Sarangani Energy Corporation Power Plant Ceremonies

The President led the ceremonies of the Sarangani Energy Corporation Power Plant (SECPP) in Maasim, Saranggani on 26 January 2017. These ceremonies are for the switch-on of the first 105-megawatt (MW) section SECPP and the kick-off ceremony of the second 105 MW section of the SECPP.

During the event, President Duterte led the traditional breaking of the wooden Sake barrel (Kagami Biraki), symbolizing harmony and good fortune.

The President was joined in the event by Energy (DOE) Secretary Alfonso Cusi, Sarangani Energy Corporation Chairman Tomas Alcantara, Senator Emmanuel ‘Manny’ Pacquiao, several foreign dignitaries, financial institution partners, and local government officials of the province.

Sarangani Energy Corporation Power Plant

The coal fired power plant’s first 105 MW section began its operations last April 2016 and is currently providing electricity to the provinces of Sarangani, Compostela Valley, Agusan del Norte, and Agusan del Sur, as well as in the cities of General Santos, Iligan, Bayugan, Butuan, Tagum, and Samal, plus some key municipalities in Davao del Norte and South Cotabato.

SECPP’s second 105 MW section will commence construction in the first half of 2017 and is targeted to start operating by 2019.

At full 210MW capacity, the plant is able to provide electricity to the entire provinces of South Cotabato, Davao del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Del Sur and key areas of Misamis Oriental and North Cotabato.

SPEECH OF PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE

DURING THE CEREMONIAL SWITCH-ON OF SECTION 1 AND THE GROUND BREAKING CEREMONY OF SECTION 2 OF SARANGANI ENERGY CORPORATION POWER PLANT

Brgy. Kamanga, Maasim, Sarangani

26 January 2017

Salamat po. Kindly sit down. Thank you.

I have this prepared speech. I really do not want to read speeches because I am not…I am not just up to it actually. And these are all nice things here but I want to say something from my heart.

Mr. Tommy Alcantara, the chairman Sarangani Energy Corporation; Mr. Nick Alcantara, president Alcantara Group of Companies; Secretary Ismael Sueno; Secretary Alfonso Cusi of the Department of Energy; Is Senator Manny Pacquiao is around?; Congressman Rogelio Pacquiao, the lone district of Sarangani; Governor Steve Solon of the lone district; municipality of Maasim Mayor Aniceto Lopez Jr.; fellow workers in government; mga kaigsu-unan nakong Pilipino.

You know, basa — bigyan ko na lang kayong kopya mamaya. [laughter]

In this world of complexity and contradiction, in the congruity of our civilization, there are always one side to the other, sometimes many sides. But the main problem now, there’s a lot but they are not so many would insist on responsible mining — they limit the coal of energy, and this and that.

Science is good but technology is expensive. And Mindanao has had a shortfall for so many years of energy. We cannot develop until we have the power. And power is sometimes being challenged from all sides.

And as a matter of fact, the new one is really the movement to limit or do away with coal whether liquidized or you burn it solid. But the problem is, there is no alternative in the price, money.

And there have been a lot of inventions about solar and everything. But other people and especially the pretentious experts, they do not have a good alternative, I mean, cheap, affordable fuel to power the power plants because it could not — there’s so many billions needing energy.

Mindanao has suffered economically several times in the last decade and always it results in the economic reduction income, reduced GDP. GDP is just income of the government and the people.

So we are now trying to figure out how to balance it. We would like to have a clean planet but that would be nigh impossible really to insist on it because civilization needs to have light. So you strike a happy balance.

But for as long as the most viable fuel is coal and cheapest so that the power can also be delivered the energy to the people at a much lower price, then we’ll have no other alternative except to upgrade the technology to its fullest — to limit. Anything that starts whatever machine will always have a pollution. Pati ang tao may sariling contamination rin sa kanya. So kami ‘yung nasa gobyerno, we have this the power to limit and the power to increase.

At this time, whoever is the President of the Philippines would always contend with coal. There’s so much coal still that can be utilized by civilization for the next 50 to 70 years. And to be worrying about pollution, well, we just have to come to terms with it that in our time, in our generation, it is really what it is. There is nothing you can do about it.

Now, on the other side is desire to have clean energy. You know as a lawyer, I did not sign… Pagkaalam kasi nitong mga g*** wala akong naintindihan. You know but as a lawyer, I try to read something before I sign.

Iyong climate change, the first to withdraw was Trump. I cannot tell you what was his reason to do so. But mine was just anchored on two things: First, there is a five billion fund. The agreement does not state who gives it. It’s either the high — the highest energy countries may do it but there is no compulsion.

