Press Conference in Zamboanga City

The President held a press conference at Camp Navarro General Hospital, Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City on 25 November 2016 after visiting wounded soldiers.

SPEECH OF PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE

DURING HIS VISIT TO THE WOUNDED-IN-ACTION SOLDIERS IN ZAMBOANGA CITY

Camp Navarro General Hospital, Zamboanga City

25 November 2016

[recording starts]

… nanay pati ang anak then–6, 6, 12–12 golden years to do it. Tapos ikaw pa ngayon ang… bakit hindi mo na lang para klaro na allosed na talaga? Because ayaw magsugal, ‘yan ang mahirap diyan.

Ayaw nilang pasukin alin diyan sa kanilang lahat because they were really afraid of what—except the crowd that would gather for a—

Alam mo, sa totoo lang, ‘yung nakulong, but if you go up north, it’s almost 98 percent of the all Ilocano-speaking regions. Naghihinakit ‘yan.

Kagaya ko, patayin mo ako, sinong magagalit? Eh syempre ang una mga Bisaya, magagalit ‘yung mga Maranao. Eh anak man nila ako. You would create trouble in this country pag masaktan ‘yang mga Ilocano, anong gawin ko?

Ganito na lang. Pag magbabaan lahat ‘yan dito sa Maynila? Salubungin ka ng demonstration pati—if there is about 30,000 there or 50,000 magsalubong diyan sa City of Manila, the Ilocanos would demonstrate for their hero.

Marcos is hero to the Ilocanos. No doubt about it. Sakai yang mga Bisaya na pro-Marcos magdala ng mga tao doon mag demonstrate diyan. Eh kung magsalubong lahat? Can we control it? Can the military control it? No, of course they cannot because I would not allow them to bring rifles.

So it would only be the police so what would happen? Kaya ang mamatay sa bugbugan o if anybody carries a gun. Ilagay mo ang ano eh—ako, iniisip ko lahat. What would be the impact on this, sa mga Ilocandia.

Ilocandia is the Ilocano-speaking Filipinos up north. ‘Yan ang problema so I would take about three questions, ‘yung ano lang, what’s really the bottom of the matter. The ano, the raging issues. I can take two, about three. Okay. Who’s got the first?

Questions and Answers

HADER GLANG (Zamboanga Today and World Bulletin): I’m Hader Glang, Mr. President, of Zamboanga Today and World Bulletin.

Mr. President, the Abu Sayyaf tentacles are continuously sprouting. Last time they kidnapped a German, shot dead a woman, also German, and they abducted also the Vietnamese and there are still, you know, Indonesian and Malaysian hostages in Sulu so I think this is your fourth time to visit this hospital, if I’m not wrong. What is your marching order considering that we have these many foreign hostages?

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: You know, I can be [dusty?] and I can be a bad boy but I am talking about a nation. Kung mag-full blast ako diyan invasion, ipadala ko talaga mga sundlo pati bomba na. I can do it even now.

I can call all the military, the Armed Forces of Philippines to go all out war and invade—invade mo na lang ang Sulu but I cannot do that because there will be huge losses pati civilians which is really what matters most. Ang civilian.

I can bomb the whole of – as a matter of fact, and burn this—but what would it bring us? You kill about, what? 20,000 Tausugs? You wipe out the pati sa bukid na. Pag may makita kang bahay, you blast it to kingdom come. Would it bring us peace if I use force?

[unclear] the President of the Philippines nakatali kami, that is why pati sino ang kausap ko Tausug, sabihin mo lang na nakikiusap ako, if you want to talk, I can go to them anywhere. I can go alone. Wala man rin silang makuha kung patayin nila ako.

Sabi ko lang mag-usap tayo. Let us give our people a chance. We cannot be forever treating human beings here seriously wounded pati mga Abu Sayyaf na namatay.

You know, hindi naman isang kuwan eh, puro ito namatayan and every life that is taken out becauise of that belief, I do not know. What I——— ang problema lang is I—they are into extremism na hindi dapat gawin.

Sa ibang bayan, okay ‘yan pero hindi dapat gagawain yan ng isang Sama, Yakan, Tausug, Maguindanao, Maranao.

Kaya sabi ko nga doon sa ano, kapag nauwi ako ng – sa Iligan na kasi kami, yung mga pinsan kong MNLF—wala kayoing makuha diyan, being brutal.

Ano makuha ninyo? What would you gain? What would you cultivate? Hatred. Mga Kristiyano yang namatayan hindi naman talaga maareglo yan. Lalo na kung mag invade ako na—

I can do more if I want to. It’s just a matter of, lalo yang namatayan hindi na maareglo yan. Lalo na kung mag invade ako na—I can bomb more If I want to. It’s just a matter of snapping it, in the meantime, for the one sake of this moment, I can do it, I can send lalo na wala na, bakante na ang mga sundalo sa Luzon pati Visayas because we’re having talks with the communists in Oslo.

