Avellanosa-Valle: The ultimate yardstick of the true State of the Nation

AS I listened to the wonderment, praises, criticisms and confusions of peoples from all walks of life in my community regarding the first State of the Nation Address (Sona) of President Benigno Simeon Aquino, the third, I could not help but be thoughtful. I only had one thing in mind while listening to the new President. All the anomalies he rattled off in his speech where nothing new and the Filipino people have long known that such things were happening. The lifestyle of the so-called public servants who became shamelessly, filthy rich and powerful while in government services have clearly flaunted and boasted what they have stashed for themselves and are not even trying to hide it.

Updates on President Benigno Aquino III's presidency

Pomposity is evident in these public servants whose “work” drained the public coffers. And it is only now that they are going to be made to face up to their anomalous deeds. But then, can the Filipino even dare hope for the new government to go after these crooks?

The SONA was portent of things to come, and again. The way that the so-called public servants whom the people were supposed to have voted for to serve them, conduct themselves in a manner that shows flamboyance and being well-placed in society are probably not the public servants that their supposed masters among the masses can hope to serve them.

Can the street children hope to be looked at with compassion by the bejeweled matron with coifed hair who wore her gown like a queen, as many women so-called legislators presented themselves during the Sona? Could the prostituted woman living along the dark alleys of the city hope for her public servant clad in dark, elegant suit and looking so gentlemanly at the Sona to give her respect when he becomes her customer at night in the bar?

Could the old, poor, woman beggar dare to dream for her distinguished Representative in Congress who enjoyed eating in a banquet after the Sona to help her put food on her table? These are but random thoughts but are based on the everyday, ordinary existence that one gets to see in the city. And for me, these are some of the ordinary citizens who can tell the President about the real State of the Nation.

If I may say so, the President can truly tell about the true State of the Nation if he lets his “Boss”, the Filipino masses, speak. Like what he had declared during his confirmation, the Filipinos are his “boss”, and I am really hoping that he spoke from the heart and sincerely meant what he said. Because then, it can only be from the “ordinary” people’s mouth where the true, the real and the actual conditions and situations of the country are reflected and there on, the State of the Nation.

If the President truly cares, he can easily do the things he said he would do, no matter if the coffers are almost empty. The issues of Mindanao that the President seems to brush aside casually, and I am referring to the Moro rebellion and the CPP/NPA/NDF revolutionary movements, are something that he should consider and study more deeply than what he seems to believe. These are things that he should handle with sincerity and transparency because these armed groups are not what the President might have thought they are like.

If the President really believes that he is effective, he must start at the bottom, know the little and the insignificant people including the women and children among the weakest and start working with them like he meant it. Only then can he really say and tell about the true state of the nation.