Sona glossed over suffering Filipinos – CBCP

Philippine Daily Inquirer
Dona Pazzibugan

MANILA, Philippines -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's last State of the Nation Address (Sona) did not reflect the reality lived by millions of ordinary Filipinos, according to the president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

“The state of the nation should also be looked at from the experiences and eyes of the remaining millions who are still suffering from hunger, illiteracy, unemployment, homelessness and sickness. This would balance the picture. They were outside the Sona site,” said CBCP president and Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo in a statement.

He added that Arroyo spoke of macro-level “statistics which most do not understand.”

“But the macro is not always reflective of the micro. Therefore the state of the nation must also consider the millions who make up the micro-level and are missed in the statistics,” said the prelate.

He said the nationwide protest actions and the tight security imposed for the event only “sent a message of fear and insecurity” on the part of the Arroyo administration.

“The circumstances surrounding the Sona were not very comfortable and encouraging,” said Lagdameo.

In his statement, Lagdameo expressed doubt about Arroyo’s intention to step down from power in June 2010 as mandated by the Constitution.

Without categorically stating she had no designs to amend the Constitution and work out a term extension, Arroyo in her speech pointed out that her term "ends next year" and that she had never expressed any desire for a term extension.

She, however, was silent on allegations that she would run for congressman in her home province of Pampanga, which would give her an opportunity to run for prime minister should her allies succeed to amend the Constitution and reinstate a parliamentary form of government.

“This hopefully is the last Sona of the present administration,” said Lagdameo, adding that the country has been “looking forward to the 2010 election of people with new minds, new hearts, new spirit for a better Philippines.”

On the eve of the Sona, Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales had exhorted the President simply to “tell the truth.”

“Whether as projected, the Sona reflected the truth or not, the better thing to do is to compare the Sona with the current situation, perceptions and perspectives of the people from below. From the people we can discover the other side of the state of the nation,” Lagdameo said.

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