Maupo at… Thank you.

I am your, just a co-worker in government. Pareho lang tayong lahat. Nagta-trabaho para sa bayan natin. So I’d like to make the acknowledgements:

Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Secretary Hermgenes Esperon, Lt. Gen. Eduardo Año, and the major service commanders, Police Director General Ronald Dela Rosa, awardees of the first PRRD Fellowship Golf Tournament, fellow workers in government, my beloved countrymen.

As I have said, maybe you’d want to visit Davao. If the thing goes well with our country and I hope it will. I’ll pray for it para ‘di masyado magulo in the coming years, in the coming days in our lives.

We think of our families and our children. That is the very thing that bugs us whenever we go out to work. Ganon na… it’s always the family. And as I have said, if there’s anything that you cannot solve by yourself and cannot be solved by the command, you can go direct to me.

That is the same, the statement that I made, especially sa mga wounded personnel. I will give them a party. Lahat, lalo na ‘yung disabled. Maybe towards the end of the month, I’m so busy but they will also have my salute for being there in such a state and for fighting for the country.

I’d like to make the rounds or I’ll invite them all for a dinner. Just the last time. And sa valor, I was able to rank something like 75, sa Cebu, increase of 75,000, from 25 to 75. [applause]

‘Yun ang request ni General Ortiz and I told the Budget to please find money and we had to scrape the bottom of the barrel actually. I released one billion to those people holding mga reseta ngayon, na walang mabibili.

Marami dito sa ating mga kababayan nagkasakit na may reseta ang doctor and they cannot buy it. So for this month and hopefully every month, I will release one billion for those who cannot afford hospitalization or may mga maintenance. ‘Yung sa gobyerno madali lang.

Sa inyo, you can just call Bong. I would have enough funds really. Huwag lang gastusin na iwaldas. And I also released one billion to the drug addicts who would need the medications.

Usually niyan ‘yung mga tranquilizer and everything. It’s quite expensive, but since I do not have as yet the rehab centers. Because wala akong budget niyan, that’s why I was really grossly appalled upon my assumption to the presidency and we started to squeeze the community and to my horror, there were thousands, hundreds of thousands surrendering.

And until now, I am nearing the count of one million again. Ito ‘yung sa akin. Iba ‘yung kay General Santiago, ‘yung panahon niya sa PDEA. It’s Sid Lapeña now, there at the helm. And, he gave me the figure of 900 something.

I am sure that before the end of the month I would have breached the million mark again. We have to fight drugs. The single threat actually aside from the armed, the insurgents and all, the lawless elements, the single singular thing that can really bring, pull us down, this drug, considering the four million addicts, and they are spread all throughout the country.

Kaya ayaw ko mang ipakita pero you have to know. Napakita, alam ko nabigay ko na sa inyo ‘to but for those don’t —Just to give you a visual problem ng bayan natin.

This represents the drug industry in our country. Alam mo, little did we realize, puro pangalan ‘yang listahan ‘nyan. Andiyan barangay captains, pati kagawad, municipal mayors. Meron din mga pulis. There’s a single threat of—Talagang it will pull us down.

This four million spread throughout the country, and I’m very sad that—I was mayor in Davao, I did not realize that ganon kalala. But I was very strict. And some of you have been assigned to Davao, you know my character.

I’m just one who has worked for government, from being a prosecutor. I’m just doing my work, trying to preserve my country. That is all there is to it. Sabi ko nga na itong away natin sa—I had a talk with Sison last night by the way.

I was talking about national liberation, eh kaya ko na ‘yan. ‘Yan ang nakikinig ako sa kanya noon. Then I said something about this, something about that, the release of prisoners.

I am awaiting the ceasefire agreement. Bring me the ceasefire agreement and I will release. Puro ito matatanda na ‘to. These are the prisoners of ‘yung mga NPAs na who’d been there for 25, 30 years. And some of them are sick and maybe I will consider humanitarian ground.

Tutal ang Revised Penal Code, nagsabi naman 70 years old, you can petition to be out of prison. I hope it would hold. Kasi ang hinihingi nila is no more—Hindi naman talaga… Alam mo ‘yan talaga I cannot share power with him. He knows that.

But, we can have a consultation every now and then, about itong endo. Ayaw ko man rin ‘yan. I mean they kept on complaining about the endo. The first one to raise a howl about endo is ako.

You know, government spends money sa TESDA training the Filipino young. Pag labas diyan, mag-graduate, maghanap ng trabaho, ang field of specialization niya, carpentry, plumbing or whatever.

But if he’s employed as a plumber, then the next time he is out, without the benefits. ‘Yan ang mahirap.

So he would never… because maybe this time would be a carpenter or kargador and he would never acquire the skills that we have poured money into for him to learn.

