Pasalamat muna ako sa mga taong nag-imbita kan ako. Si Governor Douglas Cagas, Congressman Mercedes Cagas, Digos City Mayor Joseph Peñas, Chairperson Rachel Arenas, ma’am. Maayong hapon. Kauban na ko sa gobyerno, akong mga minahal na kababayan, kog a, happy anniversary sa inyong ika-50 ka… well, your existence as a local unit.

Kahinumdom pa ko (I remember) pagkamatay sa akong papa, he was the governor of one big Davao, a huge province. But when he died, President Marcos divided it into four local government units.
Kay tungod (He retained) si Mayor Lopez iyaha mang brod sa fraternity sa UP, Sigma Rho man ‘to. He retained Mayor Lopez. But ang Davao Oriental, si Rabat and didto sa Norte, si Boiser man siguro ito. Ang diri, si Governor Llanos.

Daghan nang nahitabo. Ang inyong lugar na tunga napod into two and that would be ang Occidental ug Oriental nga Davao unya with the addition of — una pa ang Comval Valley. In 19… kanusa ba ko to nag graduate ‘no? [Laughter]

(TRANSLATION: A lot has happened. Your town has been divided into two and that would be Occidental and Oriental. It’s just Davao with the addition of — Comval Valley was there first. In 19… when did I graduate? [Laughter])
I remember that I was brought by my father daghan ming na expelled kaniadto. There were four of us. One is — eventually, he became a soldier. He was also a son of a Philippine Constabulary, si Rodolfo Garcia. Unya si Tamayo who was the anak ng dentista sa Sta. Ana. Unya si Tikboy, sa Bansalan.

We were involved in a – inom lang gud na kahibaw ka aning pari. There was a ruckus and we were all expelled. I remember gidala ko sakong amahan diri sa Cor Jesu. Diha na ko ni graduate sa akong high school. Diha pud ko ga puyo sa brothers of the Sacred Heart. Mao tong mura pud ko ug brother.

(TRANSLATION: We were involved in a… we were just drinking. You know how these priests are. There was a ruckus and we were all expelled. I remember my father brought me here to Cor Jesu. That’s where I graduated high school. I also lived there with the brothers of the Scared Heart. That was when I was also like a brother.)

ang mga brothers ba—na wala koy nahibaw-an. Kahibaw ka unsay gibuhat sa mga brothers saako? I was told to memorize the dictionary. And I was told to use the word in three sentences in different tenses. Naay past, present, future perfect, ug anak ng—

(TRANSLATION: Everyday we’d pray and there was also extra time in the library. You know what? They were appalled—the brothers—that I knew nothing. Do you know what the brothers did to me? I was told to memorize the dictionary. And I was told to use the word in three sentences in different tenses. There was past, present, future perfect and son of a—)

Well, anyway, I was able to recover sa akong mga lapses sa, eh bugok eh Wa’y natun-an. But the extra years, took me about seven years to graduate high school. Diri mi — Diri mi nagkita ni Dureza, kanang Secretary karon sa Peace Process.

(TRANSLATION: That was where Dureza and I met, he’s now the Secretary for the Peace Process.)

So I am very thankful for my education diri sa Brothers of the Sacred Heart. They were French-Canadian. The four of them mao gyu’y ga pukpok saamo.
And of course, the late Mayor Llanos noon, he was just a — this was just a municipality. He was a friend of my father when my father was also in JAGO. He was a military man but assigned sa JAGO. So they… after the Cebu liberation, they decided to migrate to Davao kay — Sila man ‘tong nagdemanda sa mga collaborators sa Cebu so tan-aw nila mag lisod sila ug — Si LLanos maoy gidakop unya ang papa nako maoy nag demanda as collaborator.

(TRANSLATION: They thought they would find it difficult to — Ilanos was the one arrested and my father was the one who filed a case against the collaborator.)
But they were subsequently freed by a general amnesty declared by the United States.

Well, anyway, lipay ko ug dako nga nakaabot ta ug singkwenta anyos. (’m really happy that we were able to reach 50 years. I was here maybe… sa inyong anniversary. About that time, I can hardly recall. Marami kasi akong iniisip ngayon, and you know, may I talk first about the importance of what’s happening to the nation.
Ako ba, kung itong away na ito would involve the MI, MN, I could very well understand. And still, I would really insist in just talking about peace.

You know, ang historical motivation kasi nitong MI, MN — and it started in the late 70’s — ang [inaudible] was the rising nationalism of their territory, which is Mindanao.

Long before Magellan arrived in Leyte, with of course bringing Christianity, gun powder, and the rifles at that time — they were muskets — ang Islam was already thriving in Mindanao, ahead by almost 50 years.

The Muslim scholars would place it at about 70 or 80. But when I was a congressman, I did some readings sa archives ng Indonesia, and of course, subsequently sa Malay— sa Indonesia— Malaysia, I was able to figure out how it came about, the Malay race. Kitang tanan Malay man ta, Indonesian, Malaysian.

