State of Nation Address an outstanding success

It was a 23-minute speech highlighted by 33 applauses and six standing ovations. If you ask me, I would say that it was the most outstanding SONA we had ever heard. No one had any inkling what the President would say. Many assumed that she would talk about the Garci tapes or the jueteng controversy. Instead, she went through the true problems of the nation and the role that the general public should assume under our present predicament. She had her audience totally captivated. When we say audience, we refer to those who were present in the session hall of Congress and those who heard her address through radio and television. Undoubtedly, the President’s 5th SONA address will greatly reduce the number of people who are demanding that she steps down from office.

Another great thing that made the event even more significant was the fact that there were two big rallies outside. One was a rally demanding that she resign from office; the other was for her retention. But both rallies were peaceful. People seem to have learned that violent rallies are always counter-productive. More important demonstrators now acknowledge that they have to get permits from the municipality where they will hold their rally. We have many crucial problems. But we have no problem that can be solved by violence. Riots can only further aggravate the questions we wish to resolve.

One thing the opposition will have to accept after PGMA’s State of the Nation Address is that she has a commanding presence. She had her audience enthralled and she was thoroughly calm. The good thing about President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is that she acknowledges her faults and mistakes. She admitted the fact that she is mataray. You can correct a fault only if you admit to yourself that you have such a fault. Going by her SONA speech, she has learned to control her mood and temper. She has proven that she can be a great public speaker and we hope that she will maintain the standard that she has set for herself.

During the SONA, Senate President Franklin Drilon and Speaker Jose de Venecia became the personification of the opposition and the administration. The Senate President who had asked the President to step down from office sat poker-faced in his chair. He did not seem to be listening to the President’s address. In direct contrast, Speaker de Venecia could not control his response to the words of the President. He would lead the applause and standing ovations.

If anything, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s 5th SONA should make some people think twice. Those who have been demanding that she step down should comment on her State of the Nation Address. If they didn’t like it, they should come out with their own evaluation of our present state of the nation.