Viewpoints
Non-SONA
By +Oscar V. Cruz D. D.
It is not simply pitiful but also shameful, not merely pathetic but in fact lamentable as well. After no less than eight (8) glorious and majestic SONA addresses delivered with all possible glamour and grandiosity, the Philippines has in fact become much more desperate while the people are thus understandably very restless and defiant. And rightfully so. Electoral cheating was engaged by even the supposedly highest public official in the land. Graft and corruption in government have become but a matter of fact. Poverty and want have long become the norm of the times.
It is for this reason that while SONA is supposed to be a much awaited good news worthy of a anticipatory spirit and celebratory mood, exactly today it is met with protest marches and rallies – complete with much insulting flags and placards, not to mention so many monstrous effigies and indignant shouts. This is also why, thousands of policemen not without the backing of the military, fire trucks plus barbwires are all over Metro Manila – not to say those armed to the teeth guards assigned to the main roads all leading to the “battle ground” with the specific order to drive them away back to where they came from. This is exactly not only a highly ridiculous but also a dangerous picture when the high and the mighty are so much afraid of the lowly common people and the helpless poor.
Thus it is that the big loud popular celebration of EDSA 2 that catapulted someone to occupy the Malacanang Palace, some eight (8) years later – that is too long a chance for the same individual to prove honesty, integrity and competence –became such that the then rejoicing has now turned to much anger, big, very big disgust plus intense resentment exactly towards the same persona. The truth is that in no way does it stops there. There are even popular and strong demands for the same character to descend from the throne and go away, to leave people alone and to go to prison for the some one hundred and one gross shenanigans.
It is not really unreasonable to ask what is the real worth of a SONA that is delivered by someone perceived very dishonest and wherefore so distrusted. If lies were again said on the occasion, what is new? If truth were by chance told, who would believe? This is the big predicament of someone who is more known for corruption unlimited, for deceit unlimited. Such is the grave social liability of an individual who is used to saying what is neither true or needed, who is at home saying what is not meant, comfortable with hiding realities and with proclaiming but dreams and falsities.
”NON-SONA” exactly means that, i.e., it is by and large one long-winded speech for the whole nation to watch and jeer, to listen to and joke about – except for those who are well-dressed and much-jeweled individuals present at the Hall of Congress. These are expected to clap with the proper cues. Meantime, even if someone says that it is the end of the road for the same, who will believe? Not these supposedly loyal allies. Much less the general public. What a very sad spectacle of distinctly faking “insiders” and loudly jeering “outsiders”.
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