To the newly-appointed government officials, ang gwapo’t kagaganda ninyo ah. Ito ‘yung batch na pinakamaraming maganda at gwapo. [laughter and applause] 

Nanguna si Danny Lim. Guma-gwapo ka na ngayon ha.

Newly-elected officials of the different leagues; fellow workers in government; mga kababayan.

I’ll just give you about a short story.

2015, guys from the different provinces but belonging to not really a moribund party but a party that was not really that grand and widespread kept coming to my city.

And una sila, different tribe, Ilonggo, Bisaya… And you know what? They requested an audience with me. I was a mayor then.

At ‘nong nagkaharap-harap na kami, sabi ko, ‘May I help you?’ There are about — pati may mga Muslim. Sabi nila, ‘Rod, kawawa ‘yung bayan natin. Kailangan tumakbo ka.’

Iyong atay ko naman naging — enlargement of the liver, apparently thinking that… Well, everybody was really sincere in the country’s interest.

Sabi ko, ‘Adre wala akong plano niyan.’ And I do not like the position actually. Magulo pati… The problems of this country, the Republic of the Philippines cannot be solved.

It cannot be solved on just a one-term basis. You need… We need somebody who’s going to sit there with all the dedication and passion, probity and all, na gusto niyang gumaling ang bayan.

Hindi ako ’yan. I do not have those qualities. And I did not want to acquire them. Pero ‘yung pagsalita, parang I was just also belittling because they were really after for my neck.

Sabi ko, ‘hanap na lang kayo ng iba’. And, even Danny, ‘yung a portion of the Magdalo as early as two years, pabalik-balik na ‘yan sa Faeldon.

They were looking for somebody to succeed Aquino and they wanted one who’d be a reformist. Sabi ko, ‘Sa military ‘yan’. If they want to reform the government and people, it’s not, does not… It behooves upon somebody else’s…

But anyway, this group kept coming back. But several times, they are… Maybe during the last four visits, I was the one paying for their meals and their billeting sa hotel.

And, they were dead sure that tatakbo talaga ako. Sinabi ko, ‘Adre, hindi ako g***. Wala akong pera.  At saka ‘yang partido ko, it’s just a local aggrupation in Davao.’

And ito hawak ko ito. I’ve been mayor of the city for 23 years, once upon a time a congressman and a vice mayor to my daughter. Iyong si Sara, ‘yung nanuntok ‘yung, sinuntok niya, binugbog niya ‘yung sheriff. Iyon ‘yung panahon na ‘yun.

Sabi ko, ‘hindi ako interesado kasi matanda na ako’. I will only ensure the failure of my term. Hindi ko kaya talaga.

And, sige sila. So, maraming tao magsabi na tumakbo ka. Wala namang ibinibigay. Sabi ko, oo nang oo.

And kasi… Sabi dito, ‘Rod, ito may five billion kami nakataya.’ Wala akong natanggap ha ni… Maniwala kayo, okay lang, kung hindi okay rin.

I never received billion na ano… Pinakamalayo ko was I think 200 billion at grupo ‘yun sa Davao. Marami kasi, it was… Ang ano ko siguro sa palad that most of my ‘yung kababata ko, sila Carlos Dominguez III became rich and famous and ‘yon ‘yung sila ang nagu-udyok.

Sabi ko, ‘di ko talaga kaya’. Eh sabi nila, ‘Gawain mo lang ‘yun ginawa mo dito sa Davao.’ Ba’t alam mo ba ang ginagawa ko dito?

Basta… Davao is hitting now domestic growth rate of about 9, the highest so far. Pero ‘yung may style ako na sarili na hindi ito pwedeng pang-national. Maraming mata eh, maraming mata.

It’s not about money. It never has been an issue sa akin ang pera. Patayan at babae raw. Pabalik-balik babae.

Iyan marinig na naman ako ni Chelsea. I was not joking. You listen to the tape, I was being sarcastic. I said, ‘you behave all of you guys because I get to be blamed for anything’.

Sabi ko, you might be sa dalawa, tatlo — dalawa, tatlo. Pang-tatlo ako na ang masasabit diyan as your Commander-in-Chief.

Kung mag-rape ka. You know why? Because ‘yan man ang kalaban ng sundalo. Ang sundalo walang kalaban eh, especially the American soldiers.

