagdating ko galing — [Saan ako galing noon?] Galing ako sa labas. Wala ka kasi doon kaya nakalimutan ko na ‘yung…
(NOTE FROM MINDANEWS: President Duterte was departing for the Boao Forum in China on April 9, 2018 when he gave notice to Supreme Court Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno “that I am now your enemy. And you have to be out of the Supreme Court….”)
Q: Sir, pero ‘yun nga. Kasi sabi mo —
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Hindi, ganito ‘yan. One of, one small girl. I do not remember her name. I cannot also remember her. Maalaala ko mukha iyo lang eh.
So sabi niya, una niyang question, si Sereno raw umiyak. Ako daw ‘yung nag-udyok diyan sa mga… kaya sabi ko, nagalit — ako nag…
Well… Sinabi ko na sa iyo ngayon, nag-init ang ulo ko. Kasi magtanong ka diyan maski… I said kung may mag-isang congressman o congresswoman o isang Justice magsabi kinausap ko sila, magbaba ako. Sabay kami. Sabayan ko siya.
Sinabi ko na it’s not my habit. Hindi ko talaga — it’s out of my character to do that. Hindi ako nanghahabol ng tao. Maski ‘yung tao na… Speaker Nograles filed several cases against me. All. Almost all reaching the Supreme Court. But of course I was exonerated kasi itong…
Kaya, kaya ‘yung nag — I had this emotional outburst. Sinabi ko na sa iyo na wala akong kasali diyan.
Kaya ngayon I challenge everybody and anybody. Magturo ng isang congresswoman or isang congressman o senador na — o Justice ng Supreme Court na nilapitan ko. O maski na abogado lang naman kung wala na kayong makitang iba.
Hindi naman ako nakikialam eh.
Q: Sir, corruption?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Anong corruption? Wala akong sinabi sa kanya.
Q: Hindi, I mean sir if meron kayong…
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Mamaya na. Bukas marami pa ‘yan sila.
Q: Sino pa sir?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: [Nasaan?] ‘yung listahan? T**** i** ‘yun. Saan na? Hawak-hawak ko na ‘yun kanina.
Q: Sir, sundot lang. Kahapon ‘yung pagpunta po sa Benham Rise, some are criticizing that it’s the wrong sea. Dapat daw hindi sa Benham because it’s uncontested, we should be making a statement in the WPS.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Kung bright sila mas sa akin, sila sana ang dapat iniinterview niyo. Alang-alang ang Ben — it’s a vast open sea. Alam mo ba kung saan ang Benham Rise? Saan?
‘Di mo makita ‘yung Benham Rise is underneath parang a triangular land mass na — ‘yun ang tinatawag nilang Benham Rise but ‘yung colloquially ‘yung Benham Rise is ‘yung buong dagat.
Anong ibig sabihin? Lahat puntahan ko?
Sabi ng Navy na magpunta ako doon, ‘di kami makauwi ng two days. Eh kung mag-jet ski ako, sabi ko wala namang gasolinahan diyan. T*** i** maubusan ng gasolina. Saan? Wala namang Petron o Caltex o Shell o [Exxon?]
Saan ako kukuha ng gasolina? Pati ang binigay doon sa kanila ‘yung jet ski, ang akin ‘yung bangka lang. Naubusan… Maraming magagandang lalaki, gusto nilang may bangka isa, ‘yung motorized bangka ‘yun.
Q: Sir, what do you think of reports that China has landed some of its air assets in some of the areas that we claim like Zamora Reef?
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: There is an airport. There are business there installed. There are military equipment already in place. So what’s the point of questioning whether the planes there land or not. There’s an airstrip. Hindi naman ‘ka ko maglanding ‘yan doon sa bato, maganda ang airstrip nila.
Sabi ngayon, gusto ninyong giyerahin natin. Sino bang gusto na ano — Kasi payag ako. I can declare war on China tonight. At sino ang magpunta? Sundalo ko? Pulis ko? Mamatay lang lahat ‘yan.
Sinabi ng — why will I go to war for a battle that I cannot win? Para akong g***. And of course I said, we have to take into account, but it would — I would take a longer time to do that. Pero kung… Busy ako ngayon eh.
I will discuss with you geopolitics and why I allow things to just stay there. Hindi mo na rin mapaalis. Bakit mo awayin?
Sabi ko nga nun, may over flights na, may satellite, nasa newspaper nandun na may — nag-reclaim na sila. And that arbitration came during the time of Aquino, they filed it. There was sufficient time for him to stop. Siya ‘yung nag-demanda eh.
Eh bakit hindi sila pumunta doon?
Bakit hintayin ninyo ako ngayon? Na kung magka-giyera, maubos naman ang mga sundalo ko pati pulis. Of course, mamatayan sila but we will lose the battle. I am 100 percent about that.
They are just about from the mainland. It’s about 14 minutes to reach the — sasabog diyan lahat. Of course, we can equal the intensity but are we ready to go to war? At ‘yung ano… bakit hindi pumunta ‘yung Amerika?
