Dra. Issa Suntay; Doña Isabel Cojuangco-Suntay; Brigadier General Joselito Bautista; the men and women of the Presidential Security Command; Julie, how are you, ma’am; the residents of the Malacañan Park and the Hospicio de San Jose; my beloved countrymen.

I have a speech, actually. Every event, nagsasalita ako, meron talagang—well, you know, all of these—well, no offense intended to the hard women, men of the PMS, but I do not read speeches because it does not reflect what is in my heart. Kasi gusto ko na ibuhos sa inyo kung ano ang nasa loob ko. That is my nature.

Now, let met trace the history of Mindanao island. Noong unang panahon, of course, it was, Philippines was conquered by the Spaniards, then the Americans took over after Spain— lost it’s American-Spanish war, and they started to colonize our countries.

You know, long before Magellan landed in the shores of Leyte, Islam was already thriving in Mindanao by almost 70, 60 years. That is why, it has resisted fiercely the brutality of the conquistadores and the Americans.

And when the Americans took over, they divided Mindanao into several homesteads and made it available. The only problem is ang Bureau of Lands noon, nandito sa Maynila. The colonial map of the Philippines was being drawn here.

And so ‘yung mga Bisayas, wala pa naman cellphone noon. And as matter, it would reach about one month, even in the 50s for your mails to reach Mindanao.

So they divided Mindanao into several pieces of real estates. Mostly awarding it to the Insulares, those Spaniards who never went back to Spain, and the American soldiers. But wala silang trabahante, and so they decided to make a clarion call of— parang sloganeering, you go to Mindanao because it is the land of promise. But actually, in reality, wala na.

And the first to—because of the proximity, Mindanao, Visayas, Luzon, it’s so near, ang nagbabaan, karamihan ang mga Bisaya. The first to come, ang mga Cebuano, then the Leyteños, Bol-anons, and Waray; and later on, ang mga Ilonggo.

You know, basically, itong mga Bisaya, because Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, Samar; it’s facing the window of the Pacific, tinatamaan talaga ng bagyo ‘yan. So nothing really grows except the very pliant corn pati ‘yung kamote. So ang mga Bisaya, wala masyadong ano, except for fishing, coastal. Kaya pagka maalat ‘yung kinakain mo, sigurado ‘yan, ang nagluluto niyan, Bisaya. Maalat. Kaya sabihin ninyo, “Ang Inday ninyo, Bisaya ‘no?” Totoo ‘yan because coastal eh. Wala naman makuha sa bukid. It’s just really a barren, rocky land. And except for a few plateau there that— where they can plant. Ang mga Cebuano never really went into farming. So with the Bol-anons, of course, coconut. But just the same, just like in the olden days, and now, the Yolanda, talagang it wreaks havoc when the storm comes.

Ang mga Bisaya settled down dito sa coastal. And the Tagalogs who divided the map, no offense intended, wala naman tao noon sa Mindanao eh. So nandito ‘yung mapa. Iyong nag-apply ng malalaking homestead, 24 or 7 individual; 24 ‘pagka korporasyon naibigay sa mga Tagalog. It’s not their fault and nobody’s to be blamed.

So ang mga Bisaya, craftsmen, panday, iyon ang alam nila. So they acquired the skill to make Davao grow.

Noong dumating ang mga Ilocano, medyo puno na; and ang Ilocano, went to the mountains. Kaya the most productive agricultural country is North Cotabato, which is inhabited mostly by the Ilocanos and the Maguindanaos.

The Ilocanos being—yung ayaw ng gulo, has assimilated all throughout the years sa mga Moro, Maguindanao.

Ang mga Ilonggo ang war-like. Kaya nga sundalo natin karamihan, ‘pag ka hindi Ilocano, llonggo. As a matter of fact, most of your officers sa Armed Forces are Pangasinan, dito sa— Wala kasi akong nakita mga Bisaya na ayaw ng away.

So ganun ang distribution. Ang mga Ilocano, pumunta ng North Cotabato. It was a forest. By sheer grit, dinevelop nila and it is really now the highest per capita, per tao ang kinikita.

And once upon a time, I lost, nag-cha-chopper ako, I lost my way dito na— we entered into a weather condition. So we were forced to land. But nakita ko, pati ‘yung bukid, may mga coconut, may mga rubber. At saka ‘yung mga bahay nila doon sa bukid, nakikita ko, may mga swimming pool.

