San Beda Law Grand Alumni Homecoming

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte attends the San Beda Law Grand Alumni Homecoming held 26 November 2016 at the Shangri-La Manila, Taguig City.

SPEECH OF PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE

DURING THE SAN BEDA LAW GRAND ALUMNI HOMECOMING

Shangri-La, The Fort, Taguig City

November 26, 2016

My fellow workers in government, my beloved countrymen.

Abraham Lincoln, the President of the United States, could not have been more correct when he said, and I quote, “If I were to try to read, much less answer, all attacks made on me, this shop, the Office of the President, might as well be closed for any other business. I do the very best I know how, the very best I can; and I mean to keep doing so until the end. If the end brings me out all right, what is said against me won’t amount to anything. But if the end brings me out wrong, ten angels of God swearing I was right would make no difference.”

At the start of the campaign and even when I was mayor, I was very emphatic about the issues that—it would destroy the country if it is not interdicted.

You know, ayaw kong magyabang and President Ramos is here. Pero kung hindi ako ang naging Presidente, itong problema sa droga, which is really a virulent issue, and of course activity, hindi ito lalabas ng totoo.

You know, initially, while I was campaigning, I was already mentioning some generals who were involved in the drug industry and I warned them, nagkakampanya pa ako, but hindi ko na lang sinasabi yung pangalan. Pag ako ang naging president, hahabulin ko kayo and there is still time, maybe, you want to quit now that hindi pa ako ang naging presidente.

So nung nanalo ako, I named the already known personalities but to my horror, after the so many names that I mentioned, the final report of the PDEA from all sources collated from the—of course, the National Intelligence, the intelligence community: the NBI, lahat. Binigyan ako ng kopya na ganun kakapal. So sinabi ko, medyo ma-problema ito. Meron as validated, as submitted to me during a Senate—ah, Cabinet meeting, ganun kakapal.

Sa isip-isip ko, tinawagan ko ulit. So the last civilian agency na walang kaalam-alam diyan, at least there is no bigotry in it kasi hindi naman sila connected sa DILG. And as validated, di ganun kakapal. Kaya tinawag ko yung Cabinet, sila Bingbong pati yung mga sundalo. Sabi ko, hindi ko ito kaya. And even if assuming na sinasabi nila, pinapatay ko, sabi ko sa kanila, I will run out of time and bullets because in this report, nandiyan na lahat, yung—it all came to pass. Yung napangalanan kong mga generals, they keep on cropping up, like Loot, maski saang region: Region I intelligence report, lumalabas yung pangalan niya. Sabi ko, “Who is this guy?” Yun pala, kung saan siya na-assign noon, he was playing all along the drug industry.

At ngayon, as submitted, andiyan naman yang pangalan nila and everybody else that were read by me earlier in the days of my administration. Ganun kakapal. So what I proposed to do would be really, hindi ko talaga kaya. So, about so many thousand policemen and mga, itong barangay captains, pati itong mga mayors, municipal. May mga city. How do I investigate them one at a time tapos, and even if I file charges, I would have to get some evidence. I will never accomplish that duty. Pero isa-isa, lumalabas ‘to.

The problem with this government is some people when asking or demanding whether I am telling you the truth or not, is they want proof beyond reasonable doubt. Eh paghuli lang nga probable cause eh, so when you’re a President, you do not do that because it is not your duty to collect evidence. That’s for the prosecutors and the police. So yung pag dumating sa akin, it behooves upon me just to validate, ano ba talaga ‘to? Then I try to call everyone kung nasa, may mga pinsan ako sa Lanao, ganun, eh may mga pinsan ako na mga MNLF rin eh. So I tried to call them, “Ano ba ‘to? Anong laro ninyo diyan?”

So I said, to my horror, ganun kakapal, so maybe, before the end of the month, I will submit that report to the National Security Council. At bibigyan ko sila ng tag-isang kopya and the Senate President and the Speaker of the House then let us formulate how to prevent a disaster for the next generation.

Mabuti pa nga ang terrorism eh. I would rather deal with terrorism because actually, it’s just violence for a moment. Pagkatapos ng engkwentro, at least, you know that you’ll suffer some wounds or you die, but nahayaan kasi natin ang ano, except during the time of President Ramos.