Second is if there is violation, it leaves it at that. There is no sanction at all. Napag-usapan na lang, let us go to the reality of the world.

We, the small ones, we sign it. The big ones, they either do not sign. Europe is very interested but they don’t have any problem. They’re well-advanced already. They were the first to contaminate… Until now. China, United States. Ilan lang tayo? We are pegged at about 04, our national was even exact as a mole, it’s about 73 reduction but it cannot be materialized at any time.

We still have to contend with population, the need to industrialization and these are the things that — the catch there is if there is a violation, although the consequences is not spelled out in that agreement, if you read it carefully, but there is no sanction.

If the big ones decide to violate because there is a mad scramble for economic power, China and America looms big ahead, and they violate, can we stop them?

Can we tell them, ‘Look, you know, it’s in the treaty.’ But what’s the consequence? If I say, ‘It’s wrong’, ‘And so?’ What do you propose to do?

Pero kung tayong maliit, we the small ones, we who do not have yet the power to impose our will on the other, we’ll just have to follow. Because even if it is not provided there, if the big ones decides to impose sanctions, they can go out of the paper.

They can…‘You do not want to obey? O, we’ll start with restrictions in exportation.’ ‘We’ll start with so many things outside of the ambit of energy.’ ‘We’ll start you with the cutting of grants.’ And that’s what other countries are doing, that’s why I b*** s***ted them because of that behavior.

Every time that they wanted to criticize me, they would just say, ‘You better, you know, honor the convention and we will bring you — or we’ll bring you to the International Criminal Court’… I read the provisions of the Interna — they are not even members of the convention.

So this life is never fair. But I would never, never allow my country to go beyond the things that — what they’re doing to suffer.

Whatever it is, how poor we are, we would like investments to come but if you do that at the expense of our dignity, son of a b****, you go out.

And that is the reason why I said, I — I was forced to — kaya nobody. You would ask anybody before, ‘Who is now the President of the Philippines?’ They won’t bother to know you. But I was forced to go public and say, ‘You know, stupid, you idiots, you better behave. Just because you were ahead in the industrial age, it does not mean that you can just kick us around.’

And I would like to make it clear that there were two things that I was really objecting: Who foots the bill? 50, 100 billion dollars? 5 billion? Sinong nagbabayad? The big ones? Hindi nga nabayaran iyong mga dues nila sa UN. It took them several years to update their accounts with the United Nations, and you come here and — go around soliciting signatures for…

The second is…You read the treaty. It does not provide any damage for the consequences of the climate change. The treaty provides for assistance to upgrade your technology to combat climate change.

But you make it to believe noong una pati the — our lawmakers kasi kung…If there’s a typhoon, there’s a catastrophe arising from the weather, climate— then you can go for help. It ain’t so. It does not work that way.

They can only grant you many things if you have to improve your technology to improve the climate. Then how much is for what? It states none. There’s a general statement that the industrial countries might raise the money.

So ‘yung mga—just because it is a treaty written in Paris. Just because it was written by foreigner does not mean that they are brighter than us or they are more stupid than us.

You know…So we allow coal to come in because that is the cheapest and we are not that rich. So people would always cry about the prices, electricity. And then you have a board here, I don’t know if the son of a b**** are really still there because I fired all of them.

How can you…An energy board that fixes the price of what you should pay for the energy sector are all there corrupt. That’s connected with energy. Until now they are still there. Stay there, but I will transfer your office to Basilan. [laughter]

So you guys in government, I promise…Well, I am not trying to appear as immaculate or clean. I have my faults in life, plenty. But, sadly, corruption of money is not part of my illegal—hanggang women and…[laughter] But the problem is, sadly, all of the men in front of me, are also guilty of it. [laughter] If you could find one or two then that is a miracle. [laughter]

So I would like to again to say, my Cabinet is clean. And I’d like to address to the Filipino. The only way for you to help me stop corruption is to be assertive.

Anybody from government starts, even just a whiff at malaman ko, no second chances, I’ll fire you.

Do not leave office because of the law? I will abolish the office. I will withhold the money. Pay yourself if you want to be there. Walang board…It’s a very…It’s a quasi judicial body.

You decide over the fate of the pockets of the people. And you are there corrupt, who now takes care of the entire nation kung ganoon kayo ka-istupido? And even the director…Ang ano diyan it’s directors actually and down.

