President Rodrigo Duterte. AP FILE PHOTO
PRESIDENT RODRIGO DUTERTE’S
PRESS STATEMENT AFTER HIS TALK WITH THE TROOPS
PNP-PRO X, Camp Vicente Alagar, Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro City
September 22, 2016
Yes, I would like to make an announcement.
Alam mo kasi itong ideological war, some people in—doon sa rural areas are divided between the devil and the deep blue sea. Some have allied with the communists, becoming the—parang partisans and itong gobyerno naman, some of the civilians would join an organization that would be against the communists. And this fighting in the mountains has been going on ever since.
But you know, I have noticed from many reports that the government backed—mga paramilitary units are still operating. I am now ordering the Army to take full control itong mga Bagani Command and the—there is another group, I forgot the name, so many, military—paramilitary men operating especially with firearms issued by the government that would undermine the peace process, and of course, it would be also a crime if you do that especially, a couple na namatay sa Kitawtaw, it’s a—it’s near this—sa ano, Surigao pala. Arakan, North Cotabato. Mahinto na sana ito, because we are really trying our best to come up with a—with a peaceful country.
The Communist have agreed to talk, so we are talking. The MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front), despite of their beating of the drums before that if there is no BBL, they would go to war and they have may be abandoned the idea and decided to go for peace. We are talking. I am talking with Nur, but the problem is, there is that younger generation na hinanap ko, bakit talaga ayaw, including the young guys sa—you know, I am—Maranao ang Lola ko, and my daughter, who is the wife of the vice-mayor, my son, sa Davao City. She’s a Maranao-Tausug ang tatay. So I asked him, right after the elections, to go in a journey because I wanted to talk to the young ones na ayaw talagang makipag-usap.
And that is where I said, people are not just really listening. I said that, I had a talk with them, very serious moments. And this is what they told me. Now remember I showed (US President Barack) Obama, the massacre pictures because sabihin ko talaga sa kanya, “Good as any other time to talk about human rights,” because it was suggested by (UN Secretary General) Ban Ki-moon at the summit. So, talking about—itong ano, human rights, pinakita ko iyon.
This is why we cannot talk complete in Mindanao. Why? Ayaw talaga yang mga tao, yong mga bata iyong mga scholars, not really the fighters but the scholars of the Moro civilization, galit talaga sila sa Amerikano and because of the Bud Dajo massacre, yung 6,000 of the Moro people were—and of course, somewhere in Samar, Balangiga that’s the town where the Americans got the bell … as a booty, part of a booty of the wars.
Gusto natin na isauli nila na until now, they have refused at that time, and it is recorded history that may panahon noon, 10 years above, pinatay nila lahat, kasi lumaban. Well, itong dito sa Samar, okay na iyan. I mean, Christianized na and you know, forgiveness and—
But itong sa Mindanao. Kaya sabi ko, there will be a time—kasi sabi nila, “for as long as we see those guys in camouflage, mga puti, it is still like America is fighting us through your soldiers.” Sabi nila, “We want them out.” It got nothing to do with Obama, it had nothing to do with my—I said, “it had nothing to do with the pontifications of the righteous ‘kuno’, it has something to do with what is of interest to my country.”
I would just say at one time, kung ayaw talagang makipag-usap, di magkagiyera, wala ng kahintuan ito. That is how it came about.
But itong mga international writers, every networks, mayroon yan silang correspondents, everyone, not necessarily a foreigner but a resident correspondent and they are now the subject, I have—I was told of several threats. Then you know, I appreciate very much your support and maybe your—how would I say it, enthusiasm to back me up. You are correct.
I am not doing nothing wrong. I agree with you, but of course, we should not also threaten people because hindi na sila makapagsulat ng totoo.
For after all, just like (Justice Secretary Leila) de Lima, just like the drugs, they thought all the while that it was just really something, but only, they now realize that the drug, that the whole thing was being ran by no less than the Secretary of Justice. Hindi na niya namalayan, naglabasan na talaga ang totoo.
So, in desperation, I said it was not in anger, but in desperation, I uttered— and I would like to repeat it: De Lima was not only screwing her driver, she’s screwing the nation. Wala akong pakialam kung sino iyong mga naglabasan na iyan. Lalabas talaga ang totoo eh.
And that should put also itong mga human rights, look at what—because she used to be the poster girl with all sense of righteousness and indignation, shouting everywhere na Duterte ganun. Na siya—sinasabi ko sa inyo, ayaw ninyong maniwala noon eh. Because right after, I remember, went to Congress as a witness, summoned by Congress to talk about the rice smuggling. Kasi, I also uttered if it is the slur, and I said, but it was not me, it was Enrile.
Enrile asked me, anong gawin mo? What will you do if you find this Bangayan in your city smuggling rice? And I said, for cheating us 7 billion, that’s the tax for a shipload of rice, I’ll kill him for 7 billion.
At inulit ni Jinggoy iyong question. Sabi niya, “ano, ano?” Tapos, he was winking his left eye. “Ano, ano? Anong sinabi mo?” And I said, “Mr. Senator, I would give you an answer you want to hear. Papatayin ko iyan kung sa Davao yan.”
So, in desperation, I said it was not in anger, but in desperation, I uttered— and I would like to repeat it: De Lima was not only screwing her driver, she’s screwing the nation. Wala akong pakialam kung sino iyong mga naglabasan na iyan. Lalabas talaga ang totoo eh.
And so De Lima criticized me. At that time, it was only about 8 months bago siya. Sabi ko, “De Lima, do not mind my mouth—that is my strength and that is my weakness, itong bunganga ko. Napapakinabangan ko ito pag galit ako.”
Kasi iyong iba, natatakot; hindi naman lahat. At minsan, sabihin nila na hindi daw ako statesman, hindi naman ako nag-apply ng position na statesman. Nag-apply ako ng posisyong Presidente. Nagpa-elect ako. Statesman, I do not know how he would dress. I do not even know how he would open a statement.
But what I know is that I have to serve the greater interest of the Filipino people.
Thank you.
Read here all of President Duterte’s speeches delivered during his visit to various military camps across the country.