Senator set to deliver counter-SONA

MANILA, Philippines — Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano is ready to deliver his “kontra-SONA” on Tuesday after President Marcos’ fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) tomorrow.

The “kontra-SONA” is a parliamentary tradition in the Senate where minority senators can refute the President’s version of the country’s present state.

In a Facebook Live on Friday afternoon, Cayetano asked his followers on social media to tell him what they wanted addressed in his kontra-SONA.

He said for him, SONA should be translated into “SANA” for “stewarding a national agenda,” as he added his call for unity instead of partisan politics.

For his part, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian expects President Marcos to tackle measures on how to address the rising costs of living and slow economic growth.

Speaking on dzBB on Friday, Gatchalian attributed the economic slowdown to decreased infrastructure spending brought about by the flood control mess.

He said while he could not predict what the President would say tomorrow following last year’s “Mahiya naman kayo” remark to corrupt contractors and lawmakers, there has been progress in going after those behind the massive public works corruption scheme.

“What’s important is that it won’t happen again. That is where I’m concerned. When the people forget, it will repeat. So, reforms and processes in the system are important,” Gatchalian said.

Meanwhile, Consumer advocacy group CitizenWatch Philippines yesterday urged Malacañang to include the long-delayed proposed Site Blocking bill in the priority legislative agenda.

CitizenWatch co-convenor Kit Belmonte said the measure has become essential to protect Filipino consumers, strengthen intellectual property rights and sustain the country’s digital economy.

Site blocking works through the Shared Blocking Management Database, a content control portal that allows regulators to work with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center and the National Telecommunications Commission in disrupting illegal online activities across multiple sectors.

“Government agencies have shown they can work together to curb illegal online gambling, financial scams, fake medicines, online child exploitation and other digital threats through a coordinated, rules-based mechanism,” Belmonte said.

He said the government’s experience with this provides a compelling case for institutionalizing site blocking through legislation.

Belmonte said Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines has made significant progress in strengthening intellectual property enforcement but noted that the agency’s site-blocking capability remains a work in progress without explicit statutory authority.

Belmonte said the proposed legislation is also aligned with the administration’s broader economic agenda of promoting innovation and the creative economy, digital transformation and investment-led growth.

He said this has become even more urgent as artificial intelligence rapidly transforms industries worldwide. — Bella Cariaso