Sabi ko, “Pambihira ‘to.” So we were wondering where we were. Ang akin namang piloto, Ilocano, taga-Ilocos Norte, Colonel Alejandro ng police aviation was forced to land.

Sabi ko, “Nasaan tayo?” Sabi niya, “Ewan ko, sir.” Maya-maya, maraming mga bata nagtakbuhan, papunta sa chopper, tapos nagsisigaw, “chopper, chopper.”

Sabi ko, “Sa Midsayap tayo. Ilocano ‘to.” Alam ko ‘yang accent, dormitory, pati mga classmate namin. We grew up in a country mixed, I could talk in Ilonggo konti. Hambal sa Ilonggo nga— Mga classmate namin halu-halo. Nakaka-pick up ako ng Ilocano, ‘yung regular na Ilocano. Hindi ‘yung sa Abra, hindi ko maintindihan.

So ang mga Ilocano, rubber lahat. So there’s really food. Sinasabi nilang hunger sa Mindanao, I do not want to mention the particular tribe. Ito ‘yung mga indolent na tamad.

So the incidence of hunger, mataas talaga sa kanila. Kung ibigay nila ‘yang lupa sa mga Ilocano, awan. And that is why, in a very simple ceremony, in its simplicity, mas gusto ko ng ganito, rather than face a crowd of millionaires and billionaires asking for more.

I am not comfortable with them. That is why, pupunta ako sa BIR, I’m about to face the big—

Sabihin ko talaga sa kanila, just pay your taxes. Wala akong— I’m at home. I’m at the best element of my pagkatao ko ‘pag itong mga ganito. Imagine, so small the place and you can grow.

Ayaw ko lang magyabang pero ‘yun ang nanay ko. My mother was also a civic worker. She established the Boys Town ngayon and she— Nagtayo siya ng village for the blind. Tinuruan silang magtanim. That is my mother’s legacy, and many others.

Iyon ang nanay ko was the exponent of vacant lots that can be used. You know, Marcos for whatever his faults, was really an enterprising Ilocano. Iyong Biyayang Dagat niya was just corrupted along the way down. Siguro, during the time of his weak moments na, he could not govern effectively.

Iyong Biyayang Dagat pati Masagana ‘99, ‘pag dinala lang ‘yun ng Pilipino nang husto at ‘di ninakaw ‘yung pera, we have been better off. Marami siyang mali, pero huwag naman natin isahin na wala siyang ginawa. But dito sa utak, I said, he was the most enterprising President that we ever had, kasi galing rin siya sa— hindi naman mayaman eh, but he came from a province where he grew up in a simple country life.
Kaya itong mga ganito, it might really be symbolic. It cannot supply food even for five neighborhoods pero kung ganito lang ang Pilipino at tama ‘yung kay Marcos, one day, I must just decide to do it.

Iyong mga bakante na naghihintay lang ng speculation, maghintay lang ng araw kung magmahal na ang lupa bago gamitin, I will tax idle lands heavily. If it has not been developed for 10, 20 years, dodoblehin ko ‘yung real estate mo o triple, unless you are willing to lend it to somebody, to the barangay, para magamit ng mga tao.

The only problem is, I said, Davao City is— puro mas marami ang Bisaya, Bol-anon pati Leyteño, and they are the craftsmen. Mas gusto nila ‘yung magpanday, plumber, ganun. Ayaw ng lupa kasi ang ancestry nila, walang naipasa sa kanila na skills in agriculture.

Now, you have to understand the Filipino culture, kaya ganun. Pero ang pagkain namin sa Mindanao, marami. From North Cotabato, gulay, kaya lang nababara diyan sa—

Kaya I ordered when I became President, the removal of all checkpoints. Kasi pati ‘yung mga farmers, alam mo na. Kaya wala ng checkpoints everywhere. I am not in favor of— unless there’s a compelling reason at ‘yung once in a while, kung may hinahabol ang pulis o military, but as a permanent structure alongside highways, I do not want it. Remove it immediately. It only causes momolestiya ‘yung tao, naiistorbo lang.

