FULL TEXT: Duterte’s MassKara speech, including apology

APOLOGY Addressing the crowd at Bacolod City’s top tourist attraction, the Masskara Festival, President Duterte apologizes to the Jewish community for his statement that he would be “happy to slaughter” 3 million Filipino drug addicts like what Germany’s Adolf Hitler did during the Holocaust. RONNIE J. BALDONADO/CONTRIBUTOR

Speech of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte during the 37th MassKara Festival delivered at Bacolod City Public Plaza, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental | 02 October 2016

Secretary Salvador Medialdea; Secretary Judy Taguiwalo; Secretary Ismael Sueno; Secretary Alfonso Cusi; Governor Alfredo Marañon; Mayor Evelio “Bing” Leonardia, sir, dugay na tang amigo ah; Representative Greg Gasataya of the lone district and members of the House of Representatives; Deputy Commissioner Jesus Clint Aranas; Commissioner Amelia Guanzon, ma’am; Presidential Assistant Michael Dino, Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran; fellow workers in government; mahal kong mga kababayan.

I’d like to congratulate you on this 37th anniversary. One of the more colorful activities in any city in the Philippines, itong MassKara.

And though, a long time ago, hindi niyo alam iyon but I attended twice dito. I was still riding the motor at that time and we used to come here and visit your place. There was a time when we coincided the visit with your MassKara and it’s really colorful.

And as the mayor I said, it gives you an identity different from the others. Just like in Davao City, we have the Kadayawan, but you know much as really we would like to do it almost every week, kung maaari, but there are certain dynamics sa Mindanao that we have to take care of.

So unless we are able really to arrive at a peaceful resolution, Mindanao will always be a topsy-turvy place. But really gusto ko na lang rin magpunta doon, the nitty-gritty of governance, I’d like to report to you.

I remember coming over here during the campaign, although wala na ako sa pulitika ha, I am only good for one term, then I go. This is my first and the last in the presidency. I’d like to serve everybody a respective of party. Gusto ko lang makibagay, maki-ano sa kapwa ko tao.

After all, election come and go, as we all know and this would be my last fling with public service. I am old and after this I am going to retire.

Ang ipinangako ko sa inyo is — that I will stop corruption. I think that I am succeeding to a certain extent you cannot erase it, which has been there for generation. But if you want — really ask me kung medyo malinis ang gobyerno ngayon? Malinis actually ang national government.

Now, without necessarily attributing to anyone, city, because I know that Bacolod is well run by people of good heart and intention, medyo sa local na lang ako na — I have yet to finalize something, a program that could perhaps enhance the delivery of public service.

Pero sa national ho be it the Secretary of Defense, kay Judy, kay Pernia, they are only given one month. And I would like to replicate what we did in Davao, I am not saying that we are better off than you, but the practice doon permits, electrical clearance, police clearance, I want it uniformly done at three days. Hanggang three days na lang po lahat.

I do not want to see Filipino queuing, naglilinya. If you are in the national government, my suggestion was, if you want to ask something more than what you have carrying at that time, you can ask for a shopping list of what you should submit.

Baka na-submit na ninyo iyan, either DENR or whatever national office. BIR mahusay na pagkadala ngayon. You just submit your papers, ask if there is anything that you have to do yet, then pagkasinabi iyon na ‘yon, bigyan ka ng stub and there is a date there indicated that you may come back on this day, at this hour to get your paper. That is my order mandatory ho, mandatory.

And of course, crime is really related to now, noon crime as crime, they used to be some — a lot of kidnappings anywhere but you know, shabu is preferable.

Walang nagha-hunting sa ‘yo and it is easily solved. Ganito iyan mga kababayan ko. When I was mayor I was very strict, really strict. Sa Mindanao kami wala na ngang turistang pumupunta guguluhin mo pa ‘yung lugar.

But at that time I had sense that the crimes evolving were generated mainly from drugs. So I was very strict and until now I am. Sabi ko sa mga tao doon — and this is what really it is all about — sabi ko sa mga tao doon: Kayong mga kidnapper, kayong mga drug syndicate, kayong mga drug lords, kayong tiga-gulo ng buhay ng tao, umalis kayo dito kasi papatayin ko talaga kayo.

My city was relatively ganyan ngayon pumunta ka man wala masyadong gulo and you can walk about every night unmolested. Your walking is unbridled. Nobody would really disturb you but there are always costs. Walang libre sa buhay na ito.

‘Pag may lumabag ka nang ganoon, magbayad ka talaga. And that has been the source of my trouble with the human rights. Ako wala akong ano sa kanila. I do not have a sentiment with them even anger for they’re just doing their duty, period.

