President Rodrigo Roa Duterte S Speech

PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE’S SPEECH DURING THE INAUGURATION OF SOLAR PHILIPPINES FACTORY First Industrial Park, Sto. Tomas, Batangas August 23, 2017

Kindly sit down. Thank you.

Senadora Loren, may kandidato na ako ng Presidente, (laughter) 2022. Does it sound nice? President Leandro Leviste? (laughter/applause) Ang bunganga, parang semi-Trump pati — (laughter) ang kulang na lang ‘yung (expletive). (laughter/applause)

Ang Pilipinas po, without the P.I., hindi mo madisiplina. (laughter) The nature of the Philippines, puro pilosopo at mas marunong talaga sa Presidente.

Mahirap ‘yung at tsaka kasi — multi-tribe kasi. Hindi naman lahat, Bisaya; hindi naman lahat, Tagalog. It’s a multi-tribe. And the clashing of cultures and who is the better than the other.

But let me just say that — well, I’ll acknowledge the people of government dito: Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi; (applause) the members of the diplomatic corps; Senator Loren, first — ano bang tawag diyan? First Mother o ano? (laughter) Incoming — Legarda.

I think, they’ll just have to give up your plans and in favor of — mas dito, pabor ako sa — kay Leandro. Eh marunong eh and you are very lucky. You have a son who’s visionary and who has the will. Eh ‘yan ang importante diyan eh. Your vision and your will to do it, to implement it.

Mukha ‘atang nandiyan sa iyo, Leandro. Better stay out from the girls at baka masisira tayo. (laughter) Are you married? No, not yet? Ah married ka na? Huwag. Do not deprive yourself of the choices.

Presidential adviser for Southern Tagalog Jose Maria Nicomedes “Dennis” Hernandez; (applause) Mr. Leandro, I said, keep it up, you are a visionary, and if by — per chance, you become a public official, ang kailangan mo lang is the will to implement and to do it.

Director General Charito Plaza; Mr. Roy Oyco, Chief Operating Officer of the Solar Philippines; employees and personnel of the Solar Philippines — ang babata ninyo.

May isa diyang Taliban kanina galing sa — (laughter) Ang akala ko ang umabot dito, ang Maute lang pati (laughter) ISIS, dumating na pala; mga kasama ko sa gobyerno; ang minamahal kong kababayan.

I thank Solar Philippines for its efforts to advance the country’s solar energy industry. The establishment of the state-of-the-art facility in Sto. Tomas, Batangas is timely and relevant as we address the increasing demand for renewable energy.

1 Since developing solar energy projects in the Philippines mostly requires imported materials, it is high time that we begin to establish local solar power factories.

Aside from helping us achieve energy sufficiency, this is an exciting time for you to start your venture as we are making substantial gains in our social economic reforms.

I look forward to the realization of your company’s goal to be the largest exporter of solar batteries next to China.

Your solar products and services are expected to meet the need of solar panels in the Philippines and other countries to increase supply and lower the cost of solar photovoltaics.

Rest assured that we in government shall continue to support the development of renewable energy in the country.

Let me cut my prepared speech. Hindi kasi ako— I’m not sold to the idea of making promises that I cannot keep.

And if you were listening or just maybe, asking questions at that time, and you’d remember that I would end early in the debates, well, the reason is very simple: I did not make any many promises.

One is that I said, “I will stop corruption in government” and I am doing it. Dito sa administration ko, there will be no corruption. At ang sinabi ko sa inyo as a guarantee, huwag naman ‘yung basura which were brought during the last elections.

But itong sa anak ko at ano ko ‘yung mga basura nila, ‘yung sa bangko, they are allowed to open our accounts. At kung totoo ‘yung may pera na sobra-sobra ako, sinabi nila sa eleksyon, na meron akong 12 — 11 billion, my God, you can have my resignation tomorrow. I will step down. Wala akong pera na ganon.

Itong anak ko naman, meron rin akong anak na enterprising. At the age of 18 years old, nagtanan ‘yan ng isang Moro lady. Ang pangalan, Lovelie.

This is a nationwide broadcast so I might as well tell you. I’m not defending my son. Prove it, it is true, and I will resign.

Sabi ko nga, anyone involved in my family, nasa corruption, bababa ako pagka-Presidente. No excuses, no apologies. Pero ‘yung totoo lang.

