President Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivered his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the Batasang Pambansa Complex, Quezon City on Monday, July 24, 2017.
President of the Philippines
To the Congress of the Philippines
Session Hall of the House of Representatives
Delivered at the Batasang Pambansa Complex, Quezon City on July 24, 2017
Also Watch: President Duterte SONA 2017 Full Video Replay
Kindly sit down. Thank you for your courtesy.
When I was a member of Congress, I —- my seat was over there. The seat… The lady with a violent — not violent but rather violet dress — seated. But I was always absent together with the Speaker and Tonyboy Floirendo, who is still absent until today. [laughter] And that started… Ay nandiyan ba? Sorry. But his propensity started almost 17 years ago when we were members of the 11th Congress.
Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III and the members of the Senate; Pantaleon Alvarez, the Speaker and the members of the House of Representatives; Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo; Former Presidents Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada, and former President Gloria Arroyo; Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno of the Supreme Court and the members of courts; Archbishop Pinto and the distinguished guests of the diplomatic corps; Secretary Salvador Medialdea and the members of the Cabinet; my fellow workers in government; my countrymen.
When I took my oath of office a year or so ago, I knew that our country was reeling from a multitude of problems. That day, there was euphoria in the air resulting from a successful campaign and the thought that dominated my being was to make good on my promise to the people to bring [about change] — change in government, not a change that is passing but a change that can survive the test of time.
Although I still had to know the magnitude and gravity of the problems, my feeling then was that, equipped with political will and braced by a concerned citizenry, those problems would eventually be bested by us. It was only a matter of determination and collective action. It was only a question of time.
For as I saw it then as I see it now, there is no problem in the world which can stop the march of a people with unflinching and tenacious determination. That was how euphoric — euphoric it has been.
Early on, I felt that if change was to be meaningful, it had to start with those occupying the highest positions in government because change that comes from below is more transitory than permanent. And I was aiming for permanence. Let change trickle down from [top to] bottom.
It has to be a change that is not confined merely to the replacement of people by people, but a change in the people’s attitude, disposition and work ethic.
Sadly, although we knew years ago that what was needed or ought to do, we did not do [them] because our idea of government was parochial and we could not rise above family, ethnic and clan loyalties as well as loyalty to friends and co-workers. No one wanted to be a snitch. That is why we are one in saying that genuine change is what this country truly needs.
I believed then, as I believe still, that progress and development will sputter if criminals, illegal drugs, illegal users of drugs are allowed to roam the streets freely, victimizing seeming with impunity, the innocent and the helpless. Worse yet, there were times in the past when the protectors of the people were themselves the perpetrators of the very crimes they were tasked to prevent or suppress. It is ironic as it is madness.
I have learned that economy surges only when there is peace and order prevailing in places where investors can pour [in] their capital and expertise. I have learned from my experience in Davao City that investor confidence [is] bolstered and fortified only if a potent force and mechanism for [the] protection of local and foreign investments are in place.
That is why, I have resolved that no matter how long it takes, the fight against illegal drugs will continue because that is the root cause of so much evil and so much suffering [applause] that weakens the social fabric and deters foreign investments from pouring in. The fight will be unremitting as it will be unrelenting.
Despite international and local pressures, the fight will not stop [applause] until those who deal in it understand that they have to cease, they have to stop because the alternatives are either jail or hell. [applause] And I will make sure, very sure that they will not have the luxury of enjoying the benefits of their greed and madness.
I do not intend to loosen the leash in the campaign or lose the fight against illegal drugs. Neither do I intend to preside over the destruction of the Filipino youth by being timid and tentative in my decisions and actions. [applause]
To the critics against this fight, your efforts will be better spent if you use the influence, moral authority and ascendancy of your organizations over your respective sectors to educate the people on the evils of illegal drugs instead of condemning the authorities and unjustly blaming for every killing that bloodies this country.
