Report after State Visit to Brunei and China

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte reported to the public the fruits of his State Visits to Brunei Darussalam and the People’s Republic of China upon his late night arrival at the Davao International Aiport on 21 October 2016.

PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE’S ARRIVAL STATEMENT

AFTER HIS OFFICIAL VISITS TO BRUNEI DARUSSALAM

AND THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

Davao International Airport, Davao City

October 21, 2016

If you don’t mind, I’d dispense with the acknowledgements of the personas who are here because kilala naman tayong lahat.

I am glad to be back after my State Visits to Brunei Darussalam and the People’s Republic of China.

In both my visits, we reviewed the sum total of our relations and explored other areas of undertakings that opened doors for more meaningful engagements.

A clear focus was directed more on economic cooperation and partnership to benefit our people.

In Brunei, I met His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah with whom I discussed ways of furthering, deepening bilateral relations, particularly through economic cooperation.

We secured Brunei’s commitment to help develop Mindanao Halal industry, especially in certification and in capacity building. Brunei and Mindanao can be twin hubs for the production and export of halal-certified products.

We agreed to intensify trade and investments and work closely to further bolster the role of BIMP-EAGA in growing our economies. We also agreed to address connectivity issues through increased air and sea linkages to facilitate trade and commerce.

I thanked His Majesty’s—of Brunei’s role as a partner for peace and secured his continued support for the Philippines’ effort to pursue just and lasting peace in Mindanao.

We fully cooperate to combat illegal drugs trade and collaborate on maritime and defense issues, particularly in addressing transnational crimes, piracy and crimes at sea.

To ensure progress in our discussions, we instructed officials of our respective government to immediately work together in transforming these agreed agenda into specific plans and actions.

In my State Visit to China, I met with President Xi Jinping and three other members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party. I met Premier Keqiang; of Chairman of the National People’s Congress and Zhang Dejiang, and Vice Premier Gaoli.

In all meetings, we had productive and extensive discussions of the full range of the Chinese-Philippine relations, from trade and investments, to infrastructures and tourism, and to science and technology and health.

To realize the vision of a deeper and more meaningful engagement, we have opened formal lines of communications between our government and agreed on the full resumption of the regular bilateral consultations mechanisms which were put on hold for several years.

With security and stability recognized as necessary conditions for growth, the Philippines and China affirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, freedom of navigation and overflight in South China Sea.

We acknowledged the need to address disputes through peaceful means in accordance with international law. We also agreed to continue discussions on confidence-building measures, including a bilateral consultation mechanisms to discuss immediate issues of concern in South China Sea.

To maintain stability, we also concluded an agreement between our Coast Guards for general cooperation to minimize incidents at sea.

To combat the menace of illegal drug, we will continue across a broad range of areas, including in capacity-building, equipment upgrading and support for rehabilitation purposes.

With the shared objective of achieving greater growth and prosperity for our peoples, the Philippines and China jointly worked closely on building on a robust economic agenda.

Our governments signed 13 agreements, mostly economic in nature and these agreements provide the framework to which to carry out intensified cooperation between the Philippines and China.

In my meetings with officials and businesses, there was a renewed and heightened sense of optimism in trade relations.

The friendship rekindled opened a deeper commitments to significantly enhance trade and investments.

My talks have resulted in public financing agreements and private business deals valued at 24 billion US dollars in soft loans; we have agreed from other loans. These agreements, covering various fields of economic activities are expected to generate two million jobs for the Filipinos in the next five years.

Your government will continue to work very hard to ensure that these agreements bear concrete results that will better the lives of our people. We shall also make sure that the credit facility and the soft loans will be solely be utilized in public financing that benefits all Filipinos.

In my state visit to China signaled a turning point in our shared history and showed that both countries are fully capable of working together for mutual beneficial cooperation even as we remain committed to settle disputes peacefully, in full adherence of international law.

In every step that took the Philippines and China relations further forward, I was guided by the bolden duty to protect the sovereignty of our nation and the interest of our people.

In all my engagements abroad, rest assured that I will always pursue our nation’s best interests, consistent with—for our independent foreign policy anchored on the basic tenets of sovereignty, non-interference and mutual respect.

