Duterte Meets Filipinos in Laos

SPEECH OF PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE

DURING A MEETING WITH THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY

Feungfar Convention Hall, Ban Phonsinuane

Vientianne, Laos

September 5, 2016

(applause/crowd cheering, shouting: Duterte! Duterte!)

Mga kapatid kong Pilipino ang una sigurong sasabihin ko is I would like to thank the government, the nation of Laos for hosting you here, giving you the chance for a livelihood and protecting you. Salamat ho sa gobyerno ng Laos (crowd cheering/applause) mga Laotians, we appreciate deeply yung ginawa ninyong space para sa mga kababayan ko.

Nandito po ang kasama ko, ang ating Secretary of Foreign Affairs; si Perfecto Yasay, Jun can you—(applause) and of course, the others are left behind kasi sa Protocol, mauna talaga kami, I was only with my aide, Bong Go, siya yung kasama ko sa sasakyan. (applause) Ito yung matawagan ninyo anytime (applause) kung may mga—well, problema sa ating—ninyo dito at gusto ninyong umabot sa aking opisina.

Now, despite of the bombings in Davao I had to go here. One is to show that they cannot ask us on bended knees na ipo-postpone ko lang dahil sa kanila. (applause) Because in the end, in the fullness of God’s time, meron talagang reckoning yan at mayron yang pagbabago. I’m just about two months plus, three, just give me time and I’ll fix the country.

As I have promised you, there will be a clean government and it will be clean (applause) and whether in or out of the country, I assure you, pag-uwi ninyo, iba na ang sistema doon. (applause) And I would like to assure you that as a returning Filipino citizen, you will be accorded with due respect and dignity of a Filipino worker. (applause)

Iyan ang unang mawala ho, talagang ewan ko lang iyong hindi naniniwala, marami na akong pina-resign diyan sa LTO pati LTFRB. (applause) And there will be a continuing purge, linis talaga. I’m just taking my time so that they can prepare at sabihin ko sa iyo, I’ll give you two months, maybe you save your salary because you are out of government. Talagang totohanin ko iyan at ipakita naman ho ninyo, iyong mga tao na kinausap ko, those guys—all Filipinos, all good men to join my government.

Kayong taga-Davao, you know Jun Yasay, he’s from Davao. He’s very good. He is a professor of Law sa mga university sa America. He has migrated there many years ago because during Martial Law days, he was also wanted. Mukhang may pagka-aktibista and we share the same room, student days namin. I was taking Law sa San Beda at siya naman sa UP sa Padre Faura. So, kinuha ko siya kasi bright, talagang bright as bright.

Then you have the—he’s not here; he’s the caretaker, si Medialdea, he’s the Executive Secretary. Marami pa hong dadating. I brought along with me: si Defense Secretary, he used to be assigned there in Mindanao many years ago when I was mayor and he brought the 2nd Ranger Battalion with him in his assignments. Nagkaibigan ho kami, he is a military man, he is good, he is honest and he will serve the country well.

Nandito po si Ramos, ang ating—nakatulog ako sa flight. Secretary Lopez sa DTI. He takes care of—itong mga medium and small industries. Ito yung mga ng ‘Go Go Negosyo’ noon kung naabutan ninyo. Sila ni Joey Concepcion, sila iyon, so kinuha ko sila.

Nandito po sa atin si Secretary Andanar ng ating media, (applause) he used to be working with GMA, lumipat ho siya sa akin. Nandito na ba lahat?

And I cannot—Sonny Dominguez, kababata ko, taga-Davao rin. (applause) He was the Secretary of Agriculture sa panahon ni Cory Aquino. He was once upon a time, President of PAL—Philippine Airlines. I am not good, di kasi—yung opera ko, hindi na masyadong maganda, I am old.

