But, you know, I’d like to go back to my predicate of governance. I remember I said that I will put a stop to corruption in government. I swore to suppress crime and criminality and allow the business sector this time in a macro level to just do their thing and call upon me if there is anything that I can do to help particularly the ease of doing business and corruption. 

Those were the fundamentals that I gave you during the last elections. Wala ho akong sinabi na graduate ako ng Cambridge or Oxford na matalino ako. [laughter] Just like what I answered the late Chito Ayala dito sa Davao. He did not support me at that time but when I won ipinatawag niya ako pumunta ako, he supported the late Zafiro Respicio. 

But ako naman after the election, I said, tapos na eh, he said, ‘Rody, what do you intend to do?’ And I said, ‘You know, sir, I will create an environment for business to thrive and to grow. Kayo ang bahala sa pera. I really do not have the wherewithals of how we should proceed, where do we start and when is the time to relax?’ Ganoon ho ang sinabi ko sa kanya. Sabi niya, ‘Okay, that’s a good deal.’

So I started with the law and order. It was a bit topsy-turvy at that time but I was able to talk to the communist. I was able to talk to everybody. At that time it was really the movement of the Communist Party of the Philippines which gave us a lot of trouble. 

But I have this — we go some tete-a-tete in the mountains and we got to agree on so many things and one of that is really how to help the people. And for them not to destroy equipment of government because sadly I would tell you the first year when I was mayor, I bought a new tractor. Alam mo hinulog ng mga yawa doon sa bukid [laughter] and I lost money there.

So I had…I was faced a choice of how to go about improving the situation. If I cannot go to the mountains, how can I protect the people? And how can the, you know, those little guys start a business of just two, three, four, five hectares of banana.

So I really had to go there and talk to everybody. Nur Misuari is a good friend and may — konting ano ako on the side of my mother and daughter-in-law ko as my emissaries to the MILF. So we experienced a little bit of trouble pero hindi ganun malala.

Noong Presidente na ako, I was able to get also the word of the NDF that they would be willing to talk about peace and when Norway provided their good offices for us to talk with the MI, we grabbed the chance. 

And so Dureza and Bebot Bello are there, nasa Rome sila ngayon. I don’t know why they transferred venue. Siguro magpalapit doon sa Pope para magrasyahan ang…But I said, sige, I will just wait for a while. And when you’re ready, it’s either I will go to somewhere in a Third World country — not really a Third World country in terms of finances but a third country where I can talk to Sison. And after that, if there’s something that is really official and substantial, then we can announce to the world that we have this agreement. 

But there are things which I cannot really as a matter of survival in the sense that there are things which have to be remained with me for all time.

So with the — pasok ko na lang ‘yung federal system. Nandito man sila kay Alonto and they know that my commitment is there. I have committed to the Bangsamoro people, to the Moro people of Mindanao that we would work hard for a federal setup. 

Do you know why? And they would tell you, ngayon walang kapayapaan ang Mindanao. We will never find peace for us, for our children, for the Moro, and Christians and everybody else. Kailangan talagang mag-usap at ibigay natin. It could be a something of a hybrid between the French system and the English parliament. But still there has to be a sort of a concession.

Alam mo kasi ang nangyari dito sa Mindanao, it’s not because of plain banditry, it has degenerated into something like that but not all. The mainstreams remained to be talking with us. Nur Misuari is here he said that — he called me that he’ll talk to me the day after tomorrow so that would be bukas siguro. He has his decision. I hope that you have decidedwhere we should begin.

Iyon ang mga ano natin ‘yung first talagang the fundamentals. We have to…What happened here was a Moro nationalism. The rising of a Moro nationalism. 

Just like the rising of the Arabs now. Ang problema because they allowed it to again go to the extremes by their several faux pas. Mistakes dito, mistakes doon. And you know, just like what happened in the Middle East. Actually they were carved out by the Germans, Italians, British, America, kaya ganun. It used to be tribal then they carved out into several countries. So meron ditong Shiite, meron ditong Sunni and because I said it was arbitrary in the sense that it was not planned well, they just carved out with the…Ito iyo, ito iyo. Sothat’s what happened? 