But don’t get me wrong. I value human life the way I value mine. Each life that is snuffed out translates into future generations lost. It is like cracking the acorn from which an oak tree grows – which, in turn, produce the seeds to complete the cycle of [life in] perpetuity.
There is a jungle out there. There are beasts and vultures preying on the helpless, the innocent [and] the unsuspecting. I will not allow the ruin of the youth, the disintegration of families and the retrogression of communities, forced by criminals whose greed for money is as insatiable as it is devoid of moral purpose. Neither will I be immobilized into inaction by the fear that I will commit an act that will expose me to public condemnation or legal prosecution. You harm the children in whose hands the future of this Republic is entrusted, and I will hound you to the very gates of hell. [applause]
That is why I ask you to join me in this fight against illegal drugs and all forms of criminality.
The government, equipped with legal authority, and you, with the moral ascendancy over the sector you represent, can do so much, and hopefully eradicate this social scourge that plagues us no end.
Look beyond your biases, your prejudices, your ambition [and] your political agenda. The search for change will begin and end only when we look into ourselves and find it within.
Today, a multitude of problems confront us. No sooner is one problem solved [when] another surges forth in its place. But we will not be disheartened; we will not be cowed; we will not be overwhelmed.
It is during trying times and troubled events that the resilience, perseverance and determination of the people are tested. The Filipino is no stranger or neophyte to situations like the one we face today. We can, and we will, overcome as we did countless times in the past, [but] only if we work together towards a common goal.
Sad to say, despite all efforts, peace, especially in the Island of Mindanao, continues to elude us. But of course, it is not the peace of the dead but the peace of the living that we seek. Peace flits away like a butterfly when you try to snatch it by the wings. And our pursuit of peace continues.
The red insurgency has been with us for decades; the Muslim issue, for centuries.
So much time has lapsed, so many lives have been lost and so much destruction has been wrought but peace eludes us still. Sometimes I am almost tempted to conclude that peace might not be able to come during our lifetime.
But believe me, it will not be for want of trying. And I will persist in our goal of attaining peace [up] to the last day of this administration and maybe even beyond although in a different capacity. [applause]
There is rebellion in Mindanao. The extremists have declared it their purpose to establish a caliphate within Philippine territory along the teachings and beliefs of [the] Islamic State of Iraq and Syria or otherwise known as ISIS. The battle of Marawi has dealt a terrible blow to our quest for peace especially now that an alien ideology and a radical shift in purpose have been injected into the local setting.
I declared Martial Law in Mindanao because I believed that that was the fastest way to quell the rebellion at the least cost of lives and properties. [applause] At the same time, the government would be adequately equipped with the constitutional tool not only to prevent the escape of rebels who can easily mingle and pretend to be civilian evacuees only to re-group in another place to fight another day, but also to prevent them from spreading their gospel of hate and violence in the rest of Mindanao.
Martial Law and the suspension of the Writ of Habeas Corpus enable the military to arrest, detain and question suspected members and sympathizers of the rebellion similar to what happened to the parents of the Maute brothers.
As president, I am reiterating my unwavering support and commitment to the soldiers of our Armed Forces and the members of our police force — [applause] those who are on the ground and in the battlefields and those who are risking their lives for our country and our democracy. I have your backs. To those who oppose and think that all these efforts are out of order, I hold myself — me and me alone should be responsible. [applause]
The people of Marawi need help. Caught in the crossfire between government troops and Muslim extremists, they have been through hell and we need to help them rise and move forward.
If we cannot provide for the poor and the needy who are many, then we will not be able to keep from harm the rich who are few.
At the vanguard of our struggle for peace and order are our Armed Forces and Police. They are the silent heroes who risk their lives everyday for our country’s security. In recognition of their valor, we have crafted a program to provide them with comprehensive social assistance, including financial, should they meet harm in the performance of their duty. For the family left behind by those who fell or are rendered totally disabled in the line of duty, we shall provide shelter, health care assistance, education, and employment. That is my way of telling our troops: never fear, do your duty. I stand behind you. So does this government and all its agencies. [applause]
To decisively address insurgency and terrorism, we are working doubly hard towards [achieving] a stronger and more credible national defense system for the country. We continue to strengthen the defense capability of the AFP as a deterrence against terrorists, lawless elements, and other threats.
