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President Rodrigo Duterte delivered his 5th State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 27, against the backdrop of a pandemic that has disrupted the lives of millions of Filipinos and which continues to spread across the Philippines.
Duterte used most of his annual address, which lasted for nearly two hours, to threaten “oligarchs,” failing to go into detail on a pandemic recovery roadmap for the country which had been earlier promised by Malacañang.
Unlike past speeches, the President’s second to the last SONA was delivered to a limited audience of 50 key Congress and Cabinet officials who have been crucial in delivering pet projects of the administration. The cap on attendees was put in place due to physical distancing restrictions.
The 2020 SONA was also among Duterte’s longest ones so far. It included the mention of 21 priority bills he wanted tackled in the remaining two years of his presidency.
Here’s a quick summary of all the important points mentioned:
Coronavirus pandemic – After the usual introductions of top officials, Duterte opens his speech stressing the toll the pandemic has taken on the Philippines as the virus “snuffed” out dreams of prosperity and had the world living in a “troubled time.” He mentions hopes for a vaccine and thanks frontliners who risk their lives to respond to those most affected by the disease.
ABS-CBN – Within 5 minutes, the pandemic is quickly sidelined and among the first things Duterte does is criticize ABS-CBN and the owners of the media network, calling them “oligarchs.” He claims being “victimized” by the Lopezes in the 2016 Presidential election which he won by a landslide.
Senator Franklin Drilon – In lashing out at ABS-CBN, Duterte slams the opposition senator for defending the media giant and saying political dynasties must be banned to truly dismantle oligarchy. He again later places the spotlight on Drilon, accusing him of being among the framers of the 1997 water concessionaires agreement with the government – a claim Drilon already denied.
Senator Bong Go – On the other hand, Duterte’s longtime aide-turned-senator again receives praise from the Chief Executive as his pet bills filed in the Senate, including the Malasakit Act and postponement of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections are hailed among the administration’s achievements.
Southeast Asian Games – It’s all praise for the 30th Southeast Asian Games as Duterte declares, “Indeed, we won as one,” referring to the sporting event’s slogan. However, the Philippines’ hosting of the regional sporting event was hounded by allegations of corruption and poor planning.
Economy – Duterte highlights the country’s positive credit ratings and says with a strong economic position, the Philippines is in a “better position to weather the crisis caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic.”
Infrastructure – He says significant infrastructure projects under the Build Build Build Program were completed and that a “comprehensive written report” detailing these will be released. He also pushes for more infrastructure projects to uplift the livelihoods of Filipinos