Eh ako may trabaho akong mayor, I have to keep the city alive. I have to make it more habitable. Ngayon, noong president ako medyo okay pa. Nakikita ko na ang problema serious but my God. When I became your President, inipit ko na lahat — I squeezed…I started to squeeze everybody. Doon ko nakita ang hundreds of thousands. And to my dismay, you know, ano man ang kasi…If you are a bystander, bakit si Duterte? Bakit patayin niya? ‘Di i-rehab na lang niya.

You know my beloved countrymen, you must remember that I entered the Presidency midterm. Ibig sabihin the budget I am now operating to run government is the budget that was prepared by Aquino and it was done the year before to be implemented this year.

Now the budget next year would be being — would be prepared by now to be implemented next year. Ngayon pagpasok ko wala na hong capital outlays. Iyong makabili more on MOOE. Maintenance na lang, pang sweldo.

So saan ako maghanap ng pera? I could not get money from Judy’s department or from Mr. Yasay’s Foreign Affairs at  ibigay ko doon sa Department of Health for rehab. I cannot do that because that is not allowed. It is like robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Eh, ngayon wala talaga ako so hindi ko masabi sa buong mundo. Every time I explain, hindi naman ho ako pinapakinggan.

So I was being attacked left and right. I thought that America was a friend. But without even really studying the matter itong human rights ng Amerikano and even Obama at saka ang State Department started to…You know I am…

Small as I am, I am your President and I represent the Republic of the Philippines. Huwag naman sana sa pagkatao ko. But every time you insult the Philippines or they reprimand or castigate me in public, you are really crucifying the Filipino people.

Noong mayor ako okay lang ‘yun. What… I was carrying was not the integrity of the Republic, but maybe the name of Davao City.

But ngayon umabot na as if it has evolved, it is running 800,000. At the end of the year aabot lahat ‘yan ng 1 million.

You know I was in the ASEAN Summit sa Laos with Widodo, President Widodo with Indonesia. Sabi niya, “Ilan ang iyo?” Sabi ko, well the original estimate of the PDEA at that time under General Santiago was three million already.

So I am just getting into the act so maybe — “how much is yours?” Sabi niya, “four million”. But ang Indonesia malaki. There are about three great islands there, big islands and there about 240 million.

Ako ang liliit ng Pilipinas although not contiguous, island for island tayo, but then I have also four million. Sigurado ako at the end of the year idagdag ko yung one million ko I will have four million.

That number is not a joke and it is — it covers the entire Philippines. At ganito ‘yan, bakit ayaw ko ng election ngayon? Because the portals of government has already been eaten by narco-politics.

Iyong hawak-hawak ko na listahan ganoon kakapal—validate, validate, validate, validate and sometimes the mayor is in and the company. Ngayon meron ‘yan.

Almost 12 barangay captains are nasa listahan, user at kung hindi gaya ng sa Albuera, nagma-manufacture ang gago sila pa ang nagnegosyo. Eh talaga totoo yan.

I’m just telling you the truth. What do I get? Ako pulitiko ako, kung maaari gusto ko kaibigan ko lahat. But I have a duty and that is to tell you and telling you I do not intend to prosecute that is not my duty. My duty is just to inform you that there is such a thing as narco-politics already.

Now kung papayag akong mag-election meron nang — for whatever it is really worth to you, it has entered, I said, the portals of the national government.

Si De Lima, kung ayaw niyong maniwala totoo talaga yan. Wala akong sinasabi that she is into the manufacture of drugs. I am not saying that she is connected with the distribution of drugs. But I can tell you that she was supported at lalabas nang lalabas ‘yan diyan sa house ngayon. But yung driver niya—ang naging ano niya—pa-niya niya na lang tayo kasi maraming…Baka magalit ‘yun.

Pero sabi ko nga sa galit ko, kasi ako yung inaano niya. You know if you remember I was the only whipping boy niya, Human rights siya noon, she was starting to castigate, crucify me tapos naging Justice Department niya eh di bakit di pu-mile (file) ng kaso sa akin?

Noong natapos ang election bira siya nang bira. O ngayon yung kanya lumabas na ngayon. And I said a very nice—not-so-nice statement. I said, you know you were screwing your driver and you are screwing the nation.

Hindi pulitika ‘yan eh wala na ako. Papaalis na ako. Six years minus how many months na lang. Kung aabot ako. Kung hindi ako patayin.