I’m not saying this because he’s here but because simply it’s the truth. Kasi sa panahon niya, nagtatrabaho ang mga pulis at takot. Takot sa—eh chief PC yan eh. He used to head the Philippine Constabulary. But I’m sorry to say, during the two administration, napabayaan. Napabayaan talaga and they were just paying lip service. They knew.

But ako sa Davao, talagang humihirit ako kasi alam ko, I would have a serious problem if I don’t. I was trying to develop a city from the ashes of the martial law years; yung away ng NPA pati gobyerno. And they used to shoot each other in the downtown area, I cannot be a mayor of a city na ganun, so I started to clean it up.

But I knew that the drugs then was pumuputok na eh. So nung sabi ko, when I became mayor from my prosecutor to a—sabi ko sa kanila, get out of the city. If you destroy the youth of the land, which I really—ang anak natin ang future natin, ano bang—? Bakit ba tayo nagpapahirap? Why do we work to ass—to death on our ass just to—? It’s because of our children. Napabayaan and the next generation is now in jeopardy.

Ngayon, kung wala kang gagawin dito, I said, with the drug industry, ganun kakapal, puro pangalan yan ah. Elected officials, ganun; pulis, ganun kakapal; so it would give you the magnitude of the problem to be solved. Hindi mo kaya. Ako? Kung sa Davao, if you do not go out of the city, I’ll kill you.Eh di papatayin ka talaga, eh di umalis. So wala akong napatay kasi umalis eh. (laughter) Saka yung nagpaiwan, namatay naman ng sarili nila. (laughter) Eh if it’s not suicide sasabihin sa iyo umalis ka patayin ka, ayaw mo umalis. What do you call that? Homicide?(laughter)

Sinabi na nga eh. Umalis ka, kasi pag hindi, papatayin kita. If you stand there in front of me, maybe make a ‘hmpp,’ eh di sigurado. Pag ginanun mo ang—what is really very important is the state of lawlessness, kaya I tried my best.

So Davao, would you believe the domestic income within the city? Economic growth hit sometime—anong year yun? Panahon siguro ni President Ramos, 9 percent. Tingnan mo ang Davao ngayon. Look at Davao now, look at how clean Davao is.

Kasi may pera eh. Pag may pera, pwede ka talaga maka-parlay ng dito, sanitation; dito health services. Ngayong Presidente ako, pag-usapan natin.

You know, campaign. Let us enumerate. I said, if I become president, I will do away with corruption in government and it will be. Maniwala kayo. Yayariin ko talaga lahat ng corrupt. I am committed to it. Then I said, I will suppress drugs. Ginagawa ko rin and believe me, until last pusher is out of the streets and the last druglord is exterminated, it will last until the last day of my term. (laughter) Walang, di tayo aatras diyan. And I said, criminality, it has timid our economic, social and political life. It should also stop.

I am just on the so many months of my term, I still have some enoughelbowroom for the next year to—gawa ako ng plano, concoct something there to realize my objectives.

And by the way, I even know—I know that even in this community of San Beda, we are divided. But you know, during the campaign and I’d like to remind you even during the debates, I think it was in Cebu that we were asked the question, kaming lahat dito, 3 of them responded to the question: “Will you allow o would you agree to the burial of Marcos here sa Libingan ng mga Bayani?” Binay and I answered, “Yes,” may I remind you. Kasi pati iyong—well, sabi ko doon maski sa Davao, because my mother was one the yellow leader sa Davao. There were only about 4 of them earlier in the days of Martial Law marching along the streets of Davao and at one time, she was talking before a crowd of security, police and military. Iyon lang ang crowd niya, at pinagmumura niya iyong—but you know, as a son, I had to be there.

And after that, I tendered my resignation to our head Fiscal Galicia. Sabi ko, “Sir, it’s a matter of delikadesa. You know my mother is—” But somehow, “that’s ano, huwag ka na lang—just keep quite or be neutral.” O sabi ko, because nasa gobyerno ako, along the years, I tried three times. Every time, I was denied.

