Roque hoping to hear Marcos' plan to fight inflation, unemployment in 2nd SONA

The former spokesperson of former President Rodrigo Duterte, Atty. Harry Roque said Monday that he is hoping President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will talk about how he plans to solve inflation and unemployment during his second State of the Nation Address (SONA).

"Gusto nating malaman 'yung specific na gagawin ng gobyerno para mabigyan ng kasagutan 'yung nagtataasang presyo ng bilihin at kung paano mas mababawasan pa 'yung hanay ng walang trabaho," said Roque.

(We want to know the specific measures of the government when it comes to addressing the high prices of commodities and how he will address unemployment.)

Roque also said he wants to hear how Marcos would assert the Philippines' interest and sovereign rights in the South China Sea.

"Nais ko ring marinig kung papaano niya babalansehin 'yung ating panglabas na relasyon para isulong ang interes ng Pilipinas nang hindi naman pumapanig kahit kanino, ke Amerikano o China," Roque said.

(I also want to hear how he will balance our foreign relations to assert the country's interest without siding to the US nor to China.)

Roque ran as senator under Marcos' slate in Eleksyon 2022, however, he lost.

Marcos is set to address the nation at 4 in the afternoon at the Batasang Pambansa.

His speech will last for 1 hour and 25 minutes, according to Presidential Son and Ilocos Norte Representative Ferdinand Alexander "Sandro" Marcos.

"It will essentially be a report on what has been done in the last year and what problems we continue to face," said Sandro. 

Meanwhile, Dean Philip Arnold Tuaño of the Ateneo School of Government is hoping that Marcos will do a better job shepherding his priority legislations after his second SONA.

Tuaño noted that while the President was able to rally his congressional allies to pass the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) bill into law less than a year after it was filed in the House, he only managed to do the same for only one measure he mentioned during his first SONA.

“SONA is a time for assessment and a good time to look at the legislative achievements of the President. If you remember, he promised 20 priority bills, but these are passed [only] in the House. It has some weight, but in the Senate, these are not the priority or not even filed yet,” Tuaño told GMA News Online in a Zoom interview.

Former President Duterte reportedly will not attend Marcos' second SONA, according to his close ally, Senator Bong Go. —VAL, GMA Integrated News