PRESIDENT RODRIGO DUTERTE’S PRESS CONFERENCE
DURING THE CEMETERY VISIT FOR THE DEATH ANNIVERSARY OF SOLEDAD “NANAY SOLING” DUTERTE
Wireless Cemetery, Davao City
February 4, 2017
Q:... ceasefire lifted pero sir ang peace talks, ano pong say ninyo sa—?
PRRD:I have—I will request maybe tomorrow the Philippine contingent to fold their tents and come home. I am not ready to resume the peace talks. As I have said, I would like to tell the Filipino people, peace with the communists might not come in this generation.
Q:Sir, you’re scrapping it, sir?
PRRD:Yes entirely.
Q:Sir, it is just temporary na hindi lang magre-resume now or—
PRRD: Maybe—
Q:Or could it still resume throughout sometime midterm?
PRRD:Do it after my term. There’s still one.
Q:Sir, what happens to your campaign promise now?
PRRD:Well, I tried everything. As you can see, I walk the extra mile, released prisoners, released their leaders so they can go to Oslo to talk. Now, they want 400-plus prisoners who fought the government and there are rebellion, crime and that is only given—common sense would tell you after a successful talk or talks. Hindi ka mag-release ng mga nasa presohan kung—at the beginning. So, what’s there to talk about? Kung i-release ko lahat sila, so why bother to talk? I told the soldiers to—I said, go home to your camps, clean your guns and prepare for the long struggle.
Q:So, sir, you’re giving up already?
PRRD:It’s very clear to you obviously.
Q:Sir, how about your feature federalism? Because you –
Q:Will you still aggressively push for it?
PRRD:No more.
Q: Federalism, sir, no more?
PRRD:Ah,federalism? To set up. Yes, because that is the centerpiece of my campaign and federalism is the only way to arrive at the peaceful solution to what is bugging Mindanao.
I’ve told you before and I will say it again, and again and again, that there can be no be peace in Mindanao until we reconfigure. Yung mga proponents noong 1987 constitutions. They should come here on the ground to listen to the Moro people. They will not stop their struggle until this country blow up to pieces.
Now, with the coming of the ISIS. You can very well understand my problem. They are here, they are not interested in the Moro nationalism of getting back their lands, you just interested to wage war and kill people, period.
O, how can you talk peace to those— Paano ako mag—saan ninyo ako ilagay? I will just sit away or just fold my hands and look at my country deteriorate? We have the Armed Forces, we have the police. Maybe, we have the money to do it, so if we continue to fight for the next 50 years, fine.
Q:Sir, you mentioned in your speech yesterday or 2 days ago naubusan na lang ito. Are you giving the AFP a deadline?
PRRD: No, it has been a struggle, I said, that’s going on for the 50 years. Ubusan ng bala pati lahat siguro, until such time, it would come to a natural secession because everybody is tired of killing people. That’s what it is actually, a revolution or a terrorist is out there just to kill people. Why? Can they hope to overthrow this government with the next 500 years? You really believe that?
Q:Sir, do you see the need to talk to Joma?
PRRD:No, no. I need to—I need to understand their senses until they come to their senses. I have notice that all throughout the years since Marcos’ time. Then, there was the Aquino administration who went out of their way. I mean, the people there during the—iyong administration during that time.
Then, we had the succession of Fidel Ramos, then si Erap, Gloria, Aquino, and to me.
This time, it should end here. Puwede ba o hindi? Ako, ginawa ko na lahat, gumastos ang gobyerno. I released all the prisoners, they started with 18. Now, they came up with it 23 leaders; and now, it’s 400. Eh, kung ganun, mag-surrender na lang kami.
Q:Pero sir, I suppose the CPP would argue, sir, in the first place, kayo ang—
PRRD:I do not—I am not interested arguing with them. As a matter of fact, if they issued statement, I will not answer them.
Q: Pero sir, in the first place, kayo nag-promise nung release of all—
PRRD:I never, I said “promise.” I said, leaders. So that their leaders can go to Oslo to talk. You do not release all prisoners because they committed a crime along the way, against the Republic of the Philippines. Ngayon, nag-400, eh ‘di kung 400, eh ‘di lahat na lang. At ano pang pag-usapan natin.
