Duterte Verbatim: Closing statement in CDO presidential debate

Presidential candidates Vice President Jejomar Binay, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Sen. Grace Poe-Llamanzares and Manuel “Mar” Roxas II (R) during the Presidential Debates 2016 held in Capitol University in Cagayan de Oro City. With them are GMA7 anchor Jessica Soho, Inquirer.net Editor-in-Chief John Nery, COMELEC chairman Andy Bautista and GMA7 anchor Mike Enriquez. INQUIRER 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

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