Press Interview in Cagayan de Oro

The President was interviewed by the press in Cagayan de Oro on 3 March 2017.

Question and Answer

Q: You know, good evening, Mr. President, after this incident in the insurgency, what are you planning to do?

PRRD: You know, I tell you what is in my heart. Hindi ako naliligayahan na may namatay. I mean, sabihin mo na kalaban ko yan sila, pero you know, every time a Filipino dies, tapos tayo ang naglalaban-laban lang, masakit talaga sa puso ko iyan at you must understand that I am with government. I am a worker of government and if there is a way to stop the fighting and the killing, it’s actually slaughtering Filipinos against the living. Hindi maganda sa akin iyan, sa totoo lang but I have to do my duty. That is why, I’m going out of my way to move, seek peace with everybody. I’m ready to talk to make deals that are favorable to government interest. I do not want to sign even a document buying one bullet. It pains me deeply, sadly, na may away pero wala man tayong magawa. We tried to craft a peace but—eh wala pa ngang ceasefire, namamatay na ang sundalo pati pulis, o papaano ka naman niyan?Q: Yes, sir.

PRRD: So, I have to do my duty.

Q: Yes, follow up question, sir. How do you feel about rape cases exempted from the death penalty, isn’t rape also considered a heinous crime?

PRRD: Yes, it is a gross violation of the dignity of a woman. Ewan ko bakit—they took it out but truly, I just learned it kanina, ngayong hapon that it was the game plan. I leave it to the wisdom of the Congressman, kasi sila iyong representante ng tao. This is a republican form of government. We cannot be all in Congress at one time to shout. So, we elect representatives to represent us. That’s why congressional district want to delist—ganoon eh, republican setup. So, if it passes Congress, it means to say, it is the will of the people.

Q: Okay, thank you, Mr. President.

PRRD: Sa sulat mo na gawin yan…

Q: Sir, kumusta po iyong apo ninyo? Nakita ninyo po for the first time?

PRRD: Well, masaya ako. He is only short of two weeks. But he is doing fine and—kaya if you remember, tatlo iyan sila kaya ako napaiyak ng ano, naawa ako sa anak ko. You know, nobody but nobody can really fathom the pain of a mother, except when you are woman. It’s not easy to undergo such kind of thing. So, ayaw kong umiyak sa harap ng anak ko, kunwari nagmamadali ako pero tiningnan ko iyong bata. He is okay. Salamat sa Diyos.

Q: Sir, mukhang nanalo po kayo because Marco Digong po yata iyong pangalan. Tama po ba, sir?

PRRD: Ano iyan?

Q: Marco Digong po iyong pangalan yata ng bata? Sir, iyong sa pangalan, iyon pagpa-pangalan ni baby. Sabi ninyo iyong tradition, practice?

PRRD: Oo.

Q: Marco Digong, sir, so nanalo po kayo doon sa practice?

PRRD: Alam mo si Inday, ganoon iyan siya eh. She’s a little bit clear. Si Stingray, ewan ko kung what, cast there at the open sea. Ang palayaw niya si Stonefish. Pero maganda nga ang stone, pati ‘yung sa stingray, sting. Iyan nga—my daughter is fond of—iyong mga exotic na pangalan. Isasali niya iyong Digong, sabi ko na, “Ikaw.”

Q: Sir, you ran and won sa platform of anti-corruption, sir?

PRRD: Yes.

Q: Pero, sir, tinanggal din iyong plunder, na punishable by death. Parang hindi siya consistent doon sa campaign draft natin, inyong program of government?

PRRD: No, I said, “ I stop corruption.” Well, I did not say that I’m going to kill the plunderer. That was not that. What was in my mind was that, corruption will stop and it will stop. Sinabi ko sa inyo, hihintuin ko iyan. So in the coming days, I’m going to fire at the scenario, people whom I have appointed in government.

Q: Mga ilan iyon, sir?

PRRD: Marami iyan, I’m still trying to figure out how it was done. Pero sinabi ko, ito ang warning ko sa taga-gobyerno: “Maski director ka o CESO ka o Civil Service Eligible.” Sinabi ko sa inyo, “Huminto kayo, “ at least itong six [6] years. Kumbaga habang nandito ako sa opisina.

Q: Ibig sabihin, okay lang po na wala sa death, punishable by death, ang plunder na crime?

