President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, Dec. 19, distributed cash gifts, bonuses and educational benefits to the members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG).

Duterte gave the members of the PSG Christmas bonus of P5,000, combat pay, 14th month pay, and P5,000 from the Office of the President.

Military and police children will be entitled to free education, according to Duterte.

“As I have promised, I will work on this year and it will be this year, na lahat ng edukasyon ng sundalo, pati pulis, mga anak, libre na. Gobyerno ang magbayad,” he said.

In his message during the command Christmas boodle fight, Duterte called on the military and police to bolster his war on illegal drugs to protect the people.

“I am ordering you to destroy the apparatus that includes the structure, mga building, mga factory ng shabu pati yung taong nandiyan,” he said.

Duterte reiterated that the country’s military should be loyal to the Constitution at all times.

“Trabaho lang kayo. Just remain loyal to the Constitution.

Do not be loyal to me. If I have committed a grave error, you can do what you want. But preserve the presidency because it is needed by our country,” he said.

Duterte also talked about his overseas trips in the first six months of his term, articulating further that it had been necessary for him to visit the country’s neighbors because the Philippines would be hosting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit next year.

“You know. I have been to places. But if you ask if I enjoyed it, my trips, I do not. I hate to travel. But the problem is I have to go around to get the feedbacks in advance because we are hosting the summit next year, ASEAN,” Duterte said.

“I have to get their thoughts, ‘yung mga policy na ilabas namin, so that by the time the summit is already here, alam ko kung anong ilagay ko sa agenda, kung ano ‘yung gusto ng Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam,” he added.

Meanwhile, Duterte acknowledged the SMC Foundation for sharing a gift pack and a cash gift of P1,000  to each member of the security group.

After his speech, President Duterte joined the PSG personnel and their families in a military style of eating, known as “Boodle Fight.”###PND