And the only thing is that, half of the Philippines at that time, with Visayas and Luzon, was not as yet cultivated by the Moro of Mindanao.

So wala pa kaayoy religion nga ni sulod.

(TRANSLATION: So not a lot of religions have come.)

And you know, at that time, naa nay — dala-dala na ng Español ‘yung Christianity. I do not have anything against religion. But we are a product of colonialization, imperialism of the Spaniards and the Americans. And, if I may say so, with due respect to the leaders — religious leaders around — pati ‘yung mga kargado, saradong… we were also brutalized.

And at that time, whether you liked it or not, you had to convert or you are — or you are in any other conquering tribe. So, most of the Filipinos converted to Christianity at that time, because we were at the mercy of imperialism.

So, ganon ang nagyari. Naintindihan ko. I very well understand itong MI, MN. And that is why even with the beating of the drums of war, I’ve always insisted in just talking and talking because, we all know the history of why they are fighting.

Ang hindi ko maintindihan, itong mga terorista. And I’m referring to the ISIS and the local terrorists, ‘yung Maute at ‘yung mga allies nila, mga organization nilang, [inaudible] Itong sa Jolo, itong mga Abu Sayyaf.

There is no redeeming factor at all, itong terrorism. All that they want — it started in the Middle East, expanded all over the world now, either in groups, in numbers, or singly or dalawa, tatlo — and they all want is to kill and destroy.

To me, they have no redeeming factor at all except that they are terrorists, and they simply want to kill.

Mao na’y nakadaot diha. (TRANSLATION: That’s what makes things sour.) Kaya ako galit. You know, you might not know it, but my mother was a half-Maranao, and my lolo on my mother’s side was a Chinese — Lam. Siguro ig-agaw ‘to ‘yung Lam na sugarol sa Clark na sinibatan tayo hindi nagbayad ng taxes. ‘Yun ang hinanap ko, patayin ko ‘yung buang na ‘yun.
So, I know the… the wherewithals of where we’re going. Okay ako sa MI, MN. But I will never, never, never talk to the terrorists. And there will never be forgiving there. And that war in Marawi will continue until the last terrorist is taken out.

Hindi talaga ako papayag because it is a brutal and cruel organization. And to think that what will happen to us if we allow them to overwhelm.

And you know, this — every night, I get my briefer from the DND — Defense, at ‘yung kay Chief of Staff, kay Año, pati sa pulis. And I’m telling you the truth. Every time I read it, I am really… unsettling masyado. Sometimes I cry. Maluha lang ako if the numbers are really great.

Kasi, nakikita ko ‘yung mga patay na sundalo ko — “ko,” kasi ako ‘yung Commander-in-Chief — makikita ko ‘yung mga pulis ko na namatay come in numbers, and I can just imagine… ang pumapasok sa akin, ang pamilya.

That is always our worry. Tayong lahat dito. All of us, ‘yung pawis natin, ang atong paninguha (ang pawis natin) always for the family. Wala na tayo. We are beyond… ‘yung mga kaprityoso na ano. At this age, we always want our country safe for our children.
Kaya ganon na lang ang galit ko sa mga kapwa ko na Maranao. Sabi ko, “Galit ako sa inyo. Bakit ninyo pinapasok itong mga p***** i** na ‘to? Why did you allow the terrorists…” And they could not have built that kind of ordnance until na marami pa sila.

Most of our soldiers suffering and the police, puro shrapnels, puro explosives. And saan sila naka-ipon ng ganon karami? This has to be looked into maybe after the fighting.

But it really disturbs me because I declared martial law and I was the one who ordered them to go there to fight and to die. Mahirap ‘yan sa konsensya, mabigat. It is not really a guilt feeling, but it is almost akin.

Mura ug bug-at kaayo huna-hunaon saako nga ako’y nagusgo saila na punta kayo doon, magpakamatay kayo.

(TRANSLATION: It feels so heavy to even think about for me because I was the one who ordered them to go there and die.)

Parang ganon. So I am always praying that this war will end as fast as it can ever because I do not like people dying. And when I also see the poor Maranao there, wala namang pakialam sa buhay, he’s not a tripper of power, negosyante, pobre lang, makita nimo, umiiyak rin, praying that this war should stop.

I want it done immediately. But we are having a hard time because ang nangyari kasi, by the time I ordered martial law, alam ko na meron. Kasi may intelligence naman tayo.

But over the years kasi sila nag-ipon eh. We never realized the magnitude of their preparation sa kanilang mga paputok.

Tapos dumating tayo doon, nakapwesto na sila at ‘yung mga snipers nila. At tayo naman, we had to practically climb upward. Pa-ganun ‘yung mga… Mataas ‘yung Marawi. It’s a hilly place. ‘Yun ang naka-l**** ‘dun.