The—[unclear] the entire place taken by force. Bomba na ang gamitin ninyo.

At the end of the day, what can I say to the Filipino? That we have wiped out almost all of our Yakan—at the end of the day what can I say to the Filipinos? That we have wiped out almost all of our Yakan, Sama, Tausug brothers? Even those not connected with the violence now? So kami talaga, maski si Ramos noon, pag nandito ka sa akin, maintindihan mo na.

Kasi mamili ka. Eh hindi mo pwede sabihin na, ‘eh Moro lang yan.’ There is a bigotry of [inaudible] sa mga Kristiyanos. Ang Visayas hindi lang masyadong naintindihan na ang mga Moro, mas nauna pa yan sa mga Kristiyano.

The Spaniards and the Americans brought Christianity to this place, in Mindanao but we are all part of this Sri-Vishayas Empire before the Spaniards came. So we are really brothers in one community.

Ang problema nila, when they saw Mindanao kinuha pa rin nila. Because the Philippines was given to the Americans kasi natalo ang Spaniards sa America – Spanish war.

Part of the concessions that were ceded to the Americans was itong Guam, kaya mga apelyido nila pareho, Marianas island and the entire —- the length and breadth nitong ating Republic of the Philippines. It is an inherited fight, mind you.

Kayong mga tausug, making naman kayo sa akin. No offense intended sa Sama. Kayong mga Abu Sayyaf. You know this is not really your fight. It was a fight by the colonials at—nagkaroon tayo ng Republic atin na mismo nag-usap usap ‘yung mga ninuno natin, silang lahat na ,Maguindanao, Maranao, Ilocano. Bicolano. And despite of our differences in the dialect, in our manners, behavior, the—our forefathers decided to form one country, one nation irrespective of your tribe. Napirmahan ‘yun ‘eh.

So hindi naman natin kasalanan na—either we talk, if you want autonomy or if you want something else, federalism, I am ready, I am committed to federalism set-up to a peace a Moro, the entire Philippines kasi maski saan nakikita mo na sila ngayon. Wherever you go sa Philippines, Abra marami doon mga Maranao mga negosyante.

Ako naaawa ako sa kanila, minsan nandiyan lang sa tabi ng, mga kanal-kanal sa palengke. And yet they, they tried because they are really hard working. Pag manood ako sa kanila, andoon sa Visayas pati Luzon, naaawa ako sa kanila. How they have to sacrifice selling whatever the—kamatis, mga ano. So they can—a Tausug can go freely.

I appointed two Tausugs as ambassadors, mga kakilala ko. One is James Lao and mga from Jolo, dito. Another one si Alan Timbayan. He was my roommate, he was my roommate sa law school pa kami. He is now the Ambassador sa Qatar. He used to be the charges d’ affaires sa Riyadh? Nag retire siya.

James Lao campaigned for me here. Hindi pa siguro ako na bypass but he has to learn more. But he will our Ambassador to Brunei, inappoint ko na. Ewan ko kung lumusot na sa Commissioon on Appointments. Alonto is a Maranao, and I appointed sa Maguindanao.

Hindi ko kayo kinalimutan, so why don’t we just stop the killings, violence. Maybe we can talk and temporarily we can have the structure like the federal set up.

In the meantime, let peace come in then we can improve the place. And this time ako na mismo ang mag tingin na magkaroon ng ospital na maayos, lahat. Kasi nawawala ako, tingnan mo ‘yung previous Basilan parang criss-cross na ang highway, sa papel lang.

I am not trying to attribute anything to anybody. But over the years, ang Basilan, ang Jolo. Kaya kung meron dito ako na ‘yung ospital na pangako ko na, pag [inaudible] itayo ko talaga ‘yung ospital. ‘Yan ang una niyan dito, ako na mismo, Office of the President.

Basta anything about Mindanao, ako na, ako na para sigurado talaga. Kasi kung may magtrabaho diyan sa Basilan o sa –huwag naman ninyong kidnappin susmaryosep. [speaks Bisaya]

Hayaan mong magtrabaho para naman diyan. Gyera man kaya, Magigyera muna pero if you can really stop it for a while, well we talk, pati Abu Sayyaf, I’m ready to talk to them. I’m ready to open the borders. Kasi ‘yang, may trade pa noon, almost the pre-trade wala masyadong gulo dito because everybody was gainfully employed.

After it was closed because we were also losing on the side sa taxes—wala—but I am ready to give that concession actually. May mga taxes—just for regulation para dumaan ka lang. Huwag ka nang mag smuggle ng bala, baril. Sobra-sobra na tayo niyan. I’m ready to talk about opening the borders [unclear], no problem.