Kaya in my sorties to the military camps and the police sinasabi ko sa kanila if I do not survive the six years, if the problem sa drugs would outlast me, meron man talagang succession sa presidency yan. But do not forget to remind your commander-in-chief na ‘pag hindi ninyo mapigil ito, if you do not interdict now, if you do not put up a hard line, the next generation, ‘yung mga anak ng mga anak ninyo, pati mga apo ninyo, tatamaan talaga ‘yan.

Would…When will you…It spread all over the country with some mayors, with some majo[rity] — halos majority na ng barangay captains.

Nakita man ninyo noon nag-warning na ako, sabi ko surrender kayo. You saw the many thousands nagtatakbuhan doon sa pulis. Sabi ko kasi patayin ko kayo pag maabutan ko kayo including ‘yung mayor na ngayon…

Bakit itong bunganga ko? It’s the only way to do it. Hindi mo matapik pare pwede ba na ano? Hindi na nadadala ng ganoon na eh. Wala na sabog na eh.

You have to really…And there is no law which says I cannot threaten criminals. Bawal mong takutin ang mga criminals ng kamatayan. There is no law. Kagaya rin ito ngayon na presidente na ako sabi ko: Pag sinira mo ang bayan ko, pag sinira mo ang mga anak naming, talagang papatayin kita sigurado yan.

Ngayon tanungin nila ako human rights diyan na, “o sinong pinatay mo?” “Ewan ko. Istorya mo lang yan.” E di ba bawal magtakot.

Ngayon itong mga human rights actually it started as a garbage. Yung kalaban ko sa pulitika unfortunately, ayoko na kasi relative ko ‘yung asawa niya eh. They started this thing about human rights.

Pero totoo ha, marami rin talaga namatay na Davao…hipokrito… But every time na may mamatay na walang suspek, extra judicial killing. Yan naman nung sa Maynila. Maabot na ng 33,000 ako ang palaging pinagbibintangan, maski yung nasagasaan diyan ng… Basta pagdating ng may mga pulis, suntukin ko yang mga yan minsan maginit ako.

Itong pulis pagdating doon, “o sinong suspek?” “Walang suspek.” “Ah, extrajudicial.” Eh ‘di nagpatong na nang nagpatong. I don’t mind. I really do not mind na ang away namin ganito. Iyong Amerikano ang ayaw ko kasi, ano ba ang “kasaba?” Kasaba ba yan sa inyo? Yung reprimanding me in public kaya sabi ko “screw you” “f*** you” lahat na, gago kayo.

Kasi bakit mo ako ganunin? Alam mo 3 million addicts. Instead of helping me and you know that there is no money because there is in that budget, we did not expect nor Aquino ‘di niya malaman ‘yung magnitude ng contamination.

Tapos kung ganunin ganunin mo ako turo turuan mo ako, I will give a policy statement in the coming days. Ibibigay ko sa inyo pati mumurahin ko talaga sila.

Now, ganito ‘yan kung kayong mga Amerikano galit kayo sa akin galit rin ako sa inyo. But by the way ‘yung statement ko kasi ang sabi kasi ng tao, “ito si Duterte, Hitler ‘to killer.”

Eh ‘di sinabi ko rin sa airport pagdating ko, “eh ‘di sige, si Duterte ako, killer ako.” Nag-react ang Jewish community all over the world.

I would like to make it now, here and now that there was never an intention on my part to derogate the memory of the six million Jews murdered by the Germans.

Ang reference kasi sa akin nila ang ako daw si Hitler na maraming pinatay.  So ang number kasi ng drug pushers as I have told you is 3 million. Kaya’t yung lang ang sinabi ko.

“O sige si Hitler ako, pero ang patayin ko itong mga…” But anyhow, if you — it’s not really actually that I said something wrong, but rather they do not really want to — you to tinker with the memory. Eh alam natin ‘yan.

So, I apologize profoundly and deeply to Jewish community. Wala akong… It was never my intention but the problem was I was criticized using Hitler comparing to me. But I was very emphatic sabi ko ang patayin ko ang 3 million addicts.

It had nothing to do with the… But per chance if there was something really, a bad taste in the mouth to say it. Pero ‘yung Jewish community lang. itong mga bobo na abugado sa EU pati sa human rights, ah screw you. Eh sipain ko pa kayo, insulto eh ako raw mahilig magmura.

Ganito yan eh, what would be my defense when you pretend to be a friend of the Philippines? Ang America pati itong human rights ng United Nations kung bira-birahan ka at wala ka nang magawa kasi solo nila ang international press.