So anyway, I always say to the troops that, “You know, I am very sorry to hear it, but I hope you’d understand that I have this Constitutional duty.” Dahil kung hindi ko rin gawin ang trabaho ko, ako ang makukulong. And more, in shame, because para akong nag-talaw.

So I had to do it because if not, we would have lost Marawi in a matter of days. At maka-establish sila… makapagyabang sila that they have an Islamic state.

Wala akong problema sa Islamic state or province. I can understand it, because we are a mixed here and I would like it to happen. That’s why in my government, when I was Mayor… Mayor ako sa… Deputy Mayor ako sa Maguindanao, Maranao, Iranon. Taga-Davao itong mga Kagan, Sama, Tausug. Pati ‘yung mga Badjao. They had a Deputy Mayor. Because I thought that it would be good to be a participatory democracy.

But that’s why I had no problem… look at Davao now. If you read yesterday’s papers, and you heard it yesterday, Davao got the… almost the highest, Davao City. Nine percent, pinakamataas, domestic.

Kita mo sa Davao, ilang building. Hindi ka lang mapunta dun ng dalawang buwan, may mga makita ka ng… So Davao has progressed a lot. Pero ang pagdala ko sa Davao,well, it’s always also subject to public scrutiny. I have many cases of…

Alam mo, kung hindi ko gawain ang ganon, wala kasing mangyayari sa ating bayan. When I was Mayor, kakaano lang natin sa crossroads ng martial law pati… And you know, sadly also, I was a prosecutor at that time… that every time Dick and Harry, kung sinong kung sa wanted doon na ingon siya na Alsa Masa siya was given freely a firearm.

(TRANSLATION: kung sa wanted doon who’ll be given firearms freely if he says that he’s a member of Alsa Masa.)

And we were — I will tell you now, we were producing paltiks inside the metro, doon sa pulis. Which we call the Davao Barracks. Ang tawag natin diyan. Tayong taga-Davao.

But we were making it because we want to put an end sa insurgency. Pagka wala na sa mga NPA sa Davao, kasi ako na ang nag-mayor. Kinausap ko sila, “Go out of Davao. Find another place for you to…” ang pumalit, ‘yun namang mga gangster. ‘Yung may mga…

Anong ginawa nila dun? Magpasok sila sa bahay. Maski ‘yung ministro ng Protestante na puti, mag-istambay sila sa bahay. Ngayon kung may per aka sa bangko, I don’t know if it’s true now. You cannot withdraw more than 50,000 per withdrawal. So kung manghingi sila sa’yo ng 2 million, so how many days ‘yan pabalik-balik mo?

In the meantime that you are not able to complete your payment, they stay in your house. Then they rape the wife, then they rape the child, then they rape the helpers and everybody else.

Kaya nga sabi ko, “ang gulo nito.” From, you know, from the NPAs, nandito naman ‘tong mga p****i**** ‘to. So I made a declaration. At sinabi ko, “Go out of Davao City. Do not destroy my city. I’m trying to build a city for our children. Huwag mong sirain, kasi ‘pag sinira mo, papatayin talaga kita.”

Sabi ko, “Do not destroy the youth. Our youth. Kasi ‘yung mga anak namin, kailangan namin ‘yan pagtanda namin. Kasi kami, hindi kami mayaman. Meron lang kami ngayon, may sweldo.”

One year sa hospital siguro, lahat ng medisina, kaya ko. But after one year, wala na ‘yan. Mahal ang medisina. Ang kwarto, tag pila ba’y bayran nimo? Nilibo.

(TRANSLATION: How much will you pay for a hospital room? Thousands.)

Eh kung ang mga anak natin, sira ang… who will feed us? Si kinsay muhungit nimo ug lugaw? Who will buy your medicine? Kinsay mukuha ug oxygen for you to breathe? To make your life through the day? Kinsay mupalit sa sementeryo ug yuta? Kinsay mubayad sa punerarya? Tapos kung ganunin mo mga anak namin, saan kami pupunta?

(TRANSLATION: Eh kung ga anak natin, sira ang… who will feed us? Who will feed us porridge? Who will buy your medicine? Who will get your oxygen for you to breathe? To make your life through the day? Who will buy you a lot in the cemetery? Who will pay for the funeral expenses? Tapos kung ganunin mo mga anak naming, saan kami pupunta?)

P***, ilagay mo ako sa alanganin. Ang sabi ko, “Do not do it. Do not destroy the children because I will kill you, period.” At ginawa ko talaga. Wala naman akong ano. Sinabi ko, ang pinatay ko, ‘yung nagsira.

Ang problema nitong Human Rights. Kita mo, four days ago… or was it the other day? The day before. Tan awa. Itong mga expert na ‘to. Kaya ako, galit talaga ako sa mga puti na mga t******* pati itim.