Dito naman sa uso man, may Yellow Movemen man on the 30th. I say, I still give the guarantee. You can freely demonstrate anything you want, anything at all, at saka I really use—may order ako, restricted ang, Armed Forces, mga military sa kampo, pulis lang ang mag-ano. And they can demonstrate without a permit. ‘Yung open public places, huwag naman yung mga building kaya nagta-trabaho ‘eh. Open public places, no limit. Pagsabi mong you want to demonstrate for one week, fine. One month, still okay. One year yeah, walang problema.

Nobody and nobody will give—demand the permit. If you want to scatter dirt, there are fine. We will clean it up for you.

CEDRIC CASTILLO (GMA7): Sir good afternoon po sir. Cedric Castillo po from GMA 7. Sir, hingan lang namin kayo ng pananaw po doon sa House probe on a Ronnie Dayan yesterday. Some lawmakers are receiving flak, sinasabi na medyo improper, VP Leni said na bordering on harassment, I think it’s what she said, ‘yung mga questions ng mga law makers sa—

DUTERTE: I’m looking at the sky only there’s a cover. Alam mo, I was once a congressman, 1998 to year 2000. So by—I’m sorry I cannot answer that because with the, in deference to our inter-parliamentary, I cannot criticize them, I cannot praise them so I better keep silent. Let the judge, the people of the Republic of the Philippines, judge the event any way they want it. This is a free country. Maybe another one?

CASTILLO: Thank you sir.

SHIRLEY ESPINO (Radyo ng Bayan): Good afternoon Mr. President. I am Shirley Espino from Radyo ng Bayan. Do you think your campaign promise to eradicate illegal drugs in the country can be achieved next month or do you have another timeline for that?

DUTERTE: We just had a big operation, both military and the PNP. And we have gathered so many firearms but same, I can bomb siguro pag makita ko yung bahay nila– I cannot to that because we cannot wage a war against our own people. It has to be just and peace and order, punitive police action. It cannot be converted into something.

Ako ang nag declare ng war. So that is my—that’s why the, they want to investigate me sa International Court of—where can you find na would you threaten rebels and mga drug lords, sabihin mo, you destroy them. Of course I have to destroy them. I admit it but it’s not a crime to say that. Ito lang mga puti ang mahilig diyan, hayaan mo sila. Istorya man lang rin ‘yan.

How can it be a crime to declare that if you are destroying my country, I will kill you. If you destroy the youth of the land, I will kill you. That is a legitimate declaration. So do it at your own risk, ibig sabihin ‘yung drugs.

Extrajudicial killing, I don’t know, and I never ordered one. So let us investigate, but until now I could hardly find any—you know, in the first place, there are so many police and—naunahan tayo ng iba.

Actually we are in narco-politics. We have been— about three elections. Ang narco-politics naandiyan na, dumating na sa mga governors, mayors, barangay captains. Thousand of them police nandiyan. So they are in the government we are in narco-politics.

How do I solve it? Pag-aralan ko, pag-aralan namin. Tanunmgin ko yiung pulis, anong gawin natin dito? Tanungin ko Armed Forces, why? You’re the guys that would maintain the integrity of the Republic of the Philippines. What do we intend to do? What can you suggest that we do?

So pag-usapan na, it cannot last way beyond my term. Ang promise ko noon basic eh. I will stop graft and corruption and I’m really doing it, I’ve demanded the resignation of the regulators, tawag niyan regulators, hindi man yan sila—pa-robe-robe man yan. They are just called regulators because they—

How can you trust people who are corrupt na—sila yung naghihiling na magkano yung bayad mo diyan sa ilog. So how can you have a government na—sino ang magbayad? Ang tao? If they favor the rich, the owner of the power pklants, yan ang mayayari ang tao because a hearing should be had because increases can be made so if you’re corrupt official—and your actuations are governmental acts, walang magawa ang tao. I will decide to do it again and again, increase and increase even if it is no longer justified. And that’s what I mean—

Pagka corrupt ang sa gobyerno, kawawa talaga ‘yang tao, so I will not allow it. Second, sabihin ko, ang droga; third is criminality.

Malakas na naman ang kidnap for ransom kasi ang shabu humina, walang immediate supply. Kayo, basta ako, sinabi ko, sa lahat, I ordered the security forces, when I mention security, pulis pati CAFGU na ‘yan pati lahat ng Armed Forces, to go after them.

We cannot exist as a troubled land forever. Buti pa kanya-kanya na lang tayo. So, Mindanao should decide to Republic of whatever, kanya – kanya na lang tayo. We cannot be together and if we cannot control crime and criminality at pakainin mo na lahat ng mga anak namin ng drugs, pambihira talaga ‘yan. But in the end, we lose our union or unity.