So I kept on to the last day, sa—yung independence and they staged the coup. I knew that—it’s not because of the Marcoses but a system law. There’s nothing close, we didn’t have any dinner, except one or two. Wala akong ano, but I knew that if I become President, I’ll face the issue. So long before I studied really because tayong lawyers, we are trying to just look at the law and if it is clear, if it does not admit of any equivocal answer, ‘don’t.’ Eh, nakalagay doon eh, president, soldier. Whether true or not, that’s not my business to dig in into the years. Whether or not he became a good or bad or worst along the years, that is not for me to decide. Abogado man tayo dito at, and he was a soldier. If they say that he was a coward and did not receive the Valor rightly so, and that is not problem. I was not there, I was not a soldier, I was not even born that time and I would not know if he pulled the trigger or not against the enemy. So that’s the long and short to it, they’re just have to understand my position. We are trained with cold neutrality.

I was a prosecutor so along the—being, you know, extra power really to conduct the preliminary investigation aside of being a trial fiscal, ganoon. So kung ano ang nakalagay doon, iyon na iyon. And there is a—several jurisprudence, pieces diyan. You should not allow compassion and sentiment and whatever to taint your judgment. So all of these things will decide issues about the sentiments of the people, those who are hurt—and even my mother, hindi lang maaresto-aresto because at one time, she was the wife of the Governor of Davao when Davao was only One at that time. It was divided into what Davao now, parehong-pareho iyong pangalan eh: Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Oriental, Davao City, Occidental. It’s because we came from a mother province. When my father died, pinag—gerrymandering. So everybody was given his territory. And of course, it was all pressure.

Rabat iyong asawa niya, malapit kay Imelda, got Oriental;

Dangding Cojuangco and the Almendrases got the Davao Sur.

Davao del Norte was given to the Florendos, iyong Nenita Banana.

So it all politics. Philippines is all politics. Well, because you are a—we are a political country, we elect leaders; and they, you know. The only problem is that, we are just like a—we are becoming like Africa. Pag nailagay mo na diyan, ayaw ng umalis ang mga buang, iyan ang mahirap.

But what is really, I said, a horror to me and listen to me very carefully. The last—about 12 administrations, hinayaan talaga nila iyan. I’m not blaming the Presidents noon, iyong mga tao mismo. Iyong may trabaho kung paano… sila iyong nandoon. You know, its treason. Some of those come from the PMA, Philippine Military Academy, gastos ng tao, pinakain ka, you are provided uniforms, you get a good education. Then you are given a job, second lieutenant and it’s good all the way. But of course, it’s dangerous. But you commit treason at the end of the day.

Noong nasa itaas ka na, bakit pupunta ka sa akin, sabihin mo, “Mayor, wala ako doon,” maniwala kami, wala ako diyan sa ano. Pati ako, bolahin mo. Eh, kung bolahin mo ako o eh di anong gawin ko sa iyo? Putang-ina ka, letse ka. Ito tama, eh totoo. Huwag mo akong bolahin, talagang madi-disgrasya ka.

Sinasabi ko na nga publicly na when you operated—you go to me and, well of course, and then you go back to your territory, you renege everything you say and then you continue your happy days, aah—because it is operated even inside prisons. Pareho iyan lahat.

Do you know that in the entire Philippines, they transactions are done sa cellphone. Kaya sabi ko sa mga pulis, pag may mga nakita ako ng putang-inang presohan diyan na may cellphone, ipapakain ko iyan sa inyong—pag hindi mo hinampas iyan sa ulo nila, they could not come to their senses because of money. Madali eh. Makita mo, naghirap na ngayon ang supply. Anong ginagawa ng mga gagong ito? Bumabalik doon sa holdap, may kidnap na naman. Wala ka talaga—

So the moral issue is, you build cases against them? How many policemen would you need to build a case? To just make some tips there, follow up here, follow him? How? For one criminal, ilan ang pulis kailangan mo? How much would you spend? And what is the timeline? Sa pagkakarami nito, I said ng nag-gaganito, naku. Pag magsabi sila na makikita man kami sa—pati si Presidente, sa National Security Council. Pag sinabi niya, “ikaw man iyong Presidente, so anong gawin mo?” “Ah, okay.”

Kasi pag mag-ano ako sa—I realize really the burden, naging fiscal ako, naging mayor ako for 23 years. Alam ko ang laro, we indulge in illusions diyan sa ano, believe me. Tutal maging Presidente man rin kayo balang araw.