So if we’re going out of the country for employment it says three to five years experience, saan mo ilagay mo ang Pilipino niyan? At sabihin mo, hindi… para dapat lahat makatikim ng trabaho. That’s not the point. Kargo na natin ‘yan.

We have to improve the economy. I have to improve the country. We are hitting almost 7.9. The next is I think Cambodia, 7.6. Or even, we have overtaken China.

But these are not the things that we should be or inordinately proud of, because nation-building is continuing because the population is going.

Ang problema nga dito sa Pilipinas, we have breached also the million, 105 na tayo ngayon. And if we just keep on just, with these programs of government, we have to reduce the population. Family planning. I’m not talking about abortion.
I’m talking about family planning. Eh ayaw ng simbahan eh.

So we are in a bind. Start sometime with just an exchange of words and it becomes a heated one. Magkapareho kami ni Ramos. He has been calling my attention. Must have read it in the newspaper. Enforce the law sa family planning.

And when I was in Davao, nagpa-family planning na talaga ako. I pay the woman, pag sabi ko, ilan ang anak mo. Sabi, anim, pito. Ay anak ng—sabi ko, maghanap ka ng trabaho. Magpa-ligate ka. I’ll pay you. I’ll pay the doctor. Tapos bumalik ka dito. You just, you rest for two days.

Talagang ine-enforce ko na. Marami akong sa drawer na pills. Binibigyan ko lahat doon, gamitin ninyo. But ang ano kasi, is, that is also one of the things. I do not mean to offend the Christians here. That’s a question of exacting obedience through fear.

Maliit pa kasi tayo, sinasabihan tayo na ikaw, pag hindi ka sumunod sa pari, pupunta ka sa impyerno. Kaya pagdating ng mga workers ko doon, sabi ko, bakit maraming bata dito? Sir, sabihin mo na sir na takot na silang punta ng impyerno, sabi ng pari… p*****pari na.

Sabi ko, mauna muna siya sa impyerno. Maghirap na tayo dito. Kaya ganon. So if you can just reduce the population to a manageable level. Not for me. I’m here. I’m just— I’m here, passing by lang ako.

As a matter of fact, I told the entire country. There is only one way we can reach an agreement in Mindanao. Believe me, I’ve been there. I grew up there.

Alam mo, what is really happening there in Mindanao is nothing short of a Moro nationalism, because they were there first. Pagdating ni Magellan, nandoon na sila. By almost 80 years, Islam took hold of Mindanao.

Kaya hindi sila matalo-talo ng Español, matatalo ng, lumalaban talaga sa Amerikano, even if they were massacred at hindi natin matatalo hanggang… Bakit? may poste eh. That’s Islam.

So it must be very… made clear to them, this has nothing about religion. We know we are sorry for our forefathers. Eh ako naman Maguindanaon ang nanay ko. But I… you know, ganito na ang sitwasyon.

So you want to kill? So it has been 45 years. So you want to continue another killing for 45 years? Sabi ko sa… kay Sison, sir, we have been fighting for almost 50 years. Do you want us to kill each other for another 50 years?

‘Yan lang man ang ano ko sa kanila, at pumayag siya mag-usap sa… Give Dureza, Bebot Bello, they are good guys. But I feel that, I have this feeling that you would finally agree. Kasi ang pag-usapan namin kagabi, and if you were listening, wala akong sinabi about ARMM.

Sabi niya, maybe two years we can agree. Sabi ko, sir, the bottom line here is the welfare of the people of this country. No more, no less. Sabi ko sa kanila.

Sabi niya, we’ll try to work our way. Well, thank you. Basta ako dito sir, hanggang kapakanan lang ng bayan. And if you can.. Sabi niya, ma-perfect ba ninyo ang—Sabi ko, yes.

And the people of the Philippines must be convinced that we have to do away with this unitary type of government. We have to go federal but that is the barest demand of the MI and MN now.

Although Misuari wants to talk independently of the rest, but gusto na nila. We take our chance. Dapat… gusto rin natin ‘yan because historically, even the, lahat, ‘yung register of deeds, it’s the President who—Dapat bitawan na ‘yang iron clad, because this is actually an imperialist theory of government.

From the throne in Malacañan, he controls everybody. So ako, sabi ko, I will call for a commission next year and you can be sure, it will be the brightest of the Filipino. Masiguro na, I give you my word, it will be.

And if they have that product, we have to choose between a constituent body conversion, from one of Congress to a constituent body to amend the Constitution, or to call for a constitutional convention.

But my God, we have to spend billions and billions of— The money is better used for something else. Congress nandiyan na, may sweldo na.. I will not allow any allowances.

Basta sabi ko, you want to be the ones, sige. But you must follow what is really recommended by itong commission na. Appoint all the justices, Justice Panganiban, Justice Puno, and host of other brilliant Filipinos on the side.

