Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s Speech on AFP Change of Command Ceremony

By: Allan Elutin Ecleo

Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s Speech Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Change of Command Ceremony AFP General Headquarters Grandstand Camp Aguinaldo Quezon City 01 July 2016
Kindly sit down. Thank you. Troop Commander, give the order of parade rest.	Maaari na po kayong maupo.  Troop commander, atasan mo silang mag-tikas pahinga.
The Vice President Leni Robredo, this is my first time to meet you personally.	Ang pangalawang Pangulo Leni Robredo, ito ang unang pagkakataon na nagkita tayo ng personal.
I would have preferred to be seated beside you but nandiyan si Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana e. President Fidel V. Ramos, the first Filipino who journeyed to Davao City to ask me to run for public office and president and he said to me “you run because it is high time that Mindanao should have its president.” Thank you very much, sir; Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, we were together in Davao many years ago and of course that is why I chose him because I know him. I don’t know the others, so - Lt. Gen Glorioso Miranda, sir, please sit down, sir, I felt embarrassed; Bishop Leopoldo Tumulak; the members of the diplomatic corps; major service commanders; and the men and women of the Armed Forces of the Philippines; members of the Foreign Armed Forces Attaches; fellow workers in government; my beloved country men.	Gusto ko sanang umupo sa tabi mo kaya lang ay nandiyan si Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana e.  Pangulong Fidel V. Ramos, ang unang Pilipinong tumungo ng Davao para kausapin akong tumakbo para sa pampublikong opisina at presidente at sinabi niya sa akin “tumakbo ka dahil napapanahon nang magkaroon ng presidente ang Mindanao.  Maraming salamat sa’yo, sir; Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, nagkasama tayo sa Davao ng mahabang panahon at siyempre ‘yan ang dahilan kung bakit pinili ko siya kasi siya ‘yung kilala ko, kaya – Gen. Glorioso Miranda, sir, maaari ka na pong maupo, sir, napapahiya ako; Bishop Leopoldo Tumulak; miyembro ng diplomatic corps; major service commanders; at ang mga kalalakihan at kababaehan ng Armed Forces of the Philippines; miyembro ng Foreign Armed Forces Attaches; kapwa ko mga manggagawa sa gobeyerno; ninamahal kong mga kababayan.
You know, the first job of a president is not to go to war but rather to bring peace to his land. So even before I was already a proclaimed but before assumption of office, I was busy going around Mindanao and talking to a lot of people to bring about peace in our land. Started with the left and with the NPAs [New People’s Army], and we got a favorable answer from the leaders, including Jose Maria Sison.	Alam mo,ang unang trabaho ng presidente ay hindi ang tumungo sa giyera kundi ang dalhin ang kapayaan sa kanyang bayan.  Kaya kahit noon pa man ay naiproklama na ako pero bago ako maupo, ay abala ako sa pag-ikot sa Mindanao at nakikipag-usap sa maraming tao para sa ating kapayapaan.  Naumpisahan sa Kaliwa at sa mga NPAs [New People’s Army], at nakatanggap tayo ng positibong sagot mula sa mga lider, kasama si Jose Maria Sison.
You know, it was in the 1970s that I listened to Jose Maria Sison talking about revolution and I was then in the AB, and half of it, well, of course, in the College of Law. And I am now 71 years old and the Communist Party [of the Philippines] is still talking of a revolution. That’s why I told them initially, what do you want for this country? I was a student, now I’m already a grandfather and became a president. I don’t know really why, you have to supply the answer. Maybe President [Fidel] Ramos can give us an idea.	Alam ninyo, taong 1970 nang nakinig ako kay Jose Maria Sison sa pakikipag-usap tungkol sa rebolusyon at akon noon ay nasa AB, at kalahati nito, siyempre , sa College of Law. At ngayon ako’y 71 taong gulang na at ang Communist Party [of the Philippines] ay binabanggit pa rin ang rebolusyon.  Kaya sinasabi ko sa kanila una, anong gusto ninyo sa bayan natin?  Estudyante ako noon, ako lolo na ako ngayon at naging presidente pa. Hindo ko talaga alam kung bakit, kailangan ninyong bigyan ng kasagutan.  Marahilay ay makapagbibigay ng ideya si Pangulong [Fide] Ramos.
