Speech of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte during the Baden Powell Day (Founder’s

Day) of the World Scout Organization of the Scout Movement and Investiture Ceremony
of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines

Rizal Hall, Malacañan Palace

03 April 2017

I would like to connect with the young ones, more importantly today. But the speech is
just about two pages. I cannot make the connection with a minute and a half speech.

So I just maybe read and mix it with some things that I think that you young boys…
Making kayo dito, mag-sige man kayo… [laughter] Makinig kayo dito sa Presidente para
good boys. Ganon. Tingin ha. Huwag maglaro.

Excellencies of the diplomatic corps; Atty. Wendel Avisado, National President of Boy
Scouts of the Philippines; Mr. Cedric Train, Chief, National Commissioner of the Boy
Scouts of the Philippines; members of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines; distinguishes
guests; my beloved countrymen.

Makinig kayo. Mag-usap tayo mamaya. Sila muna ha, pero tahimik kayo diyan.

To our distinguished guests, the officers and members of the Boy Scouts of the
Philippines, fellow workers in government, ladies and gentlemen, a pleasant afternoon.

I am grateful and deeply honored to have been formally installed as the Chief Scout of
the Boy Scouts of the Philippines. The investiture only signifies the many responsibilities
and challenges that lie ahead.

We, in government, see the formation of the Filipino youth as a vital [tool] in nation-
building. What becomes of today’s youth will determine what becomes of our country in
the future.
I commend the Boy Scouts of the Philippines for joining our efforts to develop our boy
scouts and girl scouts — and girls to become proactive and law-abiding citizens.

The organization has taught them self-reliance, discipline and scouting movement. It is
also inculcated among them the values of [civic] consciousness and courage and love
for country.

This movement is crucial in today’s times. Corruption, illegal drugs, and criminality
continue to destroy the foundations of our country.

With the BSP’s help, the scouting movement can be harnessed as a powerful
instrument to fight these evils through character formation.

With you by my side, I am confident that BSP and all its scouts shall remain our
partners for change. Together, we passionately serve the Filipino people with the
highest ethical and moral standards.

I call upon the members of this august organization to help uphold the Scout Oath and
Law and let us continue to pursue and aspire for what is right, good and just.

Again, I extend my sincerest gratitude and good afternoon. [applause]

Alam mo, kayong naka-upo diyan ang maging Presidente bukas. Kung hindi kayo
maging Presidente, maging dito kayo sa matatanda. Kasi babantayan na naman ninyo
‘yung susunod na Pilipino.

Ngayon, alagaan ka namin. We protect you from the scourge of drugs. We protect you
from exploitation at sinasabi namin, ako ngayon, galit ako, papatay ako ng tao ‘pag
ginalaw ninyo ‘yung kabataan namin. [applause]
Kasi kayo, kayo ang magiging mayor, president bukas. Ngayon dapat pala ngayon,
guguwardiyan ko na kayo. Talagang mahigpit ako. At sabi nga nila pumapatay daw ako
ng tao.

Talagang pumapatay ako ng tao, ‘pag ginalaw ninyo ang mga anak namin. [applause]
You know… Kasi ‘yung oath ninyo, trustworthy ganon, honest. Nandiyan na ‘yan lahat.
Pareho lang ang oath of office natin.

Ang oath of office natin is to preserve and protect the Filipino nation. ‘Yan, maski itong
akin, maski inyo hindi magka-iba ‘yan. Wala ‘yang papel-papel, martial law, mga ganon,
huwag kayong matakot diyan. Wala ‘yan. Hindi na ginawa.

Ako, umiikot lang ako dito [points to his right hand]. Sa kahaba-haba ng oath of office
ko, ‘yung babasahin ko ‘pag na-presidente. Nakita ninyo ako nandito? Nag-ganon ako,
nag-presidente? Hindi kayo nanunod kasi nag-jolen-jolen kayo. [laughter]

Kayo ‘yun. Hindi na kami sa matatanda. Tapos na kami. Ang akin is to preserve and
defend the Filipino nation. Kaya gusto ko lumaki kayo, mag-boy scout, mag-PMT, tapos
maging ROTC kayo. Para may training kayo sa baril, kung paano makipag-away ng
kalaban.

Kasi ito ngayon, sobra ang libertarian attitude. Ayaw na mag-boy scout, ayaw ng mag-
PMT, ayaw ng mag-ROTC. Walang alam kung hindi mag-inom, mag-rambol, sirain ang
bayan, at pumapasok ng droga.

Alam mo ba, ang mga adik… Meron bang adik sa inyo? Nakita mo? [laughter] Meron
kayong nakita iyang mga sabog? Iyang mga ‘yan walang ginawa kasi walang disiplina.
Kung dumaan sana ‘yan ng Boy Scout, PMT, ROTC with a sense of responsibility.

