Essentialy Gloria Macapagal -Arroyo’s last State of the Nation Address (Sona) was nothing but a compendium of lies, half-truths and attacks on her critics. She did not even mention anything that is really beneficial to the Filipino people, the passage of the so-called Cheaper Medicines Law notwithstanding.
In fact her economic figures do not even correspond with other economists and analysts who are also keeping tabs on our economy. One of whom is Peter Wallace, who said that Gloria’s figures do not jibe with his.
As for her political plans, Gloria remains coy and left the possibility of her running for a seat in Congress a possibility. On the matter of martial rule and the state of emergency, she said that she never declared martial rule and only used the state of emergency to quell a coup de etat. Though, in reality we are already under one albeit it is undeclared, it is evident as rallies and other expressions of dissent are violently dispersed, thousands have been killed and tortured extra-judicially and more than 200 have been forcibly disappeared.
Aside from this Gloria even used the Sona to attack her critics who continually expose the corruption and anomalies of her regime. Instead of doing all she can to improve the lives of Filipinos where it really matters like free education, stable and decent paying jobs and genuine peace, she opted to sow more division. She is not saying goodbye, she is preparing for a campaign.
What is clear though is that everyone even her allies want her out of power after 2010. This is unanimous and no one in our history is so reviled (maybe except Marcos) that Filipinos are really itching to have her out of their lives.
Tessa Lopez
Public Information Officer
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Bikol (BAYAN-Bikol)
Brgy.17, Legazpi City, Albay