SPEECH OF

PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE

DURING THE 1ST BANGSAMORO ASSEMBLY

[Delivered at Old Provincial Capitol, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao | 27 November 2017]

Kindly sit down. Thank you for your courtesy.

Ang pagka-Maranao ko, ganun lang, medyo sa lola.

Before I proceed, meron talagang prepared speech ang Presidente maski saan. Pero hindi ko ito
trabaho, sabihin ko na sa inyo prangka-prangka.

At as important as reconfiguring the territory, the local, it is not good just to deliver a two-page
speech.

Sabi ko kay --- sa kanila. I-dovetail ko yung kay Kagi pati sa dumadaang mga speeches.

But before that, Id like to acknowledge the presence of Excellencies of the diplomatic corps;
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana; Presidential Adviser on Peace Process Jesus Dureza;
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque and other members of the Cabinet; baka hindi niyo na
Bagong kilala natin, si Secretary Roque, formerly a congressman. He is now
the [applause]; The Bangsamoro Transition Commission Chair Ghazali Jaafar; ARMM Regional
Governor Mujiv Hataman; MILF Chairman Al Hajj Murad Ebrahim; MNLF Central Committee
Chairman Yusoph Jikiri; fellow workers in government; mga kapatid kong mga Moro at ang mga
Pilipino.

Id like to address myself to the nation this time. I plead to all Filipinos listening now to
understand the problem and maybe, you know, just ponder on it and sleep on it tonight and
maybe youd be enlightened because of what we are now trying to solve is one of the hardest in
my administration.

Maybe, the hardest of them all. But as I have promised, as the centerpiece of my election, was
really the federal setup of government.

And one, we are talking about now with limited to the issues As far as Im concerned, actually,
what is at stake here is the preservation of the Filipino Republic and to correct a historical
injustice, was and still is.

But let me discuss with you the second issue. Historical injustice. When was it? Well, many,
many centuries ago.

Before the coming of the imperialists, as we are now and had been before, we are brothers and
sisters of the Malay race.

As a matter fact, youd study maybe a little bit about the history of the migration. We belong to
the Sri Visayas empire of the Malay race.
But about, so many centuries ago, 500 I would say, until now, you reckon the years, the
Spaniards came and colonized us for 400 years. Then the Americans came and stayed here for
50 years.

We were a subjugated people. Well, I do not have an issue with God Allah. God Allah is perfect.
He charts the destiny of men and nation.

But somehow, we humans must contribute our sweat towards the realization of God Allah wants
us to do.

Yan ang nandito ngayon. The historical injustice began when we were slaves of other nations.

Hindi ito ngayon lang. And over the years naturally, I said with the coming of religions, I have
nothing, I said. I do not have an issue with any particular religion. Its up to us human beings to
make the most out of it.

Now, itong problema ng ating bayan, inabot ito over the periods of years. And oppression and
violence and unnecessary killing, sometimes for no reason at all. It has bogged this nation for so
long a time.

Mindanao was taken over by the Spaniards. Then the Americans came and introduced the
system of governance in the island of Mindanao.

It used to be ruled by one department of Mindanao. And in the process invited other tribes to
come here and enjoy the fertile land.

No problem with that actually. Mindanao at that time was so big that you cannot even measure it
by any yardstick or a device of measurement. Malaki eh.

And I supposed that there was really no animosity because of our color and our culture and even
in the dialect.

But somehow, the imperialism created a monster by giving away the lands and adopting, I said,
yung mga homestead, yung mga cadastral land. And sadly to the exclusion of many.

And most of them, who were left behind or left out were really the Lumads here and most of the
Moro people.

And overtime it created, I said, the monster that the fight for a piece of real estate here and
there created wars amongst us and killings.

Yung Moro ho --- nakikinig kayong mga kababayan ko --- naiwan. Kinuha yung mga ancestral
land. They were the first.

Actually, if you are not a Moro, if you are a Christian then you cannot be a native of Mindanao.
Nauna [applause] ang Islam by almost Well, I used to read when I was a congressman diyan
sa Malaysia, yung mga library nila.

I would Some say 100. Id put it about something like 80. My simple mathematics or
arithmetic could say to me.

So nauna dito ang Islam. About that time, talagang Muslim na ang Mindanao.

But with the coming of imperialism, I said, pumasok dito at marami ng relihiyon, fine. Its all
about God. Its all about Allah. Nothing strange there.
But the fight for the territory began. And the dream of the Moro people was just to retake what
they were or they had at that time. Violence after violence after violence.

