I have traveled almost seven months into the presidency and I’d like to thank you for your help, for your support in the months of— I struggled to be President.

Frankly, I did not really expect to win. But ang problema kasi, hindi naman ako na minamaliit ko ‘yung lahat, but among the five of us, nobody was seriously talking about the Mindanao issue.

Hindi kasi alam ng— maybe not realized by anybody outside of Mindanao this issue about the Moro could create a big fissures in our national life. 

What you really see, kasi alam ko, walang nagsasalita eh, and if nobody was ready to present even an agenda of what to do in Mindanao, mukhang— I was not really comfortable because we have suffered terrorism many times.

As a matter of fact, the last time, ‘yung diyan sa harap, but because the Davaoeños have endured this kind of disastrous events, parang— well, the slogan is really “get back to normal as soon as possible.” Kaya dito, I observed, feeling the pulse of the people that parang wala na lang, or maybe, they are not really that scared because nandiyan ako, ‘yung mayor nila, and for the so many bombings: Davao Airport, Pantalan, we have recovered and even we are hitting almost nine percent, the highest in the Philippines sa growth.

So it’s no mean task for the Davaoeños. I do not claim any credit for that. For it not for the understanding, the concessions that you have given me, good faith, hindi ako aabot dito. And of course also, without the help of the military and the police, I would have struggled more to come to terms, ano ang nangyayari sa atin dito.

So back to Mindanao. What you maybe saw or seeing now, at least, a part of the population sa Moro is the Moro nationalism and that is really because long before Magellan landed in Leyte, bringing with him Christianity, Mindanao was already Islam. Sabi nila, to the Moro scholars about one century, but I’ve had the chance to visit Malaysia, I requested for some time to go to the archives of government. I would place it about mga 70, 60, the entire subjugation sa mga tao dito.

That is why, when the Spaniards came to conquer Mindanao, but without bloodshed, pati ang Amerikano with the so many massacres along the way, ‘yung sakit sa puso nila, hindi talaga natatanggal ‘yan. Andiyan ‘yan. It would be for the hardly to really say that it was just one century ago, what do we care about. No, it’s a deep, deep wound that refuses to go away.

Ngayon, inabot tayo because, ang delikado kasi dito is not really the armed Moro. Para sa akin, wala ‘yan. I mean, we can go into a massacre also and problem is, walang mangyari kasi kung violence na lang ang perpetuate mo, eh it would become a vicious cycle and it would never end just like what is happening in the Middle East. It is really now a product of imperialism, the colonials. Just like what has happened here. Eh kung hindi sila pumunta dito, maybe, by this time, we are all Islam or whatever it is, but at least, there is always a God universally for all of the peoples in this planet.

Ang sinabi ko lang, mahirap i-deal ito because, just for example, the fishermen. ‘Yung massacre doon sa Sibugay somewhere, Coron. Pumunta doon ang mga— maraming mangingisda ‘yan, medyo malaki-laki ng konti, ‘yung may mga trapal. ‘Yung style na, “sige, sino ‘yung Muslim, tumabi kayo.” Tapos, pagbabarilin ‘yung— ganun ang hatred eh.

Like diyan sa Midsayap, pera-perahin mo ‘yung—look guys, do not be so sensitive about these things ‘no, because my mother, ang mama ko is a mestiza Maranao, Chinese. Ang lolo ko, Lam. Ang nanay ko, anak ng Maranao lady so do not be so sensitive and— wala akong pinapaboran. I am just trying to explain that what prompted me to run was really the situation.

So we are trying to talk to the MI and medyo receptive sila. Maybe, because matanda na naman and they have realized. But the problem is that every generation produces another set of leader. The old ones, sila Murad, Jaafar, and even Nur is ready to talk but concessions.

Itong mga bago ngayon, and that’s what scares me, are the scholars. And there are Arabs now in the area of— well, Zamboanga, Jolo and papuntang Lanao.

