(TRANSCRIPT) President Duterte's 4th State of the Nation Address.

4TH STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS OF

RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE

PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

TO THE CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES

[Delivered at the Session Hall of the House of Representatives, Batasang Pambansa Complex, Quezon City | 22 July 2019]

Thank you. Kindly sit down. Kumusta po kayo?

Senate President Vicente Sotto III and the honorable members of the Senate; House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and the honorable members of the House of Representatives; Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo, magandang hapon po sa inyo --- sa iyo, ma'am, [applause] kung nasaan ka; former Presidents Fidel V. Ramos, Joseph Ejercito, [applause] Macapagal-Arroyo [applause]; His Excellency Caccia and the esteemed members of the diplomatic corps; Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and the other members of the Cabinet; Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin and the Supreme Court; my fellow workers in government; mga mahal kong kababayan.

Let me begin by extending my hand in gratitude to all who kept faith with me in our most trying times. Numbers speak a thousand words and tell a hundred tales. But the landslide victory of the Administration candidates as well as the latest survey results shows that my disapproval rating is 3%. [applause] I hope that the members of Congress --- sana hindi kayo included sa 3% [laughter] --- inspires me with determination to pursue relentlessly what we have started at the start of my administration.

Few men imbued with the will and the courage to do what he believes is right and just and whatever be the opposition in terms of numbers and noise, makes a majority. For it is not the eagle in the fight but the fight in the eagle that matters. [applause] Believe me, I will end my term fighting.

It has been three years since I took my oath of office, and it pains me to say that we have not learned our lesson. The illegal drug problem persists. Corruption continues and emasculates the courage we need to sustain our moral recovery initiatives.

Years ago, we saw the terrible devastation caused by illegal drugs. On May 23, 2017, our law enforcers launched an operation to serve a warrant and to neutralize terrorists. A group of armed men with sophisticated weaponry and aided by locals radicalized by extremist dogma and teachings fought our troops for weeks. During that Marawi Siege, tons of shabu worth millions and millions of pesos. Drug money killed 175 and wounded [2,101] of my soldiers and policemen in that five-month battle.

I am aware that we still have a long way to go in our fight against this social menace. Let the reason why I advocate the imposition of the death penalty for crimes related to illegal drugs. Our citizens have begun to do their part in the war against drugs, and through the barangay formation of anti-drug councils, and also actually surrendering bricks of cocaine found floating in the sea into our islands. I call this responsibility. However, the drugs will not be crushed unless we continue to eliminate corruption that allows this social monster to survive.

I respectfully request Congress to reinstate the death penalty for heinous crimes [applause] related to drugs, as well as plunder.

My countrymen, it is a sad commentary that we cannot distinguish our need from our greed, our principles from our prejudices, the real from the fake, and the truth from a lie. The reason is because that many of us, what matters above all is the "self." It is selfishness [at] its worst for no purpose other than personal aggrandizement.

To borrow the language of F. Sionil Jose, we have not risen above and beyond the parochial interests. Our warped loyalty to family, friends and tribal kin continue to exact a heavy toll on our programs designed to uplift the poor and reassure our investors, our foreign investors local, and the business sector in this country.

The recent uncovering of the massive fraud perpetrated against the public health insurance system proves that corruption is pervasive. Huge amounts of medical funds were released to cover padded medical claims and imaginary treatment of ghost patients. I am grossly disappointed. The government is conned of millions of pesos which could be used to treat illnesses and possibly save the lives of many. Thus I ordered the NBI to arrest and cause the prosecution of those liable. I appointed a new PhilHealth President, whom I know is a man of integrity, a military man, a former military officer, and gave him marching orders to prioritize ridding the agency of corruption.

By the way, I commend the Bureau of Investigation for its handling of high profile cases resulting in the arrest and prosecution of criminals. These culprits will have their day of reckoning in court. I hope it happens during the last three years of my term.

Concerning the unscrupulous persons manning our ports and scalawags in uniform, we have been unyielding in our reforms to weed them out of public service.

I have fired or caused the resignation of more than a hundred officials and appointees of government without regard to relationship, friendship and alliance. There is no sacred cow, as the saying goes, in my Administration.