It’s good in implementation, I think that all Presidents meant well but — along the way. So I am trying to address my fellowmen and to the investors: Do not pay. You do not have the obligation to give money corrupt or to promote… All you have to be is to be assertive. ‘Pag may mag-hingi maski kanino ke-ma-Customs, ke-ma-BIR all have to say is, ‘Look guys, if you want money, I’ll give it to Duterte you get to him, I’ll double the amount.’ Or at the first instance you slap him, create a scene and it’s…

May sa airport ‘yung dadating ‘yung mga kamag-anak ninyo. I have observed that when we go abroad, Hong Kong vacation time. We passed Customs and Immigration. We don’t even have to go in front of the box. Nobody asked us.

Here comes a congressman, a governor and even have broke in 10 luggages for only two days in Hong Kong. Nobody stops me. But the OFW, ‘yung kaliit-liit bubuksan tapos if there are two or three perfumes there kunin ang isa. They are just picking things that they want. Stealing people, harap-harapan ‘yung nakawan. It’s actually nakaw. So do not go for it.

I’ve told the Immigration: Do not open the luggages. Tutal dadaan ng ano ‘yan eh ng X-ray. The arriving cargos, you just don’t know it, there’s an X-ray there—down. And they can always—if there is no contraband or prohibitive item, then you’re not supposed to open the box.

So the airport now is quite, not really — but comfortable. If somebody touches your things there inside, you slap him—totoo. Make a scene, istilo ba, scene, to attract attention. And so there’s a lot of media people there around, and they would pick that story and I would know.

Or that 8888 right after the news on the government station PTV-4. There is one hour there where you can text. Name the person, director, tapos, ‘he is milking me’ and I will call the director. And I guarantee you, if you want the satisfaction, I’ll call you. It’s either I kick him or slap him in front you. That is how it should be.

Until such time that the deadly string of corruption or if you do not want, then at least stop for six years. Until then, there will be no corruption in government.

Itong mga directors… You know, December I released one billion for people all around the country carrying ‘yung reseta, prescription na walang mabili, no money. I told Judy Taguiwalo to give it right away because it’s Christmas time.

Dito sa… I am not trying to…In one region, itong P**** i**** director na ito, mag-aabsent for…You know if I pay you, how many 300 a day? You work for it. You stay in the office. Because if you shortchange the person, the public, ang bayad sa’yo 300 worth for eight hours. Then after the lunchtime you go out, you do not come back anymore.

This…You directors, I am covered national: You know stop it. You are not the privileged. You should not be privileged. You eat your lunch in your office and be there when the papers are signed.

For each department matagal na Energy, Defense or — I place one month. One month, they have to release the paper whether it is approved or not.

The directors shall only have 15 days. The local government should only have three days. In Davao, it’s only three days, I am not trying to pull my own chair but look at Davao.

Initially, nasasampal kita, but if I kick you, I’ll kick you. I will to go your office and in front of your boss, I’ll kick you. I do not want to do it, but if you force me, I will. Praktisado ako diyan, T***** i**.

So you know those papers there, they must be out from your office, the director, whoever you are, 15 days. And I would like to urge every citizen of this country, i-text mo kaagad. ‘Itong P***** i** director na ito, mayor, wala dito. Tapos dalawang linggo na.’

Do not…Kayong nasa gobyerno, it is time to have a respite from corruption. I said, I’m not pretending to be the cleanest Filipino. I’ve had my faults but… You know this is my last hurrah. I’m 72 years old. A lot of the media speculating whether I have cancer in the liver, pancreas.

You know I’m 72. How old is your father? How many tablets does he swallow every night? If he’s 72 like me? Pareho kami naglalaklak ng droga. Sakit sa ano lahat na, hypertension. Mine is Barrett, then I acquired Buerger’s disease because of smoking. Kaya ang Davao no smoking.

The doctor said, ‘You cannot smoke anymore.’ So I told Davao City people, ‘We should not smoke anymore’. [laughter]

Alangan. [laughter] Ang akala ko ba you want a country of equality? [laughter] If I cannot smoke why should you? [laughter] Diyan tayo magkaintindihan.

So I’d like to congratulate Sarangani Power. You know the Alcantara family came here many, many years ago and my father too. We were just migrants but they were already — I am not trying to offend you — but well-off. But they started business right away.

Kami ‘yung, we were the…My mother is a Mindanaoan and it took us another alley to history and… I’ve been the mayor of Davao City for 23 years. I never lost the elections since 1988. Tuluy-tuloy na hanggang na-presidente ako.

And just for your curiosity. If you ask me if I am exceedingly happy to be President? I’ll tell you this: I do not need it at this time of my life. All the applauses and praises and adulation for 40 years of being a politician including being a congressman and the vice mayor to my daughter. I’ve had enough of it. It does not ring a bell anymore. All I am doing now is just work, work, and work.