My fellow citizens, what I have said so far about the events in Marawi and its neighboring environs is only a part of a looming problem, which will cut across all classes and all sectors of society and eventually affect the entire country from north to south, from east to west, given the fact that Mindanao supplies a great part of our country’s food requirements. I refer to climate change, which could bring drought and long dry spells affecting food production in Mindanao, given the fact that Mindanao is unusually warming. I ask all agencies involved in food production to look into this and act accordingly.
Also, I am appealing to all our legislators to immediately pass the National Land Use Act or NALUA [applause] to ensure the rational and sustainable use of our land and our physical resources, given the competing needs of food security, housing, businesses and environmental conservation.
Ours is a rich country. Wealth that this country is endowed with [is] a gift from God to be utilized for the [people’s] welfare and the common good. I do not believe that this gift was given to us to be merely viewed or appreciated, but to be extracted from the earth and utilized to make life worth living.
That is why I say that it is not enough that we mine this wealth. What is more important is that we convert the raw material thereof into finished products for international and local purposes. [applause] That way, it will not only be the few who are the rich but also the poor who are many who will benefit therefrom.
Therefore, I call on our industrialists, investors [and] commercial barons to put up factories and manufacturing establishments right here in the Philippines to process our raw materials into finished products. [applause]
At this point in my administration, if possible, we shall put a stop to the extraction and exportation of our mineral resources to foreign nations [applause] for processing abroad and importing them back to the Philippines in the form of consumer goods at prices twice or thrice the value of the original raw materials foreign corporations pay for them.
However, in the extraction and utilization of these resources, extreme care must be exercised [applause] that we do not recklessly and needlessly harm the environment. [applause] Responsible, regulated and sustainable development is what we advocate and require. The protection of the environment must be made a priority [applause] ahead of mining and all other activities that adversely affect one way or another. And this policy is non-negotiable. [applause]
I sternly warn… I am warning all mining operations and contractors to refrain from the unbridled and irresponsible destruction of our watersheds, forests, and aquatic resources. You have gained much from mining, we only get about 70 billion a year, but you have considerably neglected your responsibility to protect and preserve — and even the tax, it’s about five percent — environment for posterity.
I am holding all mining companies and its officials responsible for the full and quick clean-up, restoration [and] rehabilitation of all areas damaged by mining activities, and the extension of all necessary support to the communities that have suffered mining’s disastrous effects on their health, [applause] livelihood, and environment, among others.
Ganito ‘yan eh. Medyo alis muna ako diyan sa… Sasakit ang mata ko diyan sa y*** na ‘yan. [laughter] Alam mo, you have the mining. I have to grant you a mining because you have complied with all the requirements of the law. And I cannot… I’d be subject to a mandamus if everything is perfect and you have every right to mine. But in doing so, you destroy the rivers, you destroy the streams, from which the poor people fish — halwan or mudfish — and that is protein for the day for them.
Ngayon makita mo naman not only Gina Lopez gave you a clear picture of what was happening horrendously. Nakita mo kay Ted Failon — ‘yung kay Ted Failon, talagang nanood ako, dalawang beses. And I realized that I have to do something about it as a Filipino. [applause]
Alam mo, okay na ‘yung mining. Subsidiary ka lang ng isang another giant corporation or you’re a sister company of a telecommunication, hindi kayo magugutom. But look at the picture shown to you. For once, they behaved correctly ang ABS-CBN. Tingnan mo ‘yung pelikula ni Ted Failon. I salute him for coming with it. [applause]
You see the palayan… Ang palayan tumuyo at ang soil nag-crack. So the farmers cannot eat anymore. They are reduced to the garbage of what you can get there, salvage anything and sell it to the scrap. Ganun ang nangyari sa Pilipino. Hindi ko kayo kalaban. As a matter of fact, you give government almost 70 billion. Pero actually maliit lang ‘yan.
