Q: Good evening, sir.

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: I’m glad to see you tonight.

Q: Long time, sir. You mentioned in your speech earlier that you see the crisis in Marawi ending. Sabi mo it may just be a matter of days. Ano ‘yung indications sa ground na nakikita niyo for you na nasabi po ninyo ‘yon?

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: One, is that there is less enemy to contend with, less resistance and less fighting.

Q: You mentioned kasi, sir, end of the month eh. And I just have to stress tomorrow is the end of the month. Are you looking maybe at the week ahead, ganun po ba?

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: That is something which I cannot really predict. While it indicates a slowing down of the fighting, which ordinarily would indicate also that there is less resistance now, no more fighting. And maybe the security forces of the government would be able to control all of the city, territory — City of Marawi.

Q: Sir, pagka na-resolve na po ‘yung problema, what would be the government’s next moves — immediate moves?

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Wala kasi ako I can understand the principle behind the revolution of MI pati MN. It is territorial in the sense that they felt or they feel now that they have been deprived of their homeland, which is really partly true.

And, of course, not every area was covered then by the different tribes of the Moro of Mindanao.

But para silang nawalaan ng lupa and the opportunity also because it’s a very competitive world, it’s business, especially the Maranaos, mga negosyante ‘yan eh.

Q: Last from me, sir. Alam ko, sinabi niyo po kanina na ayaw niyong sundan namin kayo wherever you plan to go tomorrow, which happens to be your first year in office. Pero kahapon po, sir, nasabi ninyo na you may go to Marawi?

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Yes, I may and I would not announce it even after.

There are trips which maybe you’d want to be there and feel safe but there are also places

here that which would preclude you from announcing in advance or earlier ‘cause it might really jeopardize your life.

Q: Good evening, sir. Sir, nag-leave po si Noel Manankil of the Clark Development Corporation and he denied the corruption allegations. Sir, can you confirm if he was the official that you were referring to? And how convinced are you that he is involved in corruption?

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: No, I just issued a warning because of a report. But I have not really named him publicly in the sense that he is the man that is — that he was the target of my announcement.

I was just repeating my warning to everybody, not only to Manankil but to everybody that I will not — I will not, and I will not countenance graft and corruption in my government.

Ang bottom line is always I will ask for your head. Dismissal ako. Ayaw ko ‘yung mga imbestiga-imbesti — ‘yung suspension. Babalik ka rin, ganon rin ang trabaho mo.

If you are into graft, you are into graft. And if I’ll just suspend you for days or even months and you go back to the service of the government and you have been at it, eh the high probability that you’ll do it again.

And suspension might not really be enough to make you realize that it’s not profitable anymore to gamble with your security of tenure.  

Q: Magandang gabi, Mr. President. ‘Yung business — Chinese businessman daw po na donor doon sa drug rehab sa Nueva Ecija na itatayo, involved daw po sa corruption. May issue po siya sa corruption. Nakarating na po ba ito sa inyo? 

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: He’s a multibillionaire. He has 20 hotels. I would… I would not comment on the domestic affairs of China, especially one who has been kind to us. He did not ask for anything. He just wanted to be of service to his fellowmen.

Ayaw kong makialam diyan kung anong… But what I know of really because I was there and I was asking everybody, talagang bilyonaryo ‘to. He’s one of the richest man in…

I would not venture any statement because people might not like it actually.

Q: So patuloy pa rin po ‘yung ano, ipu-push pa rin po ‘yung ipapatayo?

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Iba ‘yung tulong. Nagpapasalamat ako sa tulong niya.

Q:  Mr. President, just two quick questions po.

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Kinsa ka man?

Q: Mr. President, totoo po ba na meron daw po kayong pinsan na member ng Maute?

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Relative maybe. But I do not know how many degrees far or near. 

Q: Okay, gaano po kalayo?

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: I know because… One of my cousins died about three months ago. And they came here, ‘yung mga distant and near relatives, came here for the burial.

So it alarmed the security because puro Moro. Sabi ko, “Mga relatives ko ‘yan.”

Q: Last question na lang po. Dito na po daw ba kayo mag-o-opisina sa Davao?

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: No, the official seat — the seat of power is ‘yung nandoon sa Pasig.