Mga foreigners. ‘Di ba? Last month, ang sabi, shabu would be taken without any danger because it does not create anything inside your brain. Napaka-torpe ‘tong p***. Ngayon, kita mo ang nangyari. Tinanong siya sa pulis, “Bakit mga ginawa ‘yun?” “Wala, trip-trip lang kasi alcohol plus.”

Alam mo ‘pag nag-droga ‘yan, kasama ang alcohol niyan. Sigurado ‘yan. Basta ‘yung mga lumo diyan daplin sa dalan na mga lango na, paligsi. Pag dala ug tractor. Harusa na diha. [Inaudible]

(TRANSLATION: Alam mo ‘pag nag-droga ‘yan, kasama ang alcohol niyan. Sigurado ‘yan. But for those who lurk in dark alleys down the street, run over them. Bring a tractor and run over them.)

Mag-marijuana? Oo, hallucigenic eh. Produces hallucinations. Tapos sabayan mo ng shabu. Eh di Lola, ang asawa, ang anak. Fourteen-, seven-, one-year-old. Pinagsasaksak. Ano ba naman? F*** you.

Kaya ang advice nila sa’kin itong EU, kaya ako galit, kaya ko pinup***** i** sila, binabastos nila ako. Kaya ang sabi nila doon, si Duterte dapat, ‘yung modern approach ng addiction is maglagay ako ng mga klinika, mag-produce ako ng shabu, heroin, cocaine. Ipanghatak ko, libre. Kagaya sa Vancouver, Canada and The Netherlands. O, look at Netherlands now and Canada.

Nagpunta ako doon nung ano balay hugaw. Hugaw na (The houses were dirty, very dirty). Maraming itim na nag-iistambay diyan. Pagdaan mo diyan sabihin, “Hey buddy, could you give me one dollar?” Magawa mo dito sa Davao ‘yan? Pabuthon ko nang i**** nimo. (I’ll blow up your b****)

‘Yan ang problema. Netherlands, ganon na ang gulo, mga terrorista, nag-iistambay diyan lahat. So I really do not know what they are trying to prove. Itong Obama na ito, he criticized me as if I was a federal government employee. Mura kog postal employee. (TRANSLATION: I was treated like a postal employee.)

Kaya sinabi ko, “F*** you. You can go to hell, Mr. Obama.” Bakit mo ako… I’m just trying to protect my country. Bakit mo ako turuan kung paano… tapos sabihin mo, file-an file-an mo pa ako ng kaso. L*** ka. O ‘di mag-file ka ng kaso.

Si Trump ngayon. Tawag. Protocol duty ‘yan eh. “Mr. President Trump, I would like to congratulate you for your victory on the United States.” “Ah, yes, President Duterte, I’ve been waiting for your call.” “Ah, you’re doing it right. This g******… destroying my country.”

Nag mention siya ug laing country na silingan niya, actually it was Mexico.

(TRANSLATION: He mentioned another neighboring country of theirs. Mexico, actually.)

So ako… I will do the same. “You’re doing it good.” So this one President, maayo akoang gibuhat. Unya sa usa ka Presidente, kasab-an pa ko as if T***i**, sabi ko, sino kang p*****i** ka? Who are you to lecture on me? Kita mo nang droga…

(TRANSLATION: So ako… I will do the same. So this one President, what I’m doing is good. And for the other President, he’ll even reprimand me as if… as if T***i**, sabi ko, sino kang p*****i** ka? Who are you to lecture on me? Kita mo nang droga)

Pilipinas, droga. Pag indi natin nakontrol ito. Remember this, ‘pag hindi ko nakontrol, hindi ko natapos ito, mahirapan kayo, mga anak ninyo. Maniwala kayo. Kung ang mag Presidente, ‘yan lang din ang nakalinya na ano…

Mao na’y managan ug usab, patay mo. Mahadlok eh. [inaudible] Pag ingon ug I will kill you, I will kill you. Ka daghan pag istorya. Tutal, progressive man pud ang Digos. Naa lay problema sa droga. Patya na. Yawa.

(TRANSLATION: If that person runs for office, you’re all dead because they’re afraid. If you say I will kill you, I will you. Cut the chatter. Digos is a progressive city anyway. They just have a problem with drugs. Kill them. Fiends.)

You know, give me a reason. Bakit ako kulungin mo? Is there a law which prohibits a President, or a Mayor, or governor, for that matter, to say, “Do not destroy my country, city, or province, because I will kill you?” What is wrong with that statement?

“Do not destroy the youth of my land, because I will kill you.” What is wrong with that statement? Tell me. ‘Yang mga EU, bugok. EU. Turuan pa ako. “This guy has been heard saying that , ‘I will kill you.’” Of course.

Kaya sabi ko, I will run this country in accordance with my oath of office. Wala na ‘yan. Pag martial law. “Duterte, martial law. Kanus-a pa kaya ni tangtangon? (When will he take it down?) Shut up.

