By Genalyn Kabiling
Angered by the controversial water deals, President Duterte is prepared to engage in a "bloody and chaotic fight” rich businessmen who are allegedly milking billions from the government and the people.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte
(ALBERT ALCAIN/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
The President has vowed to run after the persons involved in the alleged onerous government contracts with Manila Water and Maynilad Services Inc., saying they were "screwing us all the way."
"Talagang magulo ‘to (This will be chaotic). I hope it would not be bloody. I do not want it. I do not want to shed any, even a drop of blood," Duterte said during the oath-taking of new government officials in Malacanang Tuesday night.
"But this is going to be really a bloody one, not really in its --- figure of speech lang kasi yayariin ko talaga kayo (because I will crush you). I will see to it na gusto kong makita na ‘yung mga mayaman --- ‘yung magpasok naman sa kulungan (I want to see the rich to land in jail]," he added
"Hahabulin ko talaga kayo (I will run after you) and do not make it hard for me to do it," he said.
Duterte earlier threatened to sue and jail the people behind the controversial 1997 water deals after deploring the recent arbitration ruling that ordered the government to pay Manila Water and Maynilad Services Inc. for losses over a rate dispute. He also asked concerned officials to craft new water concession contracts that are "favorable" to the nation.
In his speech Tuesday, the President was furious that these water agreements contained provisions allegedly disadvantageous to the government and consumers.
He argued that such deals unfairly prevent the government from interfering with the rate adjustments and allow indemnity claims for losses in case of such interference. "That to me (is) economic sabotage," he said.
An arbitration court in Singapore recently ordered the government to pay Manila Water P7.39 billion for losses incurred due to the disapproved water hike. The court earlier ordered the compensation of P3.4 billion in favor of Maynilad for alleged foregone revenues.
Duterte, however, hit back at the water firms for treating water like a commodity and not as natural resource.
“Let us stop this f****** business of milking the people,” he said. "We paid already three million then there's another for interfering,” he added.
"Maraming tubig. Ang problema, binigay natin sa mga torpeng hindi nga Pilipino halos o Pilipino man, walang kaluluwa. 'Yang Manila Water pati Maynilad, kay Pangilinan pati kay Ayala (We have lots of water. The problem is we gave it to the cowards who are not even Filipinos and if they're Filipinos, they have no soul. They are Manila Water and Maynilad, from Pangilinan and the Ayalas)," he said.
Duterte said he was willing to go down for his latest action but would drag down the "oligarchs" with him. He also resented the wealthy people "wallowing in (their) filthy house" and being addressed at home as "señor, señora, senyoor." He told them that the Spanish colonial era was already over.
"May bodyguard ka? Ah ‘di magbarilan tayo. P***** i** niyo. If it is time to die, we die. Ganon lang ang buhay. Pero I will not --- I will go down with --- not without a bang (You have a bodyguard? Let's have a gunfight. Son of a b*tch. If it is time to die, we die. That's life. But I will not go down without a bang)," he said.
"Gusto ko lang malaman ng Pilipino bago ako matapos, kailan man ‘yan, bukas (I want Filipinos to know before I end, whether that is tomorrow] or I may or I may not complete my term. It could be tomorrow, it could be day after. ‘Pag gusto ko lang malaman ng mga Pilipino that may dumaan na Presidente who really loves his countrymen, kayo (I want Filipinos to know that there was a President who really loves his country)," he said.