But I hate to use the word “Malacañan”. I refer to it as just my office. Opisina lang man talaga, hindi naman ako nakatira doon. May quarters ako across the river. So I commute everyday.

Any other? Kabarat naman ninyo. Pina-tindig niyo ako dito tapos… Ikaw, si ano? ‘Yun ‘yun. O huwag kang titingin-tingin diyan sa likod. Ikaw ‘yung itinuturo ko. Wala ka? Local, wala?

Q: Sir, balikan ko lang po ‘yung isyu kay Manankil. Protégé daw po ba siya ni DOTr Secretary Tugade? Gaano po katotoo ito?

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: When Tugade was the president of Clark at that time, I was campaigning I went there. He was the finance officer of the Clark Development.

But I’m not saying that I am sure that he is guilty. What I’m saying is that I’ve been receiving reports about corruption.

And I said, “Please do not do that.” Because ang sabi ko naman ganito lang tayo but I have always insisted on honesty and integrity in government.

Q: But si Manankil po ba ‘yung sinasabi ninyo talaga? ‘Yung pinatatamaan niyo?

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: No, it’s ah… Siya ‘yung head eh. Pero siya tala — talagang ma-mention. But corruption can really go forward, up and down. Hindi naman pwedeng isa lang ‘yan, eh.

But what I’m saying, if you are the head of that department, then, I might say, “You better take care of your office.”

May isa pa dito. I’d like to just make a statement na itong ISIS is actually a revolution of all sorts. It is a revolution with no objective. It has nothing to do with Islam or Christianity or Judaism. But it is an activity that is dedicated to the destruction of mankind.

Wala silang gawain except to destroy and kill. And that puts us in a very grave danger. If I were you, there are so many materials about ISIS. It’s about time that you should really be — to get a firsthand knowledge of what we are fighting.

Mas ano ito, brutal ito 100 times over. Ang… Wala naman ako. I’m not praise — this is not a brief for the NPAs. Pero ang NPAs hindi na gumaganon. And they are just revolutionaries and I’ve been…

Kayo, media, you have been with me many times when I get to use to the — go to the mountains and retrieve some of the — mga prisoners of war, mostly soldiers and policemen.

I used to do that when I was mayor. Pero ngayong ano na ako, galit ako. Kasi, they want… The right hand does not know what the left hand is doing. Their leaders say that they are ready to cooperate and to — and they call for a cessation of hostilities because of the fighting in Marawi, which actually we have a common enemy kasi ayaw rin nila ‘yung mga terorista.

And I’m sure it’s really for a good reason. And that there is no redeeming value of the ISIS. Wala talaga akong nakitang ni kakusing na — even a smallest adjective there that could sound like a praise, wala. Basta sila, patay lang, behead, decapitate people. Kaya mas matindi ito.

And hindi ito matatapos because the fight in Marawi is now between the government and the ISIS. Not really… The Maute are just the personalities. But we are after for the guys who comprise the revolution.

ISIS is a revolution. I’ll get some of the materials furnished me by the intelligence and I’ll… There is nothing sacred there or secrets. I’ll open it to the public, for the public to — the analysis of the intelligence community of government.

Wala akong nakitang sikreto doon. Not a thing that is not — what’s not really known to the public anyway.

‘Yung NPA, sabi nila sa taas na they have ordered a stoppage of the attacks against government forces. And yet, we continue to read one — everyday that a detachment here was burned, a soldier was killed, a policeman was… Pwede ba naman…

So, what I am saying is that they don’t know what — the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing.

Bakit kayo nandito? Dapat nandoon kayo, Ina, sa Marawi. Nagpunta ka na doon? Gusto mong maabutan mo ako doon? Oh, bukas, starting tomorrow, mag-istambay na kayo doon. But I would not tell you the particular hour. Baka pati ako ma-snipe. No more.

But I have to… It’s taking too long for me to — for me not to show my — myself there. There’s a little bit of danger, but that’s part of — trabaho ‘yan.

I must… The troops must see me there. Magkasama kami. I said, their lives are not less important than mine. It is not less precious than mine. Pareho lang kami sa gobyerno nagta-trabaho.

So, if they open themselves to the danger, I — it’s not… I should not be an exception. 

Some more? No more?

Q: Good evening, sir.

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Sinabi ko na nga eh magtatanong ka.