There has never been a fighting since Vietnam. Ang kalaban ng mga sundalo Amerikano, ‘yung mga Pilipina na babae pinagre-rape nila. Kasi diyan ako…

So that’s why I told Chelsea: Why? When your father was screwing Lewinsky and the rest of the young girls there in the office of the President, on the table, on the floor, on the sofa. Did you raise any?

Sabi ko, mahirap na magsalita. I was not joking. Sarcastic ako na pagkatao. Diyan mo ako… Hindi ako tumatawa. I’m… I am fond of hyperbole tapos sarcasm.

Ganon talaga ako magsalita. I’m just warning the soldiers that may ano guys you…

But then balik tayo dito sa ano, they kept on coming back. I cannot now remember the time I decided to run. Iyong una the filing. I did not. Kasi ayaw ko talaga. And so there was a lot of disappointment, nanghinayang.

Well, itong ano, itong grupo na ‘to, I could sense their vim and vigor to campaign. I came to pass na naging Presidente ako. 

So I got them into government service. First, I told everybody not to use low-numbered plates. I do not like it. Nakokornihan ako. Sa Bisaya ‘yun, nahihilasan, tumitindig ‘yung balahibo kong makita ng ganon.

Because once upon a time, my father was also a Cabinet member during the first term of Marcos. He was the Secretary of General Services.

And at that time, I could remember the warning of my father to his driver and not to use the number 6 plate number.

Kasi sabi ng tatay ko, kita mo ‘yung mga tao kung mag-tingin sa atin, ‘di pa masyadong uso ‘yung tint noon, you could almost guess what’s in their mind.

Pera nila, gasolina nila, tapos ikaw you sit in comfort, and wallow in. Samantala sila hirap sa traffic, hirap… 

That’s the reason why I do not accept invitations local here because every time I use the public streets, akala mo malinis ang daan, parang Biyernes Santo.

But actually, I know na lahat ng kantong dadaanan mo and they estimate your — the leaving and arrival. About mga 15 minutes nakabara na ‘yang mga kanto and everybody else goes to the sides.

And you just don’t know how you create the exponential trouble behind those sa kanto na pinara mo. It piles up sa likod. 

Kaya hindi ako talaga tumatanggap. I’m sorry but kasi nagtatraffic eh. Nahihiya ako sa mga tao. 

But if I can use the chopper, the helicopter, mas mabuti pa. Kwentahin mo ‘yung gasolina na magamit ko at kwenta ‘yung sa gasolina ng wasted time and hours of the people, it amounts to nothing.

Eh nung Presidente na ako, I appointed this guy and them in the office. Then the first time I noticed, he was the one to first go out of the country. Washington and brought along some local officials. So tahimik lang ako. Because I told everybody not to use it sparingly, na huwag masyadong… Walang low-numbered and I said, do not expect special treatment, I do not want you to…

Ang tao talaga, I don’t know. But there seems to be an agenda, all in every other people’s mind. They may want to appear to you as a crusader, as a reformist or whatever. Pero kung kayo ang nandiyan, bantay kayo. There’s always that nakatago. 

Hindi ko naman idiin kasi lahat naman tayo dito mahirap eh kung mayaman kayo, ‘di bakit tayo magkikita-kita dito para trabaho kasi trabaho sa gobyerno, talagang patayan ito sa oras.

Iyon, ang sabi ko, doon sa pangalawa, then the third trip, he went to a country who offered to sell to us or offered something bumbero but that it could have cost you 18 million a piece.

It was a contract perfected during the Aquino administration. I think four of that 18 million a piece truck, four or five or 14, I’m not sure about it, na-deliver na dito ginagamit na. So there was no bidding and it was grossly overpriced by our standards.

Eh ako, ‘yung 911 ko sa Davao I bought the Isuzu six million ‘yan, bidding at matibay. And if you have been to Davao, you should visit the 911 and it’s all there for you to see.

Ito ngayong kanya, he went there to sign the second tranche. Though there was already a pending case and the office memo written by the Legal Office advised him to suspend muna in the meantime.

Ewan ko kung anong… He just went ahead to sign the second tranche, the second delivery. Doon ako nagalit. Despite the advice of his legal officer, when I asked him diyan sa Cabinet, sabi ko, ‘Bakit mo pinirmahan ‘yung ano? Did you not read the office memo?’ Sabi niya, ‘I was never furnished a copy.’

‘Yung kabalastugan. Legal Office mo, hindi mo nabasa ‘yung memo? But Dominguez was right beside me, he was showing the, sa tablet niya, the wherewithals. 

