PMPI Press Release | Assessment of President Duterte’s 5th SONA
Quezon City, Philippines — A day after President Rodrigo Duterte’s fifth State of the Nation Address, July 28, Philippine Misereor Partnership, Inc. (PMPI), a faith based social development and advocacy network with more than 200 members nationwide held an online assessment of President Duterte’s State of the Nation’s Address (SONA) to the people.
DUTERTE’S GOVERNMENT IS A FAILURE
The Post-SONA “Virtual Rally” overwhelmingly gave a failure grade to five areas the network deems important – Human rights, Environment, Climate Change, Covid-19 response, and Philippine Sovereignty and the West Philippine Sea.
Fr. Danny Pilario, a Vincentian missionary priest in Payatas and known human rights advocate lamented the dangers of the newly passed anti-terror law and its continuous violations of right to life with the continuous killings of supposedly drug users/pushers despite the covid-19 situation. Likewise, the priest said that the government does not anymore respect the sanctity of the church as a place for people’s refuge. He narrated that he was actually in the Quiapo church to attend mass when two police officers confiscated the belongings and placards of some churchgoers who were silently sitting and showing off the placards.
“Para sa’kin, ito ay labag sa karapatang pantao, the human right to worship and express your faith in the divine,” Fr. Pilario said.
“All throughout the history from the medieval times even the ancient times, the church has always been the place of sanctuary and no matter how powerful is political power, they will respect the sanctuary of the church. But today in the context of anti-terror law, police have powers to just enter the church premises, pick on someone even during a rite. This for me is very difficult context on which human rights today is lived in the Philippines,” Fr. Pilario added.
Meanwhile, for Melody Asia, PMPI Anti-Mining campaigner and Rodne Galicha, a climate change advocate and Executive Director of Living Laudato Si’ Philippines, both said that even if President Duterte have mentioned for the fourth time during a SONA his concern for the environment, they are all lip service. The passage of the National Land Use Act (NLUA) which he said is his priority bill is not moving in Congress. There was even no mention to address the issues of climate change and climate emergency.
“How can you not fail this government in terms of environment protection when days before the fifth SONA, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has recommended the reopening of mining sites that were shut down during the time of late Gina Lopez, as DENR secretary and proposed that mining be the driver for our economic recovery, Ms. Asia said.
“No mention of climate change issues clearly indicates that this government does not put importance and priority to address this issue,” Mr. Galicia reiterated.
As for the COVID-19 response of the government, Dr. Isidro Sia stated the need for DOH to improve its response to the pandemic. He emphasized the need for effective communication to facilitate better understanding of the issue, policies on managing it must be humane and compassionate, and governance must be systematic. He said government must learn from experiences of other countries and that whole-of-society approach should be truly adhered to.
“I vehemently disagree to the statement of the President that we can’t do anything on the issue of West Philippine Sea. Sabi niya wala daw siyang magagawa, inutil daw siya. “He should have said that he will defend what we have already won at the United Nation’s Tribunal,” Atty. Alex Lacson, who is also the co-founder of MALCOLM Law Firm, said.
Furthermore, Atty. Lacson said that there are many ways to protect our territories without going to war. He said that other countries have done so already to protect their stakes in contested territories involving China, like Vietnam, Indonesia, and even Australia. “We can’t just surrender without putting up a good fight,” Atty Lacson added.
WHERE TO IN THIS SITUATION?
Bishop Colin Bagaforo, the newly installed National Director of NASSA/Caritas Philippines and Bishop of the Diocese of Kidapawan in a video message said that President Duterte should heed the call of the nation since there is a growing dissent and different opinions with regards to his report.
He asked the faithful to push for nation building that draws out from the demands of faith as indicated in the PCP II (Plenary Council of the Philippines II). “A nation where human dignity is upheld, respected and promoted, where moral principles prevail in social-economic life and where justice, love, solidarity are the inner driving forces of development,” Bishop Bagaforo said.
“We need to push for a just and green recovery and development. It looks like that the hurdle towards this is huge. However we need not lose steam and hope. We have to be patient but persevering, in ensuring that the rights of people and nature are respected, protected and fulfilled by this government” Yoly Esguerra, National Coordinator of PMPI said.
Also admonishing the people to draw strength from the Christian faith and deriving from the story of the weed and wheat in the bible, she said, that the bad weeds will always be around in our society. For now, it might be hard to pull these bad weeds immediately, but at the right time and moment, we will be able to weed out the bad from the good. “For these to happen we must go back to our community and prepare them so that they themselves can recognize the good and bad and claim what is rightfully theirs.” Ms Esguerra added.
The participants in the online assessment have rated President Duterte’s performance with a grade of pass, ambivalent and fail. A whopping 93.2% have rated that President Duterte’s performance on the key thematic issues were a failure and only 6.8% have rated that they feel ambivalent or unsure. No one gave the President a passing grade.
