WHATUS-DUTERTE REGIME? President Duterte tells former communist rebels that he objects
to his administration being tagged US-Duterte regime. 鈥擩OAN BONDOC
President Duterte on Wednesday defended his 鈥渟trongman鈥� style of leadership, saying the country would make no progress if he did not act like a 鈥渄ictator.鈥�
The President also said that activists could not brand his administration as a 鈥淯S-Duterte regime鈥� since he did not even like to talk to Americans.
鈥淚f you say dictator, I am really a dictator. Because if I don鈥檛 [act like a] dictator, son of a bitch, nothing will happen to this nation. That鈥檚 true,鈥� Mr. Duterte said in a speech to former communist rebels he invited to dinner in Malaca帽ang.
鈥淚f I don鈥檛 [act like] a dictator鈥攎y style now鈥攏othing will happen to this country,鈥� he added in Cebuano.
(The official translation by the Presidential 黑料社 Desk had a different take: 鈥淚f you say dictator, I will be dictator. Because I will not be a dictator. Nothing will happen to this country if I will be a dictator. That鈥檚 true. If I won鈥檛 be a dictator with that style now, nothing will happen to our country.鈥�)
鈥楽hoot me鈥�
The President previously said that the military should shoot him if he extended his stay in power and became a dictator.
Speaking at a military camp in Compostela Valley, he said then that the military had the 鈥渟olemn duty鈥� to protect the Constitution.
鈥淚鈥檓 telling you now, if I go beyond my term for just one day, I am now asking the Armed Forces of the Philippines and PNP (Philippine National Police) not to allow me or anybody else to mess up with the Constitution,鈥� the President said to the applause of the soldiers.
鈥淥verstay [and] become a dictator, you shoot me. I鈥檓 not joking,鈥� Mr. Duterte added.
During the presidential campaign, Mr. Duterte, then Davao City mayor, also called himself a dictator and promised to create a crime-free society.
Insulted
In his speech on Wednesday, the President, who had described himself as a socialist, said he felt insulted when activists would describe him as a US lackey.
鈥淲hen I said that I would bomb the schools, they said 鈥楧uterte is a dictator, fascist, this and that, US鈥� son of a bitch.鈥� It鈥檚 an insult. When did I become a puppet of the Americans?鈥� Mr. Duterte said.
鈥淭o be honest, I don鈥檛 talk to Americans鈥攖hose military types, arms and such 鈥� I don鈥檛 want to talk to them,鈥� he said. 鈥�WITH INQUIRER RESEARCH