Ang iyong sagot, hindi aabot ‘yan. Kagaya kay Obama, would you believe it? I never mentioned his name, na sabi ko, ininsulto ko. Sabi ko, do not do that to me. Huwag ninyo akong…

I was referring kung may ambush doon, interview or papasagutin nila ako. Eh si Obama naman naniwala kaagad he took — “hurting words” of Duterte.

Ikaw. ‘Pag ano ng State Department, makita mag-fax stating ininsulto. Wala akong ininsultong president. Pero doon sa Summit ipinakita ko yung picture ng massacre.

Bakit walang peace ang Mindanao? Ayon nakita ko nakapatong ang mga katawan ng mga Moro doon sa Bud Dajo massacre.

Ngayon kasi ganito, let me just give me about a few — para malaman ninyo ang…Nakausap ko na ang Communist Party of the Philippines, we are talking. Nakausap ko na ang MI, we are talking. Nur Misuari is scheduled to get out of his camp, bigyan ko lang siya ng conduct pass, he will go to Davao, we will talk.

Nakumpleto ko na sa Mindanao sana. Ngayon wala ng fighting. There is no more NPA—wala na. Kasi ayaw kong marinig yang “left” and “right.” I do not want to hear that. I’m a Filipino.

Pero sa Mindanao mayroon isang grupo, sector na hindi ko talaga madala. Ang Abu Sayyaf pati na ang mga iskolar. Yung mga tabligh, tabligh is parang Knights of Columbus ng mga Katoliko. Yung mahaba yung ano na puti. Puti yan sila tapos mahaba ang bigote. Hindi ko talaga ma-convince.

Sabi nila mayor… Eh sabi ko doon sa isang interview ng ANC— iyong si Tatad, si Lozano…Nandoon si…Iyong mga bright-bright. Sabi nila one century ago. Hindi nila alam tapos ko nang tinanong — tinanong ko ang mga tao. These pictures are one century ago. Ano pa ang sabi? Alam mo kung ano ang sagot sa akin? “No mayor, that picture is present tense. As long as the Americans are in Mindanao, we will talk to you but we will not negotiate with you about peace.”

That prompted me to say that there will be a time I may ask the Americans to leave Mindanao to enable me to connect with them and to talk. Maybe they would decide to negotiate. And that was…I’m just being your President.

Alam mo itong Amerikano… Kaya sabi ko, I will open up another front sa ating foreign policy. Kung ganoon kabastos ang ginawa mo, binabastos mo ako well sabi ko, hiwalay-hiwalayan na lang tayo.

Kaya ‘yung Laos, ang hindi nila alam na nakipagkita ako kay Medvedev. I’m revealing it to you now. Nakiusap ako na ganito ang sitwasyon, pinapahirapan ako nito at binababoy ako ng mga walang-hiya.

Sabi niya ganun talaga ang Amerika, so istorya kami “sige, tulungan ka naming”. Ito namang China sabi niya, “lumipat ka na sa akin, wala kayong makuha diyan.” So I’m going to China to make friends with them and also with Russia.

Now may I remind the Americans, itong EDCA. It is an official document but it’s only signed by an aide and si Gazmin. It does not bear the signature of the President of the Republic of the Philippines Aquino. Walang pirma si Aquino. Better think twice now because I would be asking you to leave the Philippines altogether.

Sabihin mo na ‘yung dollar namin kunin ninyo. Kunin ninyo! Tignan mo sa newspaper, p******** ina itong gagong puti, “Oh Duterte you should be one…[speaks Bisaya]

Ako talaga bastos ako ‘pag ginanon mo ako. It’s the tolling of the bells, meron yan ano ang ibig sabihin niyan?…There are 24 hours in a day but if that bell tolls for 25th bell, that will be its 25th hour and the 25th hour because it’s an extra day where there is none. It will toll the bells to sound your kneel of grief.

Iyan ang mensahe ko sa Amerikano. Hindi kami magugutom. We will get out and after review of that document if I find that there is no signature, if you cannot produce a signature bearing the permit to you — mag-conduct-conduct kayo dito ng ano, pati yang war games…

Tanungin niyo ang mga military ninyo, huwag ako. Ano ang complaint ng military? Mangadyi ba ta? [Are we going to pray] Is it six o’clock? Five twenty eight pa man. Akala ko galit yung pari sa akin. Iyong mga bishop man lang wala namang pari.

Now you make it hard for me. You insult me internationally, fine—do it. Sabi nga ni Sonny Dominguez the finance secretary, he’s very adept in the international stage, sabi ko, hindi raw ako statesman sabi ng mga unggoy — unggoy ‘yung puti.