Then, if you can craft, if you can vote a plebiscite towards the end, or early the year after, and it will provide for a strong presidency, I’ll give you my word gentlemen. I will step down. I will step down because it will provide for a strong president.

Huwag ninyong gamitin ‘yung parliamentary type. You know what happened to Britain? That’s a very bad experience. When the double decker truck was blown in midtown.

Hirap silang makakuha ng consensus on what to do. It was not… Because, kasi, pure parliament. The prime minister, in case of, like war, cannot just by himself, he has to consult the parliament.

Mabuti’t na lang buhay ‘yung nandiyan. Eh kung patay ‘yung iba? You have to have a strong President. Very few powers but powerful ones. To declare an election, to dissolve a parliament, to be the commander-in-chief of all Armed Forces and that will include the police kasi armas eh, and the CAFGU and lahat. Basta holding Armed Forces. And others that will have survived—

Ako, out na ako. My term is six years. If after three, the third year, on the third year, I said I’ll give you my word, I will retire.

‘Yun lang akin. Mine is to fix the country. I promised you there will be no corruption. There will be no corruption. Everything will benefit from the government, sa taxes. Lahat. Almost a billion-billion sila.

Sabihin nila, kawawa ‘yung mga drug addicts. That’s why I’m… one billion. And I was asking, I was thinking of releasing another one billion. Wala na, ‘yun na talaga. Ini-scrape ko na. Para lang, lahat lang makakain ang tao.

I’m just trying to find out a way of how to do it kasi kung hindi ma-ano. Ilagay ko sa politiko, talagang hindi magawa—So I was thinking of just also requesting you to open your camps again and ako ang mag-provide ng pagkain. But do not cook. Delikado kasi ‘yang contamination, ‘yang luto-luto na overripe.

You have to prepare the [unclear] kung saan everybody will be eating in that place. Ang problema ‘yung contamination sa food. So we’re better off, we just—

Alam mo sa totoo lang, ang pinaka-prized pagkain ng mga Lumad, alam ninyo kung ano? [Udong] pati sardinas. Para sa kanila, ‘yun ‘yung sa ating Bisaya na pansit. [Speaks Bisaya]

Doon lang, ganon lang naman eh. And sa centers, sa pulis, pati ‘yung mga kampo, training center doon. Tingnan ko lang, if I cannot do it, I will have to depend on the advise of the economic manager. Si Diokno pati si Finance Secretary, pag ka pera na ang usapan, nagsisimangot. Ay, ibigay natin lahat ‘yan. But ‘yan ang isa, that’s the last. So wala na tayong pera. Zero balance ako. Pero kaya nga kinukuha ko na sa kanya. Just to make everybody happy.

Ako naman sa bahay nagpa-party ako. Thousands. Basta Pasko sa bahay ko doon na maliit, ‘yung binaha. Easily about 20 to 30,000. When the other places I am thinking of people who are really hard up. Pero sa Davao ako everyday may lugaw sa Plaza. So kung ‘yun man ang masasa — makakain talaga. Kasi everyday may lugaw kami.
Pagka yung iba it’s just a cauldron. You buy. Lagyan mo lang ng mga manok diyan o karne norte tapos ihalo mo sa — at least there’s protein and carbo.
That’s my worry also. Yung kawawang tao. Pati dito may pera man talaga. May party nga kami. Bukas bang party namin? You are all invited if you want to. Ano man ang ulam natin doon. Pangit.

You know hindi ninyo ako kilalala. Hindi ako pwedeng maraming pagkain ilagay niyo diyan. Even in Malacañang you ask them. Maski sinong bisita ko, it’s one viand, soup and rice. Maski ‘yung, maski sino. Si Ambassador, sabi ko iyan lang ang makain mo. He goes there. One soup. Totoo. Pati diyan sa bahay ko. Hindi naman ako nagpapacorny.

It is not about hypocrisy. This is about the practical common sense that we cannot be holding lavish parties. Kung may nagca-cater oh fine, no problem. Kung sabihin mo — nahihiya kasi ako sa tao sa totoo lang.

And I am being, I am this kind of because I have been mayor for 23 years. It’s always— I know that we can use but unfortunately it is not our money. So we have to be very careful about. So that’s, I hope we’ll have a Christmas time. I am talking to the communists—

Wag kayong maniwala — Tanungin ninyo muna si Delfin pati yung matanda ‘yung dumaan ng Mindanao. I am a politician. I have to talk but well—

My rift with the United States. Huwag kayong. Do not worry about.
I will not sell this Philippines to Russia and ano. Honestly, in fairness to Xi Jing Ping and — we never talked about military alliance. We were a lot of — si Delfin ang nag-usap diyan. It was about aid and trade and commerce. Because wala tayo, we have no corridor there eh. Naiipit talaga tayo pag binitawan tayo ng Amerika. Delikado.

