Oath-Taking of Newly-Appointed Government Officials

The President led the oath taking of newly appointed officials at Rizal Hall, Malacañang on 9 January 2016.

SPEECH OF PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE

DURING THE MASS OATH-TAKING OF THE NEWLY-APPOINTED OFFICIALS

Rizal Hall, Malacañan Palace

9 January 2017

Congratulations ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for joining the government service again. And if… can you sit down. If I just may—I don’t know. There’s no program but maybe I should give some…

Wala man ito. It does not reflect my character. I want kung ano ‘yung sasabihin ko, ‘yung akin, whether it is really pleasant or not that would be your problem, not mine.

You know, I ran for the presidency because I wanted to be of some purpose in my life at the endgame sa buhay ko.

And the reason why I also decided to run was simply because in the horizon, most of the candidates — maybe pati ako — may malaking pagkukulang, and it has something to do about the — the very important things that the Republic should be able to solve or at least to minimize.

Walang kandidato kasi nagsasalita about Mindanao. And if you would ask all the military guys here including the officials, nandito si Governor Piñol. If we do not try even to solve the Mindanao issue, it will be the biggest problem of our land and of our children.

You know, what you see now as you might have seen before, but never realized it, was that itong sa Mindanao was a result of a rising nationalism, a Moro coming to terms with his existence in the land.

As I have said repeatedly, almost with a redundancy that long before Magellan set foot in the Limawasa — Lima asawang islands. Bilib ako sa buwang. Lima ang asawa. Kaya tayo, cannot blame us. Ang mga ninuno natin nagturo eh.

Well, Islam was already thriving in Mindanao, pero at least they say that 100 years. I do not believe it, siguro mga 70. Ako, kasi noong congressman ako, we were touring congressional reciprocity of exchanges, punta ko ng archives, so about 70.

So noong dumating si Magellan, talagang away, because may poste na sila doon and the post was Islam. And dragged on for so many years and the Americans came, this time with more brutality because of the advent of the new firepower – cannons, the repeating rifles, and everything. So more lethal, more effective, more deaths.

Kaya ‘yan ang hindi na nakuha ng taong bayan, na ito hindi ito basta na lang mabigyan ng solution because aside from the fact that everybody there living in Mindanao is interested, or are interested to have peace, meron ‘yung record of ano eh, massacres and everything, and these are not easily forgotten.

We, most of the Christians, we always refer to the massacre sa Balangiga, ‘yung bell doon. Sila maraming massacres, in the years of subjugation, to the point of talagang masakit sa kanila, and this has to be healed.

The problem is be aware that you know things might overrun or events might overrun us. Ang problema dito, ganito…Well ‘yung rising nationalism in some parts of the country for some people, wala na ‘yan, wala na ‘yan. It has been overtaken by this ideology of violence and brutality, ISIS.

For you who are, the Moro here, remember that I intend no bigotry. Lola ko Maranao. So ‘yan ang nangyari. Ang ano nito ngayon is ang problema nandiyan na ang ISIS and we have been debating for so long. But we are now one of the opinion in the Cabinet that the ISIS ideology is here to stay.

They have, some of them, they are competing for recognition. So baka lion’s chapter officially recognized. They are outdoing each other in brutality. The more brutal you are in raising the ideology, the more credentials that you may have for a recognition. So ganon ang nangyari.

So we have this problem now of terrorism. Now, you would…It would be nice to us… Bakit malakas ang, ang shabu sa Mindanao? Kasi ito sila, they are driving the war using shabu as if you will, pati sila mismo.

And sa Middle East, it is bruited and recognized na talagang nagsa-shabu. Kaya dalawa ang problema sa Mindanao, shabu is being cooked and the last time, ‘yung mayor, ‘yung vice mayor, actually ‘yung vice mayor na namatay, ‘yung magkapatid. Pulis ng Maynila ‘yun.

They learned the trade here and eventually went back to Mindanao to start their own industry sa shabu. Iyon ang nangyari diyan. Iyong iba even driven by pera, ‘yung iba naman sumasakay. And they are throwing shabu whatever the price.

