Ejercito to deliver 'Kontra-SONA'

MANILA, Philippines - Senator JV Ejercito is expected to counter today the penultimate State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Benigno Aquino III.

"In a democracy, the role of the opposition as fiscalizer in gov't is essential," Ejercito, a member of the Senate minority, said in his Twitter account on Monday morning.

Believing that a "responsible" opposition is constructive, Ejercito said a "Kontra-SONA" will not be a criticism of or an attack on the President.

"The opposition needs to tell the President the real score, of what really is the situation. We cannot rely on his men to tell the real story," Ejercito tweeted.

In his fifth SONA delivered two weeks ago, Aquino explained the country's achievements under his rule in the sectors of social welfare, economy, infrastructure, education among others.

Citing data from the National Economic Development Authority, Aquino said the 27.9 percent poverty rate during the first semester of 2012 went down to 24.9 percent for the same period in 2013, translating to 2.5 million Filipinos who have crossed the poverty line.

Aquino also trumpeted the investment grades received by the Philippines in 2013 from the three major credit rating agencies.

But despite the country's achievements under the Aquino administration, observers have pointed out that economic growth has yet to be felt by all classes.