Now, all they have to do is to prove kasi ‘yung dating — ‘yung — it’s a rehash actually of — during the last elections.

Kaya ako, I was the only one in the Philippines who could afford to attack Inquirer and ABS CBN at binaboy ko talaga sila. Eh simply wala kayong makuha sa akin.

2 I said, “You can go anywhere in the four corners of the world. You can go to AMLC and the Rural Banks, wala kayong makitang pera na ganon sa akin.”

I had been 40 years in government, the early years as a prosecutor then the rest for 23 years as mayor. At sinabi ko sa inyo noon, “Wala ako niyan.” At ngayong Presidente na ako, mas lalo kayong privileged to subpoena whatever, ipa— you dig up my records and what I earn is really what I worked for.

‘Yang mga anak ko, they have their own lives. Itong si Pulong, ang negosyo ng asawa niya — eh ‘yung mga Muslim vendors ‘yan eh. Tatay niya is a — father-in-law niya is a Kalagan — ay Tausug and the mother is a Maranao.

‘Yun ‘yung mga vendors sa Davao: jars, ukay-ukay. Eh napasali siya diyan sa pamilya ng asawa niya, ang negosyo ay—

My son eloped with my daughter-in-law when he was only 18. Nawala sa buhay namin ‘yang bata na ‘yan. At sumama diyan sa — kasi may lola naman ‘yan eh, Moro eh.

So he was lost to us. Kaya makikita mo ‘yan sa pantalan. Eh kung magtanong lang kayo nasa pantalan, palaging nasa pantalan ‘yan, tumutulong sa in-laws niya, eh walang hanapbuhay eh. And he has to earn his keep and he had to work for the family.

Pero kung ‘yung mga— ‘yung mga jars, ukay- ukay, ‘yung pinapalusot ng in-laws niya, if that is smuggling, then, give me an accounting and I will resign. Walang problema ‘yan sa akin.

But what I’m really — am I committed to do is there will be no corruption in this government. I will not allow it. And noon ‘yung sa Cabinet level, it could take you years to follow up. I just gave my Cabinet members one month; and the directors sa mga agencies, bureaus, only 15 days. Either you approve it or disapprove it but let it out in one month or 15 days.

Kasi nga naman itong sa ano, not all but ang sakit niyan is indolence. Too lazy, really. Mabuti lang ‘yan sila kung first grade and bagong pasok.

I know. I’ve been mayor for 23 years. I’ve been a congressman for one term. I’ve been a vice mayor to my daughter, ‘yung panahon na binugbog ni Inday ‘yung sheriff, she was the mayor. I was the only vice mayor.

So matagal ako sa gobyerno. I never lost an election. Diretso-diretso ‘yan. Kaya matagal ako sa gobyerno, alam ko ‘yan.

Pagdating niya doon sa supervisory work, matanda na. Tamad na. Indolence sets in. Kaya talagang ever so slow. To fast-track everything, I gave them time limitations. Talagang ganon ang— then, do away with the opportunity for corruption. Meron pa rin.

3 You know, I promised during the elections: I will finish the drug problem in three to six months. I admit that I committed a mistake in my estimation. You know why?

Ang environment ko kasi, ‘yung nasa paradigm ko about law and order, about drugs, ang Davao. Ang template ko, Davao.

I never expected that nung ako na ang maging Presidente, ang haharapin ko right at the start were nine police generals who were into drugs.

Hindi ko alam na lahat, corrupt, pati pulis, lahat. And to think that the very agencies I was expecting to help me, mga Bureau of Customs, eh nagpupuslit rin pala ng droga. O how can I finish this garbage in six months? Eh kung mismo ‘yung gobyerno ko, nandiyan.

I was— well, I thought all the while that it was in Davao na takot lahat to commit a mistake. But I did not know that corruption and all, nandoon.

So tama sila. Mali ako. I have no illusions. Sabi ko nga sa military pati pulis, “If you think that there is another leader who can do it, go for it.”

We do not have to fight each other and to shoot it out with the PSG because after all, they are also policemen. Magprangkahan tayo.

‘ Pag ayaw na ninyo sa akin, sabihin ninyo. No need for a violence. Not because takot akong mamatay kasi handa na ako diyan. Ayaw ko ‘yung Armed Forces, mag-turmoil tapos magpatayan kayo-kayo lang.

There will always be a violence there somewhere, even for a short time.

