Duterte press conference in Beijing, 19 October 2016: transcript

Key points

• Duterte thanked China for hosting him and said only outlines were set, with no specific agreements yet.
• He said preparations were in place for a typhoon about to make landfall in the Philippines.
• The agenda included the China Sea, maritime safety, freedom of navigation and regional security, with hard agreements expected in bilateral talks.
• He cited railways in Mindanao and traffic congestion in Cebu as infrastructure needs.
• He said he could not give up or add to Philippine claims in the West Philippine Sea without Congress and the people, and would raise fishing rights only in passing.
• He said China supports the drug war, including help with rehabilitation centers, and that he would investigate the police dispersal of the U.S. Embassy protest.

Chapters

1. 0:03Opening statement on the China visit
2. 2:06Preparations for the approaching typhoon
3. 4:31Agreements, agenda and bilateral talks
4. 6:40Railways and traffic infrastructure
5. 9:32West Philippine Sea, fishing rights and no alliances
6. 14:11China's support for the drug war
7. 18:49Police dispersal of protest at U.S. Embassy

Full transcript

0:03Members of the Malacanang Press, live from Beijing, China, the President of the Philippines, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen of the press. Are you a mixed crowd here or Philippines only? Okay, so let me just go over the – okay, would you like me to make an open statement?

0:42Yes, it would be – just to say that we would like to thank the People's Republic Republic of China for allowing us to visit the country and to have a wide-ranging bilateral talks regarding shared mutual benefits and other issues that are of importance to the regional peace and security, particularly the Southeast Asia.

1:25We have identified the outlines. There can be no specific agreements at this time. And we will be glad to engage them in every other way we can to enhance the peace of the region. I am ready to answer your questions.

2:06Yes, before we – I have read this short of the talking points about the tropical cyclone which should hit our country, make the landfall any hour now. And we have put in place all things necessary to mitigate whatever consequences the cyclone would bring.

2:45By that, I'm saying that it is really the destructions that we anticipate and the lives that will be lost. I hope there will be none, but just the same, we can expect some sort of a stronger typhoon this year. we are ready for everything all is in place the mitigation guys the local and the national have been alerted and of course the concomitant storm surges and strong winds and the possible loss of lives So the Department of Health is there, together with the DSWD, and the preparations are made.

3:48Medical kits and, of course, medicines are already in place. It has been deployed. Since the other day, and we hope for the best. We only pray that we be spared of the destruction such as in the previous past, which brought agony and suffering to the people. But we are ready. Everything has been deployed. All that is needed is really just to wait it out and and wait for the proper advice coming from the government.

4:31If we are all ready, we might be able really to expect a lower damage and lesser loss of lives. I am prepared to answer your questions. Yes, Mr. President. First question will come from Sandra Ganeldo, GMA7. Yes, ma'am. Good evening, sir. I'll be asking, sir, about your trip to China. Meron na po bang mga agreements na nabubuo between the two countries as well as yung tinatawag po na business-to-business agreements that are being finalized at the moment?

5:12No, it would come tomorrow. What we have, I said, is the agenda on broad outlines. Then we will engage each other in a bilateral talk, which might really be long, and that is the time that we can come up with hard agreements. Ito, we just agreed that we would talk about the China Sea, one, and of course, the maritime safety, another one, but those two are different altogether, different subject matters.

5:55Three, the freedom of navigation, to what point and where, that's another one. so and of course the security of the region we have read the outlines I said the broader ones we have reviewed authority and during the bilaterals there would be specific agreements correct that I am sure as there would be disagreements also which will not we cannot avoid but we can Maybe dispense it altogether and put it on another day, if we don't understand.

6:40Sir, another reporter will be pursuing that point, sir. But on the economy side, I understand, sir, that the Mindanao Railway project is very important to you. Do you have any update on your visit to China? Well, we talk of infrastructures, I said on the broader outlines, what would be the infrastructures and in what vicinity would it be applied. Part of it is really the railway which Mindanao has been craving for ever since and even in the Los Angeles.

7:22islands. But part of that really is also a critical issue of the traffic in Cebu. Unlike in other places, other provinces, we might not really be so persistent about it. But Sibu has one of the crowdest congestions outside of Manila. Dabao is nearing the – but not so. But in a scale of 1 to 10, if you put your bow at about 8, Dabao is nearing about 6, 630 . But do it that way. But my opening statement previously was that no country in the world ever progressed of move on faster in

8:28development if you do not have the railway. The only problem is Mindanao was taken up by the security guys and it was really correct was that how about the peace and order there might be some purpose purposely you know the gangster They might derail the trains and things like that. But I said hand in hand with the improvement of the lives of the people.

9:02One would be the accompanying lessening of rebellion, and there's enough livelihood for everybody. I think we can move on with the country to a new degree of civilization. Thank you, Sandra. Next question from Pia of Raptor. Let's rub them. President, good evening.

9:32My question has to do with the West Philippine Sea dispute. Mayor, will you be, is joint exposition for oil and gas in the West Philippine Sea something you are planning to bring up or propose to President Xi Jinping during your bilateral talks? President Xi Jinping No, I don't think that would be right. I have yet to go. It's not, of course, the Philippines, in our side, in styles of America and the Philippines, We followed the executive department, the strong one, and it is the president who declares the national policy, and it takes use of foreign relations.

