Tag: SONA2020

The Anti-Government SONA

August 4, 2020 by
T

In the absence of a feasible and laudable plan to re-open schools, I am imagining how homework for many students would be when they are asked: What did you take from the President’s State of the Nation Address?

This exercise is often perceived as perfunctory in civics classes but has the deeper purpose of completing the feedback loop, making sure that the population, especially the young, is aware of the State’s plans, at the very least. Knowingly or not, teachers assigning homework related to the SONA actively take part in the State’s project of “nation-building.”

The role of the annual SONA is no different from sales rallies where company executives show up for their salespersons on the ground to deliver a rousing speech, just to be sure everyone is on the same page. In not so many words, Erap’s best sales pitch was when he exited through Commonwealth Avenue after his speech and met with protesters in the pouring rain; GMA’s was her bringing of three kids onstage and the myth of the bangkang papel. These proved to be effective talking points for their respective administrations’ annual push forward.

This year’s SONA was special. Stripped of the usual trappings and the faux Hollywood vibe, we see the SONA now for what it is. We expected a masterplan for the coming months, formulated for both Legislative and Executive branches, to address the fatal and colossal pandemic. But we got no categorical answers from Duterte. With the twice-a-week feed of “Late Night with Rodrigo Duterte” and the illusion of micro-management it brings, it would have been great to hear a New Year’s resolution of sorts, upon which we could anchor the next three to six months. So while this show of incompetence is not new, it was still disappointing.

21 Questions for 2020 SONA

July 26, 2020 by
2

by Mike Alcazaren

1. What happened to the Jee Ick-Joo case?

2. What happened to the missing 11B worth of shabu found in Magnetic lifters?

3. Why did the Navy settle for the inferior radar system in the “frigate scandal” if the correspondence SAP Bong Go sent was just to “report about a complaint” for the failed bidder?

4. What ever happened to the investigation of the PCSO scandal? STLs were shut down and reopened without any resolution shown.

5. Will the PhilHealth issue go the same way?

6. How much did Sarah Duterte’s law office make for that Mighty Corp. billion peso tax settlement? How is this even not a conflict of interest?

7. Why then do we need a Philippine Anti-Corruption Committee when they have done absolutely nothing substantive to fight corruption? The only thing they are known for is that one of its members asked the NBI to investigate VP Leni for “competing” with Duterte on COVID relief efforts.

8. Why do we need Mocha Uson as OWWA undersecretary? What non-troll, social media propaganda value does she add for the OFWs? Really? I mean really?