Institutions that are the stewards of our resources and agents of development have long been a major source of public frustration. Drastic reforms within these agencies have yielded results. Our government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), infamous for high salaries and bonuses being paid their executives and employees, have started to shape up. As of July 9, 2019, we collected more than P61 billion from GOCCs or government corporations, 32% of which, or P16 billion, from PAGCOR. [applause] This is more than the P36 billion collected in 2017. My salute to Andrea Domingo. [applause] Magpasugal ka pa, ma'am, nang marami. [laughter] Bureau of Customs, though corruption-ridden, managed to collect Five Hundred Eighty Five Billion Pesos (P585,000,000,000) in 2018. Imagine how much more could have been collected had the BOC been clean and less corrupt.

May I cut and just --- magsalita lang ako kung anong sa isip ko. I went to the Bureau of Customs two weeks ago and found out that there were about 63 of them facing charges, criminal charges, and 61 of them under investigation. I hope that I can have the cooperation of Congress if we cannot abolish their position. And if I cannot dismiss them for the reason that there is a security of tenure, I will just allow them to have their plantilla positions but they have to report to Congress everyday to help me in the huge paperwork that we have to do everyday. All of them will go out from the premises of the Customs area. [applause] I do not want them back.

We, in government, talk too much, act too little, and too slow. I recall saying that before the Congressional hearing when I was Mayor of Davao City. I say that again to emphasize how little we have changed since then. We are long on rhetorics but short on accomplishments. It's either you Congress or --- even the Executive department and maybe me. So I am here to rectify my own error.

That is why, I implore those who occupy positions of power and authority, to let your deeds and accomplishments do the talking. Lead by example. Words ring hollow when not followed by positive and prioritized action.

Time and again, I have emphasized that like my fellow workers in government, trabahante lang po ako ng Pilipino.

Last year, I assign --- I signed the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act, a significant piece of legislation to improve service delivery and fight corruption, still until now.

However, much [has] to be done in ensuring our responsiveness to the people's needs. Based on complaints received by the Contact Center [ng] Bayan, Contact Center [ng] Bayan --- that's in my office --- the LTO, SSS, BIR, LRA, and PAG-IBIG are the top five agencies that need to drastically improve their service.

I reiterate my government --- my directive to the government and instrumentalities, including the LGUs and the government corporations: simplify. May I... Nandito ba kayo? Simplify. Just like the others. You can do it electronically. You do not have to go to the office.

I've been asking that from you since three years ago. 'Pag hindi pa ninyo nagawa 'yan ngayon, papatayin ko talaga kayo. [applause] Nabubwisit na...

Simplify and make your services responsive to --- client-friendly. Your client is the Filipino, our employer --- from where the money in our pockets come from, from our salaries.

Thanks to Executive Secretary Medialdea, we have increased the number of lines [for] Hotline 8888 to make it more responsive to the public. Our ultimate goal is for our people to be freed from using these hotlines because government service and response have markedly improved.

Again, I will... Ang problema kasi ng Fili --- I'm addressing now to the Filipino. Kayo rin kasi sinasabi ko na sa inyo, be assertive. At 'pag kayo o ikaw hiningian more than the required payment by government at humingi pa sa iyo, I've been telling you mag-eskandalo kayo sa opisina. Make a scene. Sampalin mo 'yang p***** i** na 'yan. [laughter] Kasi aabot rin sa akin 'yan. [applause]

And I have done that. Ako mag-prangka ako sa inyo, ako lang ang Presidente na hanggang ngayon nagbubugbog talaga ng tao diyan sa loob ng Malacanan.

Pinapakain ko ng pera 'yang mga y*** na 'yan. Eh galit na ako sa inyo eh. Kindly be assertive. Pagka hiningian ka, sabihin mo, "T*** *** mo. Sabi ni Duterte, the President told us, that if you extort money from me, I will slap you."

At sampalin talaga ninyo. Hindi na bale magkaaway. I will defend you. At kung maaari and this is what I've been doing all along. There's an [8888]. Be sure that it is true. Though you are not liable for libel pero huwag naman 'yang makasakit ka ng kapwa-tao na wala namang kasalanan. [8888], then place "To President Duterte, re: abuses by the director asking for money." Text mo, lalabas 'yan diyan. And that is for the public to view.

At kung...