“What achievements are they talking about? Are they from another planet”?
This was the response of Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros to a Malacanang statement denying that President Rodrigo Duterte is distracting the public’s attention from pressing issues and asserting that he is succeeding in delivering on his promises to the electorate.
Malacanang issued the statement after Hontiveros accused Duterte of engaging in diversionary tactics with his latest controversial statements.
“List of broken promises”
“What accomplishments are Malacanang talking about? Saang planeta ba sila naroroon? All the people see is a long list of broken electoral promises. First, President Duterte failed to end crime and illegal drug trafficking in his first six months in office. Second, he has failed to put a stop to labor contractualization. Third, he has broken his promise to farmers to distribute the Coco levy fund. Fourth, he has failed to implement an independent foreign policy, succumbing to China. Fifth, the President has failed to ensure affordable food for Filipinos, unable to protect the people from TRAIN, the rising inflation rate and the unmitigated price of gasoline. The list goes on and on,” Hontiveros said.
“Duterte lost the war”
“President Duterte declared war on many fronts. A war against illegal drugs. A war against labor contractualization. A war against foreign domination. A war against poverty. The President has lost all the wars he has waged. He not only lost, he has cowered in the trenches and waved the white flag of surrender,” Hontiveros stressed.
Hontiveros maintained that the Duterte administration is engaged in diversionary tactics because it has no concrete policy responses to the country’s important political and economic issues.
“It’s all smoke and mirrors. It’s state-sponsored obfuscation. It’s no coincidence that President Duterte has issued provocative statements leading to the second anniversary of our historic victory in the United Nations arbitration tribunal against China and his State of the Nation Address (SONA), both happening this July. There is a clear attempt to divert public attention away from burning issues such as China’s encroachment on our territory and the government’s overall dismal performance,” Hontiveros pointed out.
The opposition Senator enumerated some of the issues that the Duterte administration is trying to deflect:
- The thousands dead as a result of its bloody drug war, as validated recently by well-known academics and researchers from the country’s top universities.
- The government’s nontransparent and erratic foreign policy, China’s violation of our territorial integrity and the foreign affairs department’s implausible 50-100 “diplomatic actions” against Beijing.
- The gross incompetence and corruption plaguing the current administration.
- The rising inflation rate, the weakening of the Peso and the general slowing down of the economy.
- The deep, negative impacts of TRAIN on many Filipinos.
“Face the issues, end the gibberish”
“Kung tunay na may tapang at malasakit si Pangulong Duterte, harapin niya nang tapat ang mga isyu ng mamamayan. Huwag siyang magtago sa mga walang kapaki-pakinabang at nakakainsultong pahayag para ilihis ang atensyon ng publiko at pagtakpan ang kanyang mga pagkukulang at kapalpakan. President Duterte’s political antics have failed to amuse and have only dismayed. It’s time for President Duterte to cease his gibberish and face the issues,” Hontiveros ended. #