Alam mo dito, may isa kasing senador. Hindi ko malaman kung i-mention ko o hindi,
pero i-mention ko na lang kasi baka mapagbintangan pa ng iba.
You know, this Senator Pangilinan. I do not know why he keeps on winning an election.
But he was once natalo. Ayaw ko lang kasi makipag-away sa taong ‘yan kasi kaibigan
ko. Pero ang ginawa niya, noon kasi sa batas ‘pag ka-below nine ka, wala kang
kasalanan talaga maski anong gawin mo.

Palo lang ng tatay pati mama mo. ‘Pag ka nagka-nine ka — tapos 12 ka lang below,
hindi ka 13, 12, dadalhin ka sa korte at tatanungin kung bakit gumawa ka nang
masama.

Ang ginawa ni Pangilinan, I’m so sad over this sordid history of our country, ipinasa niya
‘yung Juvenile Offenders Act at ibinaba niya ang edad sa 15. Pagdating mo ng 15,
maski anong gawin mo, patayin mo ‘yung, mag-patay ka diyan, mag-galaw ka ng mga
babae, lahat, whatever the crime, robbery with homicide or robbery with rape with
homicide, kung anong kasalanan mo, pagdating ng nanay mo, ibigay ka balik sa kanya.
Isang araw lang.

You know it is good to copy legislations of developing countries. That particular Juvenile
Offenders Law was copied ‘yung sa New York pati sa Washington.

Doon ‘pag nagkasala ang bata, hindi nire-release. Kung talagang pilyo, may malisya,
‘yang pagkain siguro kung gutom, kung walang damit. Pero ‘yung mag-manaksak,
maggalaw ng mga babae, kung anong, magnakaw. Hindi ‘yan sila nire-release.

In accordance to the law of the those countries, from which he copied the legislation,
they are sent to a correctional facility or halfway house.

There, they are lectured on responsibility sa gobyerno mo. Then the sense of
accountability sa ginawa mong masama. Kaya ikukulong ka doon at lekturan ka. Hindi
kulungan ‘yan. Correctional. I-correct ka lang. Correctional facility.
Pagkatapos niyan, i-raise ‘yung record mo na parang wala kang ginawang masama
‘pag na-reform ka doon. The problem with Pangilinan, he was too in a hurry, pinalusot
niya ‘yon kaya we produced about — 15 years ago ‘yon — we produced about five, six
generations of people who committed crimes and released on the same day irrespective
of the gravity of the offense.

‘Pag ka magdating doon ang barangay captain o nanay, pinapakawalaan. So makita

ninyo diyan sa EDSA, pabalik-balik.

And now na malaki na sila, we have produced people who are of criminal minds. And
that is why it is hard to stop the drug problem now.

Kasi sila, labas-pasok at nag-negosyo at gustong sirain kayo. Kaya ako ‘pag sinabi ko,
‘pag nagalit ako, talagang papatayin ko sila. Kasi ayaw ko kayang mapahamak sa
masama.

Trabaho ko ‘yan na ‘pag tapos na kami, patay na kaming lahat matatanda kayo na,
alam ninyo kung ano ang tama and mali at alam ninyo gaano i-protect ‘yung mga anak
ninyo. Lipat na ‘yan dito.

Bago na ‘yan, ibang president na. Kayo naman dito, kayo na naman ang mag-bantay.
Kaya ganon and the contamination of shabu has reached four million.

I really do not know what — how to solve it. Four million is four million. The forensic
says, ‘yun talagang — those who were really went crazy. Six months to one year of
constant shabu use will destroy your brain. It will shrink. And if it is shrank, you are
insane.

Now, ganito ‘yan, kung ang bata o tao mag-shabu kasi pati kayo inuutusan na mag-
karga, hindi man kayo maaresto, huwag mong gawain ‘yan. ‘Pag may magsabi ibigay
mo sa tao na ‘yun ito, huwag mong gawin ‘yan kasi uutusan kayo ‘yung mga posporo,
marijuana, shabu ‘yan.
So sabi ni… Sabi ni Mayor Duterte, huwag ‘yan kasi baka tayong dalawa ang ma-
disgrasya. Huwag kayong pumayag ng ganon.

So if it’s constant use, how many of those are really crazy? I really do not know. But just
placing it at a conservative estimate, sabihin ko lang sa inyo, about 700, okay.

Iyong 700 na ‘yan, ‘pag ka mag-kulungog ‘yan sila, sira-ulo, magpatay, mag-rape,
magnakaw, magpatay, manaksak, mang-holdup diyan sa jeep pag-uwi ng mga nanay
niyo, tatay ninyo, kapatid, mga kapatid ninyong babae kung anong ginagawa.