Si Secretary Esperon, he is the National Security Adviser and sino pa ba ang—andiyan si—of course, si Undersecretary sa Local Government, si General Cuy. (applause) He was also assigned in Davao once upon a time. Ang DS—si Judy Taguiwalo, (applause) ayan, takot ang mga congressmen diyan, kasi she belong to the Left, yung parang ating perception sa pulitika left and right, mga Leftist ‘to sila, kagaya ko noon, once upon a time.

Itong gobyerno ko po, niyaya ko lahat. Tawag nila, The Communist Party of the Philippines but they are not actually members, they were just in the Socialist dimension nila. So halu-halo na kami and I am talking with the NDF, NPA, CPP at saka ang Moro National Liberation Front at yung Moro, MILF.

Ay si Aiza Seguerra sa National Youth Commission, (applause) Aiza, where are you? Nakita ko dito kanina. I’m sorry, I cannot memorize you anymore. Excited din kasi ako eh. But anyway, nandito iyong mga cabinet members who would make the difference sa ating trabaho ngayon.

We are here to work with the ASEAN and next year, tayo na ho ang mag-host, (applause) so sila na ang pumunta doon. (applause)

Then again, I said, I would like for the second time magpasalamat ako sa Laos for taking care of the Filipinos here and protecting them. (applause) It is with gratitude that I bow to you being an Asian also.

Ngayon, iyong pumutok sa Davao was in retaliation of the almost—talagang all-out. Alam mo kasi, kung hindi ko gawin iyan, we are being slapped everyday, almost mag-hostage sila ng mga turista or kidnap people then asking for money at pag hindi nakaibigay o nakabigay na at ipasa nila doon sa ibang grupo, dadagdagan ipinapatay nila sa harap ng mundo. As a country, the sovereign state, I cannot simply allow that and itong bombing has been going on ever since. Kayong mga taga-Davao if you care to remember, we had this problem with them early in the 70s and they bombed the Catholic Church, the Cathedral twice during Mayor Santos’ time and mine, 1989. Then, ang airport, simbahan, terminal—those were retaliations but those are also the sacrifice that we have to bear.

Alam mo I am asking you, I am very sad, I share the grief for those who died but mga collateral na lang yun—ganti. But that will not stop us because I cannot go to them and say, “Please stop and I am on a bended knee, nakaluhod ako”. I carry the burden of a country, a sovereign state and at all cost, I must uphold the dignity and the integrity of our country. (applause)

Bigyan lang ninyo ako, konting panahon. I am just maybe two months, three months, mayron na akong alitan diyan sa mga human rights. And of course, alam mo, hindi nila naintindihan ang problema. I was the favorite whipping boy ng Human Rights and alam ninyo iyan. Nung mayor ako, eh talagang napakagulo ho ng bayan, ang siyudad ko. Kayo taga-Davao, alam ninyo iyan. So I was at the crossroads of deciding whether I will preside over the afffairs of the city that is peaceful, o mamili ako, magulo. So I gave everybody a chance. I talked to the Left—NPA and the Left-Davao. But I also, kinausap ko yung mga kriminal, pati durugista, pati lahat na, sinabi ko, umalis kayo sa Davao kasi papatayin ko kayo, pag nandito kayo. (applause/crowd cheering)

Ngayon, iyong umalis buhay, nasa Maynila na, sa Cebu, doon sila sige nakaw. Ang Davao is really peaceful except for a terroristic activity once in a while, you can go about pauwi kayo ngayon and nobody, walang mga kriminal, walang mga holdupper, drug pusher, medyo halos ubos na. Konting panahon pa lang para ubusin ko talaga lahat. (applause)

But let me state my case: They will pay, magbayad sila, ilang buhay pinatay nila kinse. Well, give me time. Pagdating ng panahon, talagang pulpugin ko kayong lahat. (applause)

You watch me. Tutal, nakita ninyo ako how I operate. I am not bragging but I have a style of running a governance, for after all, I have been 23 years Mayor of Davao City. I was once a congressman and the Vice Mayor of my daughter, yung nanuntok, nakita ninyo sa—ano yun ang mayor ngayon. So bantay rin sila diyan. She has a very short fuse madali lang—maldita na (applause/ laughter) at wala ring patawad iyan. So ganon.