Kaya mag-prangkahan tayo. Wala akong — takut-takotin ako. It’s a goddamn shit. Wala ako niyan. I am 72 years old, made na ako. I’m just trying to help my country.

Ngayon, nung nagtanong kami ni — tinanong niya ako, “You should run for the presidency.” Sabi ko, “What for?” I’m made.

I am way and above, over ‘yang mga palakpakan, yung mga adulation, tapos na ako diyan.

I have an excess of that, more than enough to last me a lifetime. Wala na ako diyan. Ako, basta makatulong lang.

Pero I made just three promises nga eh: No corruption, I will go after drugs because it is destroying the country, and if I do not get rid of drugs, I will compromise the next generation. Kasi hindi ko alam kung sinong hahawak diyan.

I would never know who’d be the next president for the next two to three terms. And during my time, it is really malala. And I have the duty to destroy it.

4 My orders to the military and the police was not to go into just one or two operations — police action, punitive actions. I ordered them to destroy the apparatus of a drug organization.

Hindi ko matapos ‘yan kung hindi ko patayin ‘yung nagluluto ng droga and pag neutralize ko ‘yung distribution. Kasi kung may distributors, wala namang drogang i-distribute, eh wala rin. O may mga droga, pero wala namang mag-distribute, wala rin. Eh kung patay ‘yang mga durugista, eh ‘di wala lahat. (laughter)

Why should I be afraid to neutralize you? My order was to destroy and if to destroy the police and the military will kill you, that is your problem, that is not mine.

But what I reminded again the military and the police is that it should be in the performance of duty. That you are not allowed to kill a person who is kneeling down, begging for his life. That is murder.

Itong mga pulis at military, hindi ko na kailangan that I — every time I issue an order, mag- lecture ako, the modalities and the procedure. Lalo na ‘yung pulis, they have four years in the Police Academy. Two years of that is about criminology. So nag-aral na ‘yan sila. When I say, “you catch him,” it includes— well, doing the arresting. Then, if there is a violent resistance, they have to defend themselves.

Ayaw kong makita ‘yung mga pulis ko pati sundalo ko, namatay. And the public has not realized that I have lost so many soldiers and policemen. Nung isang araw, dito ‘yon sa Batangas ‘no? It was here. ‘Yung nag-raid, tapos tinamaan ‘yung pulis, naunahan. Alam mo, ilang edad ang tumira? Sixteen years old.

I’m not justifying ‘yung sa Caloocan. It was really bad. Hindi naman performance of duty ‘yang ganun eh. Do not commit a crime. Ganito ‘yan. Para lang malaman ng ano, mga abogado dito, they will — explain to you further.

When you are a criminal and there’s the police, the duty of the police is to arrest. And the duty of arresting is to confront you and to invite you to the station for questioning. If you are found to be in possession of a gun.

And the duty of a criminal, whether you are brave or not, is to surrender to the authorities. Now, the rule is, if you do not want to be taken into custody and you have a resistance, the police must overcome that resistance para madala ka doon sa istasyon to be investigated.

In resisting, lumaban ka, the police is just doing his duty. And he is not supposed to die doing his duty. Kaya ‘pag mag-resist ka, he must overcome resistance. Then, if you have a gun, he will just have to shoot you. Ganun ‘yan.

At ito naman ang nangyari sa ano, pagka ang pulis, may engkwentro, he fires his M16, naka- auto, prrrttt. Tinamaan ‘yung kriminal at tumama siya ng sampu na inosenteng tao, the policeman is not liable for the death of the criminal and all others. They are a consequences of doing a legal act of arresting a criminal.

5 Kung itong kriminal na ito, ang magbaril sa pulis, prrrtt, tinamaan ang pulis, tapos sampu rin ang namatay doon sa bala ng baril niya, he is responsible for the death of the policeman and all others na namatay o nasaktan because of his resistance. Because he is a criminal.

And therefore, he must be a liable for all the consequences. Ito namang pulis, he will fight the criminal, but he cannot be held answer for he was just in the performance of duty. Nobody wants to kill innocent persons.

Kaya ‘yung si— well, itong sa Kian, I have ordered the arrest. Hindi lang alam ng media, but right after it was — it happened, I called Bato, “Arrest the guys and place them in jail, wait for inquest.” At tuluy-tuloy na ‘yan if it’s murder.