Q: This Saturday, sir, will mark your first year as President of this country. Ask ko lang po, how will you assess your first year as President because, according to your critics, your first year as President is a “failure” because many were killed due to your war on drugs?

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: I declared war on drugs. Eh ‘di may mamamatay talaga.

I would like to repeat myself. When I was mayor, I told everybody, criminals and all, “Do not destroy my city and do not destroy the young of the city.”

Sila ‘yung maging tatay pati nanay balang araw.  Sila ‘yung bibili ng mga medisina namin. Hindi naman kami mayaman. They will buy the oxygen and maybe pay for our funeral services when we die. Huwag ninyong galawin ‘yan. Sabi ko, “Papatayin ko kayo.”

And when I became President, I issued the same warning. And I cannot simply find fault in a statement, “If you destroy my country, I will kill you.” What is wrong with that? If I tell the world, “Do not destroy the young people of my country.” For heaven’s sake, tell me what is wrong with that statement?

Can you find a law which says I cannot utter those words in public to protect the Filipino nation? ‘Yan man ang ginagamit ng human rights that they have heard me say that I will kill, of course.

As a matter of fact, it’s my duty to destroy people who will destroy my country. It’s a matter of principle for me, and a matter of my sense of duty.

Eh total kung civilian ako, hindi man ako makialam. Huwag mo lang pakialaman ‘yang anak ko at sasali ako sa patayan.

Just imagine kung puro gunggong na itong Pilipino? Next generation, with 4 million addicts. Kung hayaan ko ‘yan, just imagine, you add another 2. Six.

Sabihin mo na a very conservative…Ilagay mo lang, four. How do you take care of four million or five million drug addicts? Alam mo bakit? Ito kasi mga human rights, they never realize that itong…

Mamumu****i** ako nito, tignan mo. Lalo na ‘yung EU. Ang sabi pa ng mga y***, mag-establish ng mga clinics, tapos bigyan ng drugs ‘yung mga tao. That’s what they are suggesting, like in Vancouver, Canada.

Look, look, what’s happened to Vancouver.  So it’s a dirty city. It’s very dirty. You’ll be afraid to walk around. Used to be a very, very safe place. I was there many, many years ago. Ngayon, nakakatakot na.

Because they allow… They established clinics. At kung ikaw, you are addicted to cocaine, you go to a cocaine clinic. Gusto ka ng shabu? You go to a shabu… Bakit mo isabi sa akin ‘yan? Nakakahiya.

Nasabi ko sabihin sa akin… Sabihin mo, “Sabi ni Duterte, ‘pag sinabi mo ‘yan sa harap niya, sampalin ka niya.”

Bakit ako magbuhay ng mga p*****i**** mga ganun? Karami kong ipakain sa Pilipinong gutom tapos sasabihan mo ako na ibigay ko ‘yung droga libre? Eh ‘di masampal kita, sa totoo lang.

I hope somebody will try it. And I will slap him right in the face. Eh p*****i**, ginagawa pa akong g***.

Hindi ko nga matulungan lahat ng medisina sa mga sakit nila, ngayon sabihin mo sa akin, magtayo ako ng clinics, magbigay ako ng mga drugs, libre? U***.

Kayong mga sira na ulo. Look at these Europeans. You better tell them straight. In 1914 — 1814, rather, the Duke of… I forgot. Ferdinand… At that time, Prussia. Wala pa ‘yang… Prussia, P-R-U. He was assassinated. Between 1814 to 1817.

Itong mga Europeans na ‘to, itong mga EU, they killed and slaughtered each other. Fifteen million of them died. They died.

Now you want to tell me that your conscience was different from your conscience now? Na hindi mo alam ‘yung ginagawa ninyo 15 million were slaughtered?

Tapos ngayon, makikialam ka sa ibang bayan? And to suggest that I have… Part of the solution is for me to give freely…

‘Yung doctor na… American doctor ‘yun. Kung nandito pa siya, p****i** niya. Ganunin ako. “Why don’t you give everybody…” I’ll give him a free slap. Walang bayad. Fifty-five pesos man lang ‘yang fine niya.

Q: How would you assess your first year in office?

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Well, I am not a guy who would want to rate himself. It is up for other people to do that.

You can rate me good, very good, excellent or very poor. And I don’t mind. I said, I’ll just do my duty. If I make you happy, good. If you are sad about what I’m doing, I’m sorry.

