Duterte's SONA should have focused more on COVID-19 response, solon says

President Rodrigo Duterte's last State of the Nation Address should have focused more on the pressing issues, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Caloocan City Representative Edgar Erice said on Tuesday.

"Dapat mas mahaba 'yung primary concern ngayon ng mamamayan which is the pandemic. Tingin ko ang dami mong pinagawa, pero paano naman kami? Ano-ano 'yung araw-araw naming pamumuhay, ano 'yung magiging kinabukasan namin," Erice told Dobol B TV.

(President Duterte should have discussed the COVID-19 longer. How about us? How's our livelihood? Our daily situation?)

"Sa tingin ko 'yun ang pinakamalaking problema, 'yung pagresolba sa pandemya... pinakamahaba 'yung lockdown," he added.

(This is the biggest problem... solving the pandemic as we have the longest lockdown.)

Erice also disagreed that the transportation in Metro Manila has improved.

Duterte had said several transportation projects, such as the Skyway Stage 3 public-private partnership project, reduced heavy traffic in EDSA and took away the misery of commuters.

"When it comes to transportation sa Manila, tingin ko mali 'yung sinabi ni Presidente na gumaan na 'yung problema sa transportasyon kaya lang gumagaan, dahil may lockdown," he said.

(When it comes to transportation in Manila, I disagree with the statement of the President that it has already improved. It slightly improved only because of the lockdown.)

Meanwhile, Erice supported the statement of the President when it comes to his infrastructure programs.

"Sa tingin ko 'yung pinakamaganda para sa akin, in fairness to the President, when it comes to infrastructure... medyo saludo tayo diyan, nakita natin talaga namang madaming imprastruktura na nagawa ngayong panahon," he said.

(I praise his infrastructure projects. We have seen that he has a lot of programs when it comes to infrastructure.)

If he will rate Duterte's SONA, Erice said he will give it a four.

In his SONA, the President cited economic gains under his administration prior to the spread of COVID-19, which have been either partially or totally wiped out following the pandemic.—AOL, GMA News