But on the other side, except for this rebellion going on, if I will succeed with my talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines, if I am successful by the Grace of God, with the MI and the MN, and I promise you I will crash that rebellion, puputulin kong lahat ang puno diyan to the last. (applause/ shouting)

Sila rin nag-umpisa. I am not bragging and let it be known to them na gaganti rin ako. Hindi ako pwedeng magpautang ng ganun. Kung ano iyong ginagawa mo sa iyong kapwa, sa kapwa mo tao, gagawin ko sa iyo iyan. Iyan ay hindi naintindihan ng ibang bansa, na may Human Rights. Puro daldal nang daldal (applause) ayaw ko lang pangalanan yung—but you know, what country it is—it’s right with hypocrite at eh ako ginawa mo, magbayad ka. Hindi yan puwede iyang utang-utang na madala lang tayo ng human rights. Ayan. Not. magbayad ka, because walang prinsipyo iyan sa criminal law eh.  The positivist theory which says that you can rehabilitate a criminal. I dare you to say the contrary. These guys are beyond redemption.   Wala nang ISIS, kita mo doon sa Middle East and they will burn 20 young girls for refusing to have sex. Ano? Pagka pinaharap mo ako ng ganun, alam mo kaya kong kumain ng tao, talagang buksan ko iyang katawan mo, bigyan mo ako suka at asin kakainin kita. (laughter) Oh totoo. Iyong pagalitin mo ako at talagang sasagad na, kaya kong kumain ng tao, bigyan mo lang ako suka at asin, kakainin ko sa harap nila iyan.   Sabi ko sa bisaya, walay sukod sa balos. (applause) Hindi ako magpapautang, sige lang, bomba lang kayo ng bomba, pagdating ng panahon, kakainin ko kayo sa harap ng tao. I will devour you. And if I have to erase you, gusto ko, sabi ko, pagkatapos walang makatayo diyan ni isang niyog. Ni isang niyog walang tatayo diyan. So ganoon iyan.   And I would also ask for your understanding that we are still in the process of eradicating drugs. Marami nang namatay, iyong iba na sabi pinatay ng pulis, totoo iyan. Iyong iba na-salvage, totoo iyan, pero hindi kami. Bakit ka magturo sa akin? So sasabihin ko na ako, ayaw naman ninyong maniwala, maniwala kayo na sabihin ko ako ang nag—   Sabi ko, sinisira ninyo ang Pilipino eh. If I relent, if I stop, if I renege in these commitments, I would have compromised the next generation of Filipino. (applause) Sira ang ating bayan and it will continue and continue. If I do not interdict, kung hindi ko parahin ito ngayon, nobody can. Hindi ako nag-i-insulto, magtingin ka diyan sa larawan ng pulitika ng Maynila. Sinu-sino ang nandiyan, sino ng puwedeng mag-presidente? Gawain mo iyan, kaya nila iyan, kumain ng tao? (laughter) Ako pagalitin mo ako, sa totoo lang, I will eat you alive, raw. Ganoon ako, kasi ewan ko siguro baka Moro man ang lola ko, Maranao, ang Tatay ko siguro ang wakwak.  (laughter) At least kaliwat nila ba.   So, we are good. We are trying to stop at the very top corruptions. Marami ho sa BIR, napaalis na, pina-resign. At iyong mga—nung tumatakbo ho ako, eh sinabi ko na sa mga generals, mag-resign kayo kasi involved kayo sa drug. Then he still alive. So if you have time, kaibigan mo.   You know, President Ramos went to Davao four times, not three times, four. Tapos iyong una, wala siyang pinakita, basta sabi lang niya, “you must run because it’s about time that Mindanao would have its own president”, yun lang ang usapan, limitado doon.   And you can ask him, buhay pa si Ramos eh. The second time, he was strongly urging me to run. Sabi niya, “ikaw lang ang makapigil nito kung papano”, then he showed me a list ng mga—nandun na, mga general sa droga, pati iyong pulis, ganoon kakapal. Hindi ko pa binitawan yang iba, kasi bina-validate ko pa.   Sabi niya, “if you do not run, sino ang patakbuhin natin.” Sabi, “ikaw sir, huwag ako, kasi wala akong pera. Pati, hindi ako pang-big time, small time lang ako, sir.” Sabi niya “No, if you skip on refusing  and this country will go to the dogs.” Pinakita niya oh, what can you do with this? So nakita ko yun, generals ganun, hindi man akin iyon. And yet pati iyang kay Delilah, hindi iyan akin, hindi ako ganoon.  Bakit nakita na ba ninyo? Well, at least performer siya. Iyong iba magtaratma lang, magharap lang ng ganoon, sa kanya she is active, nandiyan man iyong video.   