And itong Maute, we suspect that they have pledged the allegiance to the ISIS. Nagbibidahan ‘yan sila. They are trying to outbeat each other dito sa Malaysia, pati sa Indonesia. Kung sino ‘yung pinakabrutal at nasusunod ‘yung parang talagang style nila, the culture of violence, para sa kanila, ‘yun ang dapat, mukhang chapter na Lions o Jesse chapter, ganun dito and they are showing really the brutality.

Now we are faced, that’s why, I said, I decided to run. Walang nagsalita, and of course, corruption. Run of the mill that we will take care of government but nobody was really there on the stage with a rage.

Walang, walang— para sa akin, hindi ko nakikita ‘yung— ayaw  ko pang tumakbo, wala akong nakikita na talagang galit sa corruption. ‘Yung nagmumura, “—ina ninyo, bakit niyo ginagawa ninyo ito sa—” So ‘yan ang ano ko. Then, I decided Monday doon sa—to my dismay, ewan ko, marami man kaming abogado dito, but I do not really agree with the Supreme Court, ‘yung sinabi nila na si Grace Poe, Pilipino.

Because for one semester, pinag-aaralan namin ‘yan sa College of Law. Now, the only way you can be a natural born is paglabas mo sa womb ng nanay mo, Pilipino ka. Pabalik-balik ‘yun so I cannot imagine how the Supreme Court arrived at that ridiculous—of adopting a treaty or agreement giving now the foundlings the citizenship of the country where they are found.

So, hindi namin makuha and many other decisions of the Supreme Court, which I really take a stand. Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit ganun. So doon ako, actually, that was the moment when I said, “Ah kung ganun, tatakbo na lang ako.”

But I have nothing against Grace. She’s a fine lady. I knew her some time. But ‘yung sinabi niya na hindi kami nag-uusap, nag-usap kami. Nakalimutan lang siguro niya na may, kinukuha ni Bong, ‘yung aide ko, ‘yung conversation namin, sa bahay ng mutual friend namin, na mutual friend ni Sonny rin, pati akin. So hindi totoo ‘yung—pero nag-usap kami, parang tinatantya ko lang and I was—wala silang ano, ‘yung, “okay, I will take care of that.” But nothing, nothing from—doon sa iba na ‘yung may galit.

Kaya nung nanalo ako, I made my— I just made, alam ko, pulitiko ako. I’ve been your mayor for 23 years, your congressman, your vice mayor. Bola ‘yang mga ganun na you make a monologue in front of people that we’re— ganyan-ganyan, tapos itong infrastructure. It’s an annual implementing— whether you like it or not, nandiyan ‘yan, so but you have to take care of the other issues.

Kaya nung nagsalita ako, sabi ko, “I will stop corruption and I will do it.” Pati brod ko, dalawa, talagang pinatalsik ko. Oo, hindi basta sinabi ko, “umalis kayo.” That was sa law school and a host of LTRB. Basta rin regulatory bodies, puro corruption ‘yan.

The least that the government interferes, the better for all of us. I’m trying to minimize but the next target, which is really urgent. ‘yung pulis. Saan ba si Rod?  Rod, John Garcia? (laughter)

Alam mo kasi, whoever really amended the law. Alam mo kasi, very stupid general, kung sino ‘yun. Talang istupido. ‘Yang SP1, SP2? Hindi ko talaga maintindihan ko ano ‘yang yawa na ‘yan. (laughter) Pag sinabi ‘SP1, SP2, SP3’ tapos police inspector, senior poli— Ang mga tao, nasa, until now, pati ako Presidente, pag sinabi SP1, ano ba ‘yang katumbas diyan sa—? Magsabi, ano ‘yan sa lieutenant colonel? Ibalik ko ‘yan o kaya mag-upo ka na doon sa—you sit down there and review the Police Act.