Kaya I lost my patience. A very few times in my life that I would show an emotional outburst in public. Ayaw na ninyo.

But one time sa Davao, there was this regional meeting of the municipal mayors of Mindanao doon pati dito, all governors pati city mayors all over. Ibang araw lang.

Sinabihan ko talaga sila, ‘P***** i** niyo, pagpapatayin ko talaga kayo. Huwag kayong magkumpyansa sa akin na mayor ka. P****** i** mo, ipa-ambush kita.’ Because the drug industry, which is a public copy now, contains about 11 barangay — 11,000 barangay captains, the most basic unit of our government.

Mayors mga almost 40 something. Hindi ko na — lahat, pati governor sinabi ko, ‘Huwag ka talagang magkamali sa akin. I will only pass through this once. ‘Pag sinabi kong huwag, huwag. Kasi yayariin talaga kita.’ That was my warning so ‘yung malaman mo lang kung ano ang nasa isip ko.

Ngayon, itong buang na ito, one time pinatawag ko ‘yung mga mayors. He was also there. Sabay kami baba. When he passed by, because he was ahead, nag-siren. Eh hindi na nga pinapagamit ‘yung — you know, there are really people who want their presence felt in a crowd. ‘Yung ano ba.

But he was this guy, he was never elected but he was appointed OIC during Cory’s time. I will not name him publicly. Parang kulang sa pansin. Eh ako mismong Presidente hindi ako nagagamit ng — blinker lang ako. Iyon lang ang maasahan mo sa akin. Eh hindi ko naman mapigil itong mga… 

Baka kung ako maglinya ako, okay lang. I’ve been used to it in Davao. I do not…For the life of me, I never used except emergencies — putok ng airport, putok ng pantalan. But on ordinary day, I simply… And my daughter does not allow it also.

Kaya ‘yung mga town mayors magpasok diyan sa kung saan-saan, pagdating sa Davao, they refrain.

Eh itong kamoteng ito, nag-siren tapos surrounded by 10 policemen with Armalites. Sabi ko, ‘P**** i**, sinong papatay sa iyo?’ Kung hindi ako nanalo, hindi ka makilala kung sino ka. That was what was going on in my mind. Kaya ‘yan.

Kayo, nandito tayo sa gobyerno, simple lang tayo. Actually, mag ano ka diyan, mag-porma porma ka lalo na ‘yung iba, pagbaba mo diyan sa Makati, sa ano, patindig-tindig ka pa. Akala natin, people admire us because we are in public offices. But actually, nag-smirk ‘yan,  ‘Hmph, mga ‘to.’ Ganon. 

Pinahiya ko na talaga kasi ‘yun man ang totoo lalo na ‘yang too lavish ang… Sabi ko, walang magsakay dito ng Mercedes-Benz ha. P***** i**.

You use the ordinary… You buy the car that an ordinary manager — kasi manager, nandiyan ka naman sa gobyerno — ‘yan ang bilhin mo. 

Ako may Mercedes-Benz diyan o, ibinigay sa akin. State-of-the-art, hindi ka na talaga mamatay kasi armored daw. Maski 50 caliber hindi lulusot eh p***** i** eh ‘di hindi na ako mamamatay niyan.[laughter] 

So if I get to live 120 years old, who’s gonna feed me? Sino ‘yung mag-oxygen sa akin? Why do you have to? Tama na ‘yan. When you are no longer useful, then you should rest.

Ako, I’m 72. By the time I would leave this office, I’d be glad to collapse there and totally — iuwi ako sa Davao cargo na lang. Totoo ‘yan ha. 

And my… I can show you my last will and testament that I will be cremated within 24 hours. No ceremony of any kind. My wake should strictly be private. And I just enumerated — excluded kayo lahat, the few people that I want to go there to visit me if you so wish.

Maraming kuan sa… Hindi ako nagpapabilib sa inyo pero ganon naman talaga ako. Magtanong kayo ng taga-Davao. That’s how I… I’m full of sarcasm and ‘yung storytelling na, ‘Sige, umaganon.’ ‘Yung morbid. Pero ‘yan talaga ang totoo.