But I ordered the poli — the NBI, an independent agency under the Department of Justice. ‘Yun ang—

Now, let us be clear on this. Mabuti’t napunta rin ako dito. I said, I would protect those who are doing their duty. I never promised to protect those who are supposedly engaged in doing their duty but committing a crime in the process — abuses. That cannot be done.

So when you make an arrest, it must — you calibrate. If he’s just using a stick or a bat, then you immobilize him. Shoot him in the hand. If he’s using a gun or a bolo or a knife, and you think that your life is in danger, that will justify the policeman to kill you.

You know, and there will be more of that so that you are just put into notice na ganun ang batas. Ngayon, ‘yung masabit, trabaho lang nila.

Alam mo, ang pulis, ‘pag na-suspended ‘yan sila, the day that they are suspended, they lose their salaries. Hindi na kakain ang pamilya. Ang mga bata, maghinto na sa pag-aaral. Wala nang pamasahe. At bakit ko hayaan ‘yung mga tao, nagta-trabaho para sa tao — why would I allow them to flounder?

And that is why, I gave him — when I said, “I will help you,” it does not really say na springing them out of jail. I will provide for their lawyers. Dapat lang, nagtatrabaho sila sa gobyerno, tapos hayaan mo.

I am a — ako ‘yung — na hindi — I do not aba— ayan si Jonathan, matagal sa Davao ‘yan. He’ll tell you. Ganun talaga ‘yan.

Pero ‘yung mga abusadong pulis, ‘yung mga pulis na nagkidnap, tapos pag kidnap, meron pang deed of sale ‘yung mga biktima. Kung walang pera, papirmahin mo ng— Low life na ano.

Sabi ko, ‘yan pinatungan ko nga ng ulo. Two million diyan silang lahat. For those policemen who have committed a — committed a crime of gun-for-hire o kidnapping, lalo na.

6 Itong sa drugs, maraming laro dito: planting of evidence, tapos maghingi ng pera, kung wala kang pera, ang Deed of Sale sa bahay mo, nandiyan na, pirmahan mo lang. Ito ‘yung dapat patayin. Sabi ko sa pulis, “Patayin ninyo, kung hindi, kayo ang papatayin ko.” ‘Yan ang simpleng istorya sa buhay natin.

Now, you want me to change? No. You want — you’ll — I’ll be destroyed? Yes. I’ll be impeached? Correct. I am not— I can be impeached. Gusto mo, barilin mo ako, but I will not change my policy.

There will be war against drugs because I have to protect. That’s my oath of office. The mass of population— ang mga walang taong marami, I have that sworn duty to defend the people and protect the Republic. Wala akong—(applause)

Bakit papayagan ko? Sinasabi ko sa inyo, ang shabu nagkalat. How did Maute finance their terrorism? We have examined all transactions sa remittances ng — kokonti lang. Ang marami doon, ‘yung si Nobleza, ‘yung babae na pulis.

Sabi ko sa inyo, and you have heard me before, everyday, sinasabi ko, “Huwag ninyong sobrahan. Do not force my hand into it. Do not force me to declare martial law, kasi ‘pag inabot ng panahon ‘yan, I will really declare martial law.”

And I was referring to Marawi at that time because there was already a buildup. Alam na ng pulis pati military at sinabi na sa akin. But I was appalled na for three months, nakapag-ipon sila ng mga ordnances, bala, explosives, and all.

Kita mo ‘yan, we are on the third month. At hanggang ngayon, may mga explosives sila. Doon pala sa tunnel, nagreserba na. And that’s the ISIS.

At alam nitong mga military ngayon, nandito sa harap ko, the first Command Conference, nobody was talking about — we were talking about drugs, we’re talking about — but not the terrorism.

Ang sinabi ko, “Gentlemen, maybe, you have just overlooked it. But to me, there is a darkening clouds in the horizon, and it is the terrorism and ISIS, together with our extremist.”

On the dot ako. Tanungin ninyo ‘yan silang mga generals. And I was the only one talking about it because ako lang ang taga-Mindanao. One of the reasons why I was compelled to run was not — kaming lima doon na naka — nobody was talking about Mindanao. And it was the most dangerous issue at that time until now. Wala, sino narinig niyo na talking about — ako lang.

