In his SONA (July 25, 2016), Duterte made the following law and justice-related promises. We will monitor his future performance thereon.
“x x x.
1. Lest I be misunderstood, let me say clearly, that those who betrayed the people’s trust shall not go unpunished and they will have their day in Court. [applause] And if the evidence warrants, they will have their day of reckoning too.
2. I heard the people on the streets complain that justice had become illusory; that equity and fairness and speedy disposition of cases had deteriorated into hollow concepts fit only for masteral dissertations. It was, and still is, very sad indeed.
3. As a former prosecutor, I know there always --- ways of knowing how fast or how slow cases go. What I did was to look into the number of postponements and the time difference between each postponement and the next setting. It was simple as that. I will appreciate deeply if we all in government attend to this urgent need.
4. I was determined then as I am now determined and better positioned, to wage war against those who make a mockery of our laws including those who make life for us all miserable.
5. I wish to assure everyone though that vindictiveness is not in my system. [applause] Just like you and I, all, equal treatment and equal protection are what I ask for our people. [applause]
6. To our police officers and other officials, do your job and you will have the unwavering support of the Office of the President. [applause] I will be with you all the way. Abuse your authority, and there will be a hell to pay, [applause] for you will have become worse than criminality itself.
7. I order the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) to hasten the conduct of investigation and adjudication of administrative cases against police officers involved in criminal activities and illegal activities and prescribe policies on lifestyle checks for PNP members.
8. With this, my administration shall be sensitive to the State’s obligations to promote, and protect, fulfill the human rights of our citizens, especially the poor, the marginalized and the vulnerable and social justice will be pursued, even as the rule of law shall at all times prevail.
9. Human rights must work to uplift human dignity. [applause] But human rights cannot be used as a shield or an excuse to destroy the country --- your country and my country. [applause]
10. Meantime, since our country continues to be confronted with internal security threats aggravated by the existence and activities of the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf, the full force of the AFP will be applied to crush these criminals who operate under the guise of religious fervor. The AFP shall enhance its capability to search and engage these rogue and lawless elements.
11. With regard to the West Philippine Sea otherwise known as [South] China Sea, we strongly affirm and respect the outcome of the case before the Permanent Court of Arbitration as an important contribution to the ongoing efforts to pursue the peaceful resolution and management of our disputes. [applause]
12.On taxation, my administration will pursue tax reforms towards a simpler, and more equitable, and more efficient tax system that can foster investment and job creation. We will lower personal and corporate income tax rates [applause] and relax the bank secrecy laws. [applause] Eh na-Presidente ako eh. Ayaw ko sana makialam dito sa mga ‘to. Alam mo na. Well, anyway. May I continue.
13.Reforms to ensure competitiveness and promote ease of doing business will be mandatory. [applause] Reacting to these needs, the restrictions on the economy will be needed to make more investments to come and to develop labor-intensive industries such as manufacturing, agriculture and tourism shall be pursued.
14.We shall also enhance local business environment by addressing bottlenecks in business registration and processing, streamlining investment application process and integration the services of various government offices.
15. Government Financing Institutions (GFIs) shall come up with out-of-the box financing packages to capacitate our small and medium entrepreneurs.