Q:Sir, just to be clear, sir. You never promise all, just the leader?
PRRD:I would not be stupid in entering in that kind of arrangement. You must remember that I am a prosecutor. Why would I promise that, that’s practically granting amnesty. But amnesty is usually given if there is a successful talk between the lead— orwhatever, with the kind of revolution all throughout this world.
It ends up with the release of—it’s a mutual thing. Ngayon, nandiyan pa iyong mga sundalo, tapos na-ambush. Eh, iyong dalawa doon sa pag-uwi, 76 bullet wounds. Bakit ganunin mo? Ang isang sundalo namatay, 64 wounds, ni-rakrakan mo, tapos you always invoke human rights and Geneva Convention. To hell with it! I will not honor any agreement that will violate the Philippine Constitution especially if they are rebellion because the purpose is to overthrow the duly constituted government.
Remember, kami dito, pinili kami ng tao including this government, the set up, which was approved by the Filipino people in a plebiscite, the vote of the smallest guy here, even the gravedigger is as much important as my vote. Remember that, we ratified it. Sagrado iyan eh, so you just don’t overthrow a government by a simple expedient of releasing all your enemies.
Q:Sir, what would prompt you if anything—
PRRD:Wala na.
Q:To possibly return to going back to the—
PRRD: No, I don’t, I don’t think that—ma-ano ito eh. I do not want to mention the word. Pero parang sina—ganun itong gobyerno na ‘to, from Marcoses. Well, of course, they say that they had a valid gripes against Marcos, then, so be it.
Q:Sir, do you see the need to talk to Joma?
PRRD:No more. They can retire all of them. For those who were released by the government. They should— on their own volition, return there and go back to prison or else, I’ll be force to—but I’m alerting all the intelligence community to keep track of where they are now.
Iyong na-release temporarily to talk with us in Oslo, they should come back and submit themselves to the jurisdiction of this government because they are still prisoners. Walang pardon, walang amnesty, wala lahat.
Q:Anong remedy sir, ng government kung hindi sila bumalik?
PRRD:Wala akong problema. Ano bang gusto nila?
Q:Dadamputin ninyo, sir, if they do not—
PRRD: I don’t care, I said, I’m not interested to listen to them about they intend to do it. For after all, they have been fighting with government.
Q:No, we mean sir, those who will not go back, iyong mga na-release po?
PRRD:Well, they are all in the wanted list, so I will alert the International police to arrest them where they are because they are wanted here. I’ll cancel their passports. I don’t know if they will be granted asylum there, but they are—iyong mga rebellion. Well, if you are just a member, that’s not a grave offense, maybe. Pero yung mga leaders, they are—they should be in prison without bail—for those serving sentence should serve out there. Ngayon, kung gusto nila doon sa labas okay lang. Then, the most terrible thing that can happen to a Filipino is that he will die outside of your country.
Just imagine kung ma—Ako, that’s the very thing that I would hate, maybe. Mamatay ka doon sa ibang bayan, o they can rot there all for all I care.
Q:Sir, binigyan mo ba sila ng certain time frame.
PRRD:Wala na, I said, it was, they— eh kanila, they said that it would begin on February 10? Ako, bakit ako February 10, namamatay na mga sundalo ko pati police, Anak ng—ibig mong sabihin, maghintay ako para maubos iyang—ang masakit diyan, lumalabas itong mga army because they do not carry arms.
They went out there to—nagpunta ng ATM para makuha nila iyong incentives nila, combat pay. Why would you kill? Anak ng (expletive). Bakit mo patayin iyan, tapos ganun, 76 wounds, sabi ng autopsy. Bakit mo rakrakan, ano iyan baboy-damo? I could perhaps understand their outrage, 1 or 2 if it’s a gun battle or gun fight. Rakrakan mo ng—of course, I’m mad.
Q:Sir, just to be clear about it. I know, I ask this earlier but there is—you will not—are you saying that you will not change your mind?
PRRD:I am not ready to talk about anything. I’ve lifted the—I told the soldiers to prepare for a long war. I said, it will not come during our generation. I know them already.
Q:Your position on the peace talks, sir, will not change anymore throughout your term?
