Opposition solons find Duterte’s SONA wanting as allies heap praise

Lawmakers from the opposition were unsatisfied with President Rodrigo Duterte’s last State of the Nation Address (SONA) as he failed to tackle issues on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

In a statement, Gabriela party-list Representative Arlene Brosas dubbed the last SONA as a “drunkard's speech laced with the same threats, anti-communist rhetoric, and misogynist quips.”

“Walang banggit ang Pangulo kung paano tayo makakaalpas mula sa pandemyang ito, pero maraming sinabi na naman tungkol sa droga, komunismo at imprastraktura,” she said.

Brosas was also unimpressed by Duterte's praise for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict for supposedly addressing the root causes of the insurgency problem in the country.

“NTF-ELCAC can never address the roots of armed conflict because it was never its intention in the first place,” she said.

“What it has accomplished is the squandering of billions of people's money, rabid red-tagging of critics, and terrorizing of communities which are only demanding cash aid and social services,” she added.

She also dubbed the President's tribute to health workers as an insult as many frontliners remain underpaid and overworked.

“We have been pushing for a higher hazard pay and special risk allowance for our health workers, which remains pending up to now,” Bornas said.

“There is no comfortable life under the Duterte regime -- with the economy plunging to its lowest point since the 1940s and millions remain hungry and jobless amid the pandemic,” she added.

This view was echoed by Bayan Muna Representative Eufemia Cullamat.

“Kumportableng buhay daw para sa lahat ang programa ni Pangulong Duterte mula sa simula ng kanyang termino. Kabaliktaran ng litanya nyang ito ang naranasan ng mga Pilipino,” she said.

Callamat stressed that Duterte did not address important issues such as the loss of employment in the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Ang ipinagmalaki nyang Rice Tariffication Law ay pumapatay sa lokal na.produksyon ng palay. Lumalala ang pribatisasyon ng serbisyong tubig kaya pinoproblema ng mga konsyumer ang presyo nito,” she said.

“Nasolusyunan daw ang problema ng mga mananakay dahil sa improvement sa MRT at LRT. Pero hanggang ngayon ay hirap ang ating mga kababayan dahil sa kakulangan ng pampublikong transportasyon,” she added.

Duterte earlier touted the improvements in the country’s transportation system, including the decongestion of EDSA, which he said paved away the misery of the commuting public.

Final SONA a capsule of Duterte’s achievements

For House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, however, Duterte’s last SONA was only a “capsule” of all his achievements during his term.

“What stands out is the undeniable fact that President Duterte accomplished what was deemed as impossible missions in the past, free college education, healthcare coverage for all Filipinos, free irrigation, an autonomous government for the Bangsamoro, lower crime rate in all parts of the country,” he said.

“Now is not the time for divisive politics. We have to work as a team— and act fast— to save precious human lives and to bounce back from the economic ravages brought by the global pandemic,” he later added.

Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez meanwhile gave Dutere a grade of 8 for his last SONA even as he pointed out incorrect information that the President had given.

Duterte earlier accused ABS-CBN anew of cheating government out of "billions in taxes.”

“On the ABS-CBN franchise, no less than the BIR testified in the House hearings that it has religiously been paying billions in taxes to the government,” Rodriguez said.

Meanwhile, Rodriguez said that the last SONA did not include solutions to the pandemic.

“The Filipinos are constantly waiting for an overall blueprint on our survival against this pandemic, considering the Delta variant and possibly other variants to arise,” he said.

“The SONA did not also present definite plans and programs to revive our economy and address the problem of unemployment caused by Covid 19,” he added.

Rodriguez also recommended the abandonment of the dolomite project in Manila Bay, which has been met with criticism from environmental groups.

“On the dolomites in Manila Bay, it has been a flawed idea from the very beginning. The dolomite should not be replenished and the project should be abandoned,” he said.

Environmental legislation

Meanwhile, Agusan del Norte Representative Lawrence Fortun said he had hoped for a specific mention of environmental legislation during the SONA.

“I was hoping there would be specific mention of environmental legislation, especially in the areas of forestry management, minerals management, and establishment of marine protected areas,” he said.

Fortun said he will continue to push for legislation on the environment and the protection of women and children.

“In this last stretch of the 18th Congress, we can expect some bills to be sent to President for his signature or for lapsing into law in August and September,” he said.

"There are several bills at the bicameral stage or about to enter the bicameral phase,” he added. — DVM, GMA News