On the personal side, the warm welcome and expressions will support of our kababayans in Brunei and China further strengthened my resolve to pursue the various reforms being carried by our government.

We will harness our foreign relations to the inclusive growth and sustainable development of our country so that working abroad becomes an option and no longer a need for our people.

With this, I seek your continued support and cooperation as we strive to introduce fresh initiatives and more endeavors that will create meaningful changes in ourselves, our families, our communities.

Salamat. ●

Questions and Answers

We can maybe accomodate a few questions. Siguro, mga isandaan okay na.

EDITH REGALADO/Philippine Star: Good morning, Mr. President. First question is this: While in China, you declared— you had some pronouncements about severing ties with the US, both militarily and economic aspect. Now, the question is, when are you going to come out with a written order with respect to the military? And then for the economic aspect, it would affect private businesses and, you know, the BPOs and everything. So iyong side na iyon, sir. And then second question, sir—anuhin ko na lang, sir, ha?

PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE: That is the third?

EDITH/PHIL. STAR: No, second question pa, sir. Second question is this: Is your attitude towards the US, does it have something to do with the Meiring case? Has the US ever asked or apologized to you through those years?

DUTERTE: I’ll answer your second question. It has not really appeased me at all. Binastos tayo ng Amerika. Meiring was carrying out explosives in and out of Davao City for several years. He was hosted sa Evergreen Hotel. Hindi siya pumayag na maipasok tiga-linis. And for five years, he was in and out of Davao City.

One day, there was an explosion. It burned the hotel not nearly, but sunog, and he was brought to the hospital. He lost both of his legs. But unfortunately, the following morning, early on, may nag-landing dito sa airport na ‘to, a citation of the US Embassy at bumaba isang pulis na gago na taga-Pilipinas, Colonel—I forgot the name—and some Americans who flaunted their badges as a—FBI raw sila, got Meiring out of the hotel. Brought him out, eh kasi sabi nila, dalhin nila sa Makati Medical Center for better medical treatment, facilities, whatever. But what they really did was to fly out Meiring— Michael to Singapore and shanghaied him to the United States.

To this day, parang Batman and Robin mystery iyan, no explanation. A week after or four or five days, Ricciardone, the Ambassador at that time of the United States, nakipag-usap sa akin early morning with his aide only, and Mr. Bong Go, apat kaming nag-usap. And they promised to conduct a full-scale investigation and committed to me that they will serve me a copy. Sa awa ng Diyos, hanggang ngayon, wala pa akong natanggap ni maski note man lang sana.

One night during the campaign, at least that—may card ako sa kaniya, I think Bong Go has the card. May binigay siyang card, sabi niya, he was from the CIA. Sabi ko, “May I help you?” And we talked about the Meiring case, and said that he would see me, maybe, the day after. And we did meet almost 4 o’clock in the morning, I was very tired from a campaign sortie that night.

At ang sinabi lang niya, and these were his exact words, “Mayor, puwede ba nating kalimutan na lang ‘to? Can we let this pass—this thing pass? Forget it.” Sabi ko, wala na rin akong magawa. I’ve been waiting for that report but until now, I haven’t— so I really do not know what was the mystery about.

Ngayon itong Amerika, if they violate their sovereignty, they will raise hell. They’ll go to war. Kung tayo ang ginagawa nila sa atin, there wasn’t even an apology or anything. Kinalimutan ko iyon. Ngayon, dumating itong naging presidente na ako, and one of the three promises that I made to the people was that I will cut corruption. And I hope it will really—hindi ako naaawa sa akin; naaawa ako sa— We will cut corruption, period. Second is, I will fight drugs; and third, I will cut criminality.

Problema ngayon, I am faced with the dilemma. We never knew exactly how many at that time during the campaign that—how many people were infected or gone crazy because of drugs. And they knew it, because they were there when it was unfolding. Iyong three million na iyon, figure iyon ni Gen. Santiago when he headed the PDEA. Hindi ko binilang iyong akin kasi until now, we are receiving surrenderees, and I think by the end of the year, it would have reached the four million mark. Alam nila iyan.