The salary of the President is 130,000. This gov…You know, give me another time, please forgive me, I will just utilize the time.

Kayong nasa government corporations and SSS, you award yourselves with — liberally with money of the people I have issued an order. You go down, down as down.

There will be no more increases of your sala — your, your [monuments?] without my approval. I will bring you to my level. So I go home, I do not sleep in the Palace. I do not like the word “palace”, just say the office and resident.

I live across the river. I ride the pump boat sometimes it runs out of fuel. Well, that is how it is. So, what I’m saying is I’d like to — I’m happy that the investors here.

I would like to welcome you. I apologize for the death of your compatriot. We are very sorry that it had to happen but I can assure you those responsible are known to us already.

And they will have to go to prison. And I will see to it that they are sentenced to the maximum. There is no death penalty because the… Well, if there is…You know, they suspended it because of Church and all of the pressures of the libertarians.

I’m asking for its restoration. They said that, ‘You know Duterte is asking for a death penalty.’ You know, it was there many years, many Presidents ago, but nothing happened.

One or two was…And I said, what is…Why? ‘What would be the difference if we’ll give it to you now?’ ‘Me? You give that power back to me again? I’ll execute them. Make them [inaudible]. I’ll hang them in one day 20 of them, 20 a day. And if you need an additional fuel, I’d glad to send you the cadavers to fuel the burners.

I said, because nobody, they said, ‘why is that there are so many deaths?’ Why? The politicians before used to strut around with five army men, five policemen, all armed. So at that the time — and politics was the rule of the day.

If they does not like the Army Colonel or the regional commander, whoever, they will just call the President and it’s all politics. And the politics would call Aguinaldo and said, ‘Take him out, because, you know, my leaders are complaining.’ You cannot do that to me. Nobody, nobody does it.

In the first place I never had any political machinery. I didn’t have money. So I owe nobody nothing.

So ‘yung mga the politicians, stay there. And I know how they operate. I’ve been mayor. I’ll start to scrutinize your law and order fund because if your LGU, your municipality or city is in turmoil with so much drugs, I would fully assume that you pocketed your intelligence fund and for the operations of the police.

So that I’ll take out your supervisory over the police. I will tell the military not to obey you and if you get to be troublesome, I’ll told the military to, ‘shoot the idiot’.

They used to be powerful ones, because politics…Kaya ang drugs lumaki eh. Forty percent of the barangay captains of our country are doing drugs. Little did we know that four or five years ago, we were already a narco-politics.

A lot of policemen there, 6,000 of them. Do you want to want a visual thing about the drug industry? Ibigay mo sa akin ‘yung… Where is my aide?

You really want to know the enormity of my problem? Kaya I was talking to God again sabi kasi nila I talked to God, Duterte is…

This is the drug industry. Almost all of the barangay captains. These are names. Tanungin ninyo ‘yung pari na…May pari dito. Ibigay mo sa kanya. ‘Solve the problem.’

These are all names. Municipal mayors, city mayors, everybody, every drug lord, foreigners, locals, barangay captains. Kaya ‘yung USA sige sila, sabi ko, ‘Halika!’ I want…‘You want to know my problem? You are criticizing me. Ito, I’ll give you that list, it’s all yours. Then help us.’

You know, I’ll invite you so that the foreigners would also understand why. Which is more evil? Which is the evil one? The drug lords who are cooking shabu and feeding it to my countrymen and our children or it’s the police in some operations kill the criminals?

Extrajudicial killing? I have lost 32 policemen to date. I have lost 19 of my soldiers just making an entry into the shabu laboratories everywhere.

When I was mayor in Davao City, look at Davao City, you can walk around every night. Why? Because nobody there to molest you, to disturb you.

O look at in other places. But Manila is relatively safe. It will become safe. It will become safe. It will take me about three years if I get to live that time. Three years medyo wala na talaga. But for as long as the drug is there…

You know they say that — they lament about a child being hit by a bullet in a gun battle between the… You know, as a lawyer, I will just like to lecture everybody in the Philippines listening now: If there is an encounter, the policeman is performing a legal duty and a criminal there shooting the police or shooting each other. And if the police, it is a stressful one, maybe could unlock — the locking mechanism is just one direction.

If you happen to lock it in the under stress and he puts it in full auto prrrrtt and he kills a thousand Filipinos there. What is our liability? Civil. We only pay. We do not incur any criminal liability because this one, this police is working in the performance of his duty.