Ibalik mo lang Rod, sabihin mo diyan sa Crame na ibalik lang ‘yung police first class; constable; tapos sergeant. Bantay ka ha? Kung hindi ka magpunta dun. Hindi ano, kami naman ni Rod, actually, eh talagang kasama sa Class ’61, maniwala ka. (laughter)

Ako, ito expelled; ito, talsik; ako, talsik; pati si Tamano. Apat kami, pumunta ng Holy Cross of Digos. (laughter) Tang-inang ‘yan. Pero naka-graduate. Naka-graduate kami. Siya, pumunta sa pulis, and to become a general. Bilib ako. ‘Yung si Tamayo naman, naging barangay captain. Pero ayaw na ata eh.

But hinahanap ko ‘yan Rudy, kasi magkasabay ‘yan sila eh, dumating. Kami ni Tikboy ang magkasabay sa— pumunta doon sa mga brothers of the Sacred Heart.

Kaya hindi man dito, pero sabi, ayaw talaga ng buang, sabi ko, ilang reunion niya. Inutusan ko ‘yung pulis, sabi ko, ‘Pick up-in mo, sabihin mo na ipinapahuli ka. Huwag mo lang sabihin dadalhin dito.’ Buang na ‘yan. Ayaw. Sabi ko, many times I’ve met him, sabi ko, when would you attend the reunion? For old times sake.

So iyon ang ano. I just promise: Stop corruption; droga, which is really the source of controversy which I would not want to talk about because it has generated a lot of emotions ther; and it goes into the core of our religion that has to be fixed yet.

Pero itong— Itong kay Marcos, hindi ba sa debate, we were asked, I think it was in Cebu na, “would you allow the burial of Marcos if you win?” There were two of us who said: “Yes.” Ako, pati si Binay. Iyong tatlo: si Grace, pati si Santiago, ayaw nila.

Lahat ng— Lahat ng pangako ko sa inyo, tinutupad ko talaga. I’m hard on corruption, sabi ko. As a matter of fact, in the olden days, you know, it takes you about two to three years to get your papers from the departments. It could be the DENR, DAR or whatever. Ngayon limit kami. It’s a self-imposed rule amongst us, our Cabinet, 30 days.

Now, I’d like to also change the scenario dito sa local. Dito, yung panahon ko three days; business permit, electrical permit, three days. And you know, pagka hindi ko kasi ginawa iyan. I do not think that I would have really succeeded by the time if I get to live by the grace of God, kung buhay pa ako, hindi ko ma—tingin ko, I could not have really, really, may ginawa ako para sa bayan ko.

But if I could just change the—sa local government, kasi diyan ang corruption na marami. Dito sa taas; maasahan ninyo, wala iyan. As clean as it could ever be.

Pero ‘yung sa baba, ‘yung mga director, iyan ‘yung mga Registrar, whether of Deeds or Registrar diyan sa Civil Register, nandiyan ‘yung mga corruption because they just simply— Whether they are not there, kaning mga director at even dito, after lunch, mawala na. So saan-saan si director magpirma? Magpunta lang doon ng— So I’ll be warning them. And I say, that’s estafa. That’s actually malversation. You get paid for eight hours and you get the money, then, you just stay there for two to three hours.

Maybe, by the next— But I am trying to look for a forum to sort this out before I— sa next SONA. Because I will— reforms talaga. I want the police to start.  And I’ll limit ‘yung regulasyon. Gusto kong tanggalin ‘yung regulasyon. Basta bayad ka lang ng— sa akin, BIR, okay ‘yan, kasama ko sa dormitoryo, Dulay. He’s from Baguio. He’s good. Faeldon is— How is he, Sonny? Is he good?

Well, Faeldon is not really a lawyer. He has to grapple his way sa trabaho niya. But nag-usap naman kami. Tingin ko, by and large, medyo okay tayo.