And I was afraid for our country. Sinasabi ko sa inyo, and you will remember me for this if we fail — tandaan ninyo that kung if there is no reconfiguration of our system of government, we will never win a war in Mindanao and we will lose it, maybe.

7 Kasi babalik na naman ako ng lecture, parang bata. Long before Spaniards and the Americans came in the Philippines, Mindanao was already Islam. And pagdating ng mga Espanyol, they tried to Christianize Mindanao. They failed and they fought a war.

When the Americans came, they did the same. And they tried to — ayan, massacre after massacre, pati ‘yung Balangiga. They failed. This Republic tried to impose order in Mindanao, only for a short while then we go back to war. Why? Ang dream nila may poste eh. There’s a rallying point there. What is it? It is Islam.

Pero the bulk of— ‘yung sa shabu sa Visayas, came from Mindanao. Kaya mas marami akong Army, namatay dahil when you breach a place, pag inatake mo o i-ano mo ‘yung mga planta doon, hindi kaya ng pulis, mamamatay talaga ‘yan.

You need an Army or the Marines to go first inside and that is why, drug-related deaths of the AFP pati PNP, mas marami akong sundalong patay kasi nauuna sila pagpasok, ang kaharap nila, mga bazooka pati M60.

Nakita mo, there is a rebellion. Look at the arms. And sinasabi ko, Senator Loren na we are already a narco-politics state.

Ang ating— almost mga tiga-luto ng droga o tiga-pasa or protector is ‘yung mga karamihan, ang mga kapitan. Kaya hindi ako—

This is a policy statement now.

That is why, I objected to an election. Kasi ‘pag nag-election tayo, ang manalo ‘yung suportado ng drug money.

Hayaan mo muna ‘yan sila diyan at hanapan natin ng paraan para patayin o ano, para nga ‘pag— talaga. Ayan, harap-harapan. (expletive) kayong mga kapitan, letse kayo. Yayariin ko talaga kayo. Yayariin ko talaga kayo. Maniwala ka.

Kita mo, Ozamiz. How many decades it was under the Parojinogs na who were running the show? Drugs. Ang economy ng Ozamiz City, maganda ha. Wala masyadong pobre doon because they had a factory not as profitable as this one o more than, actually.

Pero kagaya kay Leandro, ‘yung mga mayor doon, may factory sila, droga. (laughter)

Ang masakit sa akin, kasi pinapatay ng pulis, ng pulis, ng mayor, ‘yung mga pulis na ayaw sumunod. Kaya doon talaga—

Look at paghukay nila. ‘Di ba hinukay nila ‘yung mga kalansay? O sino ‘yung nakuha na isa doon? ‘Yung isang pulis for the longest time, missing. ‘Di na nakita ng pamilya, doon lang pala inilibing diyan sa— malapit sa—

8 Kaya kung ganun na ang laro, huwag, do not— mayor ka, gobernador ka. Sorry. Sabi ko, I have — I’m losing, popularity? So be it. Hindi ako popular. Ayaw ko na ‘yan. Tapos na ang election eh.

You dream of voting somebody else but I have my candidate come 2022. Eh Batangueño ‘to, lalaban ‘to. (applause)

I can only support people who are decent. Ako, bugoy ako sa bunganga pati sa lahat. Corruption? Krrrrk! Girls? Krrrrk, check, (laughter) eh lahat man.

You see. ‘Yun ang— buti’t — because it is really policy. No elections now. Elections, manalo kayong mga yawa kayo. (laughter)

‘Yan, that’s the long story short. Why I have to protect the police? Noon, bakit hindi active ang pulis? Hindi active ang pulis, kasi walang protection. ‘Pag na-suspend o kinalaban ng — ‘yun, kagaya nung kay Parojinog, papatayin ka talaga, just in Cotabato, ganun. In Mindanao, ganun. ‘Pag mahina ang bituka mo diyan. Pero huwag mo akong isali diyan kay na—

‘Yan na, ‘yan lang man ang tatlo. Kaya ‘pagka — ‘di ba sa debate sabi ko, “Tapos na ako. O itong isa bakit papalit-palit ng — same story. Why don’t you just tape record your speech and, so that—”

Ganun. Tatlo lang ako. Kasi alam ko, ‘yun lang ang tatlo. And I will— I am staking—uli ha? For all to hear, I am staking my life, my honor, and the presidency itself.