Sabi nga ni Noynoy in his press statement, only Amerika can stop — O ‘di bakit hindi niya sinabihan ang Amerika, “pumunta ka doon. Dalhin mo ‘yung aircraft carrier mo, dalhin mo ‘yung cruise missiles mo, dalhin mo ‘yung battleship mo at parahin mo.”
Ngayon, walang ginawa ang Amerika so that the Chinese made a garrison out of those rocks there and[unclear] area. Ngayon gusto nila ako ang…
You know, during the bilateral, in front of my Cabinet, all of them and Lorenzana, and the military, Año. Sinabi ko kay Xi Jinping, ito bilateral ‘to ha. “I want to go to my territory and dig oil.” ‘Yan diretso ako, wala na ‘yang sabi mo assert, assert. Sabi ko, “I will dig oil in my own territory.”
What was the reply of President Xi? Sabi niya: We just restored normalcy. Not be good for us to be talking for, you know, conflict. Eh pag-usapan na lang natin ‘yan some other time. Let us repair the relationship which Aquino destroyed and talk sense because we will never also talk to him. That’s why [walang?] nagawa sa panahon niya.
And sabi niya, well someday. Then I said, in front of my entire Cabinet, I said but during my term I will insist and mention arbitral ruling.
Sabi niya, “okay lang pero huwag ngayon because if we do that, there will be trouble.” So if you are a Chinese, what do you mean by “there will be trouble?” There will be war.
So sino ‘yung mga gustong pumunta doon ngayon. Okay man ako. We will declare war against China. Provided ‘yung mga ugok, ‘yung maingay mauna sila. Nandiyan ako sa likod nila. Pagdating doon iwanan ko sila. Bahala kayo, eh kayo ‘yung gusto makipagaway eh.
Q: Sir, ‘yung listahan niyo sir?
Q: Sir ‘yung…
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Ah, imbestigasyon. [unclear] lahat. It’s actually…
Eh huwag kayong magsilip.[laughter]
Those people that are under investigation: [Atty Ambrosi Basman; Atty Rohani Basman; Amisa Lumuntod; Amilquir Macabando, ex-mayor of Marawi City; Atty. Samina Sampaco Macabando-Usman, DOJ Prosecutor; OIC Pasay City Prosecutor Atty. Benjamin B. Lanto, relative of Mr. Lumuntod Macabando; Inquest Prosecutor Clemente Villanueva; Assistant Prosecutor Florenzo dela Cruz; NAIA District Collector Ramon Anquilan, sa Customs ito; DOJ Assistant Moslemen Macarambon?] — I think he has resigned the other day?
[NAIA-CIIS Director Adzhar Albani; political appointee — itong si CIIS Head Butch Ledesma, plantilla holder assigned at NAIA; Customs Operation Officer Lumuntod Macabando?]
Suspended sila lahat ngayon, pending investigation. Merong [footages?] ito sa…
Ang isa pa. For corruption I have — I will fire or if I were him… Pero lahat ito, ifo-forward ko ito sa Ombudsman, not me. Lahat itong dumating itong mga pina — nagkakaso na ako ang naka… Hindi kami ang mag-iimbestiga, Ombudsman. Itong si DPWH Assistant Secretary Ting Umpa.
Ah, karami nito. I’m sorry, but I said, do not go into…
May ano na pala ‘to. Ah meron na silang ano — mga kaso na. Pero sa Presidential [Anti-Corruption Commission.]
Q: Sir, may…
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Mas gusto ko ang Ombudsman para walang masabi.
Q: Sir, si Labor Sec. nag-apply for Ombudsman post. Are you inclined to ano — may Ombudsman ka na… July, sir, aalis na si…
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: I will assign him to — as labor attaché to — doon sa Kuwait.
Ikaw? Gusto mong magtanong special question?
Q: Sir ‘yun nga sir, ‘yung ano lang sir, sa Ombudsman. Kasi sa July, sir, bababa — aalis… Tapos na ‘yung term ni Ombudsman Morales.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Ah.
Q: Yes, sir. Sinong papalit kasi nag-apply sir…
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: I’ll have to consult everybody. I will even have to consult the Ombudsman people, not Morales. And marami, para sigurado ‘yung gusto ng tao.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE:JBC. Mag-nominate sila pero I choose — Gusto ko ‘yung bilib ang tao sa integrity niya. Of course it could not be [unclear]. Lalo na hindi babae. [unclear]
[recording cut]
[start of recording]
We would be watching the guys who have had records of drug — trafficking, drug abuse.
Kayong mga nasa droga at nanalo kayo, your election to the barangay position is not a guarantee. Do not [seek cover?]on that title. Hindi ako… Lahat.
Basta may sinabi na ako— I have this policy and it’s a campaign promise. ‘Pag sinabi ko sa inyo, it will be at the expense of my life, honor, and the presidency, but the drug war will end during the last day of my…
Because I will not allow my country to go to the dogs. [unclear]Hindi tayo nagkaintindihan sa… [unclear].Ngayon pa lang, I am sorry. Kanino narinig niyo ‘yan?
— END —
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