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The third and final regular session of the 16th Congress opens Mon, Jul 27, with President Benigno Aquino III’s final State of the Nation Address (SONA) amid tight security, high attendance, and expectations that he will talk about his legacy and a preview of his endorsement of his preferred successor.
For UP Professor Ranjit Rye, legacy should rank high up in the President’s final report to the nation. “I expect a reaffirmation of his governance narrative and the need to support a leader with the same reformist agenda for 2016,” Rye said.
Another UP Political Science professor Jan Robert Go added: “We may also expect PNoy to give a valediction and advice the Filipinos on how or who to vote as president in the 2016 elections. He may not exactly name the person. But I suspect he will already hint on it. The President is fond of recognizing members of his cabinet. Let us expect a longer if not greater treatment on DILG and Mar Roxas.”
Aquino is expected to report the accomplishments of his five-year presidency and indicate his anointed successor.
But Rye expects this SONA to be emotional for Aquino.
“I am thinking this will be an emotional SONA for the President who despite his good intentions failed to provide the leadership to push his reforms foward,” he said. “By the way, he will also highlight the consistent growth and expansion of the economy during his term. On the whole he did better than his predecessor but he could have done more. Failed expectations and weak leadership will be continuing issues against him.”
Rye continued: “Like all farewell SONAS it will be a reiteration of achievements of his various programs especially, with regards to security sector modernization, anti-corruption campaign, peace process, K-12 and CCT. He will also emphasize foreign policy initiatives i.e West Philippine Sea. He will talk about the budget for 2016. He will also focus on pending legislation and programs. We’re hoping he will finally support the FOI.”
Go agreed. “PNoy’s last SONA may highlight the key accomplishments of his administration, especially the anti-corruption efforts,” Go said. “He may project this as his legacy. Definitely, he will have a last-minute wish list for Congress to act on. BBL is on that list; I’m not sure about FOI.”
In a statement, Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo said the President “should also set the agenda after he leaves his office and make sure that the Daang Matuwid should be followed by his