Stammering in SONA, Duterte jokingly blames teleprompter operator

President Rodrigo Duterte stammered at one point during his final State of the Nation Address, which he said was either his fault or that of the teleprompter operator. 

"It’s either I am talking too fast or too slow, or the operator of this thing here is too drowsy," said the President, after he stumbled through identifying the number of rebels who surrendered.

"Maybe because I have so many ad libs along the way, marami akong akin lang, kaya ‘yong nahinto ako, when I stop and I process something in the gray matter between the ears, hindi humahabol o hindi alam ng operator." 

(Maybe because I have so many ad libs along the way, there are many remarks that are just mine, when I stop and I process something in the gray matter between the ears, the operator cannot keep or does not know." 

Apparently addressing the autocue cue operator, he said, "Hindi bale, ma’am, mahal pa rin kita." 

(No matter, ma'am, I still love you.) 

"Sabihin mo sa kanila makipagkita ako mamaya (Tell them I will meet them later). I will embrace them for their punctuality in operating this strange machine that gives you the speech," he continued. 

Read more SONA updates here.