PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE’S SPEECH
DURING THE INTEGRATED BAR OF THE PHILIPPINES
REGIONAL CONVENTION
Pandango Hall, Manila Hotel, One Rizal Park, Manila
November 4, 2016
Kindly sit down. Thank you.
Eh, hindi tayo sanay Presidente, you use your own podium. (laughter). Small time.
Attorney Rosario Setias-Reyes, the National President-IBP; Attorney Romeo Igot, Governor of Greater Manila-IBP; Attorney Felipe Egardo, President Quezon City Chapter-IBP; Attorney Raul Landicho, President Manila I-IBP; Attorney Alvin Cuñada, President Manila-IBP; Attorney Norman Versoza, President Manila 3-IBP; Attorney Rogel Wong, President Manila 4-IBP; Usec., Erickson Balmes Department of Justice; the members of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines; fellow workers in government, my beloved countrymen.
I’d like to talk about governance and the heartaches and, of course, the down side of just being President. It is not that I am not happy. What motivated me to run was simply my sense of patriotism on a simple reason that at that time, the issues that were really critical to the country would never brought to the fore before the national arena. And I was thinking that if somebody won’t do it, then Mindanao could probably be a fractured island; if not totally lost from the rest of the Republic. That was one, and if you remember, nobody was really talking about it, about the issues. How serious it is and how wasteful it is to the lives of so many Christians and Moro people. Mahirap po kasi para hong nakalimutan it was general … of good governance. Thank you. Gwapa ‘no? (laughter) And about infrastructures, but the real meat of the matter for us—of us really, our survival in Mindanao.
You have to understand that in 1521, when Magellan landed in Leyte, Islam was already thriving as a religion for the whole island of Mindanao. And therefore, in their conquest and everywhere, the Spaniards, of course, comes with the territory massacred there and massacred here. And maybe the Visayans and the guys from Luzon were not so imbued, kasi medyo malayo eh. It was not a contiguous place like Mindanao, easy to travel and easy to conquer. But along the years, the Spanish tried, and the most that they could do was to build that Fort Pilar in Zamboanga.
But more than that, they were not able to enter or traverse the entire—iyong tinae nga, tawag ng ‘Bituka ng Mindanao’. And it continued with the Americans but more forcefully this time, because aside from the cannons, noon ang mga—well, the natives never had any gun powder. So the first time we heard the cannons, of course, it really drove them crazy and supplicate in surrender. But not Mindanao, because I said, Islam was already spreading fast into the islands. Kaya hindi makuha-kuha iyong Mindanao because there was a post, may poste sila, and that is Islam.
So they fought the Spaniards, they resisted the Americans and until now, they are fighting us. It is the same mother lode, kung gamitin mo iyong kay Trump - the mother lode is really the hatred that was created because in a war, in a rebellion, in putting down sedition, you have to kill people.
In Mindanao particularly, not really to offend any conquering but there were lots of killing and massacres and this has contributed to the old age problem of hatred. And so, it is not really entirely correct to say when you have this picture, depicting the bodies of the Moro people in one pit, all naked, lumped together, men, women and children. And they would say, “Oh, wala na iyan Duterte,” and even the commentators in Manila. Easy to (clicks finger) “ah, wala niyan, that’s one century ago. Why bringing it up with this dead?” It never died. And that is why pati tayo, how many years after the Americans left, it’s not a problem of territory and—ang hindi nila medyo siguro alam, it is the strong sense of nationalism of their old empire, the ruling dynasty noon sa Malaysian, the Malay race was the Sri Visayas. And Mindanao was part of the Sri Visayas Empire. Para silang na-conquer at separated from their motherland. Not is the story. It is not a simple as a rebellion there, as the bandit here, as the drug lords, and they abound; all forms of lawlessness, even among officials, na kayong mga Moro dito if you are around do not begrudge me. Because you are the only one na Moro.
My Lola was a Marano. My grandfather, Chinese. So huwag kayong maghinakit kung sabihin ko na kung ano ang totoo sa harap ng ating kapwa Pilipino. There’s only one thing there, that’s— its lawlessness. And I have to or I had to decide to call in the military for the simple reason that I am short of warm bodies, kulang yang PNP, 130 and I take care of all the islands, 7, 000 islands comprising the Philippines. I had to, kulang eh, even in the matter of just being there for punitive police action. Pero kung sabihin mo talaga, prangkahan ko kayo, that my burning desire would be really to be President. I’m telling you now, is God is there, Allah, hindi ho.