Ngayon, nakikita ninyo itong mga palayan na tumutuyo and the rivers wala ng isda. The only source of protein. Hindi ka naman pwedeng mag-hunting. May makita kang eagle diyan, barilin mo, preso ka. Pakainin mo ‘yung… Saan mo ipa…?
Try to go out, sumama tayo — kayo sa akin. And try to see how hard it is for them to survive. Now ito ang… Gusto mo ganito ang pangyayari, tutal sobra-sobra naman ‘yang pera ninyo, adre, sa totoo lang. Mayor ako eh, I can look at your corporate earnings, your sister company, I can pierce the corporate identity, kayo rin pala. And even diyan sa mga newspaper. When you are not supposed to… You know, ‘pag newspaper ka you are supposed to be 100 percent Filipino. And yet when you start to pierce their identity, it is pala fully owned by Americans. Ganun ang nangyari eh. It’s just a matter of piercing the…
So wala masyado ako… ABS, Rappler kayo ba ‘yan? Have you tried to pierce your identity and it will lead you to America? Do you know that? And yet the constitution requires you to be 100 percent — media — Filipino. Rappler, try to pierce the identity and you will end up American ownership. Mayaman na kayo, mga mining companies. Ito ang deal ko sa inyo, either I will raise the taxes, ang kumikita niyan i-reserve ko to compensate for those who are suffering and in agony. [applause]
You have to come up with a substitute, either spend to restore the virginity of their source or I will tax you to death. [applause] Kasi ‘yung taxes makuha ko, talagang ibubuhos ko. Ngayon, if you can make an arrangement, an inventory of the — ‘yung nasira — ‘yung mga tao nagutom pati ‘yung river nila wala nang makuha because… You know guys, kayong mga taga-Davao we are not new to it, you want to see horror in your lifetime? Akong bahala. NPA huwag muna kayong magpagara-gara diyan, away-away kay magpunta kami samahan ko sila. You stop your — puro hambog lang kayo diyan. Punta tayo doon sa Diwalwal, doon sa [inaudible] and I will show you the river. Up there at the source, it’s so pristine. But doon sa — right at the start of the boundary where the millings are started, the water there is not clear, it is not brown, it is black. Your one peso will win one million from me if I am lying. Kung gusto mo isama ko kayo bukas doon. Ngayon, ‘pag tinarget tayo ng mga g***** NPA na ‘yan eh problema natin ‘yan lahat. Sabay-sabay na lang tayo. Bakante ang presidency, bakante ang Senado pati ang congressman. Pero totoo ‘yan, you should visit the… Even the first spade, even the first spade full of earth that you extract and throw it away of no use. Itabi mo lang ‘yan diyan eh because it’s an open pit, you dig and dig and dig, is already the first spade there is the decreasing of Mother Earth.
Alam mo ang isa pang galit sa mining? Si Speaker. He comes from a mining town but he hates mining. Ako naman kasi mga kaibigan ko ‘yung iba, ‘yung mga classmate ko mga vice president ng mining, magpunta sila dito… But it reduces into something — the damage that you have caused. It’s not about our friendship. It’s not about years of being in the same room. It’s not about being fraternity brothers. But it is something that… [raises his right hand] Ganun ‘yan eh.