One is really to just lull the mind of the person, complacency or whatever at nandiyan ‘yung shabu. Iyan ang pinaka-delikado. That is the problem that we are facing now. Terrorism. Kaya may shutdown. I do not blame the military.

If I were you, you might as well, if you are handling an office, solicitor general, mag-ano ka na lang ng [toy?] at least kung may network ka, may base ka, you might be able to communicate with your whatever office your handling. Kasi one of the things really that you should do is to control the transmission of electronic signals. Kaya ‘yan ang…It’s not really my idea. I was advised that there will be a shutdown.

So ‘yan ang problema ngayon. Shabu must end because patay tayo kung…For as long as there is shabu, the addiction will continue and it will bring us down to the dogs.

Ayaw lang maniwala ng iba but it’s a very… You know, four million is four million. And that is the original number of General Santiago ng PDEA noon. Gave you three. Eh paano ‘yung incremental increase? That was about three, four years ago. So ‘yung it might really be easy just to guess that another one million has been added over the years and four million is four million. And you know what? The one thing I hate sa shabu at talagang galit ako, is because they enslave our countrymen. Slavery ‘yan eh.

And they are slaves sa droga through pockets of these mga idioto. Kaya kung sabihin mo patayan, eh anak ng — huwag na tayong magbolohan for as long as I am President. Itong malalaking shabu dealers, mamamatay talaga ito. And the next batch would really be tatawagin ko ‘yung mga mayors, i-lock ko, no — kami-kami lang. Sabihin ko talaga sa kanila. Ganun kakapal ‘yung ipinakita ko sa inyo eh. Hanapin mo ‘yung pangalan mo diyan, mayor. T—— i—— ‘pag nandiyan ‘yung pangalan mo, may problem ka. Talagang papatayin kita. Whether you resign or make a clean breast of everything, come up with a [inaudible] and we’ll talk.

Pero kung sabihin mo I will allow? I might go down in the history as the bachelor…Eh bahala kayo. I will not allow my country to — not during my time. Sabi mo sa panahon ni Duterte maraming patay o ‘yan. That’s why I said when I came over, I asked my security, sabi ko, ‘pakitingin nga ng meaning ng purpose?’ So why are we here? So we have a purpose. What? To serve the government, to serve the people. What else is there to talk about here except service to the people and truly one na ang tao naman hindi nasho-shortchange? We are being paid, we feed our families with the salaries we got.

Iyon ang gusto kong i-ano sa inyo but not the way I would present it to the mayor because dito medyo brutal nang kaunti. Talagang sabi ko, huwag ninyo akong lokohin. Kaya sabi ko, the first thing that I would do is to deprive you of the supervisory powers over the police. Second, is I will — tanggalin ko lahat ng security mo. Because kung ang siyudad nila there is a thriving shabu business there, meaning to say that you are not working as a mayor.

Eh hindi ko na lang ina-ano ang sarili ko but look at Davao. Ayoko lang magpa…I do not want to pull my own chair but look at Davao. Most of you have been there. Pero nagkakaproblema ba kayo diyan sa mga droga-droga na ‘yan? Dahil hindi ako pumayag eh. Kapag pumayag ang mayor, pumayag ang chief of police, patay na ang tao. Iyan talaga. Provincial commander, chief of police, ‘yan, station commanders. Kapag iyan ang nagkunsabo, kagaya sa nangyari…And we did not know for the life of — that we were already a narco-politics two elections ago.

Makita mo ‘yang listahan na ‘yan, I’ll make it public. Binitawan ko na eh so you can get to have a look at who is there and who is not. Hindi natin alam na noon pa pala ‘yung mga municipal mayors.

Eh itong si Albuera, eh namatay siya in a very… Eh wala akong pakialam. Ang sabi ng pulis lumaban, and then I will stick with the story of the police because the police is under me. Why would I dwell on the…Eh kung niluto ko pa ‘yung kaso eh ‘di tinawagan ko na si Vit Aguirre, sabihin mo nga sa NBI, sundan na lang ‘yung istorya ng…But I did not also. In fairness, sabi ko, sige lang, but I will stick with the police.