PRRD:Yes. Unless there is a compelling one. I do not know what would be that reason. But always, it would be in the interest of the nation. If I do not feel, or I say, that there is a joke somewhere. I will not waste my time and compromise the integrity of the government by releasing all for nothing.
Q:Sir, kanina pong umaga, si Kabunsuan Makilala, iyong whistle blower po doon sa Bilibid. Binaril po diyan sa Davao del Norte ng ano—according doon sa pinuntahan po namin kanina, patay na po itong si Kabunsuan Makilala. Siya nga po iyong sinasabi din po ni Sandra Cam na naging whistle blower doon sa naging corruption doon sa New Bilibid Prison way back 2012.
PRRD: Well, I said, there—a lot of killing, killings rather, feeling bad about iyong mga pumiyait ka. You know, ganito iyan eh. There’s a funny joke going around. Itong mga pulis na scalawags, na sabi nila, binabayaran and tapos papatayin. Itong mga ito, those connected with the anti-illegal drugs, may pera iyan sa gobyerno. That’s why, I gave them 150 million for this year. Do you know why? They are out to arrest drug traffickers. Kung walang pera yang pambili, ano mang hulihin mo?. There can be no buy and sell of drugs. So it is not trafficking, maybe, possession kung hulihin mo.
Itong mga ito, binigyan daw sila ng singko mil, pambili ng droga iyan so that there could be a buy-bust. Kuha ninyo? Hindi mo ipalabasin yan na basta magkapkap na lang. they go out to buy, then, hulihin ka because that is really a trafficking. Buy and sell of drugs, kung walang pera yang mga iyan. Anong ibibili nila bayag nila?
Ngayon, ang sinasabi na binabayaran. Bakit kita bayaran? (expletive) mo, trabaho, gago kang pulis ka. Trabaho mo iyan. Bakit kita bayaran? Ang ibig mong sabihin, binulsa mo iyong singko mil o diyes mil depending on the amount of the transaction, Binulsa mo, pinatay mo iyong drug pusher diyan, kinuha mo iyong droga, pinagbili mo ulit. Kaya iniiwan ninyo diyang patay. Tapos, sabayan naman nitong tonto na itong Amnesty International, pinapatay namin, for what?
Ano, nagbabaril tayo ng aso dito na basta na lang, naglalakad ka diyan, barilin ka? Ganun ang nangyari. I’ve been trying to figure out a way of explaining it.
Ngayon, nandito na tayo sa cemetery, tutal, lugar man ito ng mga patay, maraming pupunta pa dito. (expletive)iyan. Itong mga pulis na ito, iyong iba na documented ng Amnesty, ito ring Amnesty, so naive and so stupid.
Why would we kill people? Ano itong gobyerno na ito, tiga-patay ng parang aso? There has to be a reason, find out the reason and find out the truth. You do not ask government, you just go ahead and publish anything you want and it’s easy to condemn, because people judge best when they condemn.
Eh pinulot nila iyan noon, that started during my term as mayor. Pabalik-balik na iyan si De Lima, iyong Human Rights siya, napaka-istupido. Wala, tapos naging Senador, naging Secretary. Ilang beses niya ako inimbestiga? Hanggang ngayon, tapos ang makuha lang niya, ang amnesty? Karaming patay diyan. Is that the only thing that you can produce, the report of the Amnesty, unverified? You must remember, Amnesty International is a creation of Soros, iyong bilyonaryo na—who’s funding it. You remember Soros or do you know him? Iyan iyong nag-funding iyong mga Amnesty International. Private iyan, hindi iyan gobyerno.
Q:Sir, paano kung magkaroon po ng Senate inquiry doon sa case ng—?
PRRD:Eh ‘di hayain nila. Hanapin nila iyong totoo. And so iyang sinasabi ni— na binabayaran, binubulsa yun lahat ng— So it is up to Bato to make an accounting of where the money went, was it spent or was it pocketed? And what was the scheme. I mean, the scheme I said, I know, na pagka-transaction na, binabaril na lang, kinukuha pa iyong pera, kinukuha pa iyong drugs; and the scalawags sell it.