As long as corruption would stop and the money utilized freely for which it was appropriated, spent, parang tataas tayo. Well, Sonny just gave me the good news, was it the other night? We’re good sa ating credit rating and sa— we are not doing bad actually, okay tayo. So thank you to Sonny, talagang ito ‘yung expert sa pera eh, palibhasa may-ari ng hotel. (applause)

Now, I know, all you have to do to get rich actually in this world is to be an orator. (laughter) Siya ‘yung nanalo ng ano ha, voice of democracy. During our time, national. Kaya no wonder, he got his pockets full of money. (laughter) Kami namang mga 75-75. Kaya nga, that is a joke, actually.

This is really true, Tugade is bright. He is a billionaire, bilyonaryo ‘yan. And he was our valedictorian sa San Beda. Vit Aguirre is cum laude. Rudy Salalima sa IT, cum laude ‘yan, also kaklase namin. Si Bambit Mendoza, ‘yung justice ng Supreme Court, dalawa ‘yan sila, magka-classmate; tapos, magka-brod but different journey sa destiny namin.

One was appointed by Noynoy, the other one was appointed by Arroyo. Pero okay ‘yung klase namin, puro bright talaga ‘yan.

Of coure, Pernia is a professor emeritus. And then you have Briones. She’s really very bright. Lahat-lahat. Taguiwalo, ex-convict, ayaw niya, ipatawag ex-convict, ex-convict ‘yan si Taguiwalo, si Mariano, Liza Masa. Puro nakulong ‘yan noong martial law. Kaya tawag ko diyan, mga ex-convict. Evasco. Maraming preso diyan, but I said, it’s a good sounding board. You get to have on the left, on the right. Kung ano lang ‘yung tama, iyon ‘yon. It’s not really coming from the right or from the left but we decide, what is really to the best interest of the Filipino people.

Ako nga, sabi ko, pati na sa lahat, huwag lang bayan. Magka-ano tayo— I mean, I can lean back; maybe, grant concession if it’s possible, legal. Pero kung if it’s a matter of an issue involving the welfare, the interest of my country, hindi talaga tayo magkaintindihan niyan. No way ako na bibitaw diyan.

If it’s really to preserve the Filipino, then I am sorry. Talagang yun na yan. So iyon ang— Wala pa naman ako history but I will be more exacting. It’s the only way. At saka, ayaw ko sanang magmura pero alam mo itong tao, you know, ‘pag pinutang-ina.

Kaya ako, binuksan ko ‘yang 8888 sa PTV-4. If you have some, you know, misgivings, write it out. Walang ano diyan, walang libel diyan. Eh akin ‘yan eh. It’s the publication, so the publication is mine, it’s PTV-4. When you text and you— it becomes libel when it is published. So ang mauna diyan, ako.

But you know, sabihin mo diyan: Director, milking us of— diretsuhan mo para tapos, tawagan ko. Wala akong pasensiya sa— wala kong second chance, zero tolerance talaga ako. Sinabi ko sa lahat iyan. Kaya ang sabi ko, mga taga-gobyerno, pasensiyahan talaga tayo. Telling you, wala akong magdadalawang isip diyan, basta corruption. Kasi po, magkababata nga tayo. Wala talagang pahinga ang Pilipino sa corruption.

There has never been really a respite even for a while. Administration after administration, after administration. Either it’s in tax deduction, allowances and everything. Sinasabi nila ako, but the— wala akong— I am not trying to offend anybody. There will be no special treatments lalo na sa mga mayaman. Hindi talaga ako bibigay diyan. Maybe, for the small guy, kung sabihin mo lang na— Kayo nakalahat na abroad. Kita mo ‘yang Customs. Tayo, mga mayor lusot, sasaludo pa ’yang mga yawa na ‘yan.

Pagdating doon sa— ‘yung mga biyahera eh ilang bills naman lang ‘yan. Tapos pahirapan, ilagay sa kanto. If it’s there in the corner not moving, it’s money. Kasi wala naman nasabi, nahuli.