Third time ito. Sabi ko, kasi wala akong pera. Balik siya, isang tennis bag, sabi niya, “Oh, nag-solicit ako ng pera sa mga kaibigan ko, wala akong pera, kasi retired na lang rin ako.” Ayan, nung binuksan namin ni Bong, pag-alis niya, P5 million. Pero sabi ko, “kanino ‘to, sir?” “Basta halu-halo na iyan.” So hindi ko maglagay nga doon sa election returns kung kanino galing. So anonymous eh, ayaw niya sabihin eh, sabi niya, “hindi ko talaga pera iyan.” So inimbita niya ako, October 16, hindi ako nag-file, palapit na iyong substitution, talagang inaraw-araw niya ako. So sabi ko, “sige sir, sige sir, tumakbo ako.”   Hindi ko naman akalain, wala ako partido. I mean PDP is a little bit moribund, iyong hindi na gumagalaw. But wala akong governor except for three provinces, iyon lang. Wala akong governor, ni wala akong barangay captain sa Luzon, ni wala akong konsehal  and yet I won  by a big majority, (applause) 16 million plus, 6 of which is really my margin from my nearest opponent.   So, hindi nila ako kilala. Ano ang ibig sabihin ng mensahe na iyan? There has to be a message in the result of the election. There is something which the people would want to convey to me, to do something about it. So pagkaalam ko nung eleksiyon, sabi ko, tapusin ko ang korapsyon, droga, pati itong—kasali na yang Abu Sayyaf. So iyan, magkuha ka ng—ke barbaric ng mga—sobrang, why do you have to? Bakit itong mga pinapakita mong mga lalaki dito, tinatakot mo. Lahat naman tayo mamatay, God! Pati iyan sila.   Kaya ang mensahe ko sa Pilipino, wag kayong matakot mamatay. Ang tao mamamatay talaga. When? Diyos lang ang makaalam niyan. Wala tayong ano—we do not have that refuge. But by what manner, well, mamili ka kung anong gusto mong klaseng kamat—how it is done? For what reason?  Pero when? Well, tayong mga Kristiyanos, I am a Christian, that’s the religion of my father. We are only—we can only say na God has promised us eternal life.  Even in our prayers, God says, He will come to judge the living and the dead. So babalik Siya sa mundo at husgahan iyong buhay pati patay. Baka siguro titindig iyong mga patay, baka magtakbuhan na tayo sa takot.   Well, anyway that is God what—says. As a Christian, lumaki tayo ng ganoon eh. He will come to judge the living and the dead. When is that? Only God can tell us. Pero pinaka-sigurado, this planet will come to na end. Sigurado iyan. Someday, it’s gonna be that just like a stone whirling around the solar system, kung kailan tayo mamatay. Kaya walang dapat—because kayo, malalakas ang loob, would you think that you’d have the guts to go over so many thousands of miles to be here to work and you are brave.              Kaya ako, saludo ako sa inyo. Kaya ako nag-bow sa inyo, kasi iyong mga people who have that courage, the foresight and vision to go out of his country to seek better or greener pastures. Bilib ako sa inyo, anuman or that is really iyong mga ano iyan, mga uncertain, baka mamatay ka doon, madisgrasya ka. But do not be afraid of that, take it from me. I am Pastor Duterte. (laughter/applause) Simula ngayon ang ating relihiyon, masyado yan—may pari ba dito? Ah, pari si Pangasaba.  What I don’t like really is, iyon bang takutin ka, na maliit pa tayo magpunta tayo ng impiyerno, magpunta tayo ng impiyerno. Ano man sunugin ang impyerno na—   But you know, there were things which the Catholic Church must change or else it will—by the end of this three decades from now, wala na, becomes irrelevant. Dito na lang kayo sa bago, Iglesia ni Duterte, maganda ito. (laughter/applause) Walang bawal. Inom, sige inom, babae, sige hanggang patayin ka ng asawa mo. Madali pala magpatay ng asawa, iyong husband ninyo, iyong legal, timplahan mo lang. Lalo na iyong mga bisaya, iyong maalat, parat, is it maalat, is that the translation? Lagyan mo ng extra two spoonful iyong kanyang, dalawang kutsara ang kanyang ulam, ibigay mo, parang two year lang iyan, papalpak na ang kidney niyan. (laughter) Wag mo nang i-dialysis, sabihin mo iyan na siguro suwerte mo.   Well anyway, joking aside. Let’s  have a—I’d like  to share, to break bread with you tonight and I hope that you’d make it good, that we are ready, si Yasay, Undersecretary Yasay, nandito dumating si  Senator Cayetano. (applause) Iyan mahusay rin, sayang nga, pero anyway, he will still be president, if he aspires for the presidency. I give him my support and I say it now. (applause)   Buto iyan sila kay—magharap sila ni Obama, pareho sila ano, American, nanay niya, Amerikana man. At least, bago ang presidente—Tisoy. So hanggang na lang, nandito ako. Kakain na tayo. I said we are ready.

