Velez: A divided house on Sona

SONA 2018 was supposed to show the President as a Tatay: calm, statesmanlike, reconciliatory, caring but still tough. But he comes home to a house in shambles.

His children who are fed up with his brashness already left to find a better place to breathe. The children who stayed decided to fight before dinner on who gets to sit near Tatay. Sipsin son gets knocked out of the favorite chair by the scheming ate. Tatay comes to the dinner table, finds the children squabbling, and dinner not prepared.

A lonely table perhaps shows the dysfunction of our state of the nation.

SONA’s message was lost. Congress had its own business. There are many theories why Alvarez was ousted. Was it his squabble with Presidential daughter Mayor Inday? Or was he a victim of the Arroyo clique who want to ensure a transition to Federalism with her as prime minister?

And the Left has its own rally as has been the practice every Sona, to symbolize the discontent of the people, who want immediate solutions rather than rhetoric, statistics or fiery cussing words. The united rally of the Left and the opposition turned out strong with 40,000 people marching in Manila. Thousands also showed up in rallies in Davao, Cebu and other regions.

What a difference two years make on the President’s promises to the Left and to the peoples of Mindanao.

Two years ago, Tatay invited the Left straight into Batasan after his first SONA, to talk about how to materialize change. But a year later, he soured on the Left, as he walked to their rally outside Batasan, and “scolded” them for asking too much too soon. This year, there are no tables to share.

Lumads were also invited to the table two years ago. But last year, they got scared when the President said he will bomb their schools. From guests to targets, Lumad children have to study in bakwit schools. Hundreds of Dalagan Manobo and Blaan children in Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat saw their schools shut off due to militarization and bureaucracy. Some 1,600 Manobos are displaced from Lianga.

The Bangsamoro leaders were hoping the Bangsamoro Organic Law would be passed by Congress after marathon sessions in the past week. They sat in Congress and saw the ratification sidelined by a political circus in Sona.

The Sona promised peace for Mindanao, but 300,000 Meranaws are still not home in Marawi. The SONA promised opposition to open-pit mining, but the poor are not in their villages cultivating the land. He applauds the TRAIN Law that will help build projects, but millions are suffering from its effect.

Strange that Tatay said he is concerned of “human lives over human rights”, when they are both the same thing. When there are no lives left, what rights is he talking about?

Tatay said he will do his best, but in the state of this house, has it come late?

(tyvelez@gmail.com)