Well, we got this favorable response from the outside and we started to talk. Well to the camp of Murad and started to talk to the central committee and Jafar. And since Nur [Misuari] is a friend of mine, and I said: “Nur, we’re about to go. We’re already old. Are we still going to fight at this time?”	Samakatuwid, nakatanggap tayo ng positibong sagot mula sa labas at inumpisahan nating makipag-usap. Sa katunayan sa kampo ng Murad at inumpisahang makipag-usap sa central committee kay Jafar.  At dahil kaibigan ko si Nur [Misuari], sinabi ko: “Nur, tayo’y lilisan na.  Matanda na tayong dalawa.  Kailangan pa ba nating mag-away sa panahong ito?”
My job is to bring peace. My job is to talk to the enemies of the state, to the Communist Party of the Philippines, to the MILF [Moro Islamic Liberation Front], and to the men, and see if I could make a difference in our lives. You know, I detached Abu Sayyaf, neither here or in our criminal campaign, because the Abu Sayyaf is closely connected with the issue of Mindanao. Originally, they are men of the MN[LF], including the offspring which is the MN[LF] and the MI[LF] and that was where the futility [unclear] in the Mindanao issue.	Ang trabaho ko’y dalhin ang kapayapaan.  Ang trabaho ko’y makipag-usap sa mga kaaway ng estado, sa Communist Party of the Philippines, sa MILF [Moro Islamic Liberation Front], at sa mga tauhan, at titingnan kung makakalikha ako ng kaibhan sa ating buhay.  Alam mo, hindi ko sinali ang Abu Sayyaf, maging dito o sa kampanyang kriminal   natin, dahil ang Abu Sayyaf ay mahigpit na konektado sa isyu ng Mindanao.  Noong unang panahon, mga tao ito sila ng MN[LF], pati mga anak na ‘yung MN[LF] pati MI[LF] at yan noon kung saan ang kawalan [hindi maliwanag] sa isyu ng Mindanao.
Simply stated: They’re claiming the historical right and more privileges for them. And I cannot blame them. You know when [Ferdinand] Magellan landed in Leyte in 1521, bringing Christianity with him and propagated it everywhere in the Visayas and Luzon. 100 years before, Sulu area and some parts of Mindanao were already Islam.	Sa simpleng pananalita: Inaangkin nila ang historical right at iba pang pribelehiyo para sa kanila.  At hindi ko sila masisisi.  Alam ninyo noong lumapag sa Leyte si [Ferdinand Magellan] noong 1521, dala ang kristiyanismo at pinalaganap sa Visayas at Luzon.  100 taon bago ito, ang rehiyon ng Sulu at iba pang mga rehiyon ng Mindanao ay Islam na.
That is why a lot of the historical planners never really look at the reality that there was this oppression by series of government that’s not theirs. And they think that until now, we’re trying to repress them. And I said to them: You know you cannot drive us away anymore. Like me and my children, half of us are really moro already. I have a bunch of my family, my little boys and girls who are Moro.	Kung kaya marami sa mga historical planners ay hindi tinitingnan ang reyalidad na nagkaroon ng pananakop sa mga hanay ng gobyerno na hindi kanila.  At iniisip nila na hanggang ngayon, ay sinusubukan nating kontrolin sila. At sinabi ko sa kanila:  alam ninyo hindi na ninyo kami maitataboy. Kagaya ko at pati ‘yung mga anak ko, kalahati sa amin ay mga Moro na. Mayroon akong pangkat ng pamilya, ang mga maliit kong mga kalalakihan at kababaehan na mga Moro.
And so I, it behooves upon me and I think to really look for the answer and I can hack it, and if can talk to Maria Sison and bring about - not a coalition government - an inclusive government. They are there already. And I said that so long as the powers that would pertain to matters belonging to the police and the military, that is not yours. The tall orders, the mundane matters of governance I can give it to you and we are talking. Next week, we are to talk to the MI[LF] and eventually I think I’ll have to travel to Jolo to talk to Nur [Misuari]. I’m willing to give them safe conduct passes, only the leaders. And hoping that it would end up peaceful. And if that happens really, I can retire happy and I can look back and say that I did my duty in   nation building.	Kung kaya, itoy' akma sa akin at iniisip kong hanapin talaga ang kasagutan at mahahati ko ito, at kung makakausap ko si Maria Sison at maisakatuparan – hindi gobyernong aliyansa – komprehensibong gobyerno.  Nandiyan na sila.  At sinabi ko na ang mga puwersang patungkol sa mga bagay na pag-aari ng pulis at military, hindi ho sa inyo ‘yan.  Ang mataas na mandato, ang mga ordinaryong bagay patungkol sa pamamahala ay maibibigay ko sa inyo at tayo’y nag-uusap. Sa susunod na linggo, makikipag-usap tayo sa MI[LF] at di kalauna’y tutungo ako ng Jolo upang makipag-usap kay Nur [Misuari].  Handa ko silang bigyan ng safe conduct pass, ang mga lider lamang. At baka matsambahan ko na magkaroon ng mapayapa.  At kung ito’y talagang mangyayari, makakapag-retiro ako ng maligaya at makakalingon ako at sasabihin na nagawa ko ang aking responsabilidad na itayo ang bansa.
