Aquino wrote own speech for SONA 2014 – Palace

A Malacañang official on Sunday said President Benigno Aquino III is putting the finishing touches on his fifth State of the Nation Speech, set to be delivered tomorrow, adding that Aquino himself hand-picked topics to discuss in his annual report

“Ang batid ko po, talaga pong pinag-aaralan niya nang masinsin ‘yung kanyang talumpati dahil siya naman po mismo ang may akda nito. ‘Yung balangkas ng kanyang sasabihin, ‘yung mga detalyeng nais niyang ipaliwanag, siya mismo ang pumipili ng mga ito. Kaya siya rin ang nag-aayos o naghahanay ng mga paksa na nais niyang talakayin,” Communication Secretary Hermino Coloma Jr. said in an interview aired over state-run DZRB.

But Coloma said that since Aquino will have a limited time to deliver his speech, some topics might be left out.

“Marami kasi sa mga sektor ng ating lipunan ang naghahangad na matalakay ‘yung kanilang partikular na mga usapin sa State of the Nation Address. Pero kung tutuusin ay kulang talaga ang panahon para mabanggit ang lahat ng mga ito,” Coloma said.

Coloma did not specifically say how long Aquino’s Monday speech will be, but the secretary said that it will not likely go on for more than an hour.

Protests

Meanwhile, Coloma said that the government has no plans to curtail protests planned by some activist groups.

“Ang mga mamamayan naman po ay merong karapatang magpahayag ng kanilang saloobin sa ano mang isyung kinakaharap nila at bahagi po ito ng demokratikong proseso. Ang panawagan lang namin ay panatilihing maayos at maging masunurin sila sa batas sa kanilang pamamahayag,” Coloma said.

Several activist groups are expected to hold protests against Aquino when he delivers his SONA before a joint session of Congress at the Batasan Complex in Quezon City. Rallyists in particular said they will protest the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

The Department of Budget and Management said the DAP was meant to "fast-track public spending and push economic growth" but the high court declared some acts and practices under DAP unconstitutional, including the use of withdrawn unobligated allotments and unreleased appropriations as savings.

‘High spirits’

However, despite the planned protests, Coloma said Aquino remains in “high spirits” in anticipation of the speech.

“Sa pagkaalam ko po siya ay nasa—in high spirits po, ano. Siya ay naghahanda ng kanyang pagtalumpati sapagkat para sa kanya ito ay mahalagang pakikipag-usap sa kanyang mga boss. Kaya pinaghahandaan po niya nang husto ang kanyang pagtatalumpati para maging kapaki-pakinabang po ito sa mga mamamayang Pilipino,” Coloma said.

Coloma also said that Aquino is preparing his budget message even as he wrote his fifth SONA.

“Bukod sa paghahanda sa SONA ay hinahanda rin ng Pangulo ang kanyang budget message dahil nakatakda pong isumite ng pamahalaan ang 2015 national budget sa unang araw ng trabaho pagkatapos ng opening ng Kongreso katulad ng ginawa noong mga nakaraang taon para po maagang masimulan ang deliberasyon hinggil sa budget at maipasa at [malagdaan] ito, maging batas ito, bago matapos ang kasalukuyang taon at maging epektibo sa unang araw ng 2015,” Coloma said. — Patricia Denise Chiu/JDS/KG, GMA News