Palace: No 'bangkang papel boys' in Noy's SONA

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino's State of the Nation Address (SONA) will have no bangkang papel (paper boats).

Speaking to reporters, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda yesterday said: "I can describe to you what it will not be, there will be no bangkang papel boys," referring to the "paper boat boys" used by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in a past SONA. 

Aquino will deliver his SONA again in Filipino.

Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III will act as translator.

Lacierda said the SONA will use visuals for the whole nation to appreciate the reforms that the government has undertaken.

"There will be some, shall we say visuals that will aid those who will be able to see," he said.

"It's important that we also provide visuals for some of the things that the President will be mentioning."

Lacierda refused to say whether Aquino would again take up the country's claim over China on Panatag (Scarborough) shoal.

"Let's just wait for the delivery of the President on the SONA," he said.

"I think Senator Enrile said it (Spratlys issue) should not be mentioned primarily because it's a national security issue and it will be telegraphing our message."

Lacierda did not also say whether the detention of former president Arroyo on charges of electoral sabotage and plunder, and the removal of Renato Corona as chief justice will be counted as among Aquino's accomplishments.

"We still don't know what will the final product of the SONA speech will be," he said.

"Better to wait for he President to deliver it rather than give you tips. Let's wait for the delivery of the President. I'm sure all your questions will be answered."

Lacierda said the campaign against corruption will still be a priority for the administration.

"The road map of the President will necessarily involve both the anti-corruption program because that's part of our advocacy 'kung walang corrupt walang mahirap' and also our roadmap, our economic roadmap," he said.

 "That's included. Many inputs were suggested and by this time, we're already finalizing the SONA. (One more run though) and then hopefully, he's already prepared."

Lacierda said preparations for this year SONA are more thorough. "We have much more time to prepare for the SONA this year," he said.

"And the drafts this year are a lot lesser than the drafts last year. The President is going to roll out what happened during the past year and from there you could already see our programs of government. There will be a slew of topics, things to be discussed. In general that would be our description of the SONA."

Zambales Rep. Milagros Magsaysay will support the administration's key socio-economic and anti-graft programs if they are not just promises.

"(I will give my) full support to the projects of the President once he substantiates his SONA promises with a concrete action plan, and as long as policies being implemented by the government truly benefit the greater majority," she said.

Magsaysay said she has always been supportive of programs that address the needs of the people.

"I have no problem supporting the administration and this has nothing to do with politics," he said.

"If there are programs that will truly address the problems of the poor and the regular folk, why not? But so far, it seems that I will continue in my role as a critic because frankly, while the President scored major achievements, these are not enough."

Magsaysay said the administration's promises are based on vague and flowery words, buried by statistics and catch phrases that look good in the newspapers and sound great on TV but they remain just words.

"The time for words is long past, we need to see what became of those promises because Juan de la Cruz is not feeling the development that they are claiming and the projects that seek to uplift the poor are not really working, so where does that leave us now?" she said.

Sen. Gregorio Honasan believes Aquino must report his accomplished projects and priority this year in his SONA.

Honasan said that Aquino must update the people on his priority projects.

"The people should know what are his accomplished projects and what are the laws that the President has launched during his two-year (stay)," he said.

Honasan spoke to reporters at the Central Luzon police headquarters yesterday.

He turned over 30 computer units and five printers for the police stations in Tarlac and Aurora.

Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano will join the demonstration against the SONA to protest violent demolitions affecting more than 16,000 families and the displacement of 1.4 million families in the administration's Public Private Partnership projects.

"We have very little to look forward to in the President's upcoming SONA," he said.

"As far as we are concerned, the past two years under Aquino yielded no significant reforms and benefits for worker, farmers, fisher folks and urban poor sectors."

Mariano said two years is long enough to know Aquino's brand of leadership - pro-foreign and anti-people.

"As expected, President Aquino will use 'yellow magic' to paint illusions of growth, development and good governance," he said.

"But the people will not buy it. We know the truth.

"Despite Malacañang's perceived 'inclusive growth' based on the 6.4 percent growth in gross domestic product in the first quarter, economic indicators and actual conditions prove that there had been no significant improvement in the quality of life of Filipinos."

Mariano said wages are still pegged to the floor and far from the required daily cost of living because of Aquino's rejection of the legislated wage increase demand.

"Despite the P30 wage hike in the National Capital Region, the mandated minimum wage of P446 in May 2012 is just 44 percent of the required P1,017 family living wage," he said.

"While wages remain low, workers and consumers endured unending price hikes under the Aquino administration. Oil prices, power, water and toll rates have increased tremendously in the past two years. The government did nothing to prevent the spate of price hikes, inflation and rising cost of living. Constant price hikes contributed to the worsening domestic hunger and poverty."

Protests

The Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) rallied yesterday at the Paco Market in Manila to call on the public to join the protest against the SONA on Monday.

KMU chairman Elmer Labog said Aquino would brag about economic progress which workers and the poor do not experience.

"Can the President deliver his SONA in a wet market?" he asked.

"President Aquino will find it hard to deliver his SONA in a wet market, as workers and poor people will find a rosy picture of the economy unconvincing. They will contest claims that their lives have improved under the present government. – With Paolo Romero, Sandy Araneta, Ding Cervantes, Ric Sapnu, Rhodina Villanueva