Alam mo ‘yung martial law, I am not so much endeavored diyan sabihin ninyo na hindi ninyo ibigay? Okay lang. Wala akong problema diyan. Maski sabihin ninyo na tama na? Okay lang. Then I will still fight. The way I will fight the war. If it is not acceptable to the normal of civilian conduct, then I am sorry because I am not fighting a civilian war, I am stopping violence and rebellion. [applause] Hindi talaga ako…
Ibigay man ninyo o hindi, para sa akin wala. Because ako, I do not intend to go beyond my term. As a matter of fact, mas gusto kong barilin ako doon sa likod. Eh hindi masyado ako itong bilib itong trabahong ito? Akala ko bilib ako. Pagdating ko ah l****, sakit ng ulo. [applause]
Totoo. Kayo nakikinig kayo. Wala akong pinirmahan ni isa, p**** i**** ‘yan na para pagkain. Pagkain-pagkain sa opisina, eh bayaran ninyo ‘yan. Maglabas ako. I do not collect anything. I do not remember. I do not sign anything there until now. Wala akong allowance wala akong tinatanggap lahat except my salary. Tapos dalawang pamilya pa ang maghati. Anong masama niyan? [applause and cheers] Sige kayo pakpak diyan. Lahat naman tayo. [laughter] I can count my… Not even the two hands, one hand lang na exempted sa rule na ‘yan. Dalawa, tatlo, apat, lima. Lokohin ninyo ako, ba’t tayo pa ba ang maglokohan? Just because this is Congress it has to be a secret, secret. Maniwala kayong mga ito? Pareho kaming lahat niyan. Ayaw pa tumawa kunwari. [laughter and applause]
So I will increase the taxes. Then I will think of something that will compensate or make up for the damage or at least the income restored. Otherwise, I’ll have to stop mining. I will ask you to stop it. It’s not good. We are a small group of islands, hindi naman marami. The coastal, marami ‘yan kasi marami paikot-ikot, but we are in a contiguous territory, maliit lang tayo.
You must remember that there are so many billions of the future generations waiting in this stratosphere. Ang gusto ninyo para hindi na kayo mandamay, huminto na kayo ng ano. Then let us go to… Because this will not end here. How about the billions and billions and billions of Filipinos who will come after us? Kawawa naman. They’ll have to scratch Mother Earth to eat. By this time kung walang upheaval, no regeneration will occur, we are almost like talagang ginaganun natin ang — maliit na lang ang makuha nila. But maawa naman kayo. Makikita mo ‘yung apo mo kung ganun mo na lang… Kung ganun mo na lang ‘yung — embrace mo ‘yung apo mo sa pangalawang asawa. ‘Yung isa ganun rin. ‘Di ba? ‘Di ba, sir?[laughter] Suntukin kita diyan ngayon, liar ka.
Finally, let me make this appeal to those directly engaged in mining. Declare your correct income [and] pay your correct taxes. Believe me, your failure to do so will be your undoing and eventual ruin. [applause]
Hindi na ako makatakbo, matanda na ako. I don’t think I’ll even survive the five years. Pero pagka sinabi ko upakan kita, upakan talaga kita.
To our employees and officials of the LGUs tasked with monitoring these mining operations within their territorial jurisdictions, do your job without fear or favor. I [hold] you absolutely responsible for any misdeed or failure [by] the mining entities to comply — do not comply or comply with the guidelines, rules and regulations governing mining operations and activities within your area of responsibility. I mean it. Do not try to test my resolve. Absolutely I have nothing to lose except my life.
While we can control the acts of man, no one can control [or] stop the fury and rampage of weather gone wild. When nature fights back, it does so with a vengeance.
We have seen the terrible toll that Super typhoon Yolanda and the succeeding typhoons exacted in terms of human life and property. And we still have to recover from the beating that we got both during and in the aftermath of those mega-typhoons.
Aside from droughts, tempests and other problems taking shape which, according to DOST-PHIVOLCS — it is no longer just a distant possibility but a probability: Earthquakes.
The series of damaging quakes in Leyte, Surigao and nearby provinces and islands attest to this. We were told that it is no longer a question of “if” but a matter of “when.”
Thus, we need to act decisively and fast because the threat is huge, real and imminent.
