Wednesday, July 28, 2010 [ sunstar.com.ph ]
DAVAO CITY Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte reiterated his opposition in allowing foreigners to own the country's lands even as he announced offers of sisterhood agreements from foreign countries.
"Be my guest if you want to plant or dig but you can never own our lands. If we allow that, someday our children will have to build their houses on soil that is not theirs. That's stupidity," Duterte said.
Duterte on Tuesday welcomed a development on the city's relations with foreign countries, saying he would soon be undertaking an extended leave for two months to attend to offers of sisterhood agreements from South Korea, Republic of China, Turkey, Palau, Fiji, and Saipan.
Duterte said he understands that the idea is due to the city's resources that foreigners are interested, but also expressed his opposition in allowing multinationals to own lands in the country.
"China is interested sa mining, gold, ore, silver, copper basta naa. Let's take it easy. Like the way some congressmen wanted to change our Constitution just to allow foreigners to own land, that's crazy. I said you can come here, you dig, you plant, you make your profit but do not own our lands. That's my stand," Duterte said in a television program.
"I would never agree to the idea of selling lands to foreigners and allow them to have our lands titled to their name. Mahurot ning Pilipinas, pobre ta eh (All of the Philippines would be sold out because we are poor)," Duterte said.
Duterte said he'd be taking a series of trips to other countries in the next two months but vowed that he would not be using government money for his expenses. (Jade C. Zaldivar)
Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on July 29, 2010.
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