President Rodrigo Duterte said he has fulfilled his campaign pledges to the people when he ran for the presidency in 2016, from attaining peace and order to fighting illegal drugs and building modern infrastructures.
“I have delivered all that I promised to the Filipino people,” Duterte said during an interview with Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.
The President said his government has made inroads in combating the proliferation of illicit narcotics trade, crime, and also posted successes in constructing major infrastructures under the Build, Build, Build program.
“I tell you about these drugs, crime. I said infrastructure, I mentioned that the hospital today, in Davao copied by Bong. Here in Davao, the people come to my office,” he said.
In terms of addressing traffic congestion in the country’s urban centers, the President said his government also made significant progress.
Although the traffic is still there, he said: “It cannot be avoided altogether but at least here you have your options. Before there is no option, you have to go through the line. Now, you can go up to the toll.”
Duterte also said under his administration, the country has attained peace in Mindanao, particularly with the establishment of the new autonomous region in the south and through the cultivation of good relations with the Muslim population.
“I think we have a relatively peaceful Mindanao. The contentious issue in the yesterdays was the BARMM and we gave it to Murad, and here in Jolo, I ordered the Armed Forces to place one division. And so, it calmed down,” Duterte said.
“We have a good rapport with the Moro of Mindanao. And I think that just allow them in the governance of our country and give them enough elbowroom to, you know, just govern without interference from armed groups,” he added, noting only the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) is sowing mayhem because of political differences.
And for the longest time, the region hasn’t had any kidnapping incidents, as well as attacks on security forces or depredation victims, he said.
The Muslim population’s animosity with the government has also waned after the administration addressed the issues concerning Mindanao, he pointed out.
“The Moro hatred slowly disappeared because we gave what they wanted,” he said.
The President cited the appointments of Muslims in the government such as the new chairperson of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), justices in the Supreme Court (SC) and Court of Appeals (CA), as well as officials in different government agencies.
“Even in the Cabinet, we have three. But Alonto died, and one was—got sick. But there were four of them, maybe three and half years of my term,” he said.
Militarily, the government has achieved its objectives in keeping the peace in Mindanao, he said, stressing if the equilibrium is maintained, the region will be trouble-free.
The President also mentioned during the interview the administration’s successes in modernizing the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), telling Quiboloy that his government doubled the AFP’s budget for its modernization thrust.
The AFP, he said, now has a fleet of new fighter jets, helicopters, and also added heavy-lift aircraft.