And so I was hard-pressed. They knew, they operate a government, goddamnit. They knew that I was a midterm president, that I entered into the picture operating on a budget that was prepared last year by President Aquino for the operation of this year, and I was hard-pressed on everything. And yet, they had a gall, these idiots they would just say, “Why Duterte? Why is he killing the criminals? Why does he not just build enough rehab centers for three million.” Immediately, kaagad, it’s easy to criticize. They knew that I have no money. I am now operating on a budget, we do not have capital outlay. Ang atin is the maintenance MOOE. MOOE lang tayo: pansuweldo, pantawid na lang itong sa—and that’s the problem.

And so, I ordered a full-scale war. I did not order a police action, but because that would have not enough. So when I became President, I pressed everybody. And lo and behold, we are now nearing four million drug addicts in this country. Alam mong ginawa ng Amerika? Ang unang-una, itong human rights, I don’t know who is that idiot, also another idiot there. There were plenty of idiots there, criticizing me about human rights. Sinakyan nila ang issue of extrajudicial killing which was not an issue at all, you were here, you were all around. It was not an issue against me, until the dying days of the campaign when my ratings were going up, lahat ng basura and this Senator who talks with his mouth on— with his foot on his mouth, binasura na pati corruption. I said, open the banks and all, you can have— I authorized everybody, go and search for the money at itong extrajudicial killing.

Ngayon, eh binigyan mo ako ng fund, I might just have avoided it but you gave the window so I’m— Ngayon, ito, galit ako sa kanila. Kasi iyong 3,000 na namatay, they would like to make appear like an idiot that they were all killed extra-judicially, not counting the policemen and soldiers I lose every day to fight the drug problem.

To this day, the other day, that’s was the last briefing, I lost another policeman. Tapos, sumunod na itong State Department, another idiot. Then, the Office of the President. I don’t know his name as— babae na. Then, it was Obama himself.

You know, if somebody can give me an answer, I will resign tonight, in handwriting, tell me what was wrong when the United States declared war against Iraq on a pretext of weapon of mass destruction. They entered Iraq, they killed Saddam, destroyed the country, killed so many people, only to find out that there was no weapon of mass destruction. Tell me if it is right because I will resign. Any man here in this room would stand up before me and say, it was moral, it was right to kill a leader of a nation, wipe out his people, and have the gall to criticize me about human rights violation.

They undermined Libya. Libya is a failed state. They are eating Saddam slowly. Were it not for a fact that China and Russia are supporting Syria. Why? Why? Because ifAssad is out, they would have destroyed the entire Middle East. Why? Maybe oil. Why? Ano? Stupidity. Another reason, idiotic behavior. Iyan ang problema diyan.

Kaya ako galit kay Meiring because binastos nila ako. Noong tinanong ninyo ako kinaumagahan, you were the one who asked the question—isa ka pa. Sabi niya, si Meiring nawala. So, I called Laza who is now the Mayor of Hagonoy, Colonel Laza. He was the Chief of Police at that time. Sabi niya, “Mayor, hindi ko alam.” So, I called General Lapeña, who was the RD here. Sabi ko, “Sid, anong nangyari?” sabi niya, “Mayor, hindi ko talaga alam.”

So, what do you call that? Is that respect? Mutual respect and the—papahingahin mo muna ako, umiinit na ang— inom lang ako ng tubig. Ikaw kasi, ikaw marunong ka talagang magpainit. Hindi na ako makatulog ngayong gabi. Ikaw na, tapos sabihin ninyo ang Amerika lives by the values of what? Whose value is it? Your value? Our values? Because if there is one thing that they did not really want, you know, if there is one thing that the Americans have failed miserably, it is in the province of the human dignity.

Madali kayong maano, basta kung ano iyong— just like Obama, during the Laos meeting. I was here, I answered a particular questions, anong gawin mo pagka ni-raise nila iyang extrajudicial. Ano ang sinagot ko sa inyo? Huwag ninyo akong bastusin kasi pag hindi, bababuyin ko talaga kayo doon. Did I mention Obama? But when they said the following day, because it was fed to him, ‘Those were hurting words from the President—” Ni hindi ko nga siya pinansin eh. And he didn’t even bother to say, “I was wrong, Duterte, I thought you were the— there are devils, my idiotic group also told me that you said this and that.” I never mentioned his name.