No necrological services kasi member ako ng Congress noon eh di dadalhin ka diyan. P****** i**** Batasang Pambansa. “Walay batasan”, tawag sa amin sa Bisaya. [laughter]

“Here is a man who lies and lived his life to the fullest. He was a President and he governed his country. The son of a b****.” [laughter]

Doon sa isip niya sa loob. Iba lang ‘yung lumalabas. Susmaryosep. [laughter] Huwag niyo ako bolahin. Kaya ganon. Kaya dito, walang utang-utang na loob. Nagtrabaho ka, I expect you to…

‘Yan ang utang na loob mo sa tao, nagtatrabaho ka. I do not collect — no, nothing… Wala akong… Ang akin ano diyan is just to be simple so that hindi tayo…

Eh kayo, pero ako. They can always, itong media, they can accuse me of anything except ‘yang corruption.

Ito ngayong… If you care to listen, is there any other… Ano yun? Ah ‘yung oath-taking na ng AFP? Kasama mo mag-oath-taking, na promote. Daliin ko na lang baka mag-coup d’état itong mga buang na ito. [laughter]

Kaya nandiyan sa Cabinet ko si Cimatu who was also assigned in Davao. So we became friends in the area where I was also Mayor. Si Galvante, he was the regional… Most of the Cabinet, halos lahat na mga military na.

Alam mo kasi, pati ako si Gloria, si PNoy, alam mo bakit — bakit kinukuha namin ang mga military? Sa sensitive, ‘yan lang ang mautusan mong matino.

‘Pag sinabi mong ‘gawin mo ‘yan’. Ginagawa talaga. ‘Yung mga… No insults intended ha, ‘yung mga CESO, first grade eligible, mabuti na ‘yan sila kung nag-agawan pa sa ladder of authority sa opisina. Pagdating ‘yan director ng y*** na, assistant director, he becomes indolent.

Tamad at hindi na nagre-report ng opisina. Half a day, the other half nandoon sa mall. Sige tingin, wala naman pera.

Kaya ganon. Well anyway, let me just run you through what’s really happening. Alam mo ‘yang rebellion ngayon sa Mindanao, it’s not Maute, it’s purely ISIS with different branch kasi sila ‘yung nag-umpisa.

Actually, ‘yang Maute brothers went to Libya and the other one I think to… They went there. Itong Marawi na ito has long been planned. It could not be just a decision na ‘let’s go to Mindanao’. Plano na ito lahat.

And it’s a long time. So ako naman, as a student of you know what, history and maybe, noong si Hapilon na ipinadala sa Central Mindanao and he was anointed as the emir, doon na ako nakaamoy na something terribly wrong is going to happen.

Kasi dala-dala niya ‘yang ISIS eh. Iyong Maute is just the family name of two brothers. They started and I warned you before, I’m warning you now na ang ISIS walang pera.

And I said by the time that they are pushed back and they lose the land mass, they will scamper to everywhere. Dito ang nagfu-fuel sa insurrection, ang drugs.

Sinadya talaga nila ‘yan na luto nang luto. Dito naman mga Chinese and then Taiwan dito hinuhulog nila diyan sa boundaries, a territorial waters. They placed a GPS and the idiots would just go around and collect the…

Kaya makita mo maraming mga drum na lumulutang diyan sa coastal areas.  

Itong Maute, sinadya talaga nila ‘yan. Hindi nakuha ng Pilipino pati itong mga good boy na media.

Pero hindi ko na lang din sinabi muna because I was not then in a position to say it publicly. So ginagamit nila, pati Mindanao, ang droga nila was almost like a rice mill, mas malaki pa.

It was really a factory, ‘yung sa pampang sa… It was really a factory. From end to end, about dalawang basketball court. And all the equipment and the machines there were really intended to manufacture shabu.

Pero ito sabi ko, ito dito, mga Chinese noon, wala na. Nawala na. Dito sa Mindanao. Hard-hit was Visayas, ang sa Western Visayas, si Odicta, ‘yung couple na pinatay doon sa — when they landed somewhere ano… Iyon ‘yung pinsan ni Mabilog, the Mayor of Iloilo.

Dito naman sa Western side, kaya ako nagtaka, nagpunta ako sa Bohol, and then I looked at the figures and facts.

Nagtataka ako, itong mga Bol-anon, it’s a very pacific tribe. Alam mo ‘tong mga Bol-anon — I’m not trying to be funny — halos every family ‘yan may contribution ‘yan sa Roman Catholic na madre or pari. And even itong si Evasco, he was a priest, he went to Mindanao to wage war.

Nahuli ‘yan ng military, ako ang inquest fiscal noon. And I was handling the trial against him. But Cory called for a revolutionary government and decided to free all political prisoner.