Yung sabi ni Bato na mag-retraining, no! You will be suspended, all of them. Tapos, mag-report sila diyan sa Malacañang, diyan sa opisina ko. Magtindig sila lahat diyan, until I decide what to do with them. Bakit ko i-training iyang mga—retraining to be more— a better scalawag than what you are?
(expletive)iyong mga pulis kayo, letse. Huwag ninyo akong— Hindi ito Presidente na taga-Maynila na bali ha?(expletive)(laughs) Ibahin ninyo ako. Hindi ako iyong mga pitsugin na pinipili ninyo, iyong taga-Maynila. Loko-loko kayo—mga—
Q:Pati iyong sa NBI, sir?
PRRD:Lahat. The NBI is also suspended from enforcing the— it’s only the Armed Forces of the Philippines and PDEA. I have yet to make the— whatever Executive Order or— Because right now, the Armed Forces of the Philippines is in. Because I declared State of Lawlessness, that’s the reason why. Hindi nga namin makuha kung paano ito maraming patay, na tinatanong namin yung mga specific mission for the night, nahuhuli naman. Eh samantalang bakit itong patay na ‘to, walang nakukuha iyong mga tao na shabu? Eh kasi kinukuha nila eh. Nawala iyong pera, kasi kinukuha nila. Nawala iyong baril, kasi savings. Huwag ninyo akong baliin.
Q:Sir, kamusta iyong plano po sa PC? ‘Di po ba ma—
PRRD:Yes, but I need a constitutional amendment to that. But it would be good for the Republic to re-establish the fourth service command ng ano, Armed Forces. Philippine Constabulary, talagang national police, and it will be under the military structure.
Kasi iyong mga —let me finish— kasi yung mga pulis kasi, whether you like it or not, they gravitate towards the mayors, itong mga barangay captains. Forty percent of all the barangay captains of the Philippines are into drugs. There are about 6,000 policemen, that’s the problem. That’s why, it’s that thick.
Sabi ko nga, I’d say, huwag ninyo akong baliin na— hindi ito yung nakatira diyan sa mga Forbes Park o Dasmariñas. (expletive), local boy lang ‘to.
Q:Sir, you’ve said that you’ve always known that the police force is corrupt to the core—
PRRD:Remember, you were with me during the campaign. What did I tell you? There’s a need for us to review all of the activities, because I believe sincerely that the police/PNP is corrupt to the core. Hindi naman lahat, pero there’s a group of stupid scalawags there, ‘pag na-pulis na, mag-ambisyon kaagad ng bahay, kotse, tag-dalawa ang asawa, kagaya ko. Pero ako, hiwalay; tapos, nag-asawa uli. Itong mga pulis, nagda-dagdag ang mga gago, wala namang pera. Kaya racket dito, racket doon.
Tingnan mo iyong mga police generals mag-retire, tignan mo iyong mga mansiyon nila. Tignan mo iyong mga army mag-retire, nasa housing projects lang. Because they have enough leeway/elbow room to enforce the laws. Wala iyan sa army eh, it’s limited to the threats to national security.
Q: But sir, actually my question is, didn’t you see—
PRRD:Ah, hindi pa pala iyon.
Q:Iyong mga ano sir, unang tanong ko. But, didn’t you see the need to address the scalawags first before starting your drug campaign?
PRRD:No, because the drug problem was already at— kita mo iyong crime situation? Rape dito, rape doon; martilyuhin tatay, martilyuhin ang nanay kasi sira-ulo. There was a more pressing actually, but we will start, I will start. Kaya iyong retraining, that’s cancelled. I’m countermanding the order of Bato. They report to Malacañan. Alam mo, bakit? Kailangan ko linisin iyang Pasig River. Hindi makadaan iyong mga baruto doon, kasi nandiyan yung water lily, ipakain ko sa kanila iyan. Huwag ninyo akong— sabi ko, hindi ako iyong paporma-porma diyan sa may— (laughs) (expletive), ubusin ko kayo.
Q:Parang nagiging criticism kasi, sir, ba’t kailangan pong magkaroon ng high profile na incident involving a high profile businessman like Jee Ick Joo bago pa mai-suspend iyong Tokhang, sir. Bakit hindi noong time na— for lack of better term, iyong mga—the poor ones iyong mga namamatay. Ba’t hindi pa sinuspend noong time na iyon?