And so what I did was during the roundtable engagement, nilabas ko iyong picture ng massacre. And somebody, mga bright itong Pilipino eh, and even in that anchor or something ano. There was this group of Filipino iyan, you know, it’s one century ago. Those are not my words.

Before the election, I tried to reach everybody. Nur Misuari, the Communist. I went to Murad, there Darapanan, doon sa kampo nila. I talked with Jaafar, and we talked again here. But I said, I was not satisfied. I tried to reach out to Abu Sayyaf and to the radical groups and to—bantay ka diyan, iyang mga scholars. They do not carry arms but they preach fundamentalism. And they told me, “Mayor Duterte, we can talk to you but we will not negotiate peace with you.” Why? Because the Americans are still there in your country. We see so many of them, the Special Forces, scattered all over Mindanao. And they are here to finish us through your— They are there to advise your troops how to wipe us out in the face of the earth.

Kaya sabi ko, I cannot even talk peace. This particular massacre did not happen yesterday. Sabi lang nila, hindi akin iyon, sa mga scholars ng ano. We cannot forget it because so many— sila, sila ang dapat sisihin. The Filipinos at that time, mahirap lang, pobre. We did not have that camera. They all got those pictures of killings, massacre, piled bodies with the soldier putting his foot on the breast of a woman. Ginawa nila even as a postcard. At kinuha iyan nila, iyong mga bright na— kinuha iyan doon sa archives nila, hindi sa atin.

So ganoon, tapos na tayo diyan. Iyan—

May idagdag pa ako. Kaya ako, pati itong EU – EU de puta, tang-ina, isa ring ugok. Some lawyers of EU, sinulat-sulatan ako that I could be— ang masakit diyan, ganito, putang-ina nila. When they criticize me, and all of those guys who appeared before the international networks, they would say this, “Mayor Duterte, you must account for those who were killed. Blah, blah, blah. Remember that if you do that, we will cut the assistance and the aid, money.” Putang-ina kayo, ganoon kaliit ang tingin ninyo sa amin. Pumunta ka dito, ipakain ko iyang EU dollar mo.

Eh sila, bastos iyon eh. Kaya if I react, I react in the manner of a Filipino na galit sa kanila. Kaya ako nag-iinsulto ng tao. What is there to defend my integrity and the integrity of the people of the Philippines. Ganunin ninyo, paano ang mga Pilipino sa labas? Nandiyan na nga, nagpakahirap na, tapos— that we will cut the assistance, putang-ina, iilo ninyo iyang pera ninyo. You know what’s an ilo? That’s a piece of paper when you run out of toilet paper, you wipe up you’re ass. Goddamnit! Bullshit kayo.

Why am I saying this,you know, it sounds the height of vulgarity? You started it. You give me 10, I’ll give you 20. Bakit ninyo sasabihin na, “We will not give the aid unless you—” Who are you to say that to me? Bastos kayo. Sabi ko sa inyo eh, do not do that kasi bababuyin ko kayo. So now, the doors are open again, there’s a window open, eh talagang bababuyin ko kayo.

Unstatesmanship? I am not running for any statesman. There’s no position in this planet with statesmanship. You can eat it all, but I have a country to protect and the dignity of the people. That’s why, I give back to you full length of what you want to say about me.

So let us place ourselves in the proper perspective. Assistance, USAID, you can go to hell. EU? No wonder you are in shambles now. You cannot even agree to be together or not, whether to form still a European community or disintegrate. Why? Because your lawyers who planned it are all stupid and idiots.

I’m ready for the next question.