Kasi ganyan ‘pag nag-init na ako. Sabihin niyo, “Sino ‘yan?” Sabihin niya ‘yan right in my face. “Sampalin ka raw niya”.

Imagine suggesting a very stupid… Anong tingin niya sa atin? Anong tingin niya sa Pilipino? B****? Kung b**** sila, huwag nila akong idamay.

Kung may pera ako, ibili ko na lang ng bigas sa mga mahihirap. Bigyan ko ng medisina. Bakit ko ibigay ng shabu? Tapos ibigay mo ng cocaine? U***.

Sabi nila, “Why is your President calling us stupid?” “Because you are stupid?” Tell them that. If they do not want ties, if they want to cut trade, fine. We will survive.

Kita mo ‘yung baril, ayaw tayong pabilhan ng Amerikano. ‘Yun binibili pa natin. Ayaw nila kasi gamitan daw sa extrajudicial killing. T***i**, kailangan mo ng Armalite sa extrajudicial… S****.

Ngayon, binigyan ako ng libre with 5 million rounds of bullets. Libre, hinatid kahapon nung apat na cargo planes — government of China.

See? Because ‘yung values nila at ‘yung values ng Oriental hindi tayo magka — hindi tayo magkasinabot. We cannot come to terms with that kind of s**** culture.

Their values is far different from ours. Kaya pare-pareho tayo ng mga Intsik, ganun.

Ang death penalty, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietn… Tayo ang gusto nila alisin ang death penalty, hindi ko na nga ini-implement eh, because it was suspended by Congress.

Ang suspension lang, nandiyan pa ‘yan. Tingnan mo sila, binubugbog ng mga terorista. Tayo, coming sa atin ‘yan, pero hindi tayo magpabugbog. I will not… Iyan sa kanila sinasagasaan ‘yung mga tao doon.

We have every right, every right, God-given right to defend our lives and our properties.

We have every right to defend our young people from being destroyed kasi ‘pag na-adik ‘yan, tapos na ang future mo sa bata na ‘yan.

Kami dito, ‘yung mga sundalo, bakit mayayaman ‘to? Pag-tanda namin saan kami kukuha ng pera?

‘Yang aming retirement kakunti-kunti niyan. Pinapaaral namin ‘yang mga anak namin, inilayo namin ‘yan sa droga kasi pagdating ng panahaon, we’ll have to depend on our children for our existence.

Mag-bili ng medisina, mag-bili ng oxygen, mag-bayad ng ospital, minsan isanla pa ang mga lupa para lang ibili ng — ibayad sa doktor.

Tapos ganunin mo ang anak ko? Saan ako pupunta? Sa kanila?

Sabi ko na, you suggest to me that s***** — I’ll slap you. Mag-demanda ka na kung saan ka mag-demanda.

Sabihin mo sa kaniya ha p***** i** niya. Sabihin mo, “p***** i** sabi ni Duterte. P***** i*** ka raw, sampalin ka raw niya.”

Kung mag-tanong, “Bakit?” “Eh sabi ni Duterte i***** ka daw.” He does not want to hear s***** , buang.

Sige ‘pag na-interview niyo siya sabihin mo. Tapos try talking it like that to Duterte. Sige, paka gana imong — dala sipa pa. Ah tingnan mo. Binuang.

I have every right to protect my country and my people. That’s self-preservation.

‘Yung Vancouver noon ka-gandang lugar ‘yan. Go to Vancouver now, so dirty and lahat diyan kada kanto may mga istambay.

Sabihin, “Hey buddy, do you have a dollar?” Hindi mo bigyan basagin ‘yang salamin ng kotse mo.

Gawain mo ‘yan dito, magsabi, “Bigyan mo ako pera kay ibili ko ng shabu.” Ay sigurado. Bigyan kita ng bala pagbili mo pera kunin mo sa katawan mo ‘yan. Doon sa bakalan.

International Criminal Court… Eh ‘di mag-file kayo ng kaso. Just give me the right to be heard. That’s very elementary. And I will lecture on them the finer points of what this planet means to us all. They do not have the monopoly of…

Sabihin mo. Sabihin mo, Ina. Sabihin mo sa kanila exactly ‘yung sinabi ko.

—END—