So, ba-bye Philippines. Wala tayong magawa.

Eh sabihin, wala ka palang gawin. Meron, but it has to be a decent one. Wala ‘yung extrajudicial killing na sinasabi nila kasi ‘yang balot, torture yan eh. So, yung mga binalot tapos tinapon, remember that there were several police generals.

At the start of my administration, even before, tingnan ninyo ‘yung nangyari na, a month before I became President, puro nagtumbahan. So ‘yung first, almost two months na, order-order pa lang ako ng ano, medyo intelligence gathering, and, sige na sila, they were cleansing already, purging para to protect you and protect everybody.

Ako wala man akong masabi ‘yang mga kayo, extrajudicial, sinabi ko hindi extrajudicial, destroy the operators and the apparatus. Hindi extrajudicial na balut-balutin yan, torture yan. Kaya sinabi ko: sino ang nasabihan mo, maghanda kayo. O sinong, sinong opisyal ang torture. Sino ang nag-pain sa amin? Bakit kami ang tinuro ninyo? Kasi mainit na ‘yan.

Nakita mo ‘yung sabi ni, si, pagbalik niya, alam niya, wala pa ako, pag-assume ko marami nang patayan, sabi niya naglilinisan na. Tama siya, hindi amin ‘yun.

Bakit magbalot yan? Bakit mo, magbalot ng patay? Crazy ‘yun, wasting your time, isang putok lang ‘yan sa ulo. Why do you have to? O, ano ba magproduce ka ng mummy? Did I indicate sa’yo, why would the police, mga ganun na extrajudicial, i-plaster mo pa, pagastusin mo pa ako. Pagliquidate niyan, sangkatutak na plaster o tape, anong ginawa ninyo?

Last question please.

JULIE ALIPALA (Philippine Daily Inquirer): Mr. President good afternoon, Julie Alipala po ng Philippine Daily Inquirer. Sir, matanong ko lang po, sir, may bago ho bang directive ang inyong tanggapan regarding this operation against Abu Sayyaf? Kasi the last time you said, go on with the war on terror, and with the increased number of kidnapping, sir, may pagbabago ho ba? Do you have any plans to intensify further? Magkakaroon ba ng Christmas break?

DUTERTE: Ma’am ganito.

ALIPALA: Ay sorry po.

DUTERTE: Ay sorry rin for interrupting. Go ahead.

ALIPALA: Opo, magdadagdag po ba rin ng panibagong pwersa at gamit? ‘yun po.

DUTERTE: Alam mo ma’am nag-usap na kami doon sa Brunei, nag-usap na kami ng Indonesia, doon sa Laos and recently I visited Malaysia. Ang usapan talaga, na sabi nila, Presidente of the Philippines, do something about the problem. Sabi ko, with the vast expanse of the Malacca, Malacca Strait, just beside Celebes. Ano ‘yan eh, Sulu sea, Celebes and itong Malacca. As to—because it is an important lane, sea lane for trade and commerce. Sabi nila, do something about it.

Sabi ko, the vast expanse of water really prevents me from covering all ano. Sabi ko, you just take care of your own territorial waters. I will take mine responsibility and the Indonesian. Sabi ko, we’ll just police the area.

And alam mo, di ko alam kung ano ang paradigm ng mga tropa dyan. But I have never seen or encountered anybody from their Armed Forces kung ano ang style nila.

Basta ako ang sabi ko I will take care of my own. Sila, sila rin. And they are calling for a drastic action. The suggestion is talagang they’ll just blow you up. Ako, if it is in your waters and they are Filipinos, wala akong magawa.

Because actually it is piracy or piracy. It is a crime against humanity in any country, wherever you are, in any waters, whether international sea or not. Any police of any country can arrest you and bring you to their place, their force.

Maski dito sa Philippines. Usual na ‘yan kasi i-surender ka. But they can bring you to their—and if you are accused of piracy because it is a crime against humanity. So you can be hold, be held responsible and they can hold a trial there. And you can go to prison there.

Okay? May, everybody’s satisfied? Ma’am, meron ka pa?

ALIPALA: [off mic]

DUTERTE: Yan ha. Partida kita. Okay na?

Q: Yes, Mr. President.

DUTERTE: Yung okay ba ang demonstration sa Manila?

Q: [off mic]

DUTERTE: What? For the last time. Were they able to march?

Q: Sir, I think mostly parang mga millennials po. Mga college students po yung naga-gather at the moment sir.

DUTERTE: So I share their plight. Like I said, I may disagree by what you say but I will defend your right to say it. That’s the [unclear] of—that’s our borrowed terms, words. Salamat po. ●