Sabi ko alam mo hindi man ako tumakbo ng statesman. Ang pagkaalam ko nagtakbo ako presidente. Bakit nila ako gawing statesman? Ayaw ko man ‘yan. Eh siyempre noong ako nagkatao—seven years ako sa high school, na-expelled ako sa Ateneo, it took me seven years to graduate kaya sabi ko wala akong credentials.

Wala naman akong sinabi sa inyo na, “ako dito boto kayo sa akin kay ako valedictorian, sila.” Dominguez, mga kababata, Tugade, sa law school, San Beda. He was the valedictorian. Puro man…Yasay, kung magsalita… Magsalita, Ilonggo yan ah. Wow, linte nga — na…Ilonggo yan, Yasay ha. Ilonggo na. [speaks in Ilonggo] man siya diha sa Davao sa tatay niya ministro.

He grew up talking in English kaya kung magsalita, talo pa si Kerry. [speaks in Ilonggo] Eh English ko English…Small time lang tayo eh. English-bisaya. Kaya minsan makalimutan ko, ano nga ‘yung p****** inang pangalan nito?

You know men judge best when they condemn. Ang translation talaga ng son of a b****, p***** ina mo. You know, “p***** ina mo ngayon ka lang nagpakita ah gumastos ka nga.” But they changed the nomenclature—“son of a wh***” which is really not good to hear.

Pero alam man ninyo Pilipino magsabi tayo, ‘yung iba, ayaw niya “son of a gun.” Tayo magsabi, ‘yung iba, “son of a b****.”

Iyong nagta-translate sa atin they usually, t*** ina mo. Ngayon talagang… Tingnan mo international press, yun ang sinasabi ko kung siraan ka na so that if I cannot deal with them on an even playing level, tapos ganunin mo ako, the best defense that I can do is to insult you.

Bira-birahin niyo ako ang ibigay ko sa inyo lahat insulto. Sabi ng human rights, “I talk properly”, “t**** ina mo, sino ka man? Di nga ko naniwala sa nanay ko ikaw pa?”

Eh hindi ako ganoon eh, look for a…Problema ako ang pinili ng tao but that is really my ugali. That is my paradigm, if you want. At saka galit talaga ako sa… I have this…They stayed there for four hundred years. The Americans stayed there for 50 years. They leave, took away the fat of the land.

Kaya ‘yan tatandaan ninyo, kayang ito sila may colonial syndrome. Kasi akala nila under pa tayo sa kanila tapos — ‘yung iba hindi man lang kaya tapos ako ngayon ganunin nila.

Bukas ang kabarkada ko si Putin pati si Xi Jinping. Marami sa China kay…Sa America? Mag-komperensya, kape, pati yung finger food na…Kami doon ni Xi Jinping banquet iyan, buntag, hapon. Hindi, that’s just a joke again ha, do not over stretch it. Do not stretch it beyond its normal proportion. So I am here I am happy and I…

Ah tapos na man ito? Ah maghinto na ako? Lain sang batasan diri nga ah.

Sinong bisita mo nga, gaundang ka na nga ha, hambal di ha nga. Let us go with the MassKara.

O di sige ganito na lang, pagka-Kadayawan, pag kayong mga taga-Bacolod…it’s not really that…Once upon a time naman yang bomba-bomba but altogether Davao is really peaceful and I’d like to invite you to share us also itong amin sa Kadayawan.

Wala man kami, walang Bacolod-Davao eh. May ara barko siguro. Pero gatan-aw mo lang may ara buslot, marami kanang disgrasya dire. Mga barko buslot gabangga.

Be careful dito sa Bacolod. Well anyway you don’t have the…You’ll have to go to Iloilo…There’s a…Ah meron araw-araw? Wow.

And pagka naamo sa Davao, hindi maski everyone ang imbitasyon ko adtu ko sa airport sabihin mo lang sa pulis, “asa mayor?” Eh di dad-on ka, ako na bahala sa inyo. Libre ah. Oo ah.

I-divide na naton unang grupo dire. Second shipment ito. Di kamo kadugan, patay na way ko panahon mag-entertain sa inyo.

So I’d like to again invite you. Keep the…Ganito yan eh, even if there is a disaster, return to normalcy at once.

If for anything mayroong disaster, catastrophe, the key word is return to normalcy immediately.

So ito dito it gives you joy, it makes you proud and as a matter of fact, to make you doubly proud, I came here to makabisita sa inyo nga, tinunhan nga akong asawa Ilongga, gabiya-an ako ah.

Salamat.