INA ANDOLONG/CNN PHILS.: Good evening, sir, and welcome back. In China, you announced a separation with the United States. What exactly, sir, do you mean by separation? And what actions, if any, will you take to formalize this pronouncement specifically—

DUTERTE: You know, you have to take my words in the context of what I’ve been saying all along. It’s not severance of ties. When you say severance of ties, you cut the diplomatic relations. I cannot do that. Why? It’s to the best interest of my country that we maintain that relationship. Why? Because there are many Filipinos in the United States of— well, Americans of Filipino ancestry. Why? Because the people of my country is not ready to accept. I said, separation. What I was really saying was separation of a foreign policy. In the past and until I became president, we always follow what the United States would give the cue. What he would give the cue that we are there, we are there,we follow, pasunud-sunod tayo. Hindi ako magsunod.

For example, Russia came out with a statement that— there’s a mention here that I had a talk with Medvedev, and they are ready to extend any and all assistance. So that if I would like to have an atomic bomb and if it is given to us, I’ll bring it here. That is what it means.

But I would like to thank Russia for understanding us, my problem. And they know also that how hard I am in dealing with the economic stress of my country. And for them, it was a very nice human gesture.

To the Russian Republic, salamat po.

INA/CNN PHILS.: Last from me, sir. The pronouncement has raised concerns or questions on what it could or how it could impact existing deals like the VFA or EDCA, the Mutual Defense Treaty, and also concerns from Filipinos in the US, sir, working there and those hired by US BPO?

DUTERTE: That’s what I said.

INA/CNN PHILS.: Do they have anything to worry about?

DUTERTE: Yes, I have to, I have nothing but worry. I worry that they would not get out of this country, that you have to force them. That is my worry. Why should I be worried? It will affect EDCA and the rest of the agreements? Maybe. But I have to consult the military, the police and everybody because at the end of the day, it is all security.

INA/CNN PHILS.: Sir, iyong sa Filipino workers, they’re here working for American BPOs. Do they have something to worry about?

DUTERTE: Well, how about the Americans working here also in the Philippines? If I should worry about the Filipinos, this is also about the Americans here and their investments and all. That’s why, better be careful with the word, we separate or severed our diplomatic relations. The second one is not feasible. Why? The Filipinos in the United States will kill me. That is why I am not going there, not in this lifetime. Tang-ina, inaabuso kasi tayo ng mga walang—

DUTERTE: No more? How about the young lady in the blue shirt. You’ll have your time. Alam mo, nagpapakpak lang ito kaya inaantok na ito, galing kaming Beijing eh.

Q: Hi, sir. Also in Beijing, you announced the alliance, you’re eyeing alliance with the China and Russia. Apart from these countries, what other countries are you looking for to have alliances with?

DUTERTE: So many alliances really actually. Alliance is a generic term that to the so many agreements, so many treaties to talk about. What is very important is that we have agreed to help each other economically. But a bulk of that burden would really be coming from China. Look at what happened, they just gave us the ten billion.

It’s not easy to just give so much money to a debtor na walang siguro. But the fact that they have the trust and confidence for us to pay on a long term, soft loan that would give us the drive, the impetuous, public-private iyong ano ha, iyong mga bangko na malalaking company, naghiram rin. It will be published. I’m sure those are things which are not confidential anyway.

Pero on a personal note, iyong usapan namin, you may ask me some other time because it’s late. But I would be able to answer you at least some but not all. Security matters, that’s not a proper subject matter.

Q: Sir, follow up. There are some people na nagsasabi na you are announcing your separation from US, and yet you just announced alliance with China and Russia. Hindi po ba conflicting iyon doon sa lagi nating sinasabi independent policy, foreign policy? Your thoughts on that, sir.

DUTERTE: May I look at you for a moment? (laughter) It could be, ma’am, a military alliance. It could be an economic alliance. It could be an economic bloc. Separation of my foreign policy, that it need not dovetail the foreign policy of America. That’s what I meant actually. Even sever. Sever is to cut. Separate is just to chart another way of doing it.

Q: Thank you, sir.

DUTERTE: You forgot to announce your name. Kasi—yes, yes, para walang magsama ng loob. Then, GMA ang sunod. Siguro, we can, maybe last two questions or three. Maybe, three questions.

