Written by Anonymous

When President Duterte was merely a presidential candidate, his campaign promised a lot of changes—from a lawless country to one free of criminality; from a corrupt government to a clean administration; and from a hopeless Philippines to a new and better nation.

With that message, he won the people’s hearts; and yesterday, from his first State of the Nation Address (SONA), we can see that President Duterte is ready to fulfill his promises. Recorded as the longest first SONA, the newly appointed president’s speech promises change for the better—it promises to make the Philippines into a nation free of criminality, a nation free of drug lords and drug pushers, a nation with enough discipline to uphold laws, and a nation with less traffic. The question remains, are all these promises empty? Or will this administration follow through?

“I will not waste time dwelling on past sins. Vindictiveness is not in my system.”

President Duterte opened his speech by telling people that dwelling on the past is not the way to affect change. Unlike the previous administration, the Mayor President has decided to let go of all past transgressions. Our current situation is the fault of a number of people, but it does us no good to point fingers and lay blame. Instead, the president has promised to learn from the past and the mistakes of his predecessors, but focus on the future in the hopes of changing the nation.

In his speech, the president tackled many important issues, such as internal security challenges, the traffic situation, social justice, and drugs, among others. It was obvious, though, in his manner of delivery that he felt strongly about some issues more than others. When he was obviously just reading from the teleprompter, his manner of speaking would become rapid and monotone. When he was talking about the issues he feels strongly about, on the other hand, he became animated and started speaking in Tagalog, even cracking a few jokes along the way.

“To our police officers and other officials, do your job and you will have the unwavering support of the office of the president, I will be with you all the way. Abuse your authority and there will be hell to pay, for you will have become worse than criminality itself.”

“Let me repeat my warning to all: DO NOT DO DRUGS.”

He first addressed the problem of criminality and drugs. On the subject of criminality, the President promised to prioritize both equal treatment and equal protection for all—a just and fair, human administration. Through constantly reminding all government units to never let their guard down and to sustain their fight against criminality, President Duterte hopes to create a nation safer for all Filipino citizens.

On the subject of drugs, the president has urged the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) to speed up investigations into police officers involved in criminal and illegal activities. An inter-agency committee on illegal drugs will also be created to enact information campaigns against illegal drug use and drug rehabilitation programs offered by the government. The improvement of government-offered drug rehabilitation programs, facilitated by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), will become a priority under the current administration by increasing both residential treatment and rehabilitation centers nationwide.

“What I see instead are the widows and the orphans, and I feel their pain and grief. And no amount of cash assistance or number of medals can compensate the loss of a human life. Sorrow cuts across every stratum of society, it cuts deeply and the pain lasts forever.”

“To the members of the CPP-NPA-NDF, let me say this, ‘All of us want peace, not the peace of the dead, but the peace of the living.’”

Another important change that the Duterte administration hopes to bring about is lasting peace. On peace processes relating to the international community, this administration hopes to work with international partners to achieve lasting peace in the country.

In the local setting, the president declared a unilateral cease fire with the CPP-NPA-NDF to avoid further bloodshed, restore peace in the communities, and provide an environment for the resumption of peace talks. In addition to that, the president hopes to vigorously address the grievances expressed by the Bangsamoro indigenous people and other groups regarding security, development, fair access to decision making, and acceptance of identities.

“Human rights must work to uplift human dignity, but human rights cannot be used as a shield or an excuse to destroy our country.”

Another strong point of the president’s speech involved human rights. He stated that the human rights of all Filipino citizens—especially the poor, marginalized, and vulnerable—will be upheld through the prioritization of health and education; through providing adequate food and housing facilities; through enacting environmental preservation efforts; and through instilling cultural respect in all citizens. Human rights and social justice will prevail above all else.

He also reiterated that more than just human rights, women’s rights must also be upheld. All Local Government Units (LGUs) are to fully implement the Magna Carta for women. There will also be Universal health care insurance for all Filipinos, so that in times of emergencies, we will be equipped with what we need to survive.

In the case of “squatters,” the Mayor President promised no demolition without relocation. The president will ensure that, before any demolition occurs, those who need to be relocated will have readily available, safe and livable housing facilities. He even offered to buy private lands just to give the less fortunate more places to stay.

The fight for human rights is one that the president has promised to fully undertake—not just for a small portion of society, but for all members of the Philippine nation.

President Duterte also addressed other important issues such as the traffic situation, media transparency, internal security challenges, and public services, among others. He promised a lot of things (such as free WiFi in public areas and government facilities, better train and irrigation systems, a transportation system that will connect all three Philippine island groups, etc.), but as his term has just begun, we have yet to see if he will see things through.

“This will be a clean government.”

Among other things, the president also promised to eradicate corruption. He promised that, if he finds corrupt officials in his office, they will no longer be a part of his administration.

““We must have the courage to fight for what we believe in, undeterred by the fear of failing and losing. Indeed, courage knows no limits; cowardice does.”

Obviously, the president has a lot of plans for this country. He has stated that he wants to make this nation greater than it is today. He mentioned that a lot of budget adjustments will be done and that funds will be reallocated to prioritize building of important infrastructures and enacting necessary programs.

As a critical listener, here are my two cents. If President Duterte upholds and places as much importance on human rights as he says he does, then why does he approve of the extrajudicial killings done in the name of stopping drugs? There have been cases where the drug SUSPECTS have already been killed even without proper investigations. There have also been cases wherein drug USERS were not rehabilitated, but killed instead.

A second thought is, what of the death penalty? The president gave his thoughts regarding federalism, but he did not mention the death penalty. Also missing from his speech was his promise to eradicate or suppress crime and drug abuse in six months. Although he still focused and felt strongly about those topics, he no longer mentioned the deadline. He also failed to mention his plans regarding increasing the pension for SSS members. Oftentimes, it is not merely what you say that is important, but also what you do not say.

The questions now are:

Will the president see his plans through?

Will the president be true to his word?

From this speech, what do you think his first term as president will look like?

From this first SONA, we know that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte wants to affect constitutional change and leave the nation with lasting peace. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

For a list of the president’s promises, click here. For a different summary, click here. For a transcript of his speech, click here. If you want to watch the SONA, click here.

Sources:

Adel, R. (2016, July 14). Human rights advocates urge Duterte to stop extrajudicial killings. Retrieved from http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/07/14/1602791/human-rights-advocates-urge-duterte-stop-extrajudicial-killings

Duterte, R. (2016, July 25). First State of the Nation Address. Speech presented at State of the Nation Address 2016 in Batasang Pambansa, Quezon City.

Fransisco, K. (2016, July 25). Extrajudicial killings won’t win war vs drugs – analyst. Retrieved from http://www.rappler.com/nation/140855-extrajudicial-killings-war-drugs-analyst-sona-2016-philippines