Duterte Verbatim: Opening statement in CDO presidential debate

Presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON

Editor’s Note: The Inquirer catalogues in its “Duterte Says” series all the prepared statements, speeches and pronouncements of President Rodrigo Duterte made during and after the 2016 national and local elections in the Philippines. 

FIRST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
Capitol University, Cagayan de Oro City | February 21, 2016

OPENING STATEMENT

Good day. It’s good that Ma’am Miriam (Defensor Santiago) is here. She’s one of the two only qualified to run this country as President.

Ma’am, I am here because there is so much criminality. Drugs are flooding the country. We’ve been calling the attention of the national government, and there is so much corruption in government.

I propose that if I am President, I will get rid of criminality, drugs, and corruption. Just give me three to six months and I will do it for you. I will deliver. Again, I said we cannot go for economic growth unless we start with government. For as long as there are incompetent and corrupt officials in our government, we would never reach our goal of a happy family.

And so I say that I stand here and you might consider what I’ve told you this afternoon. Thank you.

CLOSING STATEMENT

Nganong nia man ko ngari? Why am I here? I am here because I love my country and I love the people of the Philippines. I am a native of the Philippines. There is so much corruption. There is so much crime. And so much drugs flooding the country. And it seems that nobody is minding this through.

Matagal na (It’s been too long) that we have been raising that problem and I see [that] every time before a forum, we talk about this, about that. Eh kung bigyan ninyo ako ng pagkakataon (But if you give me a chance), only if God wills it also, I will stop it, I said.

This is an imposed restriction on me. Hindi ako nagpapabilib sa inyo (I’m not trying to impress you). I will get rid of drugs, suppress crime, stop corruption in government in a matter of three to six months because I believe that without peace, without … corruption, we cannot really survive and develop as a nation.

READ: Complete transcript of first presidential debate in Cagayan de Oro City