Come to think of it really, they say that there is no perfect instrument or human acumen can really predict earthquake. I hope it will not come. Kasi kung magdating ‘yung sabi nila ‘yung “Big One”, I hope it will be just in the mountains and in the rural areas. Because if it’s right — sabihin nila tinatakot nila ang… Media kasi… Nandito eh in the speech, I reviewed it last night. I am calling [on] both houses of Congress to expeditiously craft a law establishing a new authority or department that is responsive to the prevailing 21st century conditions and empowered to best deliver [an] enhanced disaster resiliency and quick disaster response.
While the law is [being] crafted with extreme urgency, we need to undertake immediate action to ensure disaster resiliency and effective response in the greater [Metro] Manila area, which is our country’s seat of governance, center of business, commerce, and the academe. Disaster resiliency of Metro Manila and the surrounding provinces is a matter of urgent [national ] concern.
Iyon nandito ‘yan, tinatakot nila dito because of the high-rise buildings and… Ilang tao ang nakatira diyan? Kung… Kaya kaya ito sa isang sinkhole? I mean if it cracks and it goes down, can we still manage to go up? God, huwag ngayon ha kay nandito ako. Hintayin mo lang ‘yan sila na lang sila dito nag-aaway. [laughter]
I am directing the Cabinet Cluster on Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management to immediately work hand in hand with the concerned LGUs, the private sector and the affected communities themselves, in undertaking disaster [resiliency] measures, antidotes.
We all need to act fast.
With all the foregoing said, what then is the state of the nation today?
I will mince no words and neither will I window-dress the situation [that] we are in. Let me answer in two brief sentences. We are in for trouble because we live in troubled and uncertain times. And I fear that things might get worse before they become better. But like I said I hope we will cope, we hope and pray.
The West Philippine Sea issue and Federalism are matters that we have to tackle sooner or later.
On the other hand, despite our recent gains in improving the peace and order situation in the country, there is still so much to be desired and if we are to completely eradicate the menace of illegal drugs, criminality and corruption, we must do it.
I therefore ask Congress to act on all pending legislations to reimpose the death penalty on heinous crimes — especially on the trafficking of illegal drugs.
There is a shortage… No, no, no. There is a short clip of CNN about people in Massachusetts, was it there? Iyong clip nila ang ipinakita. Tiningnan… Pakitingin lang… It’s repeated for almost every week yata ‘yang mga short clips. Tingnan mo ‘yung mga tao doon na hinayaan nilang mag… They are there, they live under the bridge, they are getting thin, they are doing nothing. Nakaganun lang sila tapos po-pose ng ano… And they are aplenty there. They do not work, wala.
Tapos sabi ng UN… Is he here? Are you there iyong UN representative? Na sinabi mo na shabu will not affect the brain? Are you here? Raise your right hand, if you’re here. Do not worry. I will just… Do not — the word “delude” as into you… Iyong mga ano ninyo na — but we know everyday that one family raped, dalawa and all are dead. Then you trivialize it with human rights and due process. Okay ako niyan. When you go into an anger, when you burst with rage, okay ‘yan. But with so many killings as brutal and as cruel as what happened, if you add human rights and due process, you stink and your mouth smells. If you want to criticize, criticize, condemn the act, stop there. But do not give the excuse or do not make it trivial by saying human rights at least we’ll be protected… Iyan ang pinakab***** na magawa ng isang tao. When you criticize, stick on one topic. Then you find an event where you can talk about human rights and due process, but do not talk about it in the same time when there is a carnage and you begin to blabber, talk about human rights. Lalong nagagalit ang tao. Eh p****** i** mo. May namatay na diyan, akala mo kung sino ka. [applause] What have you done in the name of human rights? Seventy-seven — you have the records. You can summon the police. Seventy-seven before I became president. All drug- related, 77,000. And you trivialize that with a conference… At tsaka pumunta dito ang tatanungin ‘yung nasa presuhan na pinireso dahil nag — just imagine…