It is not a war to be fought forever. We cannot fight forever. We might have the weapons, the armanents, and the bullets, mortars, but does not make any [unclear].	Hindi ito giyera na paglalabanan habang-buhay. Hindi tayo makikipaglan habang-buhay.  Maaari ay mayroon tayong mga sandata, mga kasangkapang panlaban, at mga bala, mga mortar, pero ito’y hindi makakagawa ng anumang [hindi maliwanag].
My job is to bring peace but hand in hand I must also bring order in my country. You know to be honest, we can only take so much. I am not warning Abu Sayyaf but I said there will always be a time for reckoning.	Ang aking trabaho ay dalhin ang kapayapaan pero tulung-tulong dapat ay dadalhin ko rin ang kautusan sa aking bansa.  Alam mo sa tutuo lang, makakatanggap lang tayo ng mas higit.  Hindi si bainabalaan ko ang Abu Sayyaf pero sinasabi ko mayroong pagsusulit lagi.
Just keep our fingers crossed. And I said we can only swallow so much. We cannot be weeping boy of the few who wants nothing but maybe money and power in their hands. And so also with the problem now, a very serious problem of the country. Where can you find a govervnment that drug trafficking is being controlled inside the Bilibid prison? It’s like a repeated slaps. And how it came about into being is really, well I would know, said in neglect.	Mag-krus lang ang ating mga landas.  At sinasabi ko na makakalunok lang tayo ng sobra.  Hindi tayo magiging batang iyakin ng mga ilan na walang ibang gusto kundi ang magkamal ng pera at poder sa kanilang mga palad.  At maging ang problema sa ngayon, isang napakalalang problema. Saan ka nakakita ng gobyerno na ang ilegal na droga ay kontrolado sa loobng Bilibid prison?  At parang sampal ‘yan ng ilang beses. At paano ito nangyari, talagang malalaman ko rin, sinabi ng may kapabayaan.
How can it happen when you inspect in Bilibid, you have to ask permission from the idiot inside. C’mon! This is my first day. I’m warning them there, they have the TVs there inside. I went there, when I entered I was there to see – I accompanied Pastor [Apollo] Quiboloy to pray over [Hubert] Webb,  [Freddie] Webb’s son who was in Muntinlupa. And when I passed by death row: “Uy mayor, mayor.” I thought they’re from Davao. I said: You are plenty from   Davao who are jailed. They said: No mayor, we are Ilocano. Mixed up, waray. We see you on TV.	Paano ito nangyari na kung mag-inspection ka sa Bilibid, kailangan mong humingi ng permiso mula sa mga tanga sa loob.  Ay naku!  Ito ang unang araw ko.  Binabalaan ko sila diyan, may TV sila diyan sa loob.  Napasyal ako noon, pagpasok nandun ako para tumingin – Sinamahan ko si Pastor [Apollo] Quiboloy na ipinalangin si [Hubert] Webb, yung anak ni [Freddie] Webb na nasa Muntinlupa.  At pagdaan ko doon sa death row: “Uy mayor, mayor.” Akala ko naman taga-Davao. Sabi ko: Ang rami niyong taga-Davao nakulong ah. Sabi nila: Hindi mayor, Ilocano kami e. Halo halo, mga waray. Nakikita ka namin sa TV.