And if Congress can craft a law of a federal structure within two years and that they said, they would provide for a strong presidency and I would agree with it. You will have my resignation right away. I give you my word. If I think that I am no longer necessary, I will not stay or tarry a moment. Magkaintindihan ho sana tayo. I am old, I never dreamed to be the President. Well, ang ambisyon ko sa buhay, small time ako. I’m just a mayor of little city down South. I never dreamed to be a President or a higher calling more than just the mayor. Humbly I would say even— buhay pa naman sila lahat, Ramos wanted to take me in, and DILG, right after he won. So, with Arroyo and so with Estrada, buhay pa iyan sila, pati si Nonoy, Ochoa, on the day of his oath-taking, Ochoa and I were talking and he was asking me if I could help, kung makatulong ka sa amin.
Sabi ko, I’m not cut for that kind of—hindi ako national player, I’d rather just stay here and I’m counting the years and had I not been able also to convince Inday to run. I would not be President now. Iyon talaga ang totoo, alam ng taga-Davao iyan. I was not ready to let go of Mindanao because of the problem of Mindanao. Baka hindi ako makatulong kasi kung tatakbo ako ng presidente, wala ka namang pera, wala akong machinery. I only had 3 governors: si Imee, Governor Abet Garcia sa Bataan and a lady governor sa Mindanao. Wala nga akong barangay captain ni isa dito.
And so, that was really what was playing in mind. That even if I get too ambitious, tapos matalo, and I was worried about my city. Kasi inaalagaan ko iyon eh, pinalaki ko, of course, I was very strict, and of course, I made threats, of course, I intimidated people, mostly criminals. But then, they were happened … with the other politicians in my place. It was all saliva. But iyong criminal eh talagang—and I was made the favorite whipping boy of the human rights community, good. You have your duty, I have mine. We are all lawyer, at one time, I was also defending a client, securing to him all of his constitutional rights. But when I became mayor, I had to take care of the community.
At noong nag-Presidente ako, I used the same threats, yung nanghimago dito sa Maynila and the cultured people, sinabi ko, “putang-ina kayo, pag hindi kayo umalis ng Davao, if you continue to play drugs, I will kill you.” Sinabi ko sa mga kidnapper, “if you do not leave Davao, by the time I take my oath of office, I will kill you, pag makita kita.” What’s wrong with this threat? Uncultured? Unstatesman? Is it wrong to threating criminals? Give me a law which says I cannot threaten to kill bad people. And when, I say, “Do not destroy my country because I will kill you. Do not rob us of the next generation because we need them for this Republic to continue. And I will kill you.” Eh, kung hindi pa naman klaro iyan, was in Davao and same here. And now—
Alam mo sa totoo lang, I’d like to gather, I’d like to host a dinner for lahat ng human rights and the bleeding hearts. I will tell them, “I will commission you, I’ll appoint you officially, Presidential Advisers and I will raise you to the level of a Cabinet member. You prepare a plan” at saka iyong mga military na who do not agree with me because they think that I’m closing my ties with America. Ano kasi mga sundalo natin, most of them, talagang nag-schooling iyan right after in their days along the career, pupunta ng Amerika iyan kasi nag-aral iyan doon. And some of them really, well, fundamentally nothing because police work, just my tirades against America.
So if you think that you can help, sabihin mo sa akin because I will appoint you a group of Presidential Advisers with the Cabinet position or without a portfolio but with the rank of a Cabinet. And I will follow your instruction ‘to a t.’ Kayong iyong ayaw sa akin, madali iyan. And if the military or the police thinks that I do not—no need for a coup d'état. God, you are wasting your bullet. Go to Malacañan, we’ll have coffee then I will, myself will swear you to run this Republic and solve the problem. Walang problema iyan. Then the next year, there will be mass demonstration, for all I care. Wala akong illusions. Do not give me a reason to go out because you might have—you might get your wish.
Alam mo, pag-Presidente ko, ah ito pala. And I cross the river at one of o’clock in the afternoon and last night slept at—went back, alas tres. Araw-araw iyan ha? Kung ganoon naman ang trabaho ibigay mo sa akin, I can only endure that much. Pagdating ko doon, lahat ng department, may folder iyan. So naka—that is the work for the day. And I read it until morning time, making marginal notes, disapproving, oh that it is.