By the way, kung sana lang na—itong San Beda na ito. Sana pumayag lang kayo noon sa—Father, na may mga babae rin sa klase namin, I could have done better. (laughter/applause) Tapos ganoon kagaganda. I was just even—pati kay Leni… sabi ko, iyong tuhod mo, bilog na siguro, hindi ka na nagdadasal. That’s what really I like to know, it’s so rounded, dapat maging flat iyan kaunti, because women who go to church—medyo flat talaga iyang knee, tuhod. Sabi ko ito, walang simba, simba na yan oh tignan mo: makinis, sa totoo. Iyan lang naman, ano ba namang—ang problema, kayo itong modern times and the living past; lahat na lang, bawal. O tingnan mo si Presidente, ganyan, gustong maghubad, basta ganun. Those are things that are really what makes life nicer.

Hindi kana maka—ay, ako palabiro ako eh. Pati iyong mga—may mga babae na pulis, pinaghahampas ko yan pag—iyong puwet, ginaganoon ko. Diyan sa Malacañan, pag mainit ang ulo ko, paglabas dadala ko folder ko, isa ka pa, ganoon. Those are really the—sinobrahan kasi nitong Western mores, sumobra ang mga putang-ina niya.

Totoo. Nawala na tuloy ang gana ng buhay natin, what is clearly a sexual harassment, especially if you are superior? Ganoon mo, talagang mahirap iyan. Even looking at—laudly at people, mga ano mo—other people, hindi. Kasi hindi ka naman pansinin ng mga babae. But if you do that in a private—in the confines of a place, tapos you start—well anyway, iyon ang—

Now, I was in Jolo yesterday, tapos dito, Zamboanga. So, I pinned some medals on the wounded soldiers. Out of the 6 doon at seriously, sabi ko, nakita ko kasi may tag eh. So I would say, ano ka Maranao? Maranao ang lola ko eh. “Maranao ikaw?” “Hindi.” “Ano ka?” Tausug, Tausug, Tausug. So, I could just imagine na itong bayan na ito, even the Tausugs are killing each other.

Alam mo, I agree with President Ramos, there can never be a real fight, you’ll just have to talk. Itong sa—kasi I was asked a point blank questions. Sabi ng media doon, Presidente, pang-anim mo ng balik ‘to dito sa wounded pati iyong namatay na mga sundalo. Kailan mo tapusin yang mga Abu Sayyaf? Sabi ko, “Anong gusto ninyo?” I mean, I could do it. I could burn Jolo now. I could bomb the place, and in mountains, mag-carpet bagging—bombing ako. And I would tell the military after the operation, “Ayaw ko, makita ng isang taong standing.” Do you want me to do that? And if I kill children and innocent people and all, can we survive as a nation?

Same in Lanao. We’re talking with the MI, at least, si Misuari, lumabas na. Kasi sabi ko sa kanila sa Cabinet meeting, look, if you deprive Misuari of his liberty, you may grant that he was a criminal of sorts sa Zamboanga siege. Pag hindi mo pinalabas iyan, may sakit iyan; at kung lumabas iyan, ikulong natin and if he dies in our custody for whatever reason, then we will no longer have any peace at all. You might as well prepare the children to say, you have to deal with this wars. If we cannot end it, kagaya sa Samar, sa—I mean, Lanao, dito Lanao.

In all of the Muslim areas, nag-landslide ako. Well, I can talk to them, ang problema—MI, MN okay na. Si Nur is separate, ayaw niyang makipag-merge eh. So separate but he is out. Sabi ko, let him out. He is old. He will not run away. He cannot run away. It’s impossible. Kasi kung—hayaan mo siya, may mag—sabihin mo nga, there’s a warrant, hayaan mo iyan, warrant, warrant iyan mabuting warrant, warrant iyan. Mabuti yung warrant warrant na makasagot sa atin iyan kung magbakbakan na. We are trying to avoid war, I see the wisdom now of President Ramos. Kasi siya noon, pagka medyo malapit na ang mga sundalo, he will order atras at sabi natin, parang nangyari ito sa, kay Pres—bakit ganun?