Kaya kayong mga… Let me just issue another warning to — kayong mga drug addict,
tutal na-identified na rin kayo, avoid the streets, magkulong kayo sa bahay ninyo kasi
‘pag nadampot ko kayo, ipatapon ko kaya diyan sa Manila Bay.

Gawain ko kayong fertilizer sa isda. Avoid the streets because people are afraid if you
congregate in corners, especially ‘yung mga istasyon-istasyon diyan sa Ermita, pati…
Get out.

Kung gusto ninyong mabuhay pa nang mahaba-haba, huwag kayong mag-biktima

diyan. Ngayon kasi i-revive ko na naman ‘yung away sa droga, I will ask the police to
make the rounds again.

Iyang daan, ‘yang publiko, ‘yang plaza, para lang ‘yan sa matutuwid na tao at
gumagalang sa batas. Hindi ‘yan pwedeng pag-istambayan ng mga kriminal where you
pry against the civilians there na tinatakot ninyo, hino-holdup ninyo.

Ako sabi ko hindi ko na kailangan ng martial law. Gawain ko lang ang dapat kong
gawain: to preserve and protect the Filipino, period.
Human rights? Tumalon na kayo kung saan building ninyo gustong tumalon. Wala
akong pakialam sa inyo. Ang problema ko is the Filipino nation and the Filipino youth.
And I will do everything even at the cost of my — buhay, itataya ko; ang honor, itataya
ko; ang pagka-Presidente ko, itataya ko. [applause]

Hindi na bale maalis ako. They say na ma-coup d’état ako, that I’d be ousted in
Congress, so be it. Wala akong pakialam. I have my destiny to follow and I have that
task given to me. However short I may be here or how long or maybe finish my term, I
will do it. Kasi sa aking panahon bumagsak.

Noong mayor ako ng Davao, ganon konti-konti but I never knew the — ‘yung gaano
kalawak buong Pilipinas. Forty percent ng barangay captains natin hindi natin
maasahan puro nasa droga, 6,000 policemen ang gusto kong patayin, naubos lang ang
bala ko kasi nasa droga.

Kaya sabi ko sa kanila, hindi man ako magsabi, hindi ako mag-say ng bad words so…
[laughter] Iyong patay lang, marami naman patay diyan sa punerarya.

So iyon ang iniiwan ko sa lahat. Drugs would be really the problem sa ating mga anak.
Then we have the — we are facing so many fronts. We are facing the NPAs. We are
having talks in Netherlands. They have not made any progress because I have some
conditions to impose before we go back to… Eh sino ba? We did it eh sinira naman nila
‘yung usapan.

So I have my… May bagong jets ako. Paliparin ko ulit sa mga… Bantayan ninyo ‘yan sa
mga — mag-announce ako kung saan mag-dating. Mga bagong jets ‘yan faster than
sound. Kaya kailangan magtingin ka muna kasi pagmagdaan ‘yan walang ingay. Maya-
maya mag-brrrrr. Wala na ‘yon. Nandoon na sa malayo. Pero mag-announce ako kung
anong oras magdaan sa inyo, sa siyudad ninyo para makita ninyo ‘yung jets ko na
bago. Talagang gagamitin ko ‘yan sa mga kalaban ng gobyerno.
I will utilize the air assets. Before it was not really a popular, well, choice, option kasi…
But this time ‘pag hindi tayo nagkaigi dito, I will not hesitate to use the full power of the
state.

Iyon ho ang ano… Iyon ho ang maibigay ko lang sa inyo. We are talking with the NDF
under the good offices of Netherlands. Then, we are talking with the mainstream
rebellion, the MI, Moro Islamic and the Moro National Liberation Front. Those are the
mainstream. And on both three fronts, we are talking still. Ang… The scourge lang ng
problema ng Pilipino is the drug and terrorism.

Apparently, Hapilon was from Jolo. He was ordered to transfer to Central Mindanao and
he established… He is the anointed ISIS dito sa Pilipinas. I ordered his bombing of the
house one month, two months ago. And we have not heard from him. So I supposed
baka talagang patay na. He hasn’t surfaced. But that is their style eh. Mawala tapos
bigla lang mag-surface. But I hope that we got him that time.

I said I will not allow terrorism and drugs. I may talk to the rebels and those who had
offered to talk peace, the communists, MI, MN. Those are the main Muslim, Moro… But
the ISIS and itong drugs talagang tatapusin ko because I think I am not really trying to
pull my own chair, but I think that if I cannot finish this drug problem during my term, we
are in for a big trouble in the next generation.

