BERNADETTE Sembrano, in the concluding portion of last Friday’s (June 25) TV Patrol newscast, had a cute way of putting the SONA expectations so aptly – “Sana, SONA.”
Indeed, after three major events last week, the SONA has become anti-climactic.
It was drowned out by floods which affected millions of our countrymen, courtesy of corruption so criminal which the president himself admitted before in his fourth SONA.
It was upended by Donald Trump embarrassing the “tough negotiator” who went all the way to DC just to meekly accept “mumo,” Tagalog patois for crumbs falling off the table.
And then on June 25, the Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision, thrashed the articles of impeachment brought forth by the HoR to the Senate for trial “forthwith” as unconstitutional on very fundamental grounds, from violation of the one-year ban to grave abuse of its discretion.
And so, from what the president should have salvaged by way of an enumeration of “accomplishments” and a definition of his way forward after the mid-term elections, the much-awaited SONA has become “sana!”
Drowned by the heavens, upended by the self-styled emperor of the world, and eclipsed by the Supreme Court in a 13-0 vote, via a ponencia authored by Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen.
The president’s fourth SONA “sana” failed to show concrete achievements, and recited cosmetic programs like the Benteng Bigas Meron na, and discounts on the LRT for seniors.
It was reactive to the criticisms of the public without presenting real pro-active programs other than what his Cabinet has been presenting as its “bright” if band-aid solutions.
I admired PBbM’s first SONA, where he asked Congress to pass 19 priority measures, most of which would positively impact our lives beyond his six-year term. He then sounded like Singapore’s Lee Hsien Loong.
Three years after, the bureaucracy has not been right-sized. Instead, it has an overgrown head, with dozens of undersecretaries and assistant secretaries getting fat emoluments for doing little or nothing.
The budget was supposed to be “modernized.” Instead, insertions by legislators for graft-laden projects became norm and, worse, in the notorious bicameral conference committee where sleight of hand is modus operandi.
Three years after, he now rues the way the 2025 budget has been mangled by not just the bicam, but by the leadership of Congress, mismo! Yet they remain by overwhelming clamor.
The National Land Use Act, met by applause, even if Congress has not allowed it to prosper beyond committee.
That ought to be the basis for rational zoning by both the national agencies and the LGUs, and was first introduced by Orly Mercado back in Cory Aquino’s time, re-filed annually by Gringo Honasan, but land use “just lies there, and dies there.”
Has the military pension system been rationalized, so that it becomes sustainable?
What about the Medical Reserve Corps? And through the past three years, we are still grappling with the same chronic diseases, from dengue to leptospirosis, even as MAIP, another pork barrel mutation of our legislators who de-funded Philhealth, has become the new modus.
This time, the president promises more “freebies” from Philhealth. Come on!
That first SONA promised amendments to the EPIRA that would “ensure consumer protection and enhance the competitive operation of the electricity market.” Words, words, words!
We could go on and on, but at the end, all we can say is “sana.”
He ended the first SONA by declaring that the “state of the nation is sound.” He repeated that in his second SONA, stating with flourish, “dumating na po ang Bagong Pilipinas.”
Three years late, he seems to have discovered that Congress has stolen the nation’s future from the hands of the Executive, and while asking them to be ashamed of themselves, threatens an audit and investigation. Ne nemen?
Legislators responded with applause, ovation even, while they invent new schemes on how to make their days “forever happy.”
At the end of three years, there have been no significant changes that indicate sustained reduction of the poverty rate, meaningful employment, better social services, availability and affordability of food except for the usual importation as solution.
And FDIs are few and far between, while tourists shun our LOVE-ly islands.
Yet the corruption has gone overboard, fattening the pockets and ensuring the political longevity of forever dynasties.
After an hour of reacting and resolving, while mocking the applause of the “lolongs” and seeing the unbelieving faces of the diplomats in his audience, we the people can only say “asa ka pa.”
