PRRD in a hurry to correct PH woes

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivers his speech during the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) campaign rally at the South Cotabato Sports Complex in Koronadal City on March 26, 2019. RICHARD MADELO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA – President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Tuesday said he is in a hurry to correct the country’s problems as he has only three years left before his term ends in 2022.

“I am in a hurry because there is only about three years left for me to correct the things that I wanted to do,” he said during his speech at the campaign rally of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) in Malabon.

Duterte said he needs the help of the legislative branch to pursue reforms, as he endorsed PDP-Laban senatorial bets and the slate’s guest candidates.

“Alam naman ninyo ang laro sa politika (You know how the game in politics goes). ‘Pag may programa ako, kayo lalo na kayo ‘yung walang lupa, hihingiin ko ‘yung authority pati ‘yung pera galing sa Kongreso (If I have a program, especially those of you without land, I will have to ask the authorization and funding from Congress). Kung wala akong senador diyan na akin, wala talagang pera na makuha ko pahirapan ‘yan eh (If I do not have senators in favor of me, I will really have a hard time getting the funds),” he said.

The President credited China for his administration’s “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program in addition to his major campaign promises of battling illegal drugs, crime and corruption.

“Sinabi ko lang na ‘pag nanalo ako (I promised that if I will win) I would like to deal with ‘yung itong problema sa (the problem of) drugs and then itong crime and ‘yung project talaga matatapos (for projects to be finished). But I never mentioned itong (the) ‘Build, Build, Build’ because I was not sure if China would deal with me when I become president. It was only when that I went there and talked to them pati sa (and) Russia,” he said.

Duterte’s non-confrontational approach has led to the revival of the Philippines-China relations. He said China did not ask for anything in return.

He added that he would never engage in a war with China because it will cost many policemen and soldiers’ lives.

“Bakit ako makipag-away? Bakit ko ipaubos ang pulis ko pati sundalo ko, buhay ‘yan (Why would I engage in a fight? Why would I let my policemen and soldiers be killed? Those are human lives),” he said.

Under Duterte’s administration, the prevalence of crimes has gone down with the Philippine National Police reporting a 21.48 percent drop or a total of 1,040,987 crimes recorded from July 2016 to June 2018, lower than the 1,325,789 cases reported during the same period in 2014 to 2016.