In 1972, kumukuha ho kami ng Bar. Jess Dureza was ahead. Eh ako naiwan ako sa klas e kasi
hindi man ako valedictorian kagaya niya. So

Well, I used to be here. Kasama ko si [Jun Matalam?] noon. I was still a young boy. I was
roaming around Cotabato. Sila [Jimbo Sindao?]. I was enjoying the place. And maybe because I
felt safe. So ganun ho ang nangyari.

Now, if we do not solve this problem. The fundamental issue of historical injustice hindi ito
matatapos. Hindi talaga ito matatapos. [applause]

Ive been saying that before even in any crowd that we have to have a solution. If I were to have
a choice then it should be my time, kung pwede lang and we can work out a way out of this
quagmire.

It cannot go on. Youre children cannot kill my children. Ang pamilya ko mismo hati, alam ninyo
yan. I have a branch of my family puro Moro, Islam. [applause]

Meron rin akong branch sa pamilya ko na Kristiyanos. Saan ninyo ako ilagay?

Yan ang problema kaya interesado ako ng areglo. Kung maaari lang sana lets talk about peace,
peace and peace as we build and build and build our country. Nothing wrong with that. Its a
matter of talking.

Now, there are so many drafts coming from Nur, coming from Kagi Murad and everybody else,
and the scholars, and also UP is coming up with a position paper.

Ang akin, it must be inclusive. Lahat. Walang maiwan dito sa peace talks na ito. [applause] The
MILF, the MNLF, lahat na, Lumad, kailangan kasali. [applause]

But I will now state my conditions. I will work very hard for it. I will ask Congress to a special
session just to hear you talk about this in Congress. [applause]

Sabi ko, Ito sagrado to. Importante to. At mahalaga to because it would involve, eventually, if
the people wills it, in due, structure for the entire country.

Kung hindi, then let us work out a way. Basta maibigay natin sa ating mga kapatid lalo na sa
Moro ang arrangement na acceptable sa kanila.

Alam ko realist kayo [applause] at wala namang umaangkin dito sa mundong ito. We are all
passing temporarily in this planet. [applause] In the end, its always towards what is heaven for
the Christians and for the Muslims.

Wala man tayong --- mag We fight there? We kill each other? Then if we are in heaven, what
are we supposed to do? Its ever so temporary. Mind you.

So let us work on the historical issues. Land, the social injustices that were committed since
then. Well, apparently the Christian governments has had an edge all along because they were in
power holding the national structure.
And all the time, medyo pasensya, pasensya, pasensya. I said, but this cannot go on. Even if
you say that well have a [inaudible] of how many years. It will not suffice. Or then, you will be
passing the problem to the next and to next generation.

And so what do you think? What would be the sentiment of my grandson towards his
grandsister? Ipasa mo lang eh.

Ngayon nandito na ako, I made it a centerpiece, of course not all the time. But in --- I
endeavored really to mention it. Almost half of the time of us talking about itong mga historical
injustice.

Its a matter of self-preservation. For whom? You? For me? For them? For all of us. That is a
matter of survival.

What will we get if we go into a war again? With the coming of the ISIS, the taking of the name
of Allah in vain, killing people, destruction, violence. Along is what is --- ? Wala.

Look what happened to the Middle East. They say that Well, theres a lot of theory about whos
responsible. But you know, we cannot go back in time. We must avoid the pitfalls of violence.
Look at what Iraq, Libya, Syria, once the thriving center of the Muslim faith. Tingnan mo.

Where is ISIS now? Its on the edge. And Ive been telling you, if they lose the land base, they
will scatter and

Why would we allow barbarians to come here and destroy our way of life? We are not even a mix
of Arabs. We are Malay.

Now, if you want to change the Filipino, Philippines because of King Philip, its fine with me. Its a
matter of renaming everyone in the Constitution.

Sabi ko, Magellan came here and he said, I discover for the King of Spain, Philip, and I will
name this island the Philippines. Maswerte ka. May makita ka na lupa tapos iyo na.

Kaya named Philippines. But that is just --- name of a cou[ntry], we can always do away with it,
in due time.

Im sure our children would --- somehow Filipino and Christians would correct this kind of
Philippines, its box of imperialism.

Thats why I do not Have you ever heard me call Malacaan Palace? I say, my office.

I dont --- really sitting there and to remember that my predecessors were all --- well, almost
half of it were aliens and the conquistadores.

Hindi ako naliligayahan. Baka akala ninyo kayo lang ang nag-ano ng masakit sa

Hindi. I do not say, Malacaan Palace, I just say, See me at my office --- in my office. Hindi
ako nagtata --- palace. Hindi na panahon ito ng

So thats it. Correction of the social injustice or the outright injustice. And then crafting
something which would preserve the lives of Filipinos.
But I will only work with one thing in mind: There must be one nation for all and one republic for
all. A Republic of the Philippines for all of us, Moro and Christians alike. [applause]

Yan ang hindi ko maibigay. Now, I am doing everything to avoid a breakage or a fissure
somehow in Mindanao. Im going to walk the hundreds of miles, not the mile, as a first step, but
there has to be a condition that is for all.

