Embattled PNoy gave best SONA ever, critics say

(Updated 7:28 a.m., July 29) Lawmakers, who are known to be critical of President Aquino and his administration, for a change gave glowing reviews of President Benigno Aquino III's penultimate State of the Nation Address on Monday.

Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco, the spokesperson of the opposition United Nationalist Alliance, described Aquino's fifth SONA as the “best” one he has delivered in four years. 

Tiangco, who has repeatedly engaged Malacañang's spokespersons in verbal exchanges through the media, said he was giving Aquino’s SONA a grade of nine out of 10, saying the President was able to address major issues affecting the country in his speech.

“I would never mince words naman. I don’t think the President would lie with the figures [he mentioned]. Emotional si Presidente. Para sa akin mula 2010, this is the best SONA I’ve ever heard,” said Tiangco, who's also the secretary general of the UNA.

A historical foe, Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., said Aquino’s speech was more "conciliatory" and "statesman-like."

Marcos is the son and namesake of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who many blame for the assassination in 1983 of Aquino's martyred father, former Senator Benigno Aquino Jr.
 
“I compare it to his pronouncements in his last two public addresses where he was quite combative. I think he has taken a step back and that is a good thing for the unity of the country. So this kind of new attitude or new approach definitely will be helpful towards that end,” Marcos said.

Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo, an administration ally, lauded Aquino’s speech as the “most stellar” SONA he has delivered.

“In his speech, we saw a President who is beleaguered and embattled, yet is determined to fight the good fight,” he said.

Less than glowing opinions

Opposition leader Vice President Jejomar Binay, a friend of Aquino's family and a member of his Cabinet, said he'd rather keep his thoughts of the President's SONA to himself.

"May reaksyon ako [sa SONA ng Pangulo pero] pangsarili na lang," Binay told reporters after the speech.

Former President Fidel V. Ramos described Aquino's speech as near-sighted.

Not stone-hearted

In a rare display of emotion, Aquino recalled in his SONA how he almost died during a failed coup attempt against his mother in 1987. He said the thought of getting killed during his incumbency has crossed his mind.

Aquino said if anything happened to him, he would have been satisfied with what he had accomplished in his more than four years as the country's top elected official.

During the earlier part of his SONA, Aquino enumerated the myriad achievements his administration was able to accomplish during the past four years, including progress in improving the education sector and the commencement of several public infrastructure projects that were considered long-overdue.

Quimbo said Aquino proved he was not a “stone-hearted President” as his critics picture him to be.

“Ang nakikita ng mga kritiko ng Pangulo, siya ay parang bato na hindi nakikinig sa kritisismo. Pero dito sa kanyang SONA, ipinakita niya na he gets hurt by the criticism thrown as him, especially in light of the sacrifices he has made for the country’s sake,” he said.

PNoy missed key issues

Even as the President won over a critic with his emotional speech, some lawmakers considered his SONA a failure, saying he did not provide concrete solutions to the pressing problems affecting majority of Filipinos.

Valenzuela Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian said Aquino should have mentioned in his SONA how he intends to make ordinary Filipinos feel the effects of the economic growth that his administration has been touting.

Gatchalian said progress can only be felt by the masses if they are provided with improved social services such as education, free health care and hospitalization, affordable medicine, low-cost housing, clean and potable water, low-cost electricity and cheaper transport fare.

“These are actually the gut issue of majority of Filipinos who have long been reeling from the effects of inflation as seen in the latest Pulse Asia survey. I think the President missed on these in his SONA,” Gatchalian said in a statement.

Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza said Aquino gave an incorrect report on the true state of the nation in his SONA since he devoted a huge chunk of his speech extolling his administration’s achievements.

“[Problema sa] bigas, bilihin, peace and order, brownout ang dapat narinig. Ang tawag ng kabataan diyan ay boom panes,” he said in a separate statement.

Enough of PNoy’s ‘lies’

Meanwhile, the progressive Makabayan bloc said they walked out a few minutes into Aquino's SONA since they knew the President “would just utter lies” to defend the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program.

“We’ve had enough of his promises and lies. It’s now time to impeach the President who has further pushed our countrymen into increasing poverty,” the group said in a text message.

All seven members of the Makabayan bloc have endorsed individually or jointly each of the three impeachment complaints filed against Aquino last week.

Lacking in substance

A bishop and governance and economics experts, on the other hand, regarded the SONA as lacking in substance.