When the military and the police will tell me, “Duterte, it’s time to lift martial law because everything is safe already.” Okay. Because in the first place, I did not do it on my own volition. I was in Russia, in Moscow when the… pumasok ‘yung balita.

Ang tanong ko lang sa ila… In fairness to the military and the police, what they answered me was this. Ang tawag nila sa ako, ‘Mayor’ eh. I do not allow them to call me ‘President.’

“Mayor, the situation is critical. Pati ‘yung mga civilian, namamatay na.” You know, your… magsabi ka, “your critical condition,” tapos sabihin mo, “Hindi naman critical condition” ‘Yang mga marunong diyan… mga – sila Tatad, mga u***.

You know, you’re estimation of ‘critical’ is not mine. Ako, as a mayor, as a prosecutor, as a congressman, I have my standard kung ano ‘yung critical. ‘Yung critical ko, baka sa iyo, hindi. But I build… I take care of a country. While you’re just a f***** idiot there talking nonsense.

So ang sundin ko, ‘yung akin. ‘Nung sinabi na “sir, critical,” sabi ko, “Tell the Executive Secretary that I am declaring martial law to protect and preserve the Filipino people.”

Alam mo sa totoo lang, ‘yang Constitution, ‘yang papel that martial law will be declared… kagaya rin ‘yan sa military pati pulis. Papel ‘yan, wala ‘yan. Dito ‘yun [raises right hand] “that I will serve and protect and defend the Filipino nation.” ‘Yun lang ang sinusunod ko. [applause]

Wala na akong… Ayaw mo ng martial law? S***. So be it. You don’t like it? Fine. Tutal hindi naman ako. Why should I declare, why should I enjoy declaring martial law? For what? I won by 6 million. So what’s the problem? And you know, you do these things sa Marawi itong mga terorista, killing, beheading Christians and Moro alike, mga g*** ‘to. Wala akong patawad dito.

Now… when is the time to lift the martial law? And then I will ask the military and the police, “is this safe now?” And when the Chief of Staff pati ‘yung PNP would say, “Everybody would be safe and it’s okay now,” I-lift ko.

Otherwise, it’s not dependent on the whim na punta kang Supreme Court, maniwala kaya ako? Tingin ko magulo pa ipa-lift mo? Huhulihin kita, ipasok na tuloy kita sa kulungan.

Huag mong ipapasubo ng— lalo na ang bayan ko. We can talk of anything else and make compromises maybe, but not when the interest of my country is at stake. Hindi talaga ‘yan. That is not negotiable. [Applause]

So ‘yan ang — pumunta ako dito kasi Governor, because I have to pass this message to you so that you’d understand.

Sabi ko dito, sabi ko sa — magabian na ta. Ayun. Gabi na. Mura mig bat. Mura nag akong chopper mulupad inig gabii, pero mahulog pud ni inig gabii. Pareho ra’g buntag. Pareho ra man na. Mas klaro lang sa adlaw ang pag lambos sa imo. Gabii mupiyong ka lang man. [Inaudible]

