President Duterte says it gives him "a little bit of pride" that he fulfilled "almost everything" that he promised to Filipinos when he ran for the Palace seat a few years ago.
"My term is nearing its end. I can say with a little bit of pride na halos lahat na ipinangako ko, natupad ko (that I fulfilled almost everything that I promised)," Duterte said on Thursday, Dec. 2, during his speech at the Port of Busay in Sacol Island, Zamboanga City.
"Dito na lang sa (Regarding) peace and order...But you know, for as long as there are men this planet, there will always be misdeeds and wrongdoings committed by human beings," the 76-year-old said.
"Be that as it may, I tried my best and---di ko naman sabihin na ano pero--mukhang nakumpleto ko halos lahat ng pinangako ko sa taumbayan (not to say anything--but I completed almost everything that I promised to the people)," noted the Chief Executive.
Then-Davao City Mayor Duterte won the 2016 presidential race via landslide. It can be argued that his charisma and tough talk, especially on the subject of illegal drugs and criminality, carried him to Malacañang.
Perhaps his most famous campaign promise is his vow to eradicate illegal drugs in the country "in three to six months". He alluded to this in his speech.
"During the elections, kung matandaan ninyo (if you can recall) I only promised five. I said I will try to...'try to'...eliminate or finish all 'shabu'...shabu industry. Paningin ko, hindi ko man talaga natapos (In my view I really didn't finish it) because every minute there is stupid guy around to do again the...," Duterte said before dropping the topic.
"I also said I'll take care of law and order...Law and order, I will never tolerate, I will never tolerate yung mga terrorism pati (even terrorism). I hope I will not be put to test during my term. Ayoko talaga (I really don't want it) and I am reminded of Marawi .
"We will not stop until all of them are eliminated. Hindi talaga ako papayag ng style na ganun (I really do not approve of that style]," the President said. He didn't get to enumerate all five of his supposed promises.
Duterte was in Zamboanga to lead the inauguration of 143 social and tourism ports and the Zamboanga City Seaport Development Project. A marker was unveiled at Port of Busay as part of the ceremony.
Durterte said he was "happy" with how infrastructure projects have progressed under his administration.
"I am happy that almost all of the projects are completed, utilized, and the others are about to be finished, ongoing. And I hope that by the end of my term, which is about seven months away, makumpleto lahat (they will all be completed)," he said.