He could not possibly control the bullets coming out from the barrel of the gun. That’s it. But the criminal who fights the police committing a crime and he does the same thing or throws a grenade, he is responsible for the death of the policeman and all other, why? Because he was committing a crime.

Now… There is so much…Binabatikos nila. They are crucifying the police. You brought yourself in a gun battle and let us see what happens. Hindi mo ma…It’s a running gun battle so really the military calls it collateral damage. Well, I am sorry. We are ready to pay.

But for as long as drugs, the drug lords and the pushers are there, we will destroy them. I have ordered the military to destroy them. I did not order the military and the police to conduct a police operation. That’s nonsense.

Go after them, go against the apparatus and kill them. So I take full legal responsibility for my order. The military and police can just — be rest assured that I will protect you. Ako ‘yung nagbigay eh. Why? Because I have to protect my country. Why? Because there are now four million addicts. Why? Because you are reducing my country into a slave state.

Why? Might be better to have bought a slave from the slave markets of Africa and the Middle East. You can still utilize his talent, cooking, cleaning and everything.

But if you make a slave of a Filipino, he’s addicted to a criminal and to fatten your pocket, my God, I will kill you. I am telling you now. There’s no other way.

They said, ‘The poor are the ones…’ Of course, because they are the ones who have to make a living. But if there is no shabu here and nobody brings you there, then we are all safe. Or there are so many pushers lining because there is no more supply, then we are relatively safe.

But for as long as the drug lords are there, and even they say, ‘the poor are the ones…’ You know the world will never stop turning every 24 hour. It will not stop to listen to your story.

‘We are here, we committed this crime because, you know, my mother is just a prostitute and she earns money by selling her body. My father is a holdupper.’ I will not listen to that story because I have to preserve my country. Hindi kita pwede pakinggan eh. Alam mo, you know, very well that you tread into dangerous grounds.

I have been warning all of you especially mayors. I called you to Malacañan a week ago. I told you: Do not do it, you will die. Barangay captains you will die. What makes it more odious is that you are in government.

Why? Because I said I have to preserve my country. The loose talks about martial law. If I declare martial law, I will not say anything. I will just declare martial law. Just shut up. You just behave. It’s not… They always say that I want to perpetuate myself… Sus maryosep.

But sabi ko, the position of President, I don’t need it at this time of my life. I am ready to go anytime. You want me impeached? Go ahead be my guest. You want to kill me? Yeah. I’ll be taking off shortly. Just make sure that you hit the pilot. Never mind about us because we will go down with them. Ganun lang ‘yan.

Scare you about impeachment, coup d’état? It’s all garbage to me. God says, you will be president of the Philippines good only for seven months or more days, mayor from our town, around Sarangani, you will never make it back to your home. Fine. So, we have the… At least you have heard me [laughter] and that is my legacy to you.

And when your children say what happened at this time of our history? Just tell them the truth that this is how it developed.

I am not…I am…Even the military and the police. I’ll back them up and said: Do not nurture or propagate personal loyalty to me. You remain loyal to the flag, to the people and to the Constitution.

Me, I am just a worker of government. I do not… You have never heard me call myself “president”. We, the military, and the police, and all of these guys, we are all workers of government.

And so I’d like to again congratulate Sarangani Power and all the investors Toyota and to our good friends.

I said I am very sorry for that sordid incident. But I can assure you I will see to it. Better if they escaped from prison. I’ll send their heads to your…[laughter] T***** i** kayong mga pulis, bantay kayo. Hindi ko kayo papalusutin.

You will suffer. You will suffer. Make a move to escape then I would thank the Gods. Then I can maybe send your head to South Korea.

So, pardon my language. I am just…I become emotional but it’s only a pretended one. [laughter] For effects lang ‘yan. [laughter] You tell the nation, ‘O he has announced he was killing.’ Istorya lang ‘yan. [laughter] Maniwala pala kayo sa istorya. Iba man ‘yang totoo, iba man ‘yang istorya. But be careful because sometimes it merges. [laughter]

I’d like to thank the people of Sarangani for keeping your…I am watching the view, it’s still pristine. And if you can just also plan ahead, develop your beautiful country in a very systematic way, I am sure the power plant will give you the energy to do it.

I’d like to say thank you to our visitors. Thank you very much for your trust in us. As I said, I have laid down the rules, do not…Do not…You just report to me. I have an open line. Do not entertain. And the first whiff of corruption — the first whiff of corruption even if it is not true, you go. Because I would be eternally doubting whether you are really at it or not.

So why would I punish myself under stress by thinking about you? Who are you to me?

So, salamat po sa inyong lahat and mabuhay ang Sarangani. ●