Kaya dito, sabi ko— Ito ang mensahe sana na gusto ko, pati sa simbahan: You tell the faithful to be assertive ang Pilipino. They must insist on their rights.

Kaya sabi ko sa Customs, ‘pag in-open ‘yung luggage mo, tapos, ‘pag he begins to pick up something there for himself, putang-ina, sampalin mo. Create a scene because I will know. Because it would get the attention of everybody eh marami namang ano diyan. Madali naman mag-text.

“Iyan nag-away nag-iiskandalo, kasi paano kinukuha ‘yang—” Sabi ko, gusto ninyo sa pera? Putang-ina, doon kayo sa cargo. Iyon bilyon ‘yun doon. Huwag ‘yung galing sa— Bakit mo pakialaman ‘yang— Galing sa—Eh alam mo ang Pilipino, lalo na medyo ‘yung middle class, magpunta ng Hong Kong, magbili ng mga damit. Eh ‘yung gamit na two or three luggages. Eh ‘yung mga returning, kawawa naman. May dala-dala pa sila para sa pamilya nila, tapos kaltas.

Kaya minsan, diyan, may gusto akong sipain, mayor ako noon. Meron siyang telebisyon na maliit. Nagamit na gud, nagamit na niya, binalot lang niya ng ano plastid kasi dalhin sa— pinaghirapan pa ng— Sabi ko, “alam mo, adre, huwag ka lang, Mayor Duterte ako. Putang-ina mo, sipain kita dito, putang-ina ka.” Sabi, “Bakit?” ‘Bakit mo pinalusot yun?’ ‘Eh ilan ang pinalusot ninyo dito kanina? Sige daw.’

At saka ‘yang— Huwag na lang ako, not so much, huwag na lang ‘yung— Ayaw ko sa ano. I do not want really a quarrel with the Church. But ito lang sabihin ko sa inyo, even Sonny, even Gary: How long did it take you to earn your first million? Sige daw. How long did you, were you able to acquire even the comforts of life? How many years? Putang-ina itong durugista, he goes into it overnight, he’s a billionaire. Not only that, he corrupts the people, corrupt the government, ang ayaw ko because they create slaves in my country. Diyan ako galit. Kagaya rin ako galit diyan sa Middle East na pinag—

Basta rape dito, rape doon. Iyan kasi ang nangyari. Ang totoo lang, sabihin ko sa inyo. Pumunta ako ng Saudi Arabia because itong dalawang taga-Toril were caught giving rosaries. So the mayor kept, the deputy mayor doon kept coming back asking for my help.

One day, dinala nila sa akin so umiyak ‘yung nanay, umupo diyan sa gate ng—So I decided, sabi ko, puntahan ko sa Saudi. So niyaya ko si Dilangalen, Saluppudin. Sabi ko, samahan ninyo ako, ‘yung mga Moro na legislators.

That time, nakausap namin si Fahd, but he was off his rocker, a little bit. Di na niya masyadong— but he was able to make something out of my pleadings. So, pinalabas.

Pero sabi nung adviser, maybe, you’d want to talk to your counterpart sa parliament nila. ‘Yung parang security, in charge with security. Sabi niya, “I have something to say to you.” Eh di punta ako. Sabi niya, “alam mo Congressman, ang Arab culture”—hindi Muslim ha? Hindi Muslim. Arab, Arab culture especially yung mga medyo ignorante pa. Kung baga sa Riyadh, in the city, di masyado iyan. Pero kung na-assign ka, parang Calinan, Monkayo, Nabunturan, whether you are bought from the slave markets of Africa, in the Middle East or you are paid as a helper, kasali na diyan ang paggamit ng babae.

