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In contra-SONA, House opposition calls Aquino ‘a great leader’


Saying it did not want to play the role of a “party spoiler,” the House minority on Wednesday answered President Benigno Aquino III’s third State of the Nation Address (SONA) in a speech that did not have the opposition’s usual critical tone.   In the contra-SONA, House minority leader Danilo Suarez called Aquino “a great leader who has the best intentions and plans for our country.”   “We are still aglow with the very positive outlook for the country which our President presented last Monday during his SONA. We in the minority applaud him for his plans for the country,” Suarez said in his speech. He also lauded the President “for going to the specifics of his programs and giving a timeline for their completion.”   However, the minority leader still called on the Aquino administration to address certain issues, such as “rampant smuggling” in the country’s ports.   Suarez also asked the President to do something about the “rising criminality” in the country, particularly in Metro Manila.   “This is very alarming… We need policy direction from our leaders so that we can pass the proper legislation to address the rising criminality,” he said. In accordance with House tradition, the minority leader is given the opportunity to deliver a rebuttal speech a day after the President’s SONA. Suarez delivered his contra-SONA a day later than scheduled. - Andreo Calonzo/BM, GMA News

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