MANILA, Philippines – Davao City Mayor Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte on Wednesday afternoon faced members of the Makati Business Club (MBC) and the Management Association of the Philippines to lay out his platforms if elected as president.
During the 2016 Presidential Dialogues held at the Manila Peninsula, Duterte gave guests and businessmen a glimpse of his presidency outlook, as he enumerated his plans which include his three priorities: education, health, and agriculture.
Duterte said he plans to have at least one doctor and nurse in each barangay and increase their salaries as well as use the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation as a trust fund for those who need an operation.
The Davao City mayor also asked business tycoon Manny Pangilinan for discounts in hospitals, to resolve health issues.
On the other hand, he said he will not continue land reform as it has not done anything for the Filipino landlord and the tenant.
In his two-hour-long speech peppered with expletives, Duterte stressed his drive to eradicate crimes and corruption in the country by imposing peace and order, noting that it will be a “bloody war” against crime. He said he will hire 3,000 more police to take control of the country and said the difference will be felt within six months in his seat.
“Peace and order or law and order is the foundation of which progress can be made. That is my article of faith,” Duterte said.
“It will be a clean government and there will be a harsh campaign against criminals and drug lords,” he said.
Duterte said corruption is truly rampant in the government even in the justice and law enforcement institutions as that is the “corrosive effect of the money.” Due to that, he reiterated his vow to double the salary of the military and the police.
“You cannot expect law enforcers to be honest (with only a P14,000 salary),” Duterte said.
“All that is needed is integrity. You have to start with integrity. Pag walang integrity, gagastusin 'yan,” the mayor said while discussing corruption in government projects.
Duterte said he will not hesitate to copy the projects of President Benigno Aquino III and former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo if these benefit the people. He said he will continue public spending and projects that will alleviate traffic woes.
For business, Duterte plans to develop the small and medium enterprises by allocating P1 billion per region.
The presidential frontrunner also did not miss mentioning his advocacy on federalism while stressing that if elected as president, the Filipinos shall believe in him.
“I will formulate only one policy from the office of the president down to the last barangay,” Duterte said, adding the Congress should not hinder his proposals.
“Do not make me an inutile president. 'Pag may kasalanan ako, I'd be happy to be assassinated,” he said.
Meanwhile, MBC executives such as Executive Director Peter Angelo Perfecto and MBC Chair Ramon Del Rosario Jr. said they expected Duterte to speak about his economic plans for the country.
“’Yung mga gusto ko sana pag-usapan yung mga economic policies,” Rosario told the reporters in an ambush interview.
Duterte was the third presidential candidate who served as the keynote speaker in MBC’s Presidential Dialogues. The other two were Sen. Grace Poe and Manuel “Mar” Roxas II.