P-noy’s Sona: ‘Tuwid na daan’ na naman?

THE Constitution provides that Congress convenes its regular session every year on the fourth Monday of July. And it has been a tradition that the President delivers a State of the Nation Address (Sona) on this occasion.

This afternoon, President Benigno Aquino III will deliver his fourth Sona when the 16th Congress convenes.

He will report to the Filipino people his accomplishments and achievements last year and outline his vision and mission for the year to come.

What can we expect from the President’s Sona?

Will he continue to highlight his “tuwid na daan” policy that focuses on fighting corruption? Will he continue to blame the Arroyo administration for the economic and political woes of his administration? Will he continue to claim he inherited these problems from his predecessor?

In his previous Sonas, P- Noy blamed Arroyo for the miserable plight of the Filipino people because of massive corruption during her administration.

Some sectors believe P-Noy has been using Arroyo as a scapegoat for his administration’s failure to address various problems confronting the country.

Will the President still do this after three years in power? If he does, it’s like whipping a dead horse or becoming “historical,” not “hysterical.” Meaning, keep on repeating a story.

Let me tell you a story about “hysterical” and “historical.” A husband told his kumpare about his fight with his wife the night before. He said, “Pre, nag- away ming misis gabii unya ‘ historical’ kaayo siya.” His kumpare corrected him. “Pre, dili na ‘ historical.’ ‘ Hysterical’ na.” His kumpare insisted. “‘ Historical’ lagi pre kay bisan ang akong sayop nga dugay na kaayo, balik- balikon og estorya.”

And will P-Noy’s “tuwid na daan” really eradicate corruption in government agencies like the Bureau of Customs, Public Works and Highways or Bureau of Internal Revenue? Have corrupt police officials stopped accepting monthly “payola” from gambling lords? I doubt.

What about the pilferage of confiscated smuggled rice stored at the Cebu International Port? Isn’t that a form of corruption?

It is corruption because someone allowed the sacks of rice to be brought out in exchange for a certain amount of money. Even legitimate importers are complaining because corrupt customs officials allegedly prey on them even if they’ve paid the legal fees.

Have public works officials stopped demanding commissions, SOPs and kickbacks for infrastructure projects? Have some BIR personnel who “teach” property owners how to reduce their property gains tax payments in exchange for an “under-the-table” deal stopped this practice? Mas dako pa ang nahatag sa taga- BIR kay sa nakolektang buhis para sa gobiyerno.

The biggest corruption takes place in Congress. I doubt the President can stop that, considering it’s an equal branch of government.

There’s no question P- Noy, like his mother Cory, is honest and straightforward. But what about the people around him? His “kamag-anak, kaklase at kabarilan?”

We’ll carefully listen to the chief executive’s Sona and we will assess him later if he has been telling the truth and if he has the vision to uplift this country’s condition to the next level.