16.Ayaw mo? Okay lang rin. Para makita namin kung gusto ninyong madalian. Alam naman talaga ninyo sagad na lahat, sagad na. Nasa inyo ‘yan. If you give it, fine. If you don’t, we take the longer route, slowly. And tanggapin ko ‘yung pag-mumura ninyo. ‘Wag lang sa malapit. [laughter] Eh ganun talaga eh. You’ve done it. It's an urgent and immediate situation, solution. Gusto ninyo madali lang, okay. Kapag ayaw naman ninyo, because baka sabihin niyo graft and corruption eh ‘di okay. But I assure you — wala ito sa script — I assure you, this will be a clean government. [applause]
17. You know my advice to you is maintain a federal system, a parliament, but be sure to have a president. Huwag… Hindi na ako niyan. [applause] I’m disqualified and by that time I would longer be here. But, I can commit today to the Republic of the Philippines and its people: If you hurry up the federal system of government and you can submit it to the Filipino people by the fourth, fifth year, proseso ‘yan e. You call for a referendum and after that call for a presidential election, I will go. Sibat na ako. But you just have a president. You copy the France system. Huwag mo hayaan yung puro na parliament. Delikado iyon. It takes time even for the… Iyong kagaya ng England noon. There was this bomb, double deck. It took them time really. There’s no one apparatus for a commander-in-chief down. You can have a president you can elect. Maybe Tito Sotto would be the lucky guy at that time. O, ‘di, limitahan mo lang. Ceremonial powers. Power to dissolve, power to accept the resolution or whatever, mandating you this, do that, or ceremonial powers except yung in times of need, if there’s a demand for action. You must have a president. Wala na ako niyan. I said if you can give me that document, I will urge you to conduct a --- to order --- to order, call for an election the following day, following week. And even if there is still two years, three years I will go. Okay na ako. Do not worry about me. I don't aim to that much ambition. Eh nanalo ka eh. Hindi ko nga alam bakit nandito ako ngayon. Noon nandoon lang ako o. [applause] Totoo man. Sino man nagsuporta sa inyo sa akin dito? Wala man? [laughter] Not a single congressman. Except for two provinces, governor. ‘Yun lang. Wala akong barangay captain. Wala akong… wala lahat. Pero ngayon. [laughter]
18.Processing time in issuing permits and licenses shall be reduced to the barest minimum, in my city, it is always three days for local governments. That will bind the Office of the President down to the last barangay elect. Three days. Three days. [applause] Local government. Business permit, clearances, no follow-ups. Bigyan mo ng stub. Be back next week, tingnan mo yung work load and I will require every department, yung dito sa itaas. They must have a log book. Huwag sa computer. Kasi itong ganito na, nae-erase yan. Lagyan mo date, time, ‘I accept the documents of Rodrigo Duterte.’ Then you go to your computer. You must have an actuarial projections there.
19.For the driver’s licenses, its effectiveness will be extended from the current 3-year period to 5 years. [applause]
20. Pati yung pari ha --- pati si Pope tinamaan. Let us be clear with each other. I am for the comfort and the welfare of the Filipino. Kayo namang hindi pa bungog diyan, hindi pa pumasok yang mga droga, eh kung ayaw ninyong mamatay, ayaw ninyong masaktan, huwag kayong umasa diyan sa mga pari pati Human Rights, hindi nakakapigil yan ng kamatayan. So huwag ninyong gawin. Eh tapos nandiyan ka nakabulagta and you are portrayed in a broadsheet na parang Mother Mary cradling the dead cadaver of Jesus Christ. Eh yan yang mga yan magda-dramahan tayo dito. [Dito ako nakatingin kasi nandito ang public eh]. Alam mo, ilang beses ko na sinasabi, sa Davao, ‘Huwag mong gawin kasi magkaka-problema tayo.' He who is the cause of the cause is the cause of them all. [applause]. Ikaw yung nag umpisa, you swallow ---
21.Eh ang maganda nito, I have signed the Executive Order sa aming FOI. Naunahan ko kayo. Iyong inyo... Nandoon na ang sa akin [applause]. Oo, tapos na ako. Ilabas ko na --- it will be out today. Alam mo sabi ko, unahan na natin itong Congress, puro mayayabang ang mga nandiyan. We grab the --- each other...They say, "stealing one’s thunder," ika nga. Unahan na natin.
22. Tama yan. She is a crusader and she will continue. Dito naman eh...The DENR is likewise directed to review all permits granted to the mining, logging and other environmental sensitive activities to ensure compliance with government standards and if warranted, ito na yung pinakamaganda: amend, suspend or revoke permits. Go ahead. [applause]
23. To better manage public information, a law should be passed – I’m addressing Congress-- to create the People’s Broadcasting Corporation, replacing PTV-4, [applause] the government-run TV station, which now aims to replicate international government broadcasting networks. Teams from these international news agencies --- I’d like to mention those interested BBC --- are set to visit the country soon to train people from government-run channels to observe. Ito ang gusto ko --- tutal pera naman ng tao --- to observe editorial independence through innovative programs [applause] and intelligent treatment and analysis of news reports, as well as developments of national and international significance.
24. The government’s Bureau of Broadcast Services, better known as the Radyo ng Bayan, shall undergo upgrading to make it financially viable and dependable for accurate and independent, and enlightening news and commentary. Radyo ng Bayan will be integrated with the PBC.
25. To address backlogs and low prosecutorial effectiveness and efficiency, the investigation and case management processes shall be streamlined including those for illegal drugs and heinous crimes.
