State of the nation: Duterte’s SONA in the eyes of ordinary Filipinos

President Rodrigo Duterte delivers his State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the Philippine Congress in Quezon City on July 23. The SONA was the third of his term. EPA

by Margaret Anjelie Llorico

ON the 23rd of July, Filipinos turned on their televisions to watch the live coverage of the 3rd State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Rodrigo Duterte.

SONA is the annual message of the president to the citizens of his country. In this address, the president informs about the current social, political, and economic conditions and issues of the Philippines.

President Duterte’s talk lasted only about 35 minutes this time around, and compared to his speeches before, most took notice that the chief executive avoided profane language while conveying his message.

He tackled a handful of current issues. Among them the war on drugs in which he said continues to be a “relentless” fight despite the criticisms of human rights groups. He discussed the Bangsamoro Organic Law and his promise to sign it in 48 hours. He also urged the Congress to pass bills creating a trust fund for coconut farmers.

There are plenty of attention-grabbing quotations in his SONA that are now circulating all over news stories and social media. One quote for example is “Your concern is human rights, mine is human lives”.

It is a quote that divided the people with their opinions. Others agree and others don’t. Some argued that they weren’t satisfied with what he said while some disagree, saying that he was honest and precise.

But what is the general consensus among Ilonggos? What are their reactions to the 2018 SONA? Here are the perspectives shared by some Filipinos who watched it live.

President Rodrigo Duterte greets guests at Batasang Pambansa before delivering his 3rd State of the Nation Address. PCOO

‘A DIFFERENT, UNEXPECTED SONA’

An outstanding Political Science student of West Visayas State University, Frolene Pearl Arnaez was “personally amazed” by Duterte’s SONA since it was the shortest speech compared to the previous two SONA’s he had done before. That alone makes it “different and unexpected”.

Arnaez is no stranger to binge-watching political speeches and sharing her thoughts. She’s also an active social media user who regularly posts her opinions regarding social matters in the country.

What stands out more for Arnaez in Duterte’s speech is the part where he tackled the on-going war on drugs. She is one of the many Filipinos who found his “concern for human lives” quote significant.

She explained that “it stands out the most because one of the biggest challenges of his administration is the prevalence of extrajudicial killings. As critics emphasize the importance of the due process of law and human rights, Duterte remains unstoppable regardless of his means to topple drugs in our country.”

On the other hand, Julie Ann Illastron, 37, a mother of one and a home-based online worker also shared her insights on the president’s SONA.

She said “president Rodrigo Duterte’s SONA is very well said. He tackled all issues his administration has faced and solved.”

“I was amazed that he didn’t utter a single bad word. It is very unusual for him to do that since he’s done that before in his previous SONA’s and other speeches. He also controlled his temper against those who ridiculed him and his chosen cabinet members. I am satisfied with all his plans in the remaining years of his term,” she continued.

Despite being completely satisfied with the president’s message, Illastron has something to say beyond the boundaries of the SONA. She shared sentiments generally on Duterte’s leadership, saying “(no matter what), the president must be kind to criminals. He must remember that they are humans too. Hate the sin but not the sinner.”

Meanwhile, a Davaoeña named Francie Neri who works as an Administrative Officer of Robinsons Abreeza Mall also expressed her insights on the SONA.

“I think that his SONA is very informative. He talked about a lot of current issues such as the Marawi Siege, Contractualization, Disaster Management, and Boracay Closure. A lot were addressed!”

She also added, “in Davao, we rarely address him as ‘president’. We call him ‘Daddy D’ instead. We know he is already tired and we want him to come back here. Nevertheless, we will support him along the way as he continues to do what’s best for the Filipino people.”

Davaoeños and other Filipinos watched the live broadcast of Duterte’s 3rd SONA and formulated their own perspectives. Good or bad, agree or disagree, all of us are entitled to have our own opinions.

How about you? What do you think?/PN

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