Sabi ko, totoo ‘yang kanila because iyan ang sinasabi nila. And that is a one way of protecting. Basta sumunod lang: Go out and hunt for them. Arrest them if still possible, if not then — if they presents a danger to you, puts up a violent resistance, jeopardizing your life, shoot. That has always been my order.

Magtanong ka ng isang pulis dito kung may sinabi ako na patayin mo ‘yang si De Lima o patayin mo ‘yang si ano. I never ordered. Ang sinabi ko lang… Remember that I declared war. I did not declare any just police punitive action. No, no, far from it.

Sabi ko, eh ‘yung sabi papaano itong namatay? Eh precisely this is war. Why? Look at the problem. Is it really just a police matter? It has become a national security issue that is why I had to call in the Armed Forces to help. Kulang ako ng tao, kulang ako ng lahat.

So that’s the purpose. My purpose dito sa buhay na ito, eh kung ‘yan ang swerte ko pasensiya. Pero sabihin mo na ousted, coup d’état, so be it. Sa Senate, so be it. Eh ihulog mo ng eroplano kasi — tutal commercial flight ‘yan, maraming insurance ‘yan.

I take the…Kasi magastos ‘yung jet eh. Nahihiya ako sa tao. Iyan ang… Tayo dito isa lang talaga ang hiling ko. We have a purpose here. The purpose is to serve the people. Hanggang ngayon hindi ko talaga makuha — mabuti’t nandito kayo.

Just first week of December, si Maria — si ano, si Andrea rather ng PAGCOR, gave me a five billion check. Right away, sabi ko sa, kay ma’am na, sige, ma’am, i-release mo ‘yung one billion sa mga tao ngayon na humahawak ng reseta ng doktor na walang mapagbili. Sabi ko, ubusin mo ‘yan ngayon because kung may one billion ako next month same I will…

Then kita mo the irony of life. Nag-release ako ng another one billion sa mga p—— i—— mga durugista na ito. Kasi the community-based treatment or rehabs there, whatever is going on there, wala silang perang pambili ng medisina. So just imagine, one billion which could have been used for something like feeding the hungry. Napunta sa mga u—— hindi ko naman…Gusto kong patayin lahat eh magkakaroon tayo ng eskandalo. So I had to subsidize also the…Eh Pilipino eh.

Kaya sabi ko ngayon, pero kung magpatuloy ito. Itong mga ito nakita na nila they have a good idea of how it evolve. Makita na nila kung papaano. Now ngayon, kung papasok pa sila diyan, naghahanap talaga sila ng kamatayan.

Tapos itong mga human rights, do you want the killing stopped immediately tomorrow? Puntahan mo ‘yan sila. Drop, just drop the shabu. Turn your back and walk away from the shabu industry and tomorrow it will be heavenly peace. Wala nang mamamatay diyan. Iyan lang ang deal ko.

Itong si rapporteur. You know what? I was investigated by the Ombudsman together with the police when I was mayor. They had no findings but they find one month salary ‘yung mga lahat na — lahat 27 of them. All these years na mayor ako lahat ng dumaan sa Davao na chiefs of police were filed kasi wala silang makuha except neglect of duty.

Then the rapporteur, Philip Alston of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights went to Davao. We had a long talk. Tapos ni-lecturan ko rin siya ng, ‘you do not just come here to talk.’

Of course, I have every reason also to talk back at you. Tapos wala.

Then De Lima, Human Rights siya. Inulit na naman niya, wala. Secretary of Justice siya, wala. Ngayon, ipa-imbestiga ako ng rapporteur, umalis kayo, sipain kita p—— i—— mo. Huwag mo akong ganunin. Eh binababoy mo ako eh. I mean they should realize that they have been at it for so long a time. Why bugged me with so many investigations after investigations? Ako talagang masama ang ano — and I do not care if you are Obama or si Ban Ki-moon, isa ka pa. You just don’t reprimand me in public for something as serious as a problem. You know when you begin to tinker with it, itong si Obama, nitpicking, you are trivializing the problem. Four million slaves thrown to slavery, drugs and you trivialize the whole thing by just asking why there are about 1,000, 2,000? Paabutin mo na ng 50,000. We have a serious problem here. Why do you…? Hindi nila alam kung gaano kasama ng tama sa bayan niyan.