26. To eradicate the prevalent cultures of fear and silence that have hounded our justice system, I asked Congress — you — to enact the Whistleblower Protection Law while the present Witness Protection Program shall be strengthened. [applause] [Hirap maging Presidente. Maski dito lang.] [laughter]
27. The number of lawyers and support staff in the PAO — that is the Public Assistance Office — regional and districts shall be increased to provide indigents with more access to counsels. [applause]
28. But, you know, intindihin na lang natin ito, that we can return to you all. Iyong nakuha ng mga Amerikano, Español, pati yung mga Pilipino, mga kapitalista, those who exploited Mindanao with that thing sloganeering go to Mindanao because it is a land of promise. With the vast entry of so many people, basically coming from the Visayas, magkaroon tayo ng… We cannot solve it the way you want it to be. We have to understand each other then you have to live with each other, but we will try.
29. The only way they said that we can have this. Iyong BBL, ibigay na natin, minus the things that you do not want. [applause] Iyong mga Constitutional issues. Tanggalin muna natin. Ibigay ko yung area. Nandiyan na yan eh. So I ask you pass it minus the Constitutional issues that are contentious. [applause] Ibigay na natin at when the federal system comes, isali mo na sa package, together with Misuari. That is the solution for Mindanao. Nothing else. Believe me. Nothing else will do. Please sleep on it, ponder on it, because that’s the only way to proceed.
30. On the clamor of our citizens for timely issuance of Philippine passports, the government shall work towards amendment of the 1996 Passport Law to lengthen the validity of the passports from the current 5 years to 10 years. [applause] Tutal kayo naman ang maggagawa ng batas. You are the ones who will pass the law, even if you make it good for 30 years, okay ako. Bahala kayo. [laughter] Basta, stretch a little bit because five years is just really simply on a regular basis.
31.We have to adjust to the needs of our people. Total diyan naman yang sa squatter na yan, as long as I sit here as President, there will be there no demolitions without relocations. Hindi talaga ako papayag. [applause] Hindi naman aso yan na --- just like in Davao. I’d like to make a dialogue with the businessmen. “Sir, how much are you investing in this land you have bought with the squatter?” "So, I bought it at about 60 million." Dagdagan mo ng 20 million. Ako na ang bahala. Sabihin ko doon sa mga tao, "Bili tayo ng relocation site or I will provide." Government will expropriate. I will make use of the expropriation powers. Ako ganon sa Davao eh. I have 20 hectares there. I will expropriate some land there. Iyong malapit lang. Then sabihin ko: "This 20 million will help your journey to a new land." And I will urge everybody na yung mga bagong mga factories, doon sila mag-tayo.
32. Consistent with our international obligations, in keeping with national mandates, this administration vows to protect women’s rights and human rights abuses [applause] against our women, because this unacceptable to... Kung mag-bugbog ka ng babae.
33. Thus, I order all agencies and oversight bodies and local government units down to the barangay level to fully implement the Magna Carta for Women. [applause] By doing so, we'll ensure that man and woman will be partners in the pursuit of country’s economic, social, and cultural and political developments.
34. To our Lumad brothers, and they are here outside. Outside? They are here outside I’m sure . I told the... Just to let them come if they want. Kanila man ito.
To our brothers, I have this to say: The government has issued you the Ancestral Certificates Domain Title covering vast tracts of land especially in the Island of Mindanao. You have the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act, and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples to protect you and to assist you.
Government has given you the tool, the legal tool to improve yourself financially, economically and socially. Make use of your ancestral domain. Do not let it remain idle.
While the government is always ready to help you, you must first help yourself. We cannot legislate financial and economic progress for you. It is you and you alone who can do that. You can chart your fate, but do it within constitutional and legal means.
35. The enormity of the problem of drug addiction has been made manifest by the number of surrenderees which grows by the hundred each day that passes. Since July 1, we have already made 3,600 related drug arrests. 120,[000] drug dependents have already surrendered and 70,000 of them are pushers. You think this is just a... [applause] It could take the entire resources of this government to fight this war.
36. It’s a free for all enterprise for the criminals at this time. Kung ako, if I had just the plan...Sabi ko, sabi ko sa military kapag nakita ninyo, pasabugin mo na. Maski nag-surrender yan, may white, white flag. Pang-giyera lang yan, hindi yan pang-kriminal, pasabugin mo. Show no mercy to them because they're not doing any mercy to us anyway. Bakit ako...Iyan ang problema.
X x x.”
