PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte delivered his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) consisting of 19 pages worth mostly of make-believe narration of the actual state of the nation, reiterating his unfulfilled promises from three years ago.
The President is still waging his war against illegal drugs, which the entire world has seen as nothing but a war against the poor. During his campaign, he promised to end the drug war in three to six months, but three years after he was elected, all he did was to end the lives of thousands of Filipinos the police officers conveniently tagged as either “nanlaban” suspects or collaterals. And worse, justice remains elusive for all of these victims as the State perpetrators exploit and contort existing laws to suit their whims and ensure impunity.
Duterte said he is willing to go to jail, but only if he is provided with a comfortable cell and unlimited conjugal visits. But how does he deserve this kind of comfortable and frivolous treatment while the poor continues to face threats, harassment, and worse, the barrel of a gun?
Recently, the United Nations Human Rights Council voted to look into the killings in the Philippines, which the administration shunned.
Instead of welcoming the independent examination, he called again for Congress to reimpose the death penalty for drug suspects and plunderers.
For whom, really, is the death penalty this administration vehemently pushes for?