I have this [inaudible] of faith, that for as long as there is trouble, there is disorder in the community, nothing but nothing will follow. Look at Davao. From a wasteland, pinilit ko ang sarili ko. I have my own political philosophy. Eh iyan nandiyan ang mga taga-Davao, pinilit ko talaga. Sabi ko, do not destroy my country because I will kill you. And do not tinker with our youth because we need them to run this country after us.

And I insisted on my own. Oh kita mo Davao. Davao is hitting nine percent, the highest in the country. Tingnan mo ang Davao, nakakalakad ka ng gabi. Pero at a price.

Ngayon, sabihin ninyo paano ko ginawa? Ah secret ‘yan. Hindi ko pwedeng sabihin ‘yan. Well, that’s it. Ang ano ko lang, ma’am, is may isang nagreklamo. They were following the…Wala daw itong director, I don’t know if it’s regional. But kindly just re-echo or echo the warning. You know ang Cabinet I just give them one month. They used to handle it two months, three months, one year.

NEDA, in particular, meron kami ‘yung application namin sa train, a simple train. And even just to tell me that it is not viable, wala akong communication hanggang ngayon. How inept and… Hindi ko maintindihan. Sa panahon ninyo, I gave you one month. Ilabas ninyo ‘yan whatever it is tutal computerized naman ‘yan, marami naman tayong empleyado.

Then ‘yung…Dito sa baba, hindi ko pa tapos, nagda-draft pa. Iyong mga business permit sa local. I have every right to intervene in this, supervisory. Itong nga — on how to handle ‘yung wala namang discretion iyan eh.

So three days, electrical connections, three days. Kasi dito sa ano, sa baba, electrical permit, pagpunta mo sa bumbero, pabilihan ka ng fire extinguisher. Kung anu-anong, and it takes about forever really to do it.

This has to stop. This has to stop. I will define the timeline sa — kasi kawawa talaga ang tao. Naaawa ako sa tao. It it might be sabihin ninyo a pretended sentiment or whatever, but the fact is talagang naaawa ako sa tao.

Now I will be harsh this time kasi new year nga. Maski ‘yang mag-ano. That’s why I opened the 8888, sabihin ko — and I will tell the nation: Name the public official. Narrate in three sentences kung ano ang kasalanan niya and I will take over. Wala akong ano ‘yang graft na ‘yan. Wala talaga akong pasensiya diyan. Pera pati ‘yung simple neglect sa tao. Wala talagang — walang alibyo eh ang tao. Year after year, administration after administration, corruption ang…We might be able to give them a respite sa hirap ng Pilipino.

So iyan na lang muna ngayon pending the completion also of so many. But I would like to plead to you na ‘yung huwag naman patagalan. Iyong three, four days, ako sa Davao kasi business permit, three days. Kung hindi mo ma-approve or disapprove, ilabas mo. Then give me the reason why. But you should be able also from your end to give them a shopping list and everything is submitted and everything is also okay, then issue the permit. It’s not time to corruption, maliliit na bagay, kawawa eh. Magpunta ‘yan dagdagan mo kasi manghingi pa ‘yan.

Ako basta diyan wala ako. Zero tolerance ako basta ganon. And I showed it by ‘yung ginawa ko sa Immigration. And they were not only close to me, they were my fraternity brothers. But wala akong ano diyan. Wala tayong pinag-usapan diyan. And tayo kasama naman, lahat tayo, nandito si General [Habayabas?], sir, matagal man tayong nagsama ni minsan…Iyong dumaan ng Davao o taga-Davao ni minsan, ni minsan, wala akong hiningi na pabor na. Ni minsan wala akong nilakad para sa taong…Iyan lang ang maipagmayabang ko.