Ngayon na ako na, alam ko na. Alam ko na na tama siya. Now, ngayon, there’s a group there which is affiliated with the ISIS, ito iyong Maute. So sabi ng mga sundalo, they were—they raided some places there but it was in connection with arms and sa iyong—because I have commissioned the entire Armed Forces of the Philippines to assist or fight with the PNP.

Ngayon, what will we do? We’ll just have to wait. We’ll just have to talk and talk. What we will pass on to the next generation is a talking administration. We cannot pass it on, ilang taon lang; two, five, six years; a new generation of graduates of the PMA; and another set of national officials; and cabinet. You cannot pass a fighting—a war, or a country at war. That is for certain. Istorya lang talaga kaya madali man sa Jolo. Eh, tawagin ko lang iyan ng mga helicopters, papasabugin mo lang ng rocket, lahat ng mga bahay diyan.

And so—then, I report to you, we scored a victory today. We will do it tomorrow. Then, we add the—the piles of bodies in one corner. How it would appear before us na—huwag na iyong Amerikano, human rights violation, it’s war. I declared war against drugs. Pero itong rebellion, because it is ideology driven. So we are lucky. We are now talking to the communist sa Oslo. So our soldiers are freed of—medyo there’s sa peace in the boondocks. Puwede kong gamitin lahat ng sundalo doon sa Jolo.

You invade Jolo and the rest of the places there. Kill everyone with arms, it will not—it will worsen the situation. Believe me. Ang delikado niyan, itong ISIS, that is why you have to use your head. Do not drive them to despair because that is precisely what happened in Africa. Pagka sinagad mo iyan and they are driven into desperation, instead of a groupings diyan. They’re driven by Muslim nationalism, or Moro for that matter para maintindihan ninyo. It’s a Moro nationalism, because they are really the owners of Mindanao long before the Spaniards came. Kaya hindi mo matapos-tapos iyan kasi kanilang lugar iyan. And what is the driving force? Nationalism of their land.

By the way, baka magtanong ka, it’s my mother actually, who is the son of Maranao—or a daughter of a Maranao. But my father was a really Chinese, Lam. He used the Roa because noong the vogue, ah, the vogue rather, at that time, is you adapt the name of your lawyer when you apply for naturalization. Yun iyan. So medyo paano iyon? But my father is a Cebuano. But when I’m asked, because we trace our lineage from our father, I say Cebuano—Bisaya ako, but I never lived in Cebu even for a moment. So that is how it is in our country today.

Itong droga ang pinaka, because it would leave us, in its wake, so many insane persons. I’ll give you—I’ll end but I’ll give you a food for thought. Sleep on it: At 200 pesos per day, for one month, that is 6,000 every month; times 3 million, iyong sa PDEA, it’s 18—6,000 times 3 is 18 billion a month; times 12 months, it’s 216 billion a year. Palagay natin, wala masyadong trabaho iyong iba, kasi walang trabaho ang Pilipinas eh. So where do they get the 200 to sustain the habit? They rob, they kill, hold-up dito sa Maynila.

Medyo ngayon, wala na; but that’s only for the nonce, for the moment lang iyan. Takot kasi, so sabi noong mga nagtratrabaho sa gabi, wala na iyong mga istambay. How do we make it permanent? Well, in the coming days, and I will make it a must, a mandate that lahat kayong natamaan ng droga, huwag kayong lumabas ng bahay. Wala man akong presuhan. Pumasok kayo sa bahay ninyo, mag-lock kayo. Pagka lumabas kayong putang-ina kayo, papatayin ko kayo. Pag makita ko kayo sa labas. Wala man akong—what—can we legislate Congress and can we legislate fear, respect for the law? Wala. Hindi mo puwede itong tapik-tapikin, “Adre, kawawa naman iyang Pilipino at huminto ka na,” because of the money.

