HIGH HOPES

From the toll of the war against drugs and the breakdown of law and order to the high cost of commodities and the Train Law, allies and critics of President Rodrigo Duterte alike have high expectations that the President will address them all in his third State of the Nation Address (Sona) today.

The Commission on Human Rights in Central Visayas, for example, would want the President to make a clear statement to protect a person’s constitutional rights, especially during police operations; while other sectors want the President to report on the reduction of crime incidents in the country largely due to his iron fist policies against drugs and other forms of criminalities.

For Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III, the Sona would be an opportunity for the President to spell out his plan for a constitutional change that would transform the country’s form of government from presidential to federal.

“I also believe that the President will ask Congress to tackle and deliberate immediately the draft of the federal constitution once he submits it to Congress,” Davide said.

He said he also anticipated that the President would review some of his campaign promises, especially his war against illegal drugs.

“I expect that President Duterte will renew his commitment in the fight against illegal drugs and corruption in fulfillment of his campaign promise,” he said.

Davide was among the Cebu officials who would be flying to Manila to attend the Sona.

Tabogon Mayor Zigfred Duterte, the President’s relative and doppelganger, was meanwhile hopeful that Mr. Duterte would outline the infrastructure projects under his administration’s Build Build Build program; and to report on the government’s fight against illegal drugs, among others.

Still at the Capitol, the Provincial Board (PB) has decided to suspend its regular session for today so that the PB members can listen to the President’s Sona.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque quoted President Duterte, who is known for his long impromptu speeches, as saying that the President would read a prepared speech, which would not exceed 35 minutes.

In a statement, Roque said the President would highlight in his speech his plans for the next 12 months.

“Traditionally, the Sona is a highlight of achievements of the previous year, but this year’s Sona is all about the essentials on what PRRD intends to do in the next twelve months of his administration,” he said.

People’s Sona

On the other hand, the Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and other law enforcement agencies in Cebu and in the region have placed themselves on heightened alert for immediate mobilization amid expected protest actions by anti-Duterte forces.

Supt. Reyman Tolentin, spokesperson of the Regional Police Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), said that the Civil Disturbance Management Team (CMD) of the regional police has been placed on standby to address any untoward incident.

This developed as militants belonging to Bayan Central Visayas were set to stage at least three simultaneous protest actions, dubbed as the “United People’s Sona,” in the cities of Cebu and Toledo and on Bantayan Island in Cebu province today.

The militants were scheduled to converge at the Capitol grounds at 8 a.m. before marching to Camp Sergio Osmeña, the regional police headquarters located on Osmeña Boulevard, before finally proceeding to downtown Cebu City for their main program.

Cebu City policemen were expected to increase their visibility on the streets today to prevent any untoward incident that may especially result from the scheduled protest action.

Senior Insp. Arieza Otida, Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) information officer, said that Supt. Royina Garma, the CPPO director, gave instructions for the city’s police force to patrol crowded streets.

On the other hand, Senior Supt. Julian Entoma, head of PRO-7’s operations and planning division, affirmed that they placed on standby CDM personnel as augmentation force.

“I cannot give you as to how many but rest assured that we will continue to observe maximum tolerance (on rallyists),” he said.

Senior Supt. Manuel Abrugena, director of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO), meanwhile, said he instructed the different station commanders in the province to be on alert.

Senators, too

The senators also have their own expectations on today’s Sona.

For Sen. Franklin Drilon, the President must discuss ways to alleviate the burden of high prices of goods on poor Filipino families, and the alleged impunity with the rise of crime against public officials.

Speaking in an interview over dzBB on Sunday, Drilon claimed that Filipinos expect a lot from Duterte, especially after he promised during the campaign period to do away with crime and drugs in a span of merely six months.

The National Capital Region Police Office has said that the crime rate in the metropolis went down 25 percent in the first half of 2018 compared to the same period in 2017.

Meanwhile, a Social Weather Stations survey said that the number of families victimized by crime in the country dropped from 1.7 million to 1.5 million in the first quarter of the year.

Sen. Nancy Binay, on the other hand, believed that the drug war and the administration’s poverty alleviation program for the remaining three years of Duterte’s term should be talked about.

“I hope the President focuses on addressing yung mga issue na dikit sa sikmura ng mga tao tulad ng pag-kontrol ng inflation, paglikha ng trabaho, at murang bilihin (gut issues such as how to control inflation, job creation and bringing down the cost of commodities). More jobs, less jabs,” Binay said in a statement on Sunday.

For Sen. Sonny Angara, he would like to hear the prioritization of the Universal Healthcare Bill, the salary increase for teachers, and the creation of more jobs.

“Health expenses drive poor Filipinos to deeper poverty,”Angara, who authored the bill, said on Sunday.

On TRAIN law

Both Drilon and Binay said that the topic of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law should also be a focal point for today’s Sona.

Drilon, in particular, called on the President to issue a directive which would enable both chambers of Congress to solve the increase in prices of goods.

The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) has said that the TRAIN Law has little effect on the rise of the prices of goods.

Neda Secretary Ernesto Pernia blamed the higher prices of goods mostly to the rise of oil prices in the global market and the fall in the value of the peso. /WITH INQUIRER.NET