I may not be really be the ideal public official that you’d want me to be. Sabi, hindi raw statesman. Eh p—— i—— statesman, ang kinuha ko law. There’s no such degree as statesman. Bakit mo ipilit mo sa akin ganon, statesman, statesman? Wala ka naman ginawa sa bayan mo. Hindi na bale hindi ako statesman, basta patay lang lahat ‘yang mga g—— drug lord diyan. Talagang mamatay ka, sigurado ‘yan.

Sabihin ko talaga, kayong mga drug lord. Kaya ‘yung isang tonelada doon sa San Juan, kung nandito ako sa Maynila, at may tumawag, ‘Sir meron dito.’ Dalhin kita sa likod sa apartment, barilin kita doon.

Tapos sabihin ko, ‘Sinong gustong sumunod?’ Totoo. Ganon karami, isang toneladang shabu. P—— i——, you are ripe for the kill. Huwag mo akong, do not…

Kaya nga sabi dito, iyan classmate ko si Ruben, Ruben Lopez. Ayan o. Noong graduate na kami, may binaril ako na tao. Tapos, ‘di hindi ako maka-graduate. Class ‘72 ang…Hindi ako pinasali sa graduation kasi may binaril nga ako eh.

Tapos na…I don’t know marami sa ating ang mga law, dumaan tayo kay Solidum. Justice Arsenio. Boses ano ‘yun eh. [imitates Justice Solidum] Nakita niya ako eh. ‘Why did you shoot [Goco?] ? God damn it.’ ‘Eh sir, he slapped me sir.’ ‘Ah that is… You’re just being playful and then you shoot people, you Duterte, you are a potential murderer.’ P—— i—— totoo nga. [laughter] Justice Solidum. Ganon mag-salita ‘yun eh. Diyan sa corridor. ‘Why did you shoot [Goco?]?’ ‘Because sir, he slapped me.’ ‘You are just being playful… You are a potential murderer.’

Well, one of the vignettes in life that nakakatawa lang kasi parang totoo. [laughter] Parang hindi.

I have a Cabinet meeting actually. I’d like to congratulate all of you. Welcome back to the government service. Dito si Luis, used to be for the longest time, my vice mayor sa Davao. Dito man tayo lahat.

Wala lang pahirapan sa tao. If you can’t really attend to the nitty-gritty of the business of you office, maybe you can just assign somebody of your confidence na let it run as efficiently as you can.

I do not really demand that you’ll be there to, you know, maybe do the things that everybody wants you…Ano lang ‘yun, mag-iwan ka lang ng tao na tumakbo pati wala lang, lalo na ‘yung mga…Ano ba naman ‘yung maghingi, mag-follow up. Land registration, land registration. Walang papel, wala lahat.

Postal, pati nanay ko. And to think, that I was at that time a fiscal and a tanod-bayan prosecutor. And so one of the two ako na tanod-bayan special prosecutor for Mindanao. Itong mga business permit and then sa taas.

Dito sa taas, I still have faith in may Cabinet members. Wala man ito, puro man ito mayaman. Si Tugade na ayaw nilang bigyan ng pera. You know Tugade was our valedictorian. He’s a billionaire actually. Si Art. Sa law school pa kami, mayaman na ‘yan si Art. He was running the Delgado shipping. Parang CEO ‘yan, panahon naming. Honest ‘yan si… Lahat sila, sa totoo lang. Wala akong problema.

Kaya ‘yung sabi ng ano na, anong mga payo ibinigay mo doon sa for the New Year, ano bang sabi ko. Bakit ako magbigay sa payo ‘yang mga ‘yan? Mas bright sa akin ‘yan. P—— i——. Ako nga ang pinaka-bobo.

Defense Secretary, ‘di ko alam ito, defense secretary. He was assigned sa Davao. Pastor Quiboloy was also from Davao. Sabi niya, ‘You know, General Lorenzana is our valedictorian sa high school kami.’ To think that he was the valedictorian sa klase niya sa UE.