Eh, iyong mga Chinese, I even confronted the Ambassador. Sabi ko, “We have something to do with this?” So bakit karami ng Intsik na—eh, kayong mga Intsik, do not be offended, eh pareho tayong Intsik eh. So, that is the Presidency at the moment. At this point in time, I have to deal with the rebellion, it’s getting worse. Iyong tinatawag na—his popular to you, tang-inang ‘tong, si Bravo. Mayroon na siya doong gobyerno sa Mindanao. And most of his constituents really are also Moro. Mayroong pag nagkasala ka doon, kulong ka, hulihin ka niya pag ano ka, pag drug pusher ka. Bayad ka lang sa kanya. Siya ang magsintensiya, may Sharia Law eh, sintensiyahan ka. Gago talaga ito, pagkatapos, kung may pera ka, magpabili ng kita ng shabu ng mga pinsan mo, mag-utang ka, bayad ka sa kanya. 10,000 sabihin niya doon sa libro niya, sa treasurer; iyong 5,000 kanya. Pag galit na galit na iyan—we were talking about it last night in Davao what to do. Sabi ko, I will decide.

Maghahanap ako ng Maranao, isip-isip ko si Dabs Mamao, ayan oh. Yung Presidential Adviser for—siguro, I’ll give you, what, siguro mga 20 days to get rid of Bravo. But one of these days, I said, I’ll be forced to ask the security forces…, unahin mo na iyan. Kasi si—in fairness to the Moro leaders, Murad and all, hate drugs. Pagka ang ano ng misyon ng pulis doon, pati army, pumapasok sa territory, and it’s a drug mission, the MILF, may makialam, hindi makialam. So that is really a—something which we should appreciate. So we have to deal with the traditional Moro.

Ang—we try to avoid the contamination of ISIS. What we are afraid of is, if the ISIS are pushed out and they lose a landmass, kailangan kong magluto, maligo. They will try to come to Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines because they have declared the Caliphate, the kingdom of the Caliphate dito.

What will I do? Well sa drugs, I said, I will not allow lumaki dito sa—… even in front of the—what will I do? I will not allow you to destroy my country.

Criminals, I will have to deal with you one way or the other.

Corruption, I ask everybody working under me, under this government, under the Executive Department to please hear me out, kasi talagang uupakan kita. I will not—that’s why, I’m opening the RP TV, iyong—every day, they can text the official, never mind about libel and—sabi ko, sige lagay ninyo ang pangalan ng tao, opisina; lagay mo kung anong hiningi sa iyo. And it will, lalabas iyan doon sa—and so the people of the Philippines can just tune in and they would know the idiots who are corrupt in this country.

We may be wrong, and no doubt about it, I’m willing to apologize everyday that we commit a mistake. Fair is fair. Pero iyong iba, pasensya kayo, then I will ask for you. Hiyain talaga kita, we’ll ask you to resign. That’s the only way. ‘Pag marami nang ano diyan, I’ll just file charges against you, suspend you or ask Congress, mamili kayo. We remain on good terms or you help me in the corruption? Abolish the office, bahala na iyang—abolish, abolish the position. You just allow the second echelon to continue the work. May mga abogado man ang mga deputy diyan.

So kayong lahat, I’ll end this by saying: I am a Bedan and lahat ng—I mean, iyong ibang nakikinig ngayon, pasensiyahan na lang tayo. Kasi ako, naging Presidente, sino bang nakilala ko? Mga classmate ko sa San Beda, sa dormitoryo: sila Yasay, si Dulay. Kaharap ko sa dormitoryo iyan eh. So, sino ang crowd ko? Davao. So, saan ako kukuha ng magagandang lalaki na—wala man akong barkada dito. Kayong mga taga-Dasmariñas, Forbes Park, mga Magallanes, hindi naman ninyo ako niyaya kasi mahirap lang kami. (laughter)O ‘di, do not com—do not cry about the loss of opportunity, hindi ko kayo—kilala ko si Tugade, bright. Bingbong, taga-Davao, taga-San Beda, bright. Vit Aguirre, bright. Si SolGen, saan ka ba? Marami ka pang kaso, pati iyon palang naglibing ng ano, dinemanda. (laughter) ‘Bah—patay ka.

