BOTH the mayor and vice mayor of Davao City are not impressed with the last State of the Nation Address (Sona) of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III.
Vice Mayor Paolo Z. Duterte said that the President's proclivity to blame his predecessor is disappointing and frustrating, adding that the next president must have a clear policy on issues that truly matter such as our economy, corruption in government, peace in Mindanao, unemployment rate and peace and order throughout the country.
"We have heard the last Sona of the President. After five long years, the blame is still on the previous administration. I am disappointed and frustrated. You don't run your politics like that. You take the cudgels from where the previous admin ended and from there do everything to make things happen for the country,” Vice Mayor Duterte said on his Facebook post.
However, the vice mayor commended the Aquino administration for having hardworking Cabinet members.
“On the other hand, I commend his administration for having some hardworking members of the Cabinet. For example BIR Commissioner Henares. The next president must have a clear policy on issues that truly matter to us such as the our economy, corruption in government, peace in Mindanao, unemployment rate and peace and order thru-out our country. A president whose term is not defined by the weakness of others but by his own strength and capacity," he added.
Meanwhile, City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte gave the President a rating of 7 for his performance. He said he would have given Aquino higher had he also put priority on the problem on illegal drugs which, the mayor said, "infects" 9 out of 10 Filipinos in cities all over the country.
On the issue on dynasty bill which the President is urging Congress to pass, Mayor Duterte doubts if it would be passed by the present Congress. He said no less than President Aquino is a beneficiary of dynasty.
Councilors too
Councilor Lea Librado Yap in the Pulong-Pulong ni Pulong media forum said that she did not watch Sona because she expects that it would be the same.
“Actually to be honest with you wala ko nag-tan-aw ug Sona kay kabalo ko na magbalik-balik lang. The past five Sona niya pare-pareho ang content sa iyang Sona state of the nation address pero napugos ko ug basa kay gitawagan ko ni. basig mangutana daw mo ug Sona. Nakatulog ko ug basa. (Actually to be honest, I did not watch Sona because I know it would be the same. The past five Sona of PNoy has the same content but I was forced to read it because I was asked to. I fell asleep while reading it),” Yap said.
She said that it is very unfortunate that the President kept on repeating the problems of the past administration and he did not mentioned anything on the big events that happened in his administration such as the DAP, PDAF and the Mamasampano incident.
“In my own assessment sa iyang achievement sa iyang sona, I am giving him four because again it is a rehash of what he has been saying for the last five years,” Yap added.
City Councilor Diosado Mahipus quipped that he was not disappointed, but only because he did not expect much.
“So I am not actually disappointed because I have no expectations of PNoy making a great president. I just wish that next time we would be more circumspect in choosing national leaders,” Mahipus added.