Experts weighed in on the fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday (July 28).
In an exclusive interview with the Manila Standard, political analyst Froilan Calilung described the SONA as a ‘good speech’ overall.
“The delivery was simple and direct, easy to digest and comprehend. There was an admission of the apparent misgivings and shortcomings but there was also the assurance as to how corrective measures in the form of policies and programs,” he said.
For her part, lawyer Evecar Cruz-Ferrer, who teaches international law, said that as expected the SONA generally focused on issues that affect the lives of the general population.
She added it primarily covered benefits and incentives that the government has started providing to our countrymen and will be providing in the coming year.
Calilung, who is also director of Local Gov’t Development Institute (LGDI), noted it was a “more progressive anti-corruption stance” that highlights his desire to listen to the sentiments of the public.
He opined that the President should be more hands-on and deliberate with the State’s budget noting the serious budgetary flows and lack of fiscal discipline in previous years.
Additionally, strong political will is necessary to hold individuals accountable in the failed flood control projects which have been a recent issue following the heavy flooding last week.
“It is surprising that it is only now that he is demanding the DPWH of the list of the projects when in fact, as president, he should have been given full access and prior information on this. A good follow through is necessary and vigilance among us is very much needed,” said Calilung.
As to the foreign policy, Cruz-Ferrer, however, said that the president “did not give specifics as to foreign policy plans in view of the upcoming Philippine chairmanship of the ASEAN in 2026.”
Likewise, she is of the opinion that the West Philippine Sea (WPS) issue was not specifically mentioned during the SONA considering it is a core issue for the country together with the outcome of the recent trip to the United States.
Cruz-Ferrer underscored that the issues relating to impeachment and the case of Former President Rodrigo Duterte before the ICC should not affect the programs of the administration, noting that these issues are “independent and unrelated to the programs being pursued by the government.”
“The possible impact will come from the ensuing interactions between the personalities in government tasked to implement the programs and enact the needed legislations,” she said.