Ang problema sa kanila, I know that most of you went there. As a matter of fact, lahat ng kapatid ko nag-aral doon and my daughter is in America but there are times when they overstepped the boundaries of dignity.

‘Yan bang meron kang hingiin, pag hindi mo nagustuhan bigla ka na lang mag-announce. Alam nila. I’m sure alam nila na 4 million — 4 million is no joke. It is a gargantuan problem to solve. Ang problema, dumating sa panahon ko.
But when I was mayor, I am operating on a budget that was prepared by my predecessor which was prepared the other year. And so, I am operating —

Alam mo naman, hindi, walang pulitika. Bottoms up. O di, anong nangyari sa bottoms up? I was only left with a — itong naiwan na, sine-save ko lang. Marginalized talaga, kasi hindi ako magsabi, bakit may party pa tayo, eh di ilagay na lang yan sa rehab.

Wala nga akong rehab, puno eh. Mabuti’t na lang ‘yung Instik na ma-ano ng buhay niya. He went there, built a 10,000 facility. He came to shake hands with me in Malacañan and said, ‘I’ll build.’ After finishing it, he went back to Malacañan, shook my hand and went away. Walang ka — Eh kung wala ‘yun, wala akong madalhan. Pero kayo, kung mga kilala ninyo all you have to do is, especially ‘yung mga bata, involuntary confinement. Hindi imprisonment. Just an affidavit because nobody but nobody can deprive of any person of his liberty, only the orders of the court.

So if the court orders his confinement, eh di dalhin ninyo do’n kasi next year may pera na ako. Magreserba talaga ako. Sinong magagawa — na galit ako.. Hindi galit magpatay ng tao. But you know, I told everybody there last night, mga ambassadors, nandoon ‘yung Amerikano. Guest ko rin.

You belittle the four million sick and suffering Filipinos in favor of the lives of just 5,000 and then you publicly cry, you cry for blood.

Itong sa pulis sa Albuera, of course I will believe the police even if it is not true, I will believe the police and you, the military guys kasi magkasama tayo sa gobyerno, ako yung Commander-in-Chief.

So kung sabihin ko sa inyo ang nangyari, ‘yun na yun para sa akin. Now if I really wanted to fix the case, the Justice Department is under me. Tingnan labas nila, it was a rubout so we face the music. ‘Yung commissioner brod ko pa. Niyari ko talaga. Walang — it’s — hindi ito atin eh, tao ‘to.

Public interest says that I should support the police and I should believe them. Now you have a story there, we’ll provide to the court. Kasi kung anong sabihin ng taga-gobyerno ‘yun — eh ano ‘yang trabaho mo eh di tatanong ka ng totoo. Alang-alang magsususpetsa pa ako sa iyo.

And even if it is true, sinabi ko sa mga ambassador, you worry about one son of a b**** tapos dito four million? Saan ang sense of ano mo? Itong four million na ‘to practically those who are already dead because their brain has shrunk, which is the result of the constant use of shabu. I really don’t know how many of them are insane because if their brains are shrunk, rehab is no longer possible. That’s what the Americans told us. Forensics nila. So alam nila ang problema. And you nitpick and reprimand me publicly.

Nagni-nitpick ka, you are trivializing. Minamaliit mo ‘yung problema kong kababayan, t*** ina ninyo, four million. You belittle it in favor of itong mga u*** na ‘to. Hayaan mo silang mamatay eh ‘yan ang gusto nila eh. I’ve warned them. Eh bakit ko isakripisyo ang pulis?

Ang sabi ko, if it is in accordance to my order to destroy — I did not say conduct a police investigation. Destroy the apparatus because if you kill a drug lord, there are plenty of them and he can take over the structure of that field of operation. You have to destroy to the last man and that is why, I said, if you do that in accordance with law, in the performance of your duty, sagot ko talaga kayo.

The ultimate guy, if there is a guilty guy there, it’s me. Hayaan na lang ninyo ako. I’ll rot in prison. So? Eh kung sabihin nila, assassination, then that is still part of my destiny, that God destined me to be President but after three, two years, I’m assassinated or ousted, so be it. That is part of the mandate from God. Gawain kitang Presidente hanggang ka lang dito.

So ganyan ako eh, I’m so fatalistic about it so —and I do not worry about ‘yang impeach-impeach ng Congress. Go ahead. But let it not be said and I’d like to place it, say it to you, in front of you:

You will never oust me because of corruption. You can never ask for my head because of the f***ing malversation. It would really because I love my country maski ganito lang ako and I’m desperate to find the ways to end the problem. That’s all.

Maraming salamat.