(TRANSLATION: I said here, I told — We’ll still be here at night. And there, we were there in the night, like bats. Just like my chopper that flies at night, but could also crash at night. But it’s just the same as in the morning. It’s just the same thing except that when it’s day time, your crashing is more vivid. At night, you just close your eyes.)
When I was a student, fourth year ko sa high school. Kani akong mga — ambot kung naa ba koy classmate diri karon. Naa diay dream ba unya naga lupad na ko kaniadto. Unya sa layo pa nakita nako ang Digos, dive na ko daan. Pero ako nang gi menoran.
(TRANSLATION: When I was a student, fourth year ko sa high school. My — I don’t know if some of my classmates are present here now. There was a dream that I was flying. From afar, I could see Digos and so I dove down, but I slowed down a bit.)
Edi hilom na nisulod diri ang eroplano. Bayot gud. Tawag nga bayot. Pag abot, gi tunong gyud nako na “Bang!” dagan tong mga athletes. Gi ana nako gi salubong na ko sa eroplano. Undang ang mga — Tan-aw dayon.
(TRANSLATION: So everything inside the plane fell silent. It was so gay. It’s called gay. When we got down, I made sure we hit it with a “Bang!” The athletes ran. They met me by the airplane. They all stopped — They all came to look.)
Kinsa ba’y paryente ni Doctor, ni Ipil, among principal? Nah, daghan mig kabuang ngadto diri. Pareho man mi ni Cagas, preso. [Applause]
(TRANSLATION: Who’s related to Doctor Ipil, our principal? We did a lot of crazy things here back in the day.)
Ang kaning modern kaayo ning Digos. Ang inyong stop and go usa ra may — kanang kanto diha. Nampong [?] pa na diha nag-kaon, nampong [?].
(TRANSLATION: Digos is very modern. Your stop and go is just one — that corner of the street there. Nampong, where people eat, Nampong [?].
Naay restawran diha kanang Nampong. Lumay daan. Ang inyong go, ana ana. Pag ana, go, ana, ana unya stop. Pagka gabii adto, nanglingkod mi diha. Amo — excuse me ha, nag lingkod lingkod mi. Unsa maning yawa, uyog mani?
(TRANSLATION: There’s a restaurant there called Nampong [?]. Your go goes like this. When you do this, go, like this and then stop. That night, we were sitting there. Excuse me, we’re just sitting here. What’s happening, why is it shaking?)
Among gi dayunan ug tumba. Anak ng — si Mayor Ilano. Ga tan-aw diay sa amoa, ga dala ug — T*** ***. Katilaw mi tanan. “Pak! Pak! Pak!”
(TRANSLATION: We pushed it together until it finally fell. Son of a —- Mayor Ilano. He was looking at us bringing a — We all got a taste of that. “Pak! Pak! Pak!”
Gi pa priso ko sa — He, he informed my father. Ana akong tatay diha ko sa kulungan. Pirteng daghanag lamok. Pero tulo ka adlaw ba gi hubuan na gyud mi. Kaming tanan gyud sigeg pang anag lamok. Di na man ta –– mamatay na man ta anig — [laughter]
(TRANSLATION: I was put in jail. He informed my father I was in jail. There were so many mosquitoes. In three days, they stripped us naked. We were all swatting at mosquitoes. We couldn’t even — We were dying. [laughter] )
Ganon ka-disciplinarian si lolo nila. Walang patawad ‘yun, pati ako, anak ng gobernador, ah l**** ka. Didto ka, sulod ka.
(TRANSLATION: Ganon ka-disciplinarian si lolo nila. Walang patawad ‘yun, pati ako, anak ng gobernador, ah l***** ka. You go there, stay there.
Kaya nung na-Mayor ako ganun rin, sa totoo lang.
Ana pud ko mukulata ug tao. Wala nay hangtod ba. Naanad ko sakong mama nga kada adlaw paludhon ko sa altar. Edi samot. Mama nako niadto. [inaudible] Mag ana ko kada hapon halos. Nag tan-aw ko sa altar. Si Hesukristo niana pa man kaniadto.
(TRANSLATION: That’s how I beat people too, to no end. I got used to my mother making me kneel in front of the altar every day. That made it worse. My mother back then would [inaudible] I’d stay like that for almost the whole afternoon. I’d look at the altar. Jesus Christ was like that back in the day.)
Ingon man si Hesukristo, “Father forgive them.” Pero punta ka sa bahay namin ngayon, si Hesukristo naka ganon na. Kasi ako naman ang kausap niya palagi noon, sabi ko, “pareha talaga tayo swerte pare.” P****** i**
Paita sa kinabuhi nato oy. Seven years ako nag-high school. Oo, suroy suroy ko ngari. [Inaudible] Manghud manghod man nako ni si Dureza. Nag abot gyud mi ana kay — Balhin ko ngari. Mao ni. Ningablik ko… sa second year. ‘Yan ang buhay.
(TRANSLATION: Life is so bitter. I spent seven years in high school. Yes, I was roaming around here. Dureza is like a little brother to me. We got to know each other in school because — I transferred here. That’s it. I repeated second year. That’s life.)
Pero naay usa ka — taga Digos ning bayhana. [crowd cheers]
(TRANSLATION: But there’s this one — this woman hails from Digos.)
Pag huwat mo. Gara gara. Taga digos ning bayhana pero pirteng gwapaha. Pareha diha sa inyo oh. Ila ila ta unya. Manihapon tang tanan. Kita ra. Ayaw na nag apila. Naa man siguroy restawran ngari nga arang arang. Puro tuhod pa imo ah.