Well the TV is there now. Count days. With what you’re doing. Do not be the solution of it all. There’s a problem there. You’re humiliating the government gobyerno. You’re slapping us. Count hours. I don’t want days.	Ang TV ay nandun na. Magbilang kayo   ng araw.Magbilang kayo ng araw.Sa ginagawa ninyo. Huwag maging solusyon sa lahat ng ito. May problema diyan. Hinihiya ninyo ang gobyerno.Sinasampal ninyo kami. Magbilang kayo ng oras. Ayaw ko ng araw.
The drugs must be suppressed. It cannot be eliminated. For as long as the greed for money is there, the very corrosive effect of money has sudden impact on our society. There are a lot of people, these lives destroyed using it and they were not in the rural areas. Now we have reached the hinterlands, and they are getting the carabaos, and the pigs and the chickens and the eggs.	Ang droga ay dapat supilin.  Hindi ito matatanggal.  Hanggat ang kasakiman sa pera ay nandiyan, ang mapanirang epekto ng pera ay may agarang epekto sa ating sosyedad. Maraming mga tao, ang mga buhay na ito ay sinira gamit ito at wala sila maging sa mga kanayunan.  Ngayon ay umabot na tayo sa mga lokalidad, at kumukuha sila ng mga kalabaw, mga baboy at mga manok at mga itlog.
Well, NPA listens, remember that you’re in a position. What kind is its court, your cour? Your court, I don’t know if it’s a kangaro or otherwise.  Kill them instead to address them problem quickly.	Well, nakikinig naman ‘yung mga NPA, nasa pwesto pa naman kayo. Ano kaya ‘yung korte nito, ‘yung korte ninyo? Korte ninyo, hindi ko alam kung ito’y kangaroo o kabaliktaran. E, patayin nalang ninyo para mas madali ang masolusyon ang problema natin.
Anyway, when you encounter it, it’s always a crime… crime committed in your presence. You do not shoot anybody just because you see them walking, but I know you have this validation. If it’s in the mountain, finish it already it is better that you do nothing.	Ganunpaman, kung makaengkuwentro   ninyo iyan,ito’y krimen palagi…krimen na ginawa sa presensiya ninyo.  Hindi ninyo binabaril ang sinuman dahil nakikita niyo lang silang naglalakad, pero alam kong mayroon kayong kumpirmasyon dito. E kung diyan sa bukid, tapusin na ninyo yan mas mabuti wala na rin kayong ginagawa.
There is slow down in the fighting. Why should we be fighting? And as matter of fact, I’m just awaiting for the arrival of Sison to talk to him and maybe, just maybe in the fullness of God’s time, we can have peace amongst us. Drugs are reampant. And I have to call in the Armed Forces of the Philippines to help. Sadly I wish that your Board of Generals will be a vibrant entity within the organization as I have promised and as was my practice during my mayorship days, I never interfered. Whatever the job of the police, I did not even want to entertain the request for… assignment of a certain police officer in the barangays. I’d always tell them: Go to the police director. I do not want to interfere [unclear].	May kabagalan sa pakikipaglaban.  Bakit tayo nakikipaglaban?  At samakatwid, ako’y naghihintay lamang sa pagdating ni Sison para makipag-usap sa kanya at posible, maaari sa ganap na panahon ng Panginoon, magkakaroon tayo ng kapayapaan sa atin. At kailangan kong tawagan ang Armed Forces of the Philippines para sa tulong.  Ang nakakalungkot gusto ko sanang ang inyong Board of Generals ay masiglang tropa sa loob ng organisasyon kagaya ng naipangako ko at kagaya ng nakagawian ko noong mga araw na ako’y mayor, hindi ako nanghimasok. Anuman ang trabaho ng pulis, hindi ko hinahayaan ang request para…assignment ng isang police officer sa mga barangay.  Palagi kong   sinasabi sa kanila: pumunta kayo sa police director.  Hindi ko gustong makialam [hindi maliwanag].
You can ask anybody the best support that they can give you and all of them in the government who are with me.	Ang pinakamagandang suporta na maibibigay nila sa inyo at makakahingi kayo kaninuman, lahat ‘yan sila ngayon sa gobyerno na dala-dala ko.
There once upon a time city, police directors and - well the performance was there. All of them are kind and good except for a few. And now our society is flooded with drugs, drug lords and the criminals.	Isang araw ay mayroong siyudad, police directors at - buweno ang paggawa ay nandiyan. Lahat naman mababait at mahusay maliban sa ilan. At dito ang ating sosyedad sa ngayon, ay nagbabaha ng droga at drug lords at mga kriminal.
