Groups hit Duterte for ‘failed’ promises, policies after final SONA

Several groups from different sectors on Tuesday called out President Rodrigo Duterte after his last State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, citing administration's policies that they object to as well as promises that they said have not been fulfilled.

In a statement, the groups Kilusang Mayo Uno, Anakpawis Partylist, Piston, Kadamay, Gabriela, Anakbayan and Migrante Philippines hit Duterte’s fixation on his war on drugs.

The groups also condemned his “dirty war against the people guised under counterterrorism.”

Kilusang Mayo Uno secretary general Jerome Adonis criticized Duterte for not mentioning his campaign promise of ending contractualization, or endo.

"Di na nga po alam ng manggagawa paano ibabangon ang pamilya sa hirap na dulot ng lockdown at pandemya, at di pa hinaharap ni Duterte ang ENDO,” Adonis said.

[The working class do not even know how they can raise their family from poverty due to lockdown and the pandemic, but Duterte has yet to face the issue of endo.]

Kadamay secretary general Mimi Doringo criticized the supposed accomplishments under the Build, Build, Build program and TRAIN Law while she asked for more hospital, school, and housing projects.

“Wala na nga kaming trabaho, ginto pa ang presyo ng bilihin,” Doringo said.

[Not only do we not have jobs, the prices of goods are also like gold.]

Gabriela’s Gert Libang slammed the “lockdown-reliant COVID response” of the government, adding that the cash aid was meager and insufficient for basic needs that caused hunger among millions of families.

Piston president Mody Floranda, meanwhile, focused on Duterte's claim that he put an end to the "misery" of public commuting.

He said that the long lines of people waiting for public transport in EDSA are clear proof that Duterte's claim is false. He also declared that Duterte is killing their livelihood with the PUV modernization program.

Migrante Philippines' Arman Hernando opposed Duterte’s claims that the lives of overseas Filipino workers have improved and that the proposed Department of Migrant Workers will benefit OFWs. He called the department the “Department of Labor Export.”

Anakbayan’s Jeann Miranda accused Duterte of grabbing credit for the Free Education Law, which was co-authored and sponsored by then-Senator Bam Aquino. For Miranda, the distance learning program is still burdensome and costly for most Filipinos.

She also slammed the red-tagging and other attacks of the anti-insurgency task force of the government that “put the youth's lives at harm.”

Anakpawis partylist chairperson Ayik Casilao said farmers have suffered under the administration, citing the Rice Liberalization Law. For Casilao, the law “meant profits for foreign agricultural exporters, while destroying local production.” — BM, GMA News