PRESIDENT Duterte, who is months away from concluding his six-year term, said he has managed to fulfill many of the promises he made to Filipinos when he won the presidency in 2016, such as bringing peace and order, especially in Mindanao, addressing crime and illegal drugs, and modernizing the country.
“I have delivered all that I promised to the Filipino people,” the President said during an interview with televangelist Pastor Apollo Quiboloy on Saturday night.
Duterte said his administration was able to make a headway in the fight against crime and illegal drugs under his term. He initially promised to solve this within six months after he assumed the presidency but later said he was not prepared for the magnitude of the problem, especially against illegal drugs.
He said Mindanao is relatively peaceful now compared to the period before he became president with the establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM); the appointment of several Muslim leaders in the national government such as the new chairman of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), some justices in the Supreme Court (SC) and Court of Appeals (CA), as well as officials in different government agencies; and the cultivation of good relations with the Muslim population.
“For the longest time, the region hasn’t had any kidnapping incident, as well as attacks on security forces or depredation victims,” he said, adding the Muslim population’s animosity or hatred with the government has slowly waned after the administration addressed issues concerning Mindanao.
The President said the government had put and completed major infrastructure projects nationwide under the Build, Build, Build program but did not mention any completed projects.
Duterte, however, admitted that traffic congestion in the country’s urban centers remains a problem but claimed his administration has made significant progress by building alternate highways and introducing new routes, among others.
He said another achievement under his administration is decentralizing the processing of permits, clearances and other documents to expedite the processes and best serve the people, which resulted in easier and faster getting of passports, NBI and police clearances, and documents from the statistics office, among others.
He also mentioned the administration’s success in modernizing the Armed Forces with the purchase of a fleet of new fighter jets, helicopters, and also added heavy lift aircraft and the doubling of salaries and benefits of those in the uniformed services.
“Lahat binigay ko. Education, hospital, peace and order (I gave everything. Education, hospital, peace and order,” added Duterte, who is set to step down from office on June 30.
Duterte promised to bring peace into the country, especially in addressing the communist rebellion and the armed conflict in Mindanao; and to put an end to crimes, illegal drugs, corruption, among others.
Months ago, he vowed to devote part of the remainder of his term to addressing corruption.
In a pre-recorded video message released Saturday, the President lauded the efforts of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission for its “selfless service” and efforts to fulfilling its mandate, eradicate graft and corruption in government and expressed hope that it would continue to “fulfill your duty, especially in putting an end to the decades-long history of red tape in government.
