P-Noy to tackle 'transforming society' in SONA

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang said yesterday the second State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Aquino will not just be a litany of facts and figures that will inevitably compare his government to that of his predecessor, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, but will now be accompanied by an “audio-visual presentation.”

But the speech will again be delivered in Filipino, just like in July 2010, so that people from all walks of life would understand the message the Chief Executive wants to convey to the 95 million Filipinos, a vast majority of whom still live in poverty.

Secretary Ricky Carandang of the Presidential Communications for Strategic Planning and Development Office, whose Communication Group was in charge of drafting the SONA, said the President will try to show citizens where he wants to bring them under his watch.

“The President will talk about transforming society,” he said vaguely in a text message.

Carandang and deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte did not give any additional details about the SONA.

“It’s done. The President saw six drafts before it was finalized but we actually had about eight or nine drafts,” he said, refusing to speculate whether it might still have last-minute changes.

According to Valte, Aquino’s SONA before a joint session of Congress will just be like the one he delivered at the Ultra sports center in Pasig City during his first anniversary in office last June 30.

“There will be an audio-visual presentation. It will be in Filipino,” she said.

The tone will be more of reminding the citizens of Aquino’s mandate, where he was elected overwhelmingly on an anti-corruption platform.

“The important thing here is that the facts and figures that will be mentioned are easily verifiable and are very easy to check. There will also be no human props like the bangkang papel of the previous administration. The President is not fond of that,” Valte added.

Over the weekend, a source hinted that President Aquino will be announcing officially during his SONA his appointment of a new ombudsman, who is most likely retired Supreme Court justice Conchita Carpio-Morales, as he delves on his anti-corruption program.

Three Mala­ca­ñang insiders disclosed that it will indeed be Morales, who will also appoint incumbent commissioner Gerard Mosquera of the Presidential Commission on Good Government, as her assistant ombudsman.

Meantime, lawmakers want President Aquino to bare “specific plans and timelines” in his SONA this afternoon. – With Paolo Romero, Helen Flores, Christina Mendez