MASAHI YAMAGUCHI/NHK JAPAN: Sir, welcome back. I am a reporter of Japanese Public Broadcasting Corporation, NHK. Next week, President will go to Japan and meet Prime Minister Abe. What do you—what are you looking forward to meet him? What are you looking forward to talk about? And last week, Japan donated Coast Guard ship. Japan government has a concern about the dispute about South China Sea. And next week, do you plan to talk about the dispute of South China Sea?

DUTERTE: Well, I didn’t get your question in totality, but I’ll just answer you. First, yes, I’m going to China to visit—ah, Japan! Well, Japan nga pala. Ako’y inaantok. I’m going to Japan maybe—I don’t know, kailan iyon? I’m going to Japan to visit your country. I don’t know if it’s just an official visit or state visit. To me, it’s just the same.

And of course, I have to talk to Minister Abe and the rest of the officials of the Japanese government. Maybe, I go to the Diet to just see it for myself. I have looked at the place from the outside but I was not really able to go in.

My talks with the Japanese government, particularly the Premier, would really be solely on— well, most of it actually is economic cooperation and, of course, shared interest. Now, the most important thing there is, the shared interest is really – if I get what you are driving at, is about the South China Sea.

You know, I said, I cannot talk for your country. I have to wait until I meet Minister Abe of what we would really be talking about. But the South China Sea has been the contention with several other countriesvis-à-visagainst China.

The award to my country was the arbitral decision, and it said that that piece of property there, if at all, is really part of our exclusive economic zone. It has nothing to do with the territorial waters. But if you are entitled of the fishpond as agreed upon by all, that each country shall own a fishpond for a sustenance, that is what it is being talked about in that judgment.

I told everybody and I told China, I cannot surrender anything there. And in passing, we mentioned the—they said that they answered that, at least, what was— you know, we do not want trouble there. We can only talk. And we hope that your country will not, you know, do something foolish to start a violent war there or incident. And I said, no. And we cannot talk about it because I cannot give or promise anything which I cannot do under the laws of my land particularly the Constitution. And that would be, maybe, the also the meat of what I would tell your Minister that we can only agree to talk peacefully, resolve the dispute and maybe come up with something that is good for everybody, just maybe. In other words, if you are asking me now, since I have to talk to Minister Abe, I cannot make any projections of what will happen.

But to the Chinese government, I said, well, if that is the thing, that is what is in your mind because that is also my stand, we will find the day to talk about it, only on the issue of the South China Sea and no topic at all. It could be bilateral, depends on the development, it could be multilateral and that would include Japan. Those are what I suggested in the future.

GEM AVANCEÑA/TV5: Sir, maayong gabi. Sir, comment ninyo po doon sa nangyaring dispersal sa harap ng US embassy noong Wednesday po?

DUTERTE: You know, the police said that natakot kasi na-corner sila. There were just two of them, I think, in the crowd. They were surrounded by the group of militants. Alam mo iyan ang sinasabi ko eh, even in war, even in everything, it’s miscalculation.

Well, I think that the police there was— nobody would ever do that in the midst of a trouble— I’m not justifying it. Just a maybe, baka he was under stress. They might gang up on him, hurt him and so he acted on by instinct, self-preservation.

So iyon namang ano, hindi naman talaga iyon, talagang may gusto siyang patayin, padiretso-diretso lang eh. Hindi naman talaga iyong pinipili niya kung saan iyong mga tao. But I said, I am not— this is not a brief for the police, I might say that.

Pero I intend to look at it. I will try to talk to the police, invite him for coffee. And I will talk to the activists para naman hindi sila— I would like to know what really happened. The dimension can only be— can be— had if— I would do the questioning myself. I do not want a quarrel between the—there’s no more Left here. I do not want to hear it from our side, gobyerno, right or from the left. We should stop it because we are talking and we are all Filipinos. I do not want anybody hurt there, not the police, not the young militants.

It’s about time that we should really treat this as a matter with civility. Hindi na iyang pa-ano na lang diyan kasi batuhin mo iyong mga pulis, ang pulis naman would come in swaggering and beating people. I would not like that in my— these things happening in my administration.