The greatest tragedy there is that the Middle East was maybe carved out by the imperialist and it was the imperialist also destroying the Middle East now. Invading their country with pretext of weapons of mass destruction when there was none. Thereby undermining Saddam and eventually killing — so was with Libya. And were it not for the Chinese and the Russians, matagal ng bumagsak ‘yang si Assad. 

But nakita kasi nilang dalawa na these guys going to eat everybody, there at — there is no guarantee of what will happen in the future and what would be left. What would be the clamors of the favor of those ousted? So it created a desperado thing and that’s what you see now.

Dito, when Magellan came in 1521 he had his religion Christianity. Wala akong ano diyan. Religion is good. It molds us to our values in life. 

The problem is itong pinilit talaga nila ang Mindanao because when — by the time he was there in Leyte, landing, Islam was thriving here in Mindanao almost by 70 years. I took time to see the archives noong congressman pa ako. And it said it’s about 100, one century, I would place it about 70. But still well ahead than the rest of the religion. 

So when they tried to supplant Islam with Christianity, that started the bloody fight from the Spaniards to the Americans and now because we are perceived to be the successors of these two imperialists who came here to my country and maybe lived for the fat of the land. So iyan ang problema. We have to understand that in the proper perspective so that we will know ano ba talaga ang problema dito?

Ngayon, it has been reduced to a something like there’s a country already, there’s a functioning government. It would do well for us ready to consider federalism. But not the type because of the scattered, archipelago eh. You have to have a president, a strong president.

So those who are thinking itong mga taga-Maynila about Martial Law, lengthening your stay, it’s bullshit. You know, if you will ask me, frankly, are you exceedingly happy or am I exceedingly happy, pleased or — being the President of the Philippines? I will answer you this one thing: I do not need the position at this time of my life. Hindi ko na kailangan ito.

Kaya ‘yang Martial Law, Martial Law? Mas bright ako sa kanila. [laughter] You know this Martial Law thing was really…The Martial Law provisions really to defend the country sinira na ‘nung sa Cory Constitution because of the hangover nila sa Martial Law. 

Here is a Martial Law provision, it says that a President can declare Martial Law in case of invasion, insurrection, and blah blah blah. But after 60 days I have to go to Congress. See, to ask for an extension if I cannot complete or whatever is there to finish. And there is also a provision another paragraph, which is a very continuous thing which says that any citizen of this republic can bring a case to the Supreme Court to question into the factual basis of the Martial Law. 

Ang problema nito if Art — si Art Milan would go to the Supreme Court to question me if there is really a need for Martial Law at ang Congress naman would say that there is reason to believe at ito namang plain citizen tapos tingnan ng Supreme Court and sabihin ng Supreme Court, ‘no, kulang, it’s not sufficient to declare a Martial Law.’ 

So here is Congress and here is the Supreme Court drawn into a stalemate just to have the safety nets of an abusive, despot, a dictator. Saan ka pupunta ngayon diyan? So if the Supreme Court decides otherwise and here is Congress, what will I do now? There’s no more control. 

Anak ka ng, sabihin ko, the three great branches of government, two are against one another. So ako ‘yung presidente will decide. So you give now to me the carta blanca to really decide what I intend to do. 

Oh di sabihin ko, ‘Okay, Martial Law forever.’ Tapos na. Sabihin ng Congress, ‘eh iyan may rason eh.’ Sabihin naman ng Supreme Court, ‘ah, kulang ‘yan, that’s not sufficient.’ Tingnan mo talagang…And yet to think that there are about — how many of them wise people? No offense intended pati sila Joker Arroyo. Hindi nila tiningnan ‘yan. 

Na-ano lang ako dahil dito itong sa… I am now threading into the law and order thing. Pagka meron kailangan sabihin ko sa kanila, ‘Drugs?’ ‘That’s not enough.’ 

Tapos nakikita ko na you know there are about four million slaves in this country. Not the slaves that you buy in the Middle East slave markets, but a slave to the pocket of the odious and despicable people. Slave na hanggang kailangan sila magnakaw, magpatay para lang…? 

And the drug lords are…They have a chateau in or whatever meron sila sa Switzerland. And yet itong mga human rights when they say that another idiot said that I cannot…You know, tanungin mo muna bakit sila namatay? Ask what is the reason for this crime? Do not just say na namatay and period. 

