Rodrigo Roa Duterte

“ What exactly is the state of the nation today in the light of the pandemic which has paralyzed business activities and crippled even the strongest of the world’s economies? So where do we go from here? ”

“ We launched an unprecedented war against the illegal drugs and to destroy their apparatus that permeated every level and sector of society. We waged war on the manufacturers, the financiers, the suppliers, the peddlers, and the entire syndicates and, more importantly, their protectors in government. We have rescued and reformed drug dependents because of their idiotic sense of decency by [launching] interventions and building facilities not only for their rehabilitation, but also to prepare them to reintegrate into society. ”

“ I thus call on the National Task Force Against COVID-19 to see to it that this happens — I mean the protection. We have spent enormous amounts of resources to build our capacities to overcome this pandemic. We cannot afford more lockdowns lest our economy bleeds to the point of irreversible damage. ”

“ Everybody, as everybody in this country, are paying taxes to the communists. The Communist Party earns billions but pass on a little to their fighting men who die for an ideology that is so rotten and corrupt. ”

“ Finally, I would like to reiterate my call for Congress again to pass legislation to establish a single agency that shall focus on and respond quickly to the needs and concerns of our OFWs. I pray that our next leaders and our future generations will not squander our natural resources and fight for the integrity of our environment, in a manner fiercer and more effective than my administration had ever done.
The pandemic has taken so much from us as a nation but like [all] other adversities that tested us time and again, it can never take [away] our courage and resilience. ”

“ Due to the brilliant programs and excellent work of our economic managers and the extraordinary cooperation between the executive and the legislative branches of government, our economy, with investor confidence, was poised to leapfrog into the company of the world’s fastest growing economies until the COVID-19 pandemic stalled everything. ”

“ Our health workers and other frontliners who risked their own safety [applause] to keep our essential health services and our food supply chain running, [boost] economic activity, and ensure peace and order in our communities.
I would like also to extend my deepest appreciation for the generosity of the private sector who came to the government’s aid in fighting COVID-19. [applause] I am profoundly thankful for your sustained assistance to our fellow Filipinos, [applause] amidst the same deleterious effect of the pandemic to your respective industries. ”

“ But make no mistake rather, gone are the days when the Philippines decides and acts in the shadows of great powers. We will assert what is rightfully ours and fight for what is rightfully due to the Filipino people. ”

“ We do not only strengthen our military and police institutions — we also inspire them to serve this nation with the highest degree of loyalty and patriotism. We enabled them to carry out their mandate to defeat all enemies of the state whatever the cost. ”

“ The bloodshed caused by the separatist movement in Mindanao is all about correcting the historical injustices suffered by the Moro people since the period of colonization. With the help of Congress, we were able to pass the Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, [applause] finally fulfilling a promise that was decades in the making.
Our victory in Marawi is also a testament to how the Filipino’s patriotism is far stronger than any extremist group. As I have said before, many times, there is no room for lawlessness in this country. ”

“ Now comes America, they say that if the attack is against the Philippines, they will defend. But they issued a statement that America does not meddle in conflicts involving the boundaries of other nations. And if America has to go to war, you would have to go to Congress to get — American Congress to get the authority to go to war.
That is why many presidents hindi na lang — it was a — just a mere — an error, a mistake — a malicious mistake. No president has ever been punished for attacking nations, getting into a fight with nothing. ”

“ I mean, the Filipino does not deserve it even if they are not paying taxes. Because the theory of government is that all money belongs to the people and the money is there, it belongs to all of us and it should be used for public good. ”

“ When the pandemic struck, the first country I called for help was China. President Xi, sabi ko, “Mr. President, we have no vaccination program here because we do not have the vaccines. We have not been able to invent one. We might have a hard time.” ”

“ When I ran for the presidency, I just made fundamental promises and strangely you can count them by the fingers of your hand. I made those changes, which I thought that was really at that time doable.
To offer free education — it’s there already — the Universal Health Care [applause] , nandiyan na po; the fight against illegal drugs, [applause] criminality and corruption; and the development of infrastructure, including free irrigation and other big ticket projects, which I thought I did not have the funds to do it, but per chance, among others, they were done in my term. ”

“ While the pandemic has demonstrated the readiness, resourcefulness and capability of government to serve the Filipino people through the use of ICT and digital services, it has also shown its inherent deficiencies and weaknesses. As such I ask Congress to pass an E-Governance Act that will set up the transition of government processes to the digital age. ”

“ But corruption, it’s endemic in government. You cannot stop corruption. Nobody can stop corruption unless you overturn the government completely. If I were the next president, if you think there’s really a need for you to change everybody in the system, then you declare martial law and fire everybody and allow the new generation to come in to work for the government.
Eh kung hindi mo ganunin, walang mangyari. Nandiyan — it’s in the system eh. Kagaya ng drugs, sino ba namang maniwala na nine — nine generals sa pulis were into trafficking of drugs? ”

“ It is rampaging now in Indonesia, Thailand, India, and many parts of Asia. And ang sabi doon sa — the Western medicine says that it is far more aggressive and far more dangerous and it can cause death easily than the COVID-19 original.
So this is as good as any other time to say it, if sees that it is really dangerous, you have to go back to lockdown. If there are many people in other parts of the world killing as many, then Delta, if ever it will spread — we have it here now — I hope it will not go any further. ”

“ The lights go out for this administration eleven months from now. The work that we started and expected to finish within the constitutional time frame of six years has been stalled. Much was hoped for. But we need not despair. Desperation is a feeling alien to the resilient Filipino.
A peaceful and prosperous Philippines is no longer a distant dream but one that is within our grasp if our future Filipinos would also do it — if would continue the — if they would continue and would seize the opportunity to work together. ”