Hindi ko malaman kung sino ang magiging presidente uli eh. So, kailangan ko tatapusin
ko talaga ito. And if they give me about three years, it will stabilize. Iyan… That’s my
only mission. But we are doing good. We are talking to China. Our exports are back.
Banana is at full swing of 100 percent, pineapple because there was a lull in the
planting, so nagre-recover. Ngayon palang sila nag-replant but we are hitting the 40
percent of the market again. We are doing good and I hope this will continue.

But I need soldiers. Psssttt, tingin dito. Kailangan ko ng boy scout. Kailangan ko ng
sundalo, paglaki. Hindi naman lahat pero baka gusto ninyo. Piloto, kailangan ko ng
estudyante sa PMA. Kasi marami na akong eroplano wala akong piloto. Marami akong
barko sa Navy wala namang mag-Navy kasi dito tinanggal nila just because there was a
hazing and resulted in the death of one ROTC, iyong gobyerno, it was a hip-shooter,
abolished the ROTC. Now walang nagr-ROTC. Walang alam kung sinong maghawak
ng baril. Walang alam papaano makipag-away sa mga kalaban natin.

Kung pasukin tayo ng mga dayo, walang alam itong mga ito kundi mag-inom, mag-
droga. Kaya kayo ang inasahan ko. Ready kayo? Ay sagot anak ng… [laughter] Ready
ba kayong mag-sundalo? [Cub scouts answer: “Opo.”] Ah ready kayong mag-ROTC
ha? Sinong gusto mag-PMA? Philippine Military Academy? [Cub scouts raise their
hands] [applause] Okay na tayo.

Gusto ninyo… Sino lang ‘yung gustong mag-asawa na walang trabaho? [laughter]
Walang kwentang Pilipino ‘yan. Ulit, ulit, ulit. Sinong gustong mag-sundalo?
Magpakamatay sa bayan? [laughter]

Bakit may spring ‘yang kamay ninyo? Paganun-ganun. Asahan ko ‘yan ha. Asahan ko
‘yang mag-sundalo kayo, mag-ROTC kayo. At always love your country. Alam mo
bakit? Isa lang ang bayan natin wala ng iba. Wala man tayo mapalitan. Gusto nating
pumalit ng bayan wala.

So kailangan kayo ang asahan. ‘Pag matanda na kami makaasa ba kami sa inyo? Hoy
mga buchokoy. [laughter] Raise your right hands. Maasahan ba namin kayo? Kayo na
ang mag-bantay? [Cub scouts answer: “Opo.”] Kasi pagtanda namin, kaya ako galit sa
droga kasi kayo ang mag-alaga sa amin. Kayo ang magbili ng medisina namin. Kayo
ang magbili ng oxygen. Kayo ang magbili ng bayad sa ospital. Eh kung puro bangag
kayo sa droga, paano na lang kami? That’s what I’ve been telling people. This is not a
rich country. We do not even have the middle class here. It’s either the filthy rich, the
oligarchs who continue to enjoy the perks dito sa gobyerno. But I tell you I am not giving
them any space. [applause]

This is not a country for the rich. This is a country geared to serve the poor. Kaya ‘yang
mga oligarchs diyan, mga elite, all they can do is just to… Just imagine Lam, he got a
— during Cory’s time one percent, ang bayad niya sa taxes sa gambling niya. And to
this day kung hindi ko ipinaaresto ‘yung… Still one percent? Sinusuwerte ka. And the
reason why I ordered his arrest because eh lalabas sa intelligence report ‘yan eh. And
he was talking as if everybody was in his pocket. Ha ganun? ‘Arrest him.’ Sabi ng NBI,
‘What crime, sir?’ ‘Ah arrest him. Just place him behind bars and if he makes many
noise throw him to the Manila Bay.’ Of course those are the vignettes of life.

But I’m happy to be here to be with the young ones. Sana naintindihan nila ang… The
reason why there is so much criminality, I’ll end my… I’ll give you why… The reason
why? Nobody respects the law anymore. It’s because of that Pangilinan law.
Generations of labas-pasok, using these guys as couriers of shabu. You cannot arrest
them, 15 years old. They can be used and reused and utilized. Tapos labas-pasok sila.
Lumaki sila ng psychological setup is that there is no law or if there’s one, it does not
have a bite. The only thing that’s really missing — the missing link between ito pati
‘yung generation natin is the fear to violate the law. Wala na ‘yon and even the sense of
obedience wala na ‘yon. Kita mo wala ng boy scout, wala ng ano…

Dapat ibalik talaga ‘yung mandatory. I’ll make it a mandatory exercise during my term.
[applause] There’s no military training. Eh ‘yung conscription talagang dapat. You
should do — you render duty to your country. Eh mahirap ‘yung pa-anu-ano walang —
hindi ready. Eh ito kawawa ito o. Kaya kayong mga droga…

Do not force me into it because I will really, really do it. Maraming salamat po.
[applause]