There are a lot of Chinese citizens, Filipino or otherwise, kidnap, ransom demanded but they were never really returned. So they just junk them somewhere, burry them if - These are the things that we have to stop and that is why I said I would be harsh, not cruel but I would be harsh and I don’t have tolerance on drugs. Zero. So that’s our battle now. Those of you who take vacation here from the fields in Mindanao and in the Visayas. You might want just to join the hunt for them. We will eliminate the drug lords once and for all. We have to stop this practice in Bilibid.	Maraming mga Intsik, Pilipino o ibang lahi, kidnap, humihingi ng ransom pero di na sila naibabalik.  Kaya itinapon na lang nila kung saan, ilibing nila kung – Ito ang mga bagay na kailangan nating tigilan at yan ang dahilan kung bakit sinabi kong ako’y magiging istrikto, hindi malupit pero ako’y magiging istrikto at mahina ang pasensiya ko sa droga.  Zero.  Kaya yan ang laban natin ngayon. Kayong nagbakasyon dito galing sa laban sa lupain ng Mindanao at Visayas.  Baka gusto niyong sumali sa pag-uusig sa kanila.  Aalisin natin ang mga drug lords una sa lahat.  Kailangan nating pigilin ang nakasanayan sa Bilibid.
Take them away otherwise you will eat your supply. I really lost my patience against you. You’re insulting us. I’ve arrested you in Davao because of cooking shabu.  I did not kill you because [Commission on] human rights will be angered. I brought you to   Muntinlupa after conviction and when you arrived there you’re cooking shabu   again. What sort is this? I was not a president then, but now, well, we’ll just have to make some adjustment. You know there is always a time for everything. There’s always a time for you to make money and make a mockery out of our laws. There’s always a time for you to be in control even if you are inside the prison. But there is always a time to rest and to die. That’s life. As you are born, there’s also death.	Bitawan na ninyo ‘yan o kainin na ninyo ngayon ang supply ninyo. Nawala na talaga ang pasensya ko sa inyo. Iniinsulto ninyo kami. Hinuli ko nga kayo sa Davao kasi nagluluto kayo ng shabu. Hindi ko kayo pinatay dahil magalit ang [Commission on] Human Rights. Dinala ko kayo diyan sa Muntinlupa pagkatapos masentensiyahan at pagdating diyan nagluluto na naman ng shabu. Anong klase? Noon kasi ‘di ako presidente, ngayon well, kailangan lang nating gumawa ng pagbabago. Alam ninyo may panahon lagi para sa anumang bagay. May panahon lagi para kayo’y makagawa ng pera at gumawa ng kasuklam-suklam sa ating batas.  May panahon lagi na kayo’y mamayagpag kahit nasa loob ng prisuhan.  Pero may panahon lagi para kayo mamahinga at mamatay.  Dahil kayo’y ipinanganak, mayroon ding kamatayan.
I’m not threatening you. I’m just telling you that there is always a time. For us, the security forces, the Armed forces and the police, there is always a time. We can only take so much insult. We can only take so much… as long as   we can swallow. I’m already vomitting. And you have to help me put it stop.	Hindi ko kayo tinatakot. Sinasabi ko lang sa inyo na may panahon lagi. Para sa atin, ang puwersang pangseguridad, ang Armed Forces at ang pulis, may panahon palagi.  Makakatanggap lang kami ng sobra-sobrang insulto… hanggang kaya lang ng sikmura namin. E, ako ay nasusuka na. At dapat ninyo akong tulungan na tigilan ito.
In the final days of the campaign at Luneta, I gave this statement and I said I will put at stake my honor, my life and the presidency.	Sa katapusan ng mga araw ng kampanya sa Luneta, ako’y nagsalita at sinabi kong itataya ko ang aking karangalan, ang aking buhay, at ang pagkapangulo.
I told the criminals, all of you: If you destroy my country, I will kill you. If you destroy our children, I will kill you. If I am asked by anybody, including the Commission on Human Rights, I do not know you. Salamat po.	Sinabi ko sa inyong mga kriminal, lahat kayo: Kung sisirain ninyo ang aking bansa, papatayin ko kayo. Kung sisirain ninyo ang ating kabataan, papatayin ko kayo. Kung ako’y kakausapin ng sinuman, kasama ng Commission on Human Rights, hindi ko kayo kilala. Salamat po.

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