“ With the continuous [arrival] of COVID-19 vaccines, we are ready to boost further our daily vaccination rate. I am also encouraging our local government units to hasten their roll out and strengthen their inoculation program. San Juan City, for one, [will] have vaccinated 70 percent of their population in a month’s time. Saludo ako sa inyo [applause] at kay Mayor Zamora.
We cannot continue living in the shadow of this potent enemy, especially now that science and medicine has proven that it is possible to live with — if not entirely defeat — this virus. ”

“ Dean of the Diplomatic Corps His Excellency Archbishop Charles John Brown and the distinguished members of the Diplomatic Corps; my fellow government workers; and of course to my lovely wife Honeylet; mga mahal kong kababayan [applause] ,
When I assumed the presidency five years ago, dominant in my mind were dreams and visions of a better life for all Filipinos. I saw them as reachable through the institution of reforms and radical changes in both the structure of government and the mode of governance — changes designed [to yield] responsibility [and] accountability. ”

“ I expect the task force to work double time not only to recoup job losses, but more importantly to rehabilitate the economy and help our hardest hit sectors [recover] .
Through the COVID-19 Assistance to Restart Enterprises or CARES Program, we released 988 million pesos worth of loans to over 14,000 enterprises [under] Bayanihan 1. [Under] Bayanihan 2, we released 2.9 billion pesos worth of loans to over 12,000 enterprises including our displaced OFWs and enterprises in the tourism sector to help them start or sustain their businesses amid the pandemic. ”

“ The Office of the President has demonstrated careful stewardship of the powers, by initiating reforms. We upgraded and improved the systems and processes to ensure that it can provide the best service to the institution of the presidency and the offices under it and ultimately the Filipino people. ”

“ In line with this, we hope to pursue the creation of public entities dedicated to managing emerging and re-emerging diseases. I thus fervently ask Congress to enact a law creating the Center for Disease Prevention and Control and the Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines.
We must... [applause] Maski gaano natin kahirap, however poor we are I think that the Filipinos, given the proper support and the things there, the equipment that they have to use, we can — I am sure that the Filipino brain can also process or make vaccines in the future. ”

“ Do you want war against China? Well, I’ll tell you, even on the coast beach of Palawan, before you can take off, the missile of China would be there in about five or 10 minutes. It would be a massacre if I go and fight a war now. We are not yet a competent and able enemy of the other side. ”

“ We have laid down the groundwork and are continuing to push for landmark reforms and key accomplishments up to the last days of my term. I have full confidence that the Filipino spirit...
Pati ako nagmamadali na. Eh naiihi na kanina pa eh. [laughter and applause] It’s a natural human biology so what’s the big deal? Bakit kayo magpakpak kung napaihi na ako? [laughter and applause] Sabagay, alam ko rin, nahihiya kayong magtindig. Puno ang pila nito pagdating sa CR mamaya. [laughter]
I have full confidence that the Filipino spirit will persevere and triumph. Together, let us rise as a nation. ”

“ Si Hogan, he’s an Ame — is he around? He’s a CIA agent. Sabi niya, “Isauli namin, pupunta ka?” Because I said earlier in my presidency, “There will never be a time that I will go to America.” Eh itong mga media mahilig mag-udyok eh. “Ah ganoon, bakit ka hindi pupunta? O arte mo lang ‘yan eh?” Sabi ko, “Then you watch me.” ‘Di gusto ninyong malaman. Sabi ko sa America, “Yes, I might consider going to America.”
So well then, sabi ko, “Work on it.” In just two months’ time, they told me that the ship carrying the Balangiga bells are on their way to deliver it to Quezon. ”

“ The Task Force recently partnered with the Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines to implement the Reform, Rebound, and Recover Program that aims to vaccinate qualified workers to fill in more than one million jobs. ”

“ Likewise, to further support development of our micro and small businesses, we [instituted] radical reforms in the tax system to ease the taxation burden and increase the net income of lower wage earners and small businesses.
Thanks to Congress... [applause] Iyan hindi pa ninyo alam ha. Sabi ko lang...
Thanks to Congress and our revenue generating agencies, our tax reforms sustained our economic growth from the third quarter of 2016 to the fourth quarter of 2019, which made the Philippines one of the fastest growing economies in Asia until the [applause] pandemic scourge. ”

“ While we have made great strides in ending rebellion and insurgency in various parts of the country, we still have a long way in our fight against the proliferation of drugs. This problem has hounded our country for several decades — destroying families and degrading the moral fiber of our society. ”

“ Together with local governments and the private sector, we quickly established mega quarantine facilities that could accommodate more cases. Modular hospitals and quarantine facilities have also been established nationwide, especially in Metro Manila.
For our severe COVID cases, our tireless healthcare workers ensure that you are provided with the best care round the clock, based on latest developments and global best practices. Our health experts continue to actively participate in the search for safe and effective COVID-19 medicines.
With the help of Congress... Kita mo sa lahat. ”

“ Sometimes families are separated because of drugs, becomes dysfunctional, at ‘yung mga asawa magpunta doon sa abroad, ika nga, to look for jobs.
And you know, in the Middle East — I am not attributing it to any particular country — but there are tribes in the Middle East who are employing our Filipina citizens and they are uniform. Everybody who comes here home ask them how many hours of sleep they have? ”

“ We also worked to ensure that households have adequate supply of clean water. Potable and affordable water is more than a commodity. It is a vital public good. This is why I used my political capital to fight vested interests behind disadvantageous water service contracts [applause] that burdened consumers with unjustified water price increases. With the signing of [Revised Concession Agreements] with water concessionaires, consumers will be protected at least until 2037. ”