PRRD: I really would like to know the rationale of the Congress, kung bakit. Why is it the threat to—taken out and plunder… Maybe really to give—alam mo kasi ganito iyan eh. Ang sa Pilipinas, ang nawala dito is, iyong respect of the law–or of the law at ang nawala dito iyong takot ng tao sa batas. Kaya everybody was into it. Now, here comes the argument, nandito iyong death penalty noon at wala naman nangyari, walang pinatay. Eh, kasi walang Presidente. Kaya nagsabi siya na i-implement niya iyong death penalty. Ngayon, kung sa panahon ko, kapag na-sintensiyahan ka ng death penalty, gawin na lang kitang kurtina diyan sa Fort Bonifacio, by hanging. Kasi wala—now, ilan ang death—ilang preso o prisoners who were—then detained o nakakulong na para—siguro reclusion perpetua is the automatic second choice, but noon was only about 686 na preso na punishable by death—nasa death row ika nga. Iyong tinanggal iyong death penalty, ang tao na may kasalanan na dapat patayin, death penalty is 6, 000. Serious and grave offenses, which ought to have been punished by a death penalty judgment.

Alam mo na wala talaga sa panahon natin ang takot ng [sa] batas. Kay sa panahon namin, ‘pag sinabi iyan na huwag kang ano diyan kasi nga hulihin ka ng pulis, takot talaga tayo but ngayon wala eh. That’s why tingnan mo iyong comparison, sabi niya, “It was not really a substantial thing there in the freedom Court because nobody was dying—nobody was being killed. Eh, walang Presidenteng may kursunada eh, kung ako noon eh ‘di naubos sila. Ngayon, noon, we had only about 600 plus convicts na kandidato—who were candidates for the death penalty sentence or judgment, tinanggal iyon. Ngayon, it has shot up by something like almost 63 percent—something.

Q: Nawala yung takot ng tao sir.

PRRD: Kaya nga eh, wala kasing takot. Ngayon itong ano, they want to have people, itong human rights, iniimbiyerna mo ang tao na, “Sige, ulit ka, wala namang death penalty at saka iyong gobyerno ganito, pero ganito…, extrajudicial killing.” Oh, how come I have lost already 32 soldiers and 29 policemen? Sagutin mo muna ako, hindi iyong bago lang, iyon noon pa. Iyong mga mga pulis na pag-uwi in-ambush, iyong pulis nagta-trabaho and there is a city here in the Philippines na about 92 percent ang pulis may tama. That I have to solve, because it happened during my time. I promise you, no corruption, droga, criminality. Ang sabi ko, if there can be peace in this land, we will flourish. So, I’m ready to talk. Ayaw kong makipag-giyera. Ayaw kong magpunta dito sa— you think naliligayahan ako? Well, of course, I appreciate, pero the fact that there is war going on and it’s between our own people fighting, that’s not really—it makes no sense of it, yes.

Q: Sir, if the Senate and the Congress do not adhere to your plan, sir, would you rather declare a revolutionary government?

PRRD: Hala ka… Natagna-an niya. [Wow… she was able to guess it.]

Q: Sir, I am looking at you right now and I can sense it.

PRRD: Ganito iyan eh, kaming lahat pati military. Sila to protect and defend the constitution and the land itself, the republic, the nation. Ako ganoon rin, to honor the constitution and to protect the Filipino people. So, noon pa iyang tanong ninyo na Martial law, revolutionary government… Wala iyan sa—it’s in the paper. Dito ka because ang Oath of Office ko, ‘pag ka in-add mo lahat iyan, Martial law, suspension of the writ, protection of the poor, it’s here in me, dito. And my oath of office simply says, “Duterte, do everything to preserve the Filipino people.”

Q: Sir, clarification lang po. When you said, “Ready to talk?” Are you resuming the peace talks with the CPP?

PRRD: No, I’m not assuming—I’m just shooting the breeze with you.

Q: Ah, okay.

PRRD: Ano nga iyong discussion? Because ayaw ko ng patayan. Ayaw ko ng giyera. Ibili ko na lang ng lupa iyan, ipamigay ko sa—or I will—alam mo kailangan ko is manufacturing in the countryside, hindi factory dito na—manufacturing of agricultural products.

Q: Pero sir, wala din naman pong (overlapping voices).

PRRD: Sila iyong nag-una una diyan tapos ngayon magrally-rally. o mag counter rally ako ngayon. Eh, ako kaya ko naman gawin iyan! Mag-usap muna kami, they’re talking somewhere, I don’t know—

Q: (overlapping voices).

PRRD: Basta makaharap ako ng media, pinapawisan ako.

Q: Okay lang sir, thank you.

Q: Sir, you are open to resuming the peace talks?

PRRD: Mabuti na lang gwapa itong si ano.

Q: Sir, you’re—to open to resuming the peace talks, sir?

PRRD: Look, I will do everything to avoid the Filipino killings somewhere, everything huwag lang yang mga extremist, mga extremist talagang.., no deal. But for the MI, MN, Nur, we are talking. I’ll just finish the—iyong ano.

Q: Anong sabi ninyo sir?