(TRANSLATION: You just wait. You’re joking around. This woman comes from Digos and she’s really beautiful, just like you there. Let’s get to know each other later over dinner, just us. There might be a decent restaurant here.)
Ang iyang — Nag trabaho siya sa America karon. She’s a nurse. Ambot ug — Kinsay nakaila ninyo? Ang pangalan niya it’s pronounced as Lia, di Lea. Lia. Ang iyang apelyido… handa na ta mamatay diha. [laughter]
(TRANSLATION: That’s what’s — She’s working in America right now. She’s a nurse. I don’t know if — Does anyone here know her? Her name is pronounced as Lia, not Lea. Lia. Her surname… we should prepare to die. [laughter]
Pero kinsay nakailang Lia? Tiya ka siguro ka niya kay gwapa ka man. Muuliay man siguro to.
(TRANSLATION: But who knows Lia? You must be her aunt because you’re beautiful too. She might becoming home soon.)
Gwapa ‘yun. Sa lahat ng babaeng nakilala ko, sa totoo lang, walay hambog. Wa man pud siya ngari. Ang — Dili to mestiza pero siyay pinakagwapa sa tanan. Ganda talaga ang mukha. Sige, pag muuli man to, dad-on nako ngari ha. Ipakita nako ninyo. Maganda talaga. Piipina pero almost perfect ang distribution sa kuan ba, sa unod. Gwapa gyud. [Inaudible]
(TRANSLATION: She’s beautiful. Among all the women I’ve known in my life—not that I’m bragging—She’s not here anyway. Alright, when she comes home, I’ll bring her here, alright? I’ll show her to you. Very beautiful. She’s Filipina but her distribution of flesh is almost perfect. Very beautiful.)
Ingna ninyo siya, “I love you.” [Crowd cheers]
(TRANSLATION: Tell her, “I love you.” [crowd cheers])
Bitaw, sa tinuod, gwapa gyud. Makita ra ninyo. I’d ask you to come home, diri dito. Pagka gwapa. Pagkagwapa. Sa tanan akong makaila-ila. Tisay. Daghan mana, mga tisay tisay. Kay tanan akong pangutan-on mapa pulis, mu ana gyud sila, gwapa gyud, sir.

(TRANSLATION: To tell you the truth, she’s really beautiful. You’ll see. I’ll ask her to come home here, there. How very beautiful indeed. Among everyone else that I get to know, whether it’s fair skinned. There are a lot of fair skinned girls. Everyone I ask, even the police, they say say that she’s really beautiful.)
Maski sa, maski sa didto sa akong balay-balay. Niagi man siya ngadto. Niingon gyud sila nga sa tanang nianhi diri, gwapa gyud ni siya ba. Pero nag anam bayag katiguwang ang buang. Ako nagtiguwang ko. Kita mo sa uban nako? Tungod mani anang Marawi. [laughter]
(TRANSLATION: Even there in my small house. She went there. The people there really said that she’s really beautiful, although she’s steadily aging. I’m getting old too. Have you seen my white hair? It’s because of Marawi. [laughter])
Galit na galit ‘yan eh. Galit ko, bakit nila pinapasok itong mga teritorista sa Pilipinas? U***.
O di na ko magdugay kay— Pero, I can spend time if you ask questions. I— Bakante pa man ang chopper kong duha. [laughter] Aw tulo diay. Sabak, pasabakon lang nako ang duha.
(TRANSLATION: I’m not going to stay long here because — But I can spend time if you ask questions. I — Bakante pa ang chopper kong dalawa. [laughter] Aw tulo diay. Sabak, pasabakon lang nako ang duha.)
So, one is that I would like to credit the founding fathers of this province for their tireless effort to make what is now.

Alam mo, ang problema lang ninyo is droga. Medyo malakas pati— I’m also— I would like to warn the police here. Lay off sa drugs ha, kamong mga pulis kay alam mo na. Huwag kayong pumasok diyan kasi kasali kayo sa statistics diyan.
But overall, okay ang— Ito lang mga— Kisay ngani ang NPA diri? [laughter] Taas kamot. Wa rabay muangkon ang yawa. Labawg didto ka sa bukid gadala ug armas hambugero kaayo. Taas kamot.

(TRANSLATION: Raise your hands. No one’s admitting to it, but there in the mountains, when you’re holding your gun, you’re so very arrogant. Hands up.)

Ganito ‘yan eh. Would you please stop waging war against–? Alam mo hindi ko kayo maintindihan. Unang sabi doon sa itaas, si Sison ordered to engage government forces in this struggle but about gyera.

That they changed it to that they will stop until such time matapos itong sa Marawi siege. Kasi walang— ang sabi ko nga eh, there will never be a space for you kung terrorist ka, kayong mga komunista. Wala kayong space diyan sa terorista.

Pag ‘yan ang manalo o ma-overwhelm tayo, pati kayo kasali diyan. Kasi there is no redeeming factor for that. Wala kayo so— In the meantime, ano ba talaga?

Muundang mog atake sa gobyerno o mag istorya ta?

Ako, I said I can always— May legitimate ano kayo, human rights, pati kayo kasali man rin diyan.

We’re both guilty on that score. Pero ang ano ko diyan is, i-ambush mo, patay basta babae sa — ano ba? Mag-usap ba tayo o hindi?

In the meantime kung mag-usap tayo in the future, then stop waging war kasi baka itong mga sundalo ayaw na rin makipagusap.

Kami, utusan lang kami lahat. We are just co-workers in government basta pulis. But the only reason na medyo mataas ako, but I do not control everything and I cannot control everybody.

Sabihin, sila may akong suguon muingon silag dili mi ana.
Ano ba, undang ba mo, mag istorya ta, o if you want to stop firing, you want to talk to us, then my god please stop killing us. You kill my—
(TRANSLATION: Ano ba, will you stop this or will we talk? If you want to stop firing, you want to talk to us, then my god please stop killing us. You kill my—)

Noong una nag-lift kayo ng ceasefire, February 10. February 4, gipatay ninyo akong pulis duha diha sa Kidapawan. [Speaks Bisaya]

February 4 kaya tinawagan si General Año, sabi ko, “resume tayo.” Kalokohan ‘yan eh.