I have the 8888, that’s a 24-hour facility where you can  call and—sorry, nandito pa pala, nakita ko si Secretary Dureza (applause) and si Secretary Abella, iyong Spokesman, si Secretary of Defense, si taga-Cotabato ‘to. (applause) Sino pa ba ang mga guwapo? Ay! Si Secretary Esperon, (applause) Chief of Staff ni—panahon ni President Gloria. He was the National Security Advi—ah no! Chief of Staff, kinuha ko siya, National Security Adviser.   So medyo kumpleto naman siguro tayo. Ang pinaka—nasabi ko na ba lahat, except for Judy and ay! Ang isang maverick, ‘ika nga, yung when he opens his mouth, instead of putting to  a close a controversy, he  let it be a big issue—Sal Panelo. (applause) Bikolano ito. So nandito, all accounted for. Itong mga ibang staff, hindi ko pa rin nakikita. Pero may mga kasama kami, mga aide namin. Pero anyway, makita pa naman niyo sila. After this we can have—then, we have to go home because tomorrow, maaga naman masyado ang ano. Ako, alas-otso, susmaryosep! (laughter)   Kaya ako sa Davao, hapon mag-umpisa. Usually hapon, mga alas-dos ganoon. Tapos all through the night, pero iyong buntag kasi, umaga hindi ako—we have to abide by the protocol of the place. We have to respect their wishes.

So ganoon lang po and I am very happy to see all of you in good health. (applause) Sana at iyong mga dalaga, maraming dalaga dito? Wala? Naubusan tayo ng supply ah, padala pa tayo dito. May you settle here and if it’s time to get married, your good here. Laos is a very good country. It’s a very close island. (applause) Tsaka para na ring kababayan natin because we look almost the Asians stock, it’s almost the same.   So, to the President and their Prime minister and to all the people of Laos. Maraming salamat po.

Thank you very much. ●