You know I have to protect the Filipino people. It’s my duty. And I tell you now, if I have to declare Martial Law, I will declare it. Not about invasion, insurrection, not about danger. I will declare Martial Law to preserve my nation, period. 

Wala akong pakialam diyan sa Supreme Court or — because the thing, the right to preserve one’s life and my nation, my country transcends everything else even the limitation. Kung gusto ko at it will deteriorate into something really very virulent, I will declare Martial Law if I wanted to. Walang makapigil sa akin. 

They say, ‘Why are you declaring Martial Law?’ ‘Because I have to preserve the Filipino people and the youth of this land.’ That’s why I said, ‘Do not go into that thing because I will kill you.’ That’s what I said in Davao, eh di namatay ka talaga. Anak ka ng…Sinabi ko sa’yo, do not tinker with this, it’s a very dangerous thing.

You destroy my country, you destroy the youth of the land, what is there for tomorrow? The money in the banks? It’s the greatest resource, the brain of the Filipino collectively to maintain the integrity of this country. Hindi tayo nagkakaintindihan diyan eh. Kaya itong mga taga-Maynila bullshit. Do not joke with me about Duterte wanting to…Sa edad kong ito hindi ko na kailangan.

Actually, kung may magsabi mag-coup d’état sila, eh ‘di good. Basta tingnan ko lang ng mga tao na ang mga generals, sila ang magdala, ‘oh ayusin ninyo.’ I will swear them to office, ‘I, General…’ ‘Oh, sige kayo na ang magpatakbo.’ Kung ka ninyo, eh ‘di patakbuhin ninyo or Congress may opt to impeach me, fine. 

But let it not be said that I allowed this country placed in jeopardy, in peril because I did not know what I had to do. Wala tayong pa-drama-drama dito. Martial Law? That piece of paper is nothing. Look at…Did it ever prevent Ramos? Ay, Marcos? Did it prevent Ramos from joining him? Enrile? Why? Sila lang puro, itong parang ito — huwag naman ninyong…Sabi ko talagang papatayin ko kayo.

Baka akala ninyo nagbobolahan tayo dito. I called the mayors in the Philippines, ni-lockdown ko. Kung sabihin ko sa inyo, ‘i-lockdown din dito. Sarahan mo ‘yan diyan mga sundalo…’ Para walang magtsismis. [laughter] 

Sinabi ko talaga sa kanila, totoo iyon and I said, pardon my language because very may mga…’P**** i** ninyo!’ Nandito ‘yung…Can I have the…Break, break muna inom muna kayo ng tubig. [laughter] Can I have the…

This is the drug industry of the Philippines. Dito, pulis, barangay captain, mayors, a few governors. Ito na. Lahat ito listahan. Itong mga pictures nila. [laughter] And Loot was there, itong g*** na ito, General Loot.

Sabi ko…Alam mo ang masakit sa akin, lahat ng tao, tayo, I am thinking that you’ll protect the people. Here is a guy, military man ito, kasi PFC noon eh. Look, meron pa isa pa dito. Itong mga yawa na ito. Iyong may cross, ay wala na ‘yan. [laughter]

Ang listahan na ito ganito, puro listahan ‘yan…Hindi ko nga alam may isang barangay captain noon, nainis ako kasi binobola ako ng — binobola ako ng p****** i** niya na, ‘Oh,mayor…’ Iyon pala siya rin. Gusto mo pala eh ‘di sige patay.

Sinabi ko talaga. And I’d be calling the governors sa next week. Sabihin ko talaga sa kanila. You tell your barangay captains, may supervisory powers kayo and ‘yung mga cities under you, ‘yung hindi pa charter cities, you tell the mayors, reiterated to them. But I would like to tell you, hindi ko kaya lecturan lahat ng ano…Huwag ka gyud magkumpiyansa sa akin, p***** i**, papatayin talaga kita. Believe me. Hahanapan kita ng ambush, lasunin kita, o…[laughter]

Totoo. Dito wala akong…Hindi ako aatras dito. If it causes my downfall, so be it. If I am ousted, I’d glad to go out. Coup d’état? Fine. Let’s have a change of [inaudible] Pero hindi ako aatras dito. Tatapusin ko ito to the very last day. If it takes me six years, then six years, will be it.