10:12But that is afterwards alone. But if you plan to give up something, if you plan to give up, or if you plan to share what you have, if it is really yours, then you cannot talk about it openly on your own. This has to be with the consent of Congress and everybody, every Filipino involved in town. so at this time i am not empowered to do that i cannot give something and i cannot also add what has not been given me um sir follow up question will you be bringing up the men for the issue of fishing rights in the west philippine sea and what if china um gives concessions on this but will give conditions uh what will you do sir i will mention it in passing it's very important because it's livelihood. We will not talk hard on O'Hong Swat because that

11:14is contested insofar as on the side of those who believed in the international court of arbitration. We are born. But on the side of China, that is not a verdict that is acceptable So, in other words, the reality there now is that there is a context. And if you think that there will be an agreement where we give or take or go into a compromise, that has not been taken up even locally. And you would know because you are from there.

12:00There has not been any meeting between the Congress and the Executive Department and even the supreme court justice can't be who's been talking a lot about it there will be no military alliances entered into there will be no military uh alliance is broken what i'm just saying is that we are not interested in

13:04Adding fuel to what is already a volatile world. And I said that there is just no such thing as allowing the missiles there or missiles there. I would not allow it. And I have repeatedly said, anybody who wants to think about, talked about, and even a conflict on a regional level, low intensity thing, it would not promote anything I am not into that and if you talk about America Russia we survey China Britain France Iran Pakistan India you see conflict going on it's getting up money we think that if those those nuclear bombs will explode at the same time then we might not be able to board the last man out of China, because it will just simply end the world.

14:11So as a point of talking about, why should I borrow missiles or ask for nuclear money? For what? It's just crazy people who want to pull stuff on a matter of national pride. Sir, with regards to your campaign against drugs, now that we are in China, do we intend to seek a high level of cooperation to resolve this drug?

14:46What we should expect, really, is the appropriate word that China has said. It is supporting our drug war. It does not need any additional firearms. It does not need any cannons or any weapons of human destruction. What we need really is vigorous law enforcement. And I have said already that they are willing to help us in the matter of the treatment and help in the logistics in building the rehabilitation centers for we are pressed at this time of defense and have assured us that they will support our stand even internationally that we are doing it right and as i have said we are You know, I'd like to remind everybody, and we need not repeat the personalities, or the persona, or the countries, that the Philippines has every right to defend itself as a matter of self-preservation.

16:014 million scattered all over the country with drugs and about 6,000 policemen plus 4,000 local government mayors, governors, government officials and the basic political Units already taken in into the drug scene.

16:38We have anarcho-politics. I know it's late in getting into the head of everybody. The portals of the national government have been opened to drug influence. Look at the Lima. You think those officers who testified against her are lying? There's so many NBI agents and all, and her odious character, she's erasing the view of womanhood, to take away the heat, more than just being afraid of being put into disrepute.

17:37is the fact is if that's those connections are true she will rot in jail she will rot in jail it's no bail because not only did she encourage in allowing shabu to enter in and out in trafficking she was a principal by direct participation she could be the indispensable cooperation which is the second stage, which without air, those doors would not have opened.

18:17Or if it's really a conspiracy, it's either the one is the one. Whether the testimonies of those who lied previously and given the test of the crucible of direct cross-examination and put it to test, I'm telling you now, she is in danger of going to jail.

18:49And remember, the moment the indictments are charged, in court, there is no bail. And she could be what Gloria Arroyo suffered. So, yeah. Mr. President. Kamapans. For the PNP regarding those of violent risk for assault in front of the U.S. Embassy.

19:22Well, whether it is a friendly or a not so friendly embassy all over the world. We are bound by international rules and that we have to allow establishment of embassies, especially if you have citizens in that country to protect. Now, I do not know what happened. I was just shown with the footage.

19:56I am not ready, though I think the demonstration was made in the premises of the U.S. Embassy. And there was a dispersal and given my orders for a maximum tolerance policy, the police, let them save it early on.

20:27If you want to demonstrate, tell me. I'll give you a permit for one week. Just do not invade the constitutional orders of the right also to use the streets and be safe. I will have to investigate. I will have to make calls tonight, but just to be very sure that I do not commit. I do not stray along on other side issues. I will just wait for the official announcement to make upon my arrival. By that time, I would have completed my assessment, personnel, which will be provided by the police and the military, and of course, not only them, but the DILG.

21:17So, and I would also would want to hear the report of the Executive Secretary who takes care of our government while we are over here. I will, I'm not going into the blame game. I'm not going into the blame before I start. But, but, but, well... I'd like to know, if somebody knows here, why did they rally on Americano?

21:51Anong issue nga yon? Hindi naman. Bigas. Ikaw, ikaw si Pia. You're always well informed. With the police. They want the military alliances abrogated. And then they tell us, we're going to get out of here. Because we're going to get out of there.

22:22We're going to get out of here and we're going to get out of it. That's it. Thank you. I'm going to get out of here. This is a transcript with proper punctuation. Oh

Source and licence

Recording: File:Press Conference in China - Philippines President Rodrigo Roa Duterte - 19 October 2016 - Recorded.webm by Philippine Government - Radio Television Malacañang (2016-10-19), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

The transcript is machine speech-to-text by the TidyTools Audio & video transcriber; the summary, key points and chapters were written by Claude from that transcript. Both may contain errors: check the recording before quoting it.