PRRD: Sabi ko, mag-usap muna tayo. You give me something to start with. Iyong cease fire dito, ceasefire doon, sundalo ko puro patay at iyong sundalo na binaril ng NPA 73 times, 73 wounds. Iyon ang hindi ko talaga nagustuhan. How can you do that to a Filipino? Alam mo that indicates a hatred. ‘Pag ka ganoon sila. You are full of hate, then we cannot talk about peace. Mayroon—sa loob mo may hate ka. O how can it be possible na mag-usap tayo ng ganoon sa puso mo? Eh isang bala lang, magkalaban tayo, that’s a fundamental issue, self-preservation. Pero i-bakbak ng 73 wounds ang sundalo, kaya ako nagalit.

Q: (overlapping voices). Thank you, Mr. President.

PRRD: Hindi, mayroon pa tayo, hanggang alas kuwarto tayo.

Q: (overlapping voices). Ang sabi po sa Rappler. Ang sabi po niya “there’s no denying, iyong parang hindi mo basta-basta magawa ang pag-deny sa state- owned TV.

PRRD: …you can ask any policeman, kung sabi ko nagbaril. I never—iyong nakatalikod. That’s murder, ‘pag sinabi kong war, I am declaring war against the drug people. I’m declaring war against those who would destroy the youth of the land. I said, I will kill you! That is not, that’s my own mouth. Hindi iyan state sponsored. Talagang galit ako, bakit mo ganunin iyong Filipino. It’s just through opposing, kay Santiago was 3 million, mine is—I have reached last December iyong million mark. So tanungin ko sila ngayon, ilagay mo lang maski, a fourth, nabuang na [already crazy]! One million crazy Filipino, suspense ka na doon, pero buang [crazy]. Because shabu shrinks the brain of a person. Ilan? 3,000—7,000? Sagutin mo nga kung itong—mabuti pa iyong namatay na! Itong mga buang na, na walang silbi and it has created chaos throughout the country. It starts with a family dysfunction. Maghiwalay talaga ang [mag]-asawa, marami iyan. Napabayaan na ang anak! At 200 per snort of shabu, times de-linggo, isang buwan, that’s about 6,000 a month, times [multiply] it sa 3 million lang ‘wag na iyong akin. That’s 18 billion a month, you times [multiply] it by the number of—na tao sa 3 million, that’s 216 billion a year. Sinong hindi—talagang sabihin ko, saan ang human right dito? Kay i-taroy ko iyong ulo niya diyan sa poste [I will hang his head in the lamp post]. Sinong managot dito ngayon? Nakita ninyo ganoon kakakapal, that is 6, 000 policemen, 40 percent of the—itong barangay captain and mayroon mga municipal mayors almost like, 3,000 din. Sinong managot dito? Human Rights? Pumunta ka nga dito, pinapasagot mo ako.

I never denied that I ordered the operation. I declared war. Giyera yan! Bakit hindi—it’s legitimate. Bakit masama bang sabihing, “Papatay ako ng tao para sa bayan ko?” Tell me? Is there a crime? It’s a warning actually to stop! So you guys pati simbahan, you can get a list from the police at mayroon diyan ituturo saang barangay at tindahan at may pangalan, puntahan ninyo, beg or plead to him to stop or drop the shabu. Ikutin na nila iyong mga pari, pati iyong Human Rights. Pag binitawan ninyo ang shabu tonight, tomorrow I can assure you, no more killings connected with drugs. But for as long as you continue to destroy my country, I will kill you.

I have never denied giving the orders. I take full responsibility, legal or otherwise for that order. And those policemen and military officers or military men who follow my order, sinabi ko, time and again, arrest them. Go out and hunt for them, p*** pulis tayo. I mean, Ano bang trabaho natin? How can we protect or preserve this country? Go out and hunt for them. Arestuhin ninyo, tutal pag-trafficking yan, eh no bail naman iyan, eh ‘di kulong! Di kailangang patayin, eh no bail iyan, eh ‘di parang patay na rin. Sabi ko, but if they—resort to violence, you place in danger the life of a police and a—you have no right to do that. In the first place, you are breaking the law and the second, you are placing in jeopardy the life of law officers. I will not allow that.

But I take full responsibility, lahat iyong namatay sa engkuwentro, sagot ko iyon. Ako ang magpakulong doon, klaro iyan. Huwag mo akong bintangan niyan kung sino sinong pinatay diyan… akin iyon. I answer for my deeds, poor misdeeds if you may. Bakit ko tatalikuran iyan? Hiningi ko iyan eh. Aba mahirap magtrabaho, I was the one who will solve it. So, Presidente ako ngayon. The fight against drugs—the drug people will continue to the very last day of my term. That could be 6 years, another killing for the night. I don’t mind, so why don’t you just go around, take pictures or motion cameras para makita ninyo. Sinabi ko ang tao, kita mo iyong sa South America? Lahat may armas, lalaban talaga iyan.

Q: (overlapping voices). Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you ●