Huwag mo akong…And I said, ano lang ako…Ganito…I might be really a small time boy. No credentials impressive ones, no nothing. But what I have is just a basic sense of my love for my country and for my children.

You get to realize how important your country is kung may mga anak ka na. Kung ‘yung time na binata pa noon, it was a wild life. Pero noong may mga apo na ako, ibang istorya na ito. So it’s…At the end of the day, it’s our country.

Ngayon dito sa — kayong nagputok diyan sa Maute, they have all been accounted for. Nahuli ko na lahat iyan. Iyong isa diyan anak ni Sema, mayor ng Cotabato. He is now detained diyan sa Malaysia.

You know, we have a good working relations with Mahathir and Widodo. And hindi pa dumating ‘yung mga fast boats ko eh. Pero ang order ko talaga sa sundalo, ‘pag na-kidnap katapos nagkahabulan, and the Indonesian Army — the Navy would pursue you inside my waters , I said, ‘Okay, if we do not have any available sea assets there around, you can go ahead and blast them off.’ That’s same with Mahathir. Ako ang order ko talaga sa Navy, sa Coast Guard, basta nag-kidnap, tapos trying to escape, pasabugin mo na silang lahat. Sabi nila, ‘hostage po.’ Sorry, collateral damage. Now, if they are blasted everyday, that would stop or at least places us in a very — and into a parity. Hindi ka lalamang sa kalokohan mo, talagang pasabugin kita. Kaya huwag kayong magpa-kidnap sa totoo lang. [laughter]

‘Eh iyang si Duterte talagang g*** ‘yan, masama ‘yan, palaaway ‘yan noon eh.’ Well, that’s…Tapos na ‘yan. That’s a something which is a non-issue anymore. Wala na eh. Eh kung g*** man ako noon, itong pagka-g*** ko gamitin ko na rin sa mga g***. Pero huwag mo akong…Kasi sabihin ko ‘yung nag-bomba diyan sabi ko, hulihin ko talaga. And we were able to…

And also I’d like to thank, of course, the Americans. I am not saying that’s a…Their imperialism days, it’s different from the… Huwag kayong magkumpiyansa ngayon. When you go out of ano…Aside from my camera, iyong sa siyudad natin, may ibang camera pa so ‘yung mukha mo nakikita talaga. You know one thing with this drone, anak ka ng…Sa gabi hindi mo makita, nandiyan lang pala sa tuktok ng Marco Polo. They can take pictures. So we have their faces. So it was very easy for us to catch them.

Iyong iba…I am sorry may mga Moro tayong kapatid dito. Talagang pinatay ko. It’s not easy to just bomb a place and say…At least safe in the sense that we can prevent it, if you’re on time ‘coz we are able to almost all kinds of tao dito nakunan na ng picture eh. But sometimes it cannot be prevented but…

Dito tayo sa…Balik ako may nakalimutan ako. Dito sa graft and corruption, alam mo kayo lang ang makahinto niyan eh, hindi ako. Kayo lang talaga. 

The Filipino guy must be assertive. Do not be afraid of government employees even the military and the pulis if you are right. That is what I guarantee you now. Kung gusto mo talagang mag-tulong sa bayan mo, you have the six years window but I really do not know if I will last that long but meron kayong window to stop everything. All you have to be is just assert, demand the service. Huwag kayong magbigay, you create a scene, at saka magkagulo iyan, I will eventually take notice of it.

Kasi ‘yung magkaroon ‘yang may away, eskandalo diyan sa Register of Deeds, diyan sa…Iyan palaging walang papel. Ako basta ganun, zero tolerance ako. Kung ako ang nagkamali, pasensiya, umalis ka na lang. Tuluyan na lang natin.

Pagdating diyan sa Customs, kung buksan nila, eh ‘di kayo ang magbukas. Tapos kung magbunot-bunot na sa ‘yung search, okay lang, maybe they are looking for shabu. Tapos ‘yung mga perfume na maraming — ‘kunan mo may isang box ka? So iyon ang ano. That is not taxable, hindi ‘yan commercial quantity, wala akong bazaar, ito sa asawa ko, sa anak ko, sa kabit ko, sa isa kong kabit. [laughter]

Huwag kayong pumayag. Kung may mag-hingi sabihin mo, ‘Ano? Pakiulit nga.’ ‘Wala, ma’am.’ Because on the national level ang department, it’s used to be many years… NEDA, for all of its rotten…NEDA man iyong ating application for a railroad, sa awa ng Diyos wala hanggang ngayon. 