So I like simple programs with simplicity dito. And I’d like to commend the Suntay sisters for their— sayang ma’am, naabutan mo sana ‘nung buhay pa nanay ko, makapag-intindihan talaga kayo. But she was doing anything, Philippine mental health, marami ang nanay kong ano, especially ‘yung farming. And as a matter of fact, she grant the— ‘yung nakuha rin niya, assistance sa international bodies. Marami ‘yan na pinag— well, when she died, floundered again.

Ang mahirap kasi, kokonti lang ‘yung mga tao na talagang nasa puso ang kapakanan ng bayan niya. I come from a simple family. Maestra lang ‘yung nanay ko but when she became—you know, older, ‘yun rin ang mga trabaho niya, maghanap ng mga bakanteng lupa tapos kung kaibigan niya ‘yung ano, ayan, nagtatanim. The Davaoeños would tell you that.
So it reminded me of my mother all along while we were proceeding with the program and I would like to— Maski symbolic lang ‘to, hindi naman talaga mapakain lahat. But kung may spirit lang na ganito ang isang Pilipino, wala talaga tayong problema.

If we can cut on corruption, basta wala lang corruption, at saka magbago lang ang lahat, mawala itong problema sa droga, and I promised you, wala naman akong— I said, I will stop corruption, I will suppress drugs, crime, pati marami akong ipinangako. I complied with it, even the burial of Marcos.

When I was asked during the debate sa Pangasinan, with the three— the five of us were asked, “Would you allow the burial of Marcos?” Me and Binay said, “Yes.” Ako, without batting an eyelash, I said, “yes,” because it’s the law. It has nothing to with politics, it’s the law. A soldier and a President.

He might have been a coward, wala na tayong pakialam na coward na sundalo. We were not there during the war. He might have been a bad President but that is for history to decide. Dumaan naman sila lahat, bakit nila hindi tinanggal ‘yang batas ‘yan? So pagdating sa akin, I just enforced it.

So dito sa atin, we just follow the law. At ‘yung 8888 sa PTV 4, after the news, is reserved for the Filipino citizen to complain. Sabihin ninyo kung anong position, at anong ginawa. Kasi noon, itong NEDA, it would take you three, four years because they sat on it, the longer they sat on it, it means more corruption.

Ngayon lahat ng departamento, pati defense; only one month, one month lang talaga lahat; ke ma-health, education. And ‘yung mga director must report first and leave last sa opisina. They must be there all the time. ‘Pag wala sila dito, I’m warning you, ‘yang heads of offices na maghintay-hintay ‘yung tao, I will initiate summary dismissal.

No second chance ako, no tir— Wala akong pasensiya-pasensiya. Kasi kung ganoon ang gawin ko, ‘yun ang ginagawa noon ng mga dumaang Presidente, walang nangyari sa bayan natin.

I do not care if I’d go down history as the most unpopular, okay sa akin ‘yan. As long as during my time, everybody follows the law.

I am not making any special favor for myself. Hindi nga ako nag-gagamit ng ano— ibinibigay ko na sa sundalo ‘yung mga eroplano ko, I take the commercial flight. You can use the Presidential plane to ferry— In-upgrade ko ‘yung hospital ninyo, ang AFP Medical Center. I bought about half a billion equipments there.

So it is for us really na— kayo ‘yun eh, pag hindi lang kayo mag— Basta sinabi ko, do not allow corrupt government people, na istorbohin kayo.

‘Pag maghingi sa inyo, sampalin mo. Sampalin mo, totoo at magkaroon ‘yan ng gulo magpunta sa pulis, eh ‘di i-text mo ako, “Mr. President, may kaso kasi sinampal ko itong ganito.”

Magkuha ng lisensiya, business permit, three days lang. Beyond three days, I will suspect na inuupuan mo ‘yan, kasi gusto mo ng pera. I am forced to make that conclusion, otherwise, walang mangyari sa bayan na ito.

I tried my best to make peace with everybody. There’s a looming danger sa ISIS. Ito namang mga komunista, hindi ko gustong— They are spoiled brat. Akala mo, sila ‘yung nasa gobyerno kung mag-make ng demands. Kaya ako, pinatay nila ‘yung during— Sabi nila February 10, walang pang February 10, pinagpapatay na nila ‘yung sundalo ko pati pulis— ay anak ng— Wala na, sige, giyera tayo.