If I lose it in the process, sa— ‘yung three basic promises ko: corruption, droga, pati criminality, then so be it. Hanggang diyan lang ako.

Sabi ng Diyos, it’s time for you to go. So wala akong— pero huwag kayong magkamali diyan. Criticisms, media. Hindi ako. I will not retreat. Hanggang hindi ito matapos ang droga at ang mga victims.

Ganito ‘yan eh, mga anak diyan sa likod. May mga anak kayo. Karamihan sa inyo, mukhang may asawa na. Tama? (laughter) O ayan, ayusan agad ng buhok kasi— (laughter)

Kagaya natin, mahirap lang tayo. Pinalaki tayo ng nanay natin, pinakain tayo, gatas, sakripisyo lahat. Gaya ng kanta ni Freddie Aguilar, kasi pagtanda namin, kayo na naman ang magpakain sa amin.

Walang security ano dito. Walang mga health system, Medicare, wala, para sa mahirap, wala. Walang pera palagi.

So kung pagtanda namin, I have to rely on you for my subsistence. Ikaw ‘yung susubo sa lugaw ko, sa bunganga ko. Ikaw ‘yung magbili ng medisina, ikaw ‘yung magbayad sa oxygen pati sa ospital.

9 Kung puro gago na kayo, tatamaan kayo ng droga nagbabaha sa Pilipinas, who will take care of me? Kung parehong basag na kayo. At about 30 percent.

Kagaya ng sabi ng OFW, tama ‘yun. Kung disgrasya lang ‘yon o kalokohan ng pulis, wala na tayong magawa, tapos na eh.

Pero ‘yung OFW, nandoon sila sa ibang bansa. The father is maybe, in Qatar, the other one is in Bahrain. They endure loneliness. ‘Yung iba, inaabuso pa.

Tapos, pagbalik nila dito, ang makita lang nila, ang anak nilang— you know, alam mo, ‘pag ang pamilya, nawalaan ng tatay pati nanay o anak, it is dysfunctional. It can no longer function as a family. There will always be dysfunctional. Kaya pag nawala ang tatay, ang nanay lalo na, ang mga bata dito, vulnerable. Talagang kayang hatakin at lokohin.

Walang protection eh. Walang every afternoon, “O saan na si ano? Uwi na.” They are there earning money so that they can send their children, they finance their schooling here in the Philippines.

But kung maraming droga at available and vulnerable ‘yung mga bata, tapos maramihan nag- gago, then my bleeding heart will not allow you. Hihiritan talaga kita. Gagantihan ko ‘yang masama mo.

Mahirap eh. Sabihin ninyo, “Masama ang— si Duterte ang hangarin.” Eh sabi ko, inyo ‘yan.

Iba-iba tayo because magkaiba-iba ang ugali natin. If you do not agree with mine, aba eh, hanggang diyan lang tayo.

I said, there’s always— you can assassinate me. You can impeach me or file cases, go ahead. But I will stick with my campaign promise. And I repeat, I will not allow corruption, pati sa gobyerno, talagang hihiritan kita. I will not condone corruption. Drugs, criminality because it destroys the nation.

I’ve been very frank with you. I’m a lawyer. I’m a trial prosecutor. I’ve never been an economist. And my grades doon, bagsak ‘ata ako doon. (laughter)

But I told you, I can get most of the good, a lot of them, most of the Cabinet members are either my childhood friends who was the valedictorian since Kindergarten kami, Dominguez.

Then, I have Tugade, your Transportation. He was my classmate sa law school sa San Beda. He was our valedictorian.

‘Yung si Salalima. He’s also a graduate of my— alma mater natin. He’s a cum laude. Ako lang ang—

Do you know that long before, Senator Loren, do you know that long before, ‘yung K-12, nauna na ako. (laughter)

10 Kaya ireklamo ko ‘yung K-12, K-12. You know, I was also — initially, I had my misgivings about the stretching of the years of education of a child. But I was lectured upon by Briones and the rest.

Now, sabi ko, parang I was educated, maybe enlightened more of the— and so I agreed that it is good.

Pero kung kayo, nagrereklamo, ‘yang K-12 na ‘yan, nauna ako diyan, ma’am. ‘Yung mga bata, I was the original K-12. I finished high school in seven years. (laughter)

So four years lang naman ang high school. Seven years as a— just to familiarize myself with the benefits of K-12. (laughter)

Maraming salamat po. (applause)