Ngayon, I am just giving them one department a one month. BIR three days. I will demand now from the local governments sundin lang ang Davao. Not… Sans the hubris, walang yabang, I am not into it actually, I loathe it. Three days, kapag hindi, meron naman, binigyan ko kayo space for you to tell me. 

Nandiyan ‘yung 8888. Meron pagkatapos niyan after the news bakante iyan. Sabihin mo lang, ‘Office of the Register of Deeds of whatever…Itong si ano nanghihingi, period. I’ll take it from there. Sabihin ko umalis ka. Sabihin ko hindi aabot ang pangalan mo diyan kung…

Wala na ‘yang Civil Service, Civil Service, p***** i** ‘yan. Iyan ang nakakagulo eh. Iyong right to be heard, oh ayaw mo. Ilan na dito pulis? Basahin ko sa Jolo…LTFRB? Kita mo wala na. Iyang mga kurakot…Ayon 92 of them, sabi ko, ‘mag-resign kayo.’ Hindi ko na lang ano para hindi din ma-insulto kasi may mga anak eh. Iyan lang ang problema, we would really want to avoid the embarrassment but sometimes we cannot help it. Kaya as much as possible, kung ano just go into the night without any ruckus.

Kayo lang ang maka-ano. Hindi ako kasi nandito ako. Sige ako nagsabi, wala, wala, wala. Tapos wala naman akong feedback. Pati sa taas, pati ‘yung mga bid ngayon ng mga pantalan, it will go into a process.

Sonny is here. I have Tugade. Puro bright ito sila. Tugade is a billionaire. He was our valedictorian sa Law School. Sonny, valedictorian. Yasay, salutatorian. Vit Aguirre, cum laude. Si Lorenzana sa Defense, si Quiboloy ang nagsabi sa akin, they were classmates in Cotabato sa Notre Dame, he was the valedictorian. Sa klase niya sa PNP, he was the valedictorian. Walang…Pernia is a emeritus sa UP. Briones, stalwart ng ano ‘yan, sa economy, in the National Treasury. Si Taguiwalo, well, she was imprisoned, ex-convict ‘yan eh kasi ikinulong noong Marcos, ex-convict. Mariano, ex-convict, kulong iyan. Si Liza Maza, convicted ‘yan, ex-convict, ikinulong ni Marcos ‘yan.

Kaya ‘yung aming Cabinet, it’s a very, not chaotic but ang gulo. Magulo, magulo. Eh ganun ganun ka lang. Ganun-ganun ka lang kasi pagkatapos medyo okay. Ganun lang ‘yan. Puro bright ‘yan. I have assembled one of the…Hindi lang alam ng mga tao, akala nila ano, Vit Aguirre is good…Kita mo napa-acquit niya si Webb. [laughter] Marunong iyan. Classmate ko rin ‘yan. May dalawa pa akong classmate para wala kayong duda, [Bambit Mendoza] sa Supreme Court, pati si [Bojie Santos?]. We were classmates. Iyong klase namin na ‘yan. 

Kaya ang plano sa akin ng Diyos gawain akong Presidente. Ang plano niya nito kila Sonny ‘yung mga bright, ipinaral ng Diyos nang husto, binigyan ng utak, kasi sila ang trabahante ko. [laughter and applause]

Paano itong si Duterte wala man itong alam noong araw sige man lang ito bilyar nang bilyar nang bilyar. Kayo ang nagkamali hindi ako. [laughter] So iyan ang…

Economy, it will come. Huwag mo lang…Just show good faith. Then the most important really is the leader must avoid the slightest taint of corruption.

Ako sa awa ng Diyos naman, 23 years na ninyo akong — na mayor, not in my system actually. I got it from my father. He was governor of this place many years ago. 

But it’s hard to…Paano ako?  I was a fiscal and at the same time wala pa ‘yung Ombudsman, Tanodbayan pa ‘yan, I was a special prosecutor for the Tanodbayan. I used to go around Mindanao prosecuting malversation cases kaya master ko ‘yang disbursement ng — ‘yung presentation. 