Then peace is not possible during our generation. I’m sorry. I am not about to talk to them again. Kasi na-release ko na lahat eh. Ni-release ko na lahat ‘yung mga leaders nila to enable them to go to Oslo. Oslo provided the good offices for a diplomatic solution.

Na-release ko na ‘yung Tiamzon, ‘yung mga ideologues. Mamaya, from six nahimo—nahimo is Bisaya ‘yan, pumunta ng 18; ngayon, gusto nila, 400. ‘Di mag-surrender na lang ako. O kayo na sa Malacañan. Four hundred? That is only given after a successful talk or talks, then you grant amnesty.

You do not— May kasalanan ‘yan. They fought the Republic of the Philippines. Kaya dapat, sabi nila na exempted sila, no. Once they arrive here, I have alerted everybody, pati ‘yung Immigration, they will be arrested and they should go back to prison.

Doon, magtanim na lang sila ng ganun o. Turuan na lang natin, Dra. kung paano magtanim ng—

Ang yayabang pa magsalita. Ako nagho-hold lang ako. I have to swallow minsan my being humble, okay lang. Pero sumobra itong— pagka ganun, fight tayo. Tutal, ang mga sundalo ko, ang buti ng kinakain, o ‘yang ano. Eh kung barbeque palagi, wala iyan, cholesterol.

Ito na lang, buti pa kung Ilocano, totoong kumakain ng gulay. Totoo, Ilocano, puro gulay iyan. Pareho ng Koreano ang Ilocano. Kung anong makita na kinakain ng ibon, kakainin iyan (laughter). ‘Pag namatay ang ibon, ibig sabihin, hindi edible iyan.

That is how the Ilocanos survived the hardship sa Makilala, sa Kidapawan. It is a very progressive place. Pero ang Davao naman, maganda rin. You have to give it also to the craftsmen of the— itong mga Bisaya talaga. Sila ‘yung marunong diyan sa panday-panday. Kasi iyon ang nakuha nila sa mga tatay nila. Ganoon ang history natin.

So I hope that this will continue. Pwede nating sunugin ‘yung Quiapo. Ito na lang ang ipalit natin. Kailangan natin ng lupa. But I will continue with the land reform but modified. ‘Pag ako nagbigay ng konti isa, dalawang ektarya, susuportahan ko talaga.

Like this, seedlings, fertilizers, lahat. Kasi kung magbigay ka ng lupa, tapos iwanan mo lang, just like any other land reform, then might as well, not do it. Lolokohin mo lang ‘yung tao. In my time, nag-iipon lang ako ng pera, ‘pag mag-land reform ako, if I give you five hectares, I will support you all the way and buy your product.

China ngayon, kasi kaibigan na natin. Pagkatapos akong pumunta, they are accepting all. All, maski ‘yung gulay. Pero bantay kayo kasi pati tayo, mamahal na, iiwanan. Kulang talaga 5 billion, 7 billion Chinese. They cannot cope up with food production. They have to buy. They have to buy.

Noong una, pineapple hindi makapasok. Banana kasi ‘yung may alitan tayo. Eh nakasama lang tayo doon sa alitan ng Amerikano, pati tayo, sunod-sunod sa Amerikano. Wala tayong away sa Amerikano, alyado natin lahat. Pero huwag mo akong sundin sa perdition mo. Ikaw lang ‘yung gustong makipag-away diyan.

Ipadala ko ‘yung sundalo ko doon, ‘di massacre. Tapos, saan ang battleground? Kung magka-giyera sa China, sige, maglagay sila ng mga stock nila? Palawan? Eh ‘di puputok ‘yang Palawan. Kalokohan yan. Sabi ko, “Kayo na lang mag-away, dito lang kami.” Iba ang kalaban namin. Hindi pa ipinanganak ang mga (expletive). (laughter)

Maghintay pa kami. But do not tempt us to go into something which we cannot afford to do. Mamamatay tayong lahat diyan. Binisaya pa ibahug ko na ang akong sundalo diha, kalokohan.

So I am very happy to be with you. I said, I like simple ceremonies in front of simple people. Ito ngayon, doon sa mga meeting ng mga tax— big taxpayers, iba ang lengguwahe ko doon. (expletive) kayo, bumayad kayo, ‘pag hindi, patayin ko kayo. You pay your taxes and pay it correctly because we need it to run government.

Maraming salamat po. (applause)