The longest SONA: A swan song or a lame duck's quack?
Perhaps it will win a Guinness Book of Records' recognition as the world's longest speech on the state of the nation. It lasted for two hours and fourteen minutes, interrupted intermittently with coughs and apologies, and with sixteen video clips, and applauded no less than one hundred fifty times by a joint session of largely coalition politicians, and wives, girl friends, and loved ones who paraded their own S.O. N.A. - See Our New Attire, gowns by famous couturiers and fashion icons. FVR and Erap were there and the four presidential sisters, along with the diplomatic corps and the extra-large Cabinet.
There were too many things that were not appropriate for a SONA. Even Vice Ganda's quip was quoted: "E' di wow." And Aiza Seguerra's " Thank You, bow." There was too much vengefulness again. FVR was quoted to have commented that the first portion was vengeful, the last portion was too personal that even his hairdresser and barong designers were mentioned. The personal cook and the close-in security, yes, should receive his gratitude, but not in a State of The Nation Address. Even the foreign diplomats were burdened with too many extraneous matters that do not pertain to the affairs of the state.
The President, in his farewell SONA still could not move on from his spite, hatred, and vengefulness against GMA when he mentioned for the nth time such unsavory charges as "lies of my predecessor", "Fertilizer Scam," "Midnight Appointments", the "Overpriced Coffee in PAGCOR", the NFA "bloated debts and over importation'', the "unconscionable allowances and bonuses in MWSS," the "Hello Garci controversy," and the "Maguindanao Massacre'.' But he omitted the MAMASAPANO, the DAP, and PDAP that were declared unconstitutional but was resurrected allegedly by Abad.
There were sixteen video clips that sounded like political campaign materials. There were too much praises for his alter egos, the Cabinet members. Even Secretary Procy Alcala and Ecot Petilla were being praised, notwithstanding the fact that Alcala bungled his job and needed Kiko Pangilinan to be named as another secretary. Never has there been a cabinet post being occupied by two secretaries. And despite the ''kapalpakans" in the Energy Sector, political ally Petilla was praised to high heavens. Jun Abaya, a LP stalwart, was also praised even while the people were burning his effigy for the MRT debacles.
The President, in his proposed legislative measures, did not mention the Freedom of Information Bill, which he promised in his first SONA. He did not mention the Kentex disaster that defined his administration's lack of concern for the workers' health, safety, and welfare. He defined success in labor administration as absence of strikes. But how can the workers strike when their unions are being busted left and right, and big malls are perpetuating contractualization, while his bureaucrats look the other way. Five million unemployed and twenty million underemployed is the worst among the ASEAN countries.
Even Senator Grace Poe was disappointed why the President opted to ignore the FOI bill. Only the sychopants, the ''balimbing'' trapos and the diehard party mates were very happy with that swan song, which one commentator called a "lame duck quack." Along the Commonwealth Avenue, outside the Batasan, hundreds of thousands of peasants, urban poor, and farmers who were ejected by hacienderos, victims of the coco levy fund scam, and the masses who see the truth in its purest form were burning his effigy and cursing the day he was elected to office. Even the MAKABAYAN bloc led by Representatives Neric Colmenares and Terry Rendon demonstrated right inside the halls of congress.
"Mapang-aping asendero". "Pahirap sa Mga Manggagawa at Kawani." These are some of the placards displayed by Colmenares, Rendon, et al. Perhaps those were the true sentiments of the millions of jobless, homeless, and hopeless Filipinos who were not allowed to enter the halls of the Bataan. That "pa-bebe" SONA was the epitome of a telenovela. We, the ''hoi polloi'' have nothing to say but "E, di wow." And Thank you, bow.
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