I am praying to God that we will succeed in the talks and baka sakaling makatsamba tayo. So with our Moro brothers, baka maka—for one reason or another, it might dawn upon everybody that we should be just talking. Everybody is progressing, whether it’s in China, Japan. Why are we still trying to fight that— para tayong nagra-rumble dito na mga bata eh. Look at those young people, they are fighting in the street, fights every night. Stop it. Nakukornihan na ako.

But, this is one thing I’d like to suggest: I do not want any firearms during demonstrations. Maybe, pistol but no M-16s there. Wala. Eh they should be stationed far away. The worst that they can do or maybe the demonstration is caused damage. I do not want to see M-16s there. There’s no fighting there. That will never happen. I mean, those are anathema; in the modern sense of the word, ‘demonstrations’. They’re everywhere. In every country, there are always demonstration. And the government, police and military should expect that, that when there is almost a disagreement, a dissent, everybody in any country—it could be Turkey, it could be anywhere, it’s always France, nandiyan talaga iyong demonstrations. It is part of the territory of democracy.

Yeah, I might not be able to hear you. You know, I had this— sleeping when I was— you might want to use the— Yes, sir?

WILL RIPLEY/CNN Tokyo: Thank you very much, Mr. President for taking my question. Just wondering, who would you get along with the best in the White House: Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump?

DUTERTE: You know, my friend, I would like to answer your question candidly, honestly and truthfully. Problem is, of course, personally, it do not really matter much. But I am a president of a country and we have this splendid relations with America, and the fact that there are already millions of Filipinos, maybe, in your country. Are you an American? Okay. I cannot gamble an answer because either way, it would affect, you know, they might create hostility here, antagonism here. So, I’m better off in saying that my favorite hero is Putin.

WILL RIPLEY/CNN Tokyo: Some in the United States and elsewhere have compared you, the reason why I asked, have compared you to Donald Trump, the Republican candidate. What do you make of those comparisons, speaking off the cuff, speaking what’s on your mind? Donald Trump has also done the same thing.

DUTERTE: Valid issues, actually, valid issues. Trump is airing something which is— should also be a concern. One is terrorism. Everybody should be worried about terrorism. And of course, in this modern world, multi-cultural countries, there should be some semblance of, you know, acceptance and maybe, especially in the matter of religion, tolerance. Those are bold words, but they have deeper meanings if you’re going into it. Tolerance, tolerate your religion. I respect it and everything like that.

Terrorism, it’s there. And frankly speaking, I’d like to be honest with you, America somehow, not all, somehow provided the reasons for the terrorism there right now. Why? Well, you need not be a terrorist. There has to be an explanation; where an Arab of Syrian descent, of Iraqi or Iranian would be there, migrated to the United States and was even born there, and yet somehow gets into a radical thing, maybe not even the history of the Persian Empire and all of these things. What they see are the bombings and the killings of so many.

And if ever, being done on the Filipino, I would really—and even you, if you are from the outside and you see Americans being treated that way, villages bombed, killing soldiers and even hospitals, and just say, “Oh, it was the wrong target.” You, by those pictures alone, you need not physically import, bring him inside the United States. With those images on TV and on the Facebook, you have created so much terrorism in your country.

That is what I can say honestly, my observation about America. You have imported terrorism to your land.Okay?

IAN CRUZ/GMA 7: Welcome back, Mr. President. Ian Cruz of GMA-7, sir. Sir, did you bring up the issue of Filipinos’ fishing rights in the Scarborough Shoal with President Xi Jinping? And was there any assurance from the Chinese that they will not reclaim any part of the Scarborough Shoal, sir?

DUTERTE: I’ll leave it to the—yes, of course we did. I’ll leave it to the Chinese authorities what they will do in the next few days. Napag-usapan namin pero no, no, no— I’ll leave it to them to— that’s one of the things I said that in the private talks which I cannot— But tignan natin. Let us see what develops in the days to come.

Last. Hindi ka man media.

Q: Hello, sir. I just want to know because the US Assistant Secretary of State is coming to the Philippines. What issues are you going to take up with him. The US Secretary of State, Daniel Russel, is coming to the Philippines, what issues are you going to take up with him?

DUTERTE: The Secretary of State here is Perfecto Kerry Yasay. (laughter)