I challenge you, you want a debate in public? Okay, we’ll have it. I will challenge you how also you trivialize the thing by — ‘yung binibigyan niyo ng importansiya si De Lima. You all know, you were all here. You conducted the investigation. You heard the witnesses. You saw the videos. Is she a credible woman? Can she be a moral person? [applause] Puro kayo drama diyan sa…
When you talk about an incident, talk about it, then condemn, condemn the police. But do not connect it with due process and human rights. Mag-mukha kang g*** sa harap ng Pilipino. You know why I get this rating? I could not be brighter than you and my work is not more important or your vocation is not less than mine. But when you talk in public carry the proper message. Kaya mag-82 kayo or kaya binobombahan niyo kasi ako ng ganun. Sasabihin naman ng mga tao, “Eh tama ‘yan. Tama ‘yan si Duterte.” Kasi nangyayari eh. Eh kayo man ang front sa pa-ganun-ganun, eh ‘pag may namatay diyan na maraming massacre, ni-rape mga babae, bata, hindi kayo umiimik. [applause] Maya-maya pagdating ng mga — [applause and cheers] pagdating nitong mga Western expert kuno, you give them so much premium and importance. Saan ba ang utak ninyo? Bakit kayo bilib diyan sa puti? Tingnan mo ang puti, panahon ni Obama, una ‘yung spokesman ng State Department. Akala mo kung sino. Akala nila mas bright pa sila sa akin. Then the staff of the President, then Obama. “I would like to remind Mr. Duterte that the policy of…” Eh ‘di yari ako. Pagdating ni Trump, “Oh yes, Mr. President, I’ve been expecting your call. You are doing it all right… And this G*******…” [applause] Uwi na ako. T**** i*** ‘yan.
So? That’s the value of the country that you value. Ambivalent. Parang electric fan. Okay dito o hindi na okay, it’s vacillating. Tapos kayong mga — bilib kayo. Hindi ko talaga maintindihan ang Pilipino. It takes for an American to say that I’m a son of a b****. And it takes for an American to say, “Oh you’re great. You’re a hero in your country.” O saan ako pumunta dito ngayon? [laughter]
It is time for us to fulfill our mandate to protect our people from these crimes that have victimized… You know, huwag ninyo akong takot-takutin niyang preso ‘yung international court of justice. S***, I am willing to go to prison for the rest of my life. Ang importante sa akin ginagaw ko ‘yung gusto ko. [applause]
Alam mo kasi in this country it is a rule of majority. I did it for the 50 plus one because in a vote of 100, I get 51, 50 plus one. Fifty is one-half, one, that is majority of one, I win. ‘Yung 49, ‘yon ‘yung mga… I do not have to make them happy. But when the time comes, eh kung malasin ako, pupunta ako sa presuhan, do not worry about me. I can take it. Noong maliit pa ako, labas-pasok ako sa… Wala pa ‘yang law ni Pangilinan. Labas-pasok na ako sa presuhan. Kunin ninyo ‘yung record sa pulis doon sa Davao. Takutin na, “He will be prosecuted.” Hoy, abogado ako because I will…
Sabi ko nga, everybody is entitled to come here and question me, but I have to question you also. At para magaling, let us make it official. We go to court and we tell the judge that we are hearing by an international body, can we have it judicially recorded? And I will place them under oath. Mahuli ko man talaga ‘yan sila. May pinatay ako, tama ‘yan. When I was mayor, a little over… For 23 years ako mayor ng Davao eh. Makita mo ang Davao ngayon, you have been LGUs before. What city is now hitting nine growth percent? Eh nandoon pa kami sa Mindanao, binobomba pa kami sa Davao. Davao is nine growth. Tapos sabihin ninyo… Ngayon, paano ngayon i-nine mo ‘yung — palabas mo itong nine we are about to hit six or so, sabi nila. Pero ‘pag hayaan mo lang ako, mag-abot ito ng 21, the highest in the world. [applause] Kayo lang ang taga-pigil eh.
It is time for us to fulfill our mandate to protect… Tapos na ‘yan. Kindly… For so long… We have to act decisively on this contentious issue.
Capital punishment is not only about deterrence. It is also about retribution. Make no mistake about that.
— more to follow —