Better decide. You know— I’m addressing also myself sa mga MI, MN. We have been fighting this war for 50 years, as old as this province.

Now tell me, do you want to fight another 50 years? Wala akong problema. May mga sundalo, may sweldo. 50 years, sige. But this time, kung giyera, giyera gyud. Wala tayong patawaran.

Tsaka hindi rin ako maghintay ng sundalo. If you’re identified there, then tutal ganon din ang ginagawa ninyo, pinapatay ninyo mga barangay captain, pinapatay ninyo ‘yung mga, eh ‘di gawain ko rin ‘yan.
Alkanse mi. Lugi kami ug kamo ray mu — (TRANSLATION: We’ll be shortchanged there.)

So let’s fight on even grounds. Ako, I’m willing to accept the offer that you’ll stop fighting, good. I accept that and we can talk again, I said. Huwag lang ‘yan terorista.

Pero you must realize that 50 years is 50 years of fighting. Bone-weary na ang tao diyan. Hindi na bilib sa inyo, hindi na rin bilib sa amin.

Sabi, Duterte sige lang. Sabi niya, he’ll initiate talks. Okay, initiate talks. Hindi lang tayo magkaintindihan diyan sa point on… kayo din ni Dureza, pati ni Bello, upakan na kaagad ninyo ‘yung mga sundalo ko. Kalokohan ‘yan.

You decide. Do not create something which is not acceptable also to me and to the guys… doing the fighting.

And that would be my message for you, para sa lahat. And I… there’s a sense of borne out of the many years that I spent here, almost three years finishing my high school.

Once upon a time, I was able to visit Quebec, where the headquarters of the Cor Jesu brothers. I went there pero kakamatay lang ni Brother [inaudible]. But I was able to meet some of the guys still, pero matatanda na sila.

And, I would like also to thank the French-Canadians who helped us in our education and to the, mga patay na, na dumaan dito, na nagdala sa ating goyberno.

Maganda na ang Digos ngayon, Davao del Sur, except ‘yung terrorism pati ‘yung NPA.

Huwag na lang ‘yang NPA, ‘yung sympathizer na lang para ito ang magdala ng message.

Mga barangay kagawad ay sus, bolahon pa ko ninyo. Barangay kagawad pag abot sa NPA, oo amigo ta. Pag abot sundalo, sir, hala amigo ta. Mga buang ning mga…
(TRANSLATIONS: The barangay kagawad ay sus, you’re joking me. Barangay kagawads, when dealing with the NPA, say their friends. And when you see a soldier, you’re also friends. These people are crazy…)

I asked the NPAs now, kaya sabi ko if you’re friends, tell them that they can announce and I will announce a total ceasefire in the meantime that we are busy dealing with the problem in Marawi.

But to all of you… Sir, wala ka bang ano kasi, what you experienced na-experience ko man rin, alam ko ang buhay ng presuhan.

Lisod na. Pareho tag swerte pero swerte ka kay si Mama maayo man mu kuan, buutan. Kay ug salbahe ka pa, dugay na kang napatay. Mupatay man gyud na si — Mag hinay-hinay na ko.
(TRANSLATION: That’s difficult. We have the same kind of luck but you’re luckier because mother is kind. If you were mean, you’d have been dead a long time ago.)

I have to go, it’s getting dark, I have to fly home. Mayor, patya sila.
Unya kanusa imong birthday, mayor? March 28. Kamo ba ug hapit na ang pasko. Ug kung maalala lang ninyo, ‘yung mayor ninyo pati Presidente niyo tagaig medyas. Wala gyuy medyas intawon oh. [crowd cheers]
(TRANSLATION: When’s your birthday, Mayor? March 28. To all of you, when Christmas is near, and only if you remember, gift a pair of socks to your mayor and your President.)
Malapit na ang Pasko, kung maalala lang ninyo, ‘yung Mayor ninyo pati Presidente niyo, taga ig medyas. Wala gyud koy medyas intawon o. [laughter and applause]

Pobre, pobre, pobre. Pila gani to imong asawa? Duha ‘no? [laughter] Duha. [Speaks Bisaya]

Ako, akongng asawa, duha gyud. Pero naapud koy girlfriend, usa [laughter] Naa pakoy reserba. [laughter] Pero wa man siya ngari. Pero tan-awa ninyo na—

Hindi ko kayo binabastos ha. I’m not trying to be— Pero maganda talaga na babae. ‘Yung kung maghanap kayo ng babae na Pilipina na simple lang pero gwapa, kana si Lia. [laughter]

Daghang salamat. Maayong gabii ka ninyong tanan.

— END —