I do not allow iyong mga ang financer magpunta doon, mag-courtesy call. You want a project, go to Tugade and if you something sa—go to Yasay. Kaya ako, I live in a cloistered room which I am not really used to and maybe just in my mind, I’ll be frank kasi it’s a live telecast, that I think that I deserve a little rest. I’ve been a prosecutor for 10 years. I did trial work for 8 years. And then, I became mayor for 23 years sa Davao, one term with Congress and another term 4 years being the Vice-mayor of my daughter, iyong may anak ako, iyong nanuntok ng sheriff, iyon iyon.
So, let us say kasi mayroon next year a certain financier, mayayaman na babae, who married a black and now, she’s now the millionaire, and she’s planning to do massive demonstration. Among those who are of this Western persuasion. Kung bilib kayo sa Amerika, kung tignan ninyo nagka-utang kayo ng loob, please join. And hindi na kailangang mag-coup d'état, mag-coup d'état. Ibigay ko sa iyo. I, myself will swear you sa Malacañang, that this—and I mean to do, these are the new rulers of the Republic and they will run the country. Fine. Wala naman tayong problema, karami kong kaibigan na military pati police. Eh, iyong iba, sinakrispisyo ko pa. They were my friends, but you know, I have to fire them because ako, magka-diperensiya na tayo, magkamali ka na, except basta bayan, hindi ka talaga papalusutin. But if somebody now, at this moment in time sa buhay ko, I’m 72 years old. Do not ask me if I am sick, every 72 years old in this planet is sick. (laughter). Well, that would be a very silly question.
Well, you know, sometimes you’ll be, try to— tanong sa iyon, how’s your health? And I would say, “Oh, I’m fine.” Pero deep down, alam mo bulador ka. Eh, kung mayroon ako, mayroon ka rin. And the greatest— maybe, just maybe, I don’t know. But the greatest sa tingin ko that’s loss for a man, to ask is, when you still make it with the lady? That is a very hurting question because were it not for the—itong makers ng— company ng blue pill. Eh, kung wala na iyan, wala na. Then, it’s time to go, really. I mean, pag wala na akong silbi, right after—right after the presidency, if I think or if I—you want to remove me, fine. Then, I’ll just go to the forest, mayroon akong hunting lodge doon. Marami ang alimatok doon, iyong linta. I’ll just spend my days there praying.
Ako naman sa totoo lang, I do not believe in religion. I have never stopped believing in it. I believe in God, pero iyong religion, wala na yata. And, I don’t know if the God that I am embracing is the same as your God. Hindi makapaniwala kasi for all of the— on my little belief in life, at the end of my existentialism, then of my earthly— it is really a planet which is full of agony and horror and everything and you’ll think where is God.
I could probably swallow a beautiful mutya being raped and ravished, but I can never accept a one month, 18 months, 1 year child being rape and killed. Now, you know why. So those are the things, sabi ko nga sa— which are totally unacceptable to me, as a matter of belief in life, but sometimes, it can always go wrong. So I do not confess here and say that I’m the pinakamalinis ako na tao na nakaupo dito. I would be lying to my teeth but ako, I tried my best.
Itong droga, General Santiago, 3 years ago made some projections or gave us a figure of 3 million Filipino addicts sa drugs. Sa panahon ko, when I was mayor, I was strict. And so people died, people went out of Davao and made my City safe. And that’s why, Davao grew and it out smarted everybody by having a growth rate of 4 then 5, then 6. That is hard to achieve in an island full of violence and explosion. And yet, we made it. And the last blast, did it affect us? No, because why? Because I told them, it’s coming.
I’m in the second chapter of my speech and about to end it. Basta kami, survival of the fittest, and because of my hard stand. Well, if you do not want to follow the law, then follow the Bible. Kasi sabi ko, “umalis kayo, huwag kayong magbenta, sinisira ninyo ang mga anak namin”, iyan ang batas. Ang batas, nagsabi bawal iyan at makukulong ka. Now, kung ayaw mong sundin yang batas, susunod tayo sa Bible. Anong sabi ng Bible? An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, simply means a life for a life. Anong gusto mo? We have to live by certain rules. Hindi mo lang masabi, iyo lang. It could not be your own philosophical theory about—