Ayaw kong sabihin iyan publicly, because lahat ng mga lalaking nandito, naiwan, naturiri. Magkaisip niya eh kung sabihin mo iyan, eh di maisip niya, araw-araw, ginagamit yung asawa niya. So he resorts to forget: inom or drugs. Ang ayaw ko rin diyan, kasi yung isa, nasa Qatar ang asawa; ‘yung isa naman, nasa, may ibang, magkahiwalay pa and they work their ass to death. Pagkamatay ng trabaho, remit the money. Hindi nila— nag-aaral yung anak nila. Alam mo, one-third ng mga anak ng OFW, anak ka ng puta, drugs.

So what happens now to the sacrifice? ‘Yung nanay, hinindot pa doon, magtrabaho pa, magbigay ng sweldo; tapos ganoon ang gawin mo. Kaya iyan ang galit ko. Never mind about, ‘yung wag na in this case. That’s my moral. I will bring it to my grave ‘yang—  But may rage ako. Kaya huwag ka talagang magkamali. Pag sinabi kong huwag, huwag.

Magtatanong, bakit may ganito sa Davao? Meron, in trickles. Ito, prangkahan ko kayo. Yung nangyari diyan sa Toril. There were 13 of them, actually. Yung nilatag ko doon, but 6 lang. Yung iba, tinapon ko talaga. Putang-ina. Imagine kapag dating namin doon. Kagaya ng sa San Juan, isang tonelada. Kung ako ang nandoon, tang-ina, hindi ko ipahuli iyan, dalhin ko sa likod, doon sa apartment, lagyan ko ng silencer, pagbabarilin ko.

Totoo. Mag-isang tonelada, pag inabutan kita, talagang papatayin kita. I don’t give— wala akong ano diyan. Galit talaga ako. Makita mo naman ang sakripisyo ng Pilipino, tapos, kaya ako strikto. Kaya ako ang number one oppressor sa Pilipino, actually ang gobyerno. It’s not the— gobyerno. Lahat na kung anong abuso diyan. 

Kaya dapat sabihan ang tao, ‘ito ang iyong karapatan.’ Insist on it, die for it because someday, it will liberate you. Kung ang Pilipino lang talaga ang mag-insist na ganun. Pagdating ng BIR, the first to whip, whip of mag-kuwan, sumbong ka agad o kaya magsisigaw ka, bastusin mo. Tignan mo, pag ginawa mo iyan, walang gagong magdemanda.

O sige, punta tayo sa pulis. Sabihin ko sa iyo, hiningian mo ako. Ang akin is just pay the correct taxes para ma-happy si Dominguez. Makuntento because I have to— but you can be very sure, ang inuna ko dito, ang— Look at the budget: It’s agriculture, Education tapos Skills Training, Small and Medium Scale. Sabi ko, unahin natin dito sa baba.

It’s not— I do not know if you believe in my sincerity. Some say, it’s just a pretended sentiment, whatever. Kahit politiko iyan. Ganoon.

Never mind about what I feel.  Just, just, just do what I want for my countrymen. Hindi na ako babalik dito. It’s six years straight, then, I go to hell or heaven, depende na iyan sa— how I talk to God. Ginawa nila, kasi daw kulumog ako, kaya I talked to God sa eroplano.

Di ganito na lang, baligtarin ko. Kung totoo, baligtarin ko. Kung ang Diyos ngayon ang nakipag-usap sa akin, anong gawain ninyo? Sabihin ninyo, si God medyo may sira rin ang ulo. Eh wala. After a long haul, galing Laos, you asked me, stupid question: “Have you resolved to stop throwing out epithets and curses?” Stupid.

O, Rod, mabuhay ang PNPA! (applause) So that is all guys, for tonight. I am still waiting for the arrival of Tamayo. (laughter) But ah, hamunin ko kayo. O si Rod, nag-umpisa na o. Mag-ubos na tayo ng tigdalawang boteng whiskey. Compliment ni Sonny. Pero ubusin natin ha? Per table. Wala na. Iyan lang ang survivor o. (applause)