Ako lang ang medyo tagilid diya. Pero as like in the order, we go by the majority. Sa totoo lang, tayo hanggang 77, 78 ganon. Okay naman ‘yan. Wala akong ano, ako talaga ang, wala ma, wala akong maipagyabang. Kaya dinadaan ko na lang sa extrajudicial killing. [laughter]

Wala akong credentials na ipagyabang eh. Itong media… Let me end by saying, coming in from Laos, it was a long haul, almost four hours. Pagdating namin sa Davao, ganito, impromptu, may presscon. Ang tinanong ba naman sa akin, tingnan mo talaga itong media o. Media, halikayo. ‘O meron ka na bang ano, have you resolved the issue of not cussing in, epithets and all in public, hindi ka na mag-mura?’ Sabi ko, ‘Anak ng p——, sa lahat naman ng mga problema ng Pilipinas.’ Sabi ko, ‘While I was flying in, I was looking out of the window, dark, there was a brilliant, Jesus Christ appeared to me and said you stop your cussing in public.’

Alam mo, p——, would you believe it? Naniwala itong mga—[laughter] Hindi ko talaga akalain na naniwala. Tapos sinabi, si Duterte, medyo may sira. Ito sila, itong mga, ‘tong mga has-been, ganon daw ako, ganon may sira ulo.

Tinanong ako ni Luchi Cruz, sabi ko… ‘Bakit ganon ka? Anong totoo, anong hindi?’ Sabi ko, ‘Luchi, look, when I was interviewed. You know, if it is ridiculous and far out and spacey ang pinagdadaldal ko. Bakit kayo maniwala na ganon?’

Eh ‘yung kinausap ako ng Diyos… Kung sabihin tuloy talagang nangyari, it really happened, at God talked to me, rather me talking to him, ang sira ulo ang Diyos, hindi ako. Bakit ako kausapin?

Isa rin ‘yun. During the last election, sabi nila, ‘Are you running?’ Sabi ko, ‘No.’ ‘Why?’ Sabi ko, ‘I do not have the money. I do not have the machinery.’ Sabi nila, hindi, ‘Your ratings, your up with Roxas, nagpapalitan kayo 3, 4, 3, 4.’ ‘Is that a good rating, ma’am?’ ‘So by your body language and your — parang talagang tatakbo ka.’ Sabi ko, ‘Hindi lage.’ ‘Tatakbo ka… O sige,’ sabi niya, ‘What will make you run?’ Sabi ko, ‘Baka Diyos. Kung bababa ang Diyos sa harap ko, wala tayong magawa.’

Kung nandiyan ang Diyos sa harap ko, anong sabihin mo? Sabihin ko, pera mo. Eleksyon ‘to. Hindi ito…Saan ka… Kay Kristo. Money down and I will run.

Naniniwala sila ng ganon? Alam mo, sabi ko pag ka-istupido ‘yung ano, ‘yung… Pero kasi sa Davao ganon ako. Kaya ‘yung mga media naman na sanay…

Pagdating ko dito, biro mo probinsiyano na, siguro akalain na… Guy this is Manila, this is international arena ha. Anong pakialam ko arena, arena kayo diyan. L—— kayo, basta ako, gusto ko magbiro, magbiro ako.

So but today at… I am not joking. I really want you to, just you know, nag a-average tayo dito eh. Ang edad siguro natin dito, ako 52 na. [laughter] Kayo siguro diyan nag-average tayo ng mga about 50’s, ito na ‘yung pinaka-last ano natin.

Six years from now, I do not think that you’d be in a position to work some more. So this is the last call para sa — may magawa tayo sa kababayan natin. Just give it

Ako I promised you I said, there will be no corruption in my office. I will not until now, I have not, maski sinong tanungin. Wala akong tinawagan dito na ano ‘yung kontrata ko. As a matter of fact, I discourage people ‘yung magdala-dala ng negosyante sa opisina ko.

You talk to Tugade, you talk to Gina whoever. Do not talk to me. Para wala lang ano. But last call natin ito. Maybe on the side, marami namang hanapbuhay diyan na konti-konti lang. But itong trabaho, give it to the people because you have to.

It’s your last call to serve your nation and because I am pleading to you na I hope that we can work together, trust each other. And I said give it to the people this time.

Maraming salamat po. ●