The Republic of the Philippines must be one and the preservation of all Filipinos, Christia n,
Muslims, and all, must be there to unite us.

Then we will be happy, in the goodness of --- the fullness of Gods time, I am sure, it is just a
simple equation of correcting an injustice, redistributing whatever is it, just compensation and
all, but these are all legislations. It can come later.

But the basics must be there. And there must be autonomy. And you must be allowed to enjoy
all your natural resources.

Pero naman, maghingi ako nang konti. Paano ko patakbuhin ang Malacaan? Wala man akong
pera kung hindi mag --- sa taxpayers. 'Yung konti lang. You can enjoy "60, 40" or "90, 10" or
whatever.

But we must, I said, have only one. I cannot bargain it away. I cannot said give. I told the
communists and I'm telling it to you all now, that I cannot give what I do not own.

Inyo lahat 'yan eh, it's for the Filipino people. You decide. Not me. Pero ako, I'm just stating na
to the other tribes in Luzon, Visayas, kabalo mo nga Bisaya, sabta na ninyo. Wala unta mangilog
kay giimbitar ta. (TRANSLATION: You know they're Bisaya, understand them. Nobody must
rob/steal it away from them.)

Pumunta kayo ng Mindanao because it's fertile and everything. And I said, ang Mindanao
kaniadto, dako. Malaki ang Mindanao. It was a vast expanse of land. But Mindanao now, where
the coming of the
We are now on the fourth industrial revolution. Plenty of people. Talagang lumiit nang lumiit. Eh
kung malaki lang sana ito, eh di walang But you know, you have to have land to develop, to
eat, to earn.

Manufacturing in the agricultural sector is lagging. Why? Because it cannot propel itself into
prosperity for so long as there is violence in the countryside. Especially ang nakita kong walang
kwenta --- the NPAs.

Be careful with that. Kasi pag niyaya ninyo even the Arab money, they would steal us maski sino
ang nandiyan. And that is extortion. It thrives on extortion. It is not revolutionary tax.

Ilang beses kayo nakakita dito sinusunog 'yung mga sasakyan? You think it's done by the Moro
here? Of course not. I should know it.

Sila nagsusunog ng mga ano dito and even in your territories. It behooves upon the Moro, all of
you and us to maintain that kind of peace that we desire.

Because pagdating ng panahon, when we are given the empowerment now to run our lives, run
your own economy, create your own gross domestic product locally, magkakaproblema kayo
niyan eh.

And even the terrorists. They will have to go to war again. We t ried another war and we have to
deal with another one. But we're willing to talk peace.

But for the communists, let me be very clear: One republic, no coalition. Government must be
the sole authority and we [inaudible], for after all, we'll have the elec tions. Well have the elected
leaders. Whether you like it or not, you must be represented in Congress.

Walang problema 'yan. So ang proposal ko ganito: I will ask Congress. I said, one day, one
session, Nur, si Kagi and all should be there to present their platform. And then we will work out
if it can.

If it's not in consonance with each other, then we work out but at least Congress and the Filipino
people should be given a day to hear you out on what we intend to do. Me? I support you. That
is my promise.

Do not ever, ever question me. Delay? Of course, it entails delay. So many Marami man dito
galing.

[Nabil?] is here, Jesus Dureza is here. You have been congressmen. Wala. Ayan si Toto. Alam
man ninyo. It takes forever to move. Somebody has to push it.

Because there are --- alam mo na --- thousands of concerns.

But I will impress upon them that you have to devote even one day or two days. Hear them out,
hear us from Mindanao.

Ako taga roon. Ako sabi ko, kasali ako dito sa gulo pag hindi ito na-areglo. So And I would be
blamed by you and by the many Eh sabi nitong g*** na to, sabi niya, well work it out.

And that is why I will work it out. Tapos ipakita ko sa inyo talagang hindi work out exercise,
talagang I will work on it. And at least give you the idea of how the effort goes along.
What we need is to be heard. I said one just two simple in the equation: that is correct the
injustice committed against the Moro people and all of the Lumads here. Second is to preserve
the Republic. That is all the rest of it.

Maraming salamat po. [applause]

[The President returns to the podium]

Id like to stay longer with you, maybe stay here But the airport authority said that walang ilaw
ang runway, yung dead end. So I have to fly out because of sunset limitations.

But maybe you can go to Malacaan, all of you. [applause] Not Palace, Malacaan is just an
office. Really. You just go there so visit your --- where your money went all these centuries
building that

Salamat po. [applause]

--- END ---