Pinag-aralan ko talaga ‘yung step by step kung paano magpasok ng ebidensiya. Iyon lang ang trabaho ko, tanggapin ko kasi wala akong ibang trabaho pero maybe I am used to just…

Anyway, I think that we should have a respite of corruption. Ngayon, if you want your country really to grow, ayaw ko ng away. 

That’s why I talked to Abe, I talked to…No military alliances, no nothing. I do not even want a…I want the country freed of foreign — foreigners soldiers, ayaw ko. 

Time for the Philippines so sibat na kayo. We are good enough. We are good now. So hindi ko na kailangan ‘yang mag-patrolya-patrolya. 

Let me just talk to my brother Moro and the rest of…Maybe from there on, somebody should…Wala na ako, maubusan ako ng panahon, eh ‘di another Filipino should stand up and do the right thing. Huwag na ‘yung kailangan natin, kailangan ng mga sundalo-sundalo.

Actually, sinabi ko kay Abe, hindi ko na kailangan ‘yang mga missile-missile mga muscle because as you would see now, sometimes it’s Putin, who he is very conciliatory and now Trump is almost also. Disregard or ignoring the reports of the ‘yung hacking is reaching out. 

You know if we start a war, a Third World War that will be the end of the world. Kapag binitawan lahat ‘yang nuclear… Ngayon kung meron tayong — itong si Kim Jong-un, itong buang nasa North Korea, he is the wild card there, not Russia. Putin is just an ultra, ultra si Putin eh, ultra. But ang g*** diyan itong sa North Korea lang. Kung mamatay ‘yang buang na ‘yan, okay na tayo. [laughter] And the Philippines would be okay, okay na tayo ngayon.

Corruption, wala na ‘yan. Terror, hayaan mo na ang military. That’s why I was watching with…I was amused to…I was listening to Roni Go. He used to be a pilot and he used to fly for me. When I was mayor, siya ‘yung — one of those guys that would fly the chopper. So nakita ko metamorphosis ng tao. To a family and then a businessman. 

So kagaya natin, he has children, we have children or grandchildren, we should cooperate. Kung gusto talaga ninyo ang anak ninyo will not be grown into a very corrupt — help me. All you have to do is to just say, ‘Excuse me, anong sinabi mo? Pera?’ Sampalin mo. I will answer for you basta totoo lang ang nangyari. 

Sabihin ko, ‘P***** i** ka, ikaw ang nag-umpisa. Papatayin kita.’ You do, gantihan mo ‘yung plain citizen, I will kaladkarin kita. Hindi ako mag…Sabi ko, huwag kayong magkumpiyansa sa akin, ‘pag ako nga talagang…

You create a scandal, you report. Place it there. Wala, walang libel ‘yan. Ako ang anuhin, ako ang mag-publish. That’s publication eh. But ikaw naman nagpapadala sa akin. I just keep it but if I publish it ako ‘yung…

May saying diyan na, he who is the cause of the cause is the cause of them all. See, you are here because you are corrupt, then you deserve what the succeeding events will be. He who is the cause of the cause is the cause of them all. So that’s my warning to all workers in government, lahat, lahat.

Ang hindi ko kontrolado ang judiciary because that is a different department. I am not supposed to intrude, that would be unconstitutional. And, of course, Congress, hindi rin natin kaya. 

Makaya natin pagdating ng panahon, madali ‘yan. Wala na ‘yang 60 days, 60 days. Kung ang Presidente mag-declare na ako, my ground? To preserve my country. That’s the highest. To preserve the integrity of my country, that the more Filipino, more attuned to the civilized practices of the world and at least happy.

Iyong iba ‘pag barya, the dirty job, hindi man ninyo kaya rin. Eh magsabi na, ‘huwag mong gawain ‘yan, p***** i** mo, papatayin talaga kita, at pinatay kita…’

Now, I’ll end this by saying: You want walang patayan? No deaths? You want a city with no military men, no patrol cars whatever? You want na ang punerarya bangkarota na? [laughter] Madali lang. Drop your guns if you are a terrorist; drop the shabu tonight and tomorrow it will be heaven.

Maraming salamat po.