Duterte jokes about use of marijuana

MANILA, Philippines — Summitry is no fun, and the schedule too hectic for leaders of his age, according to President Duterte, who said even Brunei Sultan Hajji Hassanal Bolkiah kept falling asleep.

Joking that marijuana keeps him awake, Duterte also said the food at international summits is so bland he brings along with him corned beef and dried salted fish, which are cooked in his hotel room.

“It’s a killing activity and I think the – my age, ako, hindi masyado kasi nagma-marijuana ako para magising (not much on my part because I use marijuana to stay awake). Sa iba hindi na kaya (Others can no longer handle it),” the President said, referring to the recently concluded Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, drawing laughter from the audience.

Duterte, whose tough stance on illegal drugs has catapulted him to power, yesterday joked that he uses marijuana to keep himself awake as he complained about the grueling schedule in the ASEAN summit. Cannabis is normally considered a downer or depressant.

The Chief Executive, who has admitted not being used to waking up early, said ASEAN events usually start at 8:30 a.m. and end at about 10 or 11 p.m. He said sessions would be held every 30 minutes, making it taxing for those who are present, and that it was not physically possible to attend all events so lower level officials would be tapped to represent the heads of state in some sessions.

“Baka akala nitong ASEAN Secretariat, Boy Scout kami... Hindi kaya ’yan. (Maybe the ASEAN Secretariat thought we are Boy Scouts. It’s not realistic). It’s whole day,” Duterte said during the conferment of awards on ASEAN National Organizing Council officials and personnel.

“Hindi talaga kaya (It’s not doable). You have to give that to the technical working group or at least on the lower echelons sa ministerial. We only take the most important ones, nuances about other country... Only the urgent and immediate concerns of the ASEAN,” he added.

Duterte said he lacked sleep when the Philippines hosted the ASEAN meet last year because of the packed schedule of the summit.

“Noong ako rito (On my part here), I just came in from nowhere then the events will start the following day. I think I was in India. Susmaryosep, walang tulog (Oh my God, I had no sleep),” the President said.

“And the more that the crescendo becomes faster, the more you cannot sleep because you have to catch up on your reading. And so you do not want your President to look ignorant,” he added. – With Alexis Romero