Kaya pumunta ‘yan sa akin because I was appointed vice mayor, naghingi ng trabaho. Eh ‘di binigyan ko, technical assistant. And he coasted along with me until I became mayor.

Ngayon, Presidente ako, he’s a Cabinet member. Kita mo naman talaga ang buhay ano. So ngayon, gusto siyang barilin ng P.C. noon, ngayon, mag-salute pa ‘yung mga pulis sa kanya. Talaga ang buhay. 

Kaya remember, when you are not sure of where to go or how to decide, although ganyan lang ‘yan siya, but he’s a very smart aleck, si Estrada.

Huwag ninyong kalimutan ‘yang, “ang buhay ay weather-weather lang”. Totoo talaga. For me and for you and for everybody. 

So ngayon, we are fighting, really, it was funded by…

Ang… Marami akong patay. I’m very sad. Marami akong sundalong patay, marami akong pulis na patay. Hindi lang nila nire-record kung ilan. Wala akong nakita na newspaper na, “the following died today.”

I lose about three, four. It keeps on increasing everyday for as long as that war rages on. I am one of those who are really hurrying it up.

The earlier we attain the equanimity of the community, the stability, I’d be the first to clamor for the lifting of martial law. 

But here is the catch, sabi nila I did not consult the military. You can hardly talk to the fools and to the stupid, they will never understand.

You do not declare martial law without asking the soldiers and the policemen. Kaya nga nila nasabi na nag-declare ako na walang permiso sa military pati pulis.

With more reason ngayon, tanungin ko ang military at pulis, ‘Are we okay? Because if we are, then let’s lift it immediately.’

But for as long as the military says, ‘Sir, hindi pa talaga kaya.’ And it’s beyond 60 days, Congress must understand that I may need more time.

There’s Jolo, which is also bursting. And on top of that, I am facing three fronts. I have terrorism in Mindanao; I have the drug problem; and itong mga ordinary, kidnap-for-ransom and everything.

Kaya kung patayin ‘yan sila, huwag kayong magtaka. I am… And my orders are, since this is war, I did not ask for it. The people, hindi naman nila hiningi. If it’s war, my orders really are to wipe them out, everyone.

When I say, wipe them out, better. If you shoot him in the head, shoot it again in the heart para sigurado. Otherwise, kung maka-eskapo ‘yan at ikaw ang mahuli.

Kaya sabi ko sa… Kasi itong mga sundalo, ang pulis lang ang may side arms. So I’m spending billions. I’m acquiring now the short… I’m giving it to the Army.

Kasi itong Army, palagoy-lagoy kasi eh. ‘Pag maglabas ng kampo akala mo namamasyal sa Luneta. Kaya kini-kidnap, paminsan binabaril na lang ng NPA kaya ngayong nawala ‘yung peace talks.

Wala pa ngang — sabi nila February 10, naglalakad ang nga Army ko, mga pulis ko, pinagbabaril nila. Sabi ko, ‘P***** i**, kalokohan ‘to.’

No more talks. And I have been saying it time and again, we have been fighting this war for 50 years. I’m asking now, the communists, are you ready to fight another 50 wars? Kayo ang nag-umpisa eh.

Because if you are, then wala akong choice except to prepare for the next 50 wars. I’ll just have to arm the government properly.

So ‘yan ang ano. Sabihin mo, anong order ko? Giyera ‘to, patayan ‘to. Nobody asked for it. Bakit kita bubuhayin kung kaharap ka ng… Eh kung barilin mo sa ulo, shoot him again in the heart.

Then I am assured with two bullets, wala na akong… Papakain ko pa ‘yang p**** i**** ‘yan? Mag-gasto pa. Patayan kaya ang gusto mo, eh ‘di sige.

I’ve been trying to warn them. How many times did you hear me? Do not force my hand into it. Please. When they started to place IED, improvised explosive device sa Zamboanga High School, sa Marawi, ‘yung granada diyan sa library. Do not do that because you’ll force my hand, if you start to harm innocent civilian especially children. Inatake talaga ‘yung ano… 

So it’s just an information for everybody. At ‘yung istorya ko naman kalimutan niyo. If you are not… If you are not into it, palusutin niyo sa tenga.

But for those who are really vain, meron eh. In this room siguro mga dalawa lang ang matino, lahat siguro medyo vain. [laughter]

Hindi, biro lang. Let’s have the picture for posterity. [applause]

— END —