So, we all work to get there. Pero ako, you will have the preference. But I will not say it, I will not say the name. Pero kung may mga bakante diyan, and I know that it is a—lalo na prone to rotten corruption, mamimili talaga ang tao. But kung taga-San Beda, honest; lalo na kung maganda, lumipat ka na sa Malacañan. (laughter/applause) You’ll have the—uunahin ko kayo. Eh kasi naman iyong iba, “Nag-apply ako.” “Ha?” Susunod election na iyan. Katagal na namin diyan, ngayon ka lang magpaalam ng—

Well anyway, there’s only one thing that I would—, kasi kapag narekomenda mo; position, doktor; kailangan mo iyong doktor, eh it’s obvious. So ‘pag sinabi ka, ito iyong rekomendado ko, isa lang talaga ang tanong ko: “He’s not corrupt, right?” “No, he’s not.” “Okay. Bong—”

Ngayon ‘pag corrupt iyan, halika nga sandali, putang-ina mo sipain kita, magnanakaw ka. Tang-inang iyan, sinabi ko sa iyo na huwag ka magrekomenda diyan ng mga ulol.

So even sa military, walang problema, but sa army, you know, I promised that I will never tinker with the Armed Forces. To this day, wala akong ni-recommend na ikaw dito, ikaw diyan sa army. There’s the Board of Generals, I’ll leave it on the Chief-of-Staff and the Defense.

Even sa contracts, Lorenzana will just say “we are buying this one,” “go ahead. Del, basta wala lang corruption. Basta wala lang corruption.” So they are functioning, wala, hindi ako nakikialam. Pati kay Vit, sabi niya, itong si—under my direction, as God is there and can ask everybody, I have never talked to the guy outside of a Cabinet meeting. After that, we shake hands and we work.

Ako, magtanong kayo and I will go. Are you happy being President? No, I am not. Do you regret? Yes, to a certain extent. Kasi ang trabaho ko diyan, I am like a prisoner actually. Nasa likod ko palagi iyong pulis na babae, Saan ba si ano, eh sa, …, she is from Tawi-Tawi ito. Saan ba si, ang aide ko? Oh iyan oh, para kang—dala-dalawa iyang sumusunod na pulis eh, iyong mga nasa korte papunta, pati ako. Bigyan mo langako handcuff, pareho, naku, wala na. (laughter)

Wala akong freedom, you lose entirely your private life. I cannot talk to anybody just like—lalo na iyong mga negosyante, ganoon. Kayo na lang diyan. You go to Tugade, you go to—do not talk to me. Hindi na, nagsara ako but better that iyong mga negosyante niyo, ganun. Only if there’s a problem. Then—hiningi ka, the first bit of corruption, just call me. Madali iyan i-transfer. Kasi maraming bakante sa Jolo pati Basilan. Oh, totoo. Iyong pulis na sabi ni Tulfo, naghihingi diyan sa mga—sabi ko, “Animal ka, letse ka.” Hirap na hirap akong magpunta sa ibang bayan, makiusap ng mga investors, ‘pag iyan ang start, and then I will blow your balls off.

So iyan ang—this is the Bedan President that you have. I have a mouth that is not really courteous. Well, I’m sorry, ganoon talaga ako. Wala akong magawa. Eh probinsiyano lang tayo, iyon man ang lengguwahe sa amin, eh putang-ina, letse ka. But I can assure you that at least, makita ninyo. Number one is really corruption. Matagal na tayong medyo nag-angat. Sabi ko ngapara tayong eroplano na tumatakbo ng runway, endless. Ayaw mag-lift off.

So, I may succeed, I may fail but one thing you can be sure of, what—iyong lumabas sa bunganga ko, na iyong mga pangako ko, maging totoo talaga. Corruption, istrikto talaga ako. Billy Dulay was in front, magka-roommate iyan sila ni Bello eh, puro Ilokano. Kami naman ni Yasay. Ang problema kay Yasay, kung sa dormitoryo kami noon, maintindihan ko iyong English niya. Pero ngayon, (“Well, I’d like to report to the cabinet that the meeting was …. in the United States and ah”. (laughter) Sinita ko, kaibigan ko. Sabi ko, sino naman itong putang-inang Amerikano na ‘to? Kasi mataas iyon, hindi mo makita eh. Sabi ko, sino itong Amerikano na itong yawa na ito? Eh I never employed any one. (“And I have to make a follow up. The day because, you know, just always a chance that we have to talk to this guy and…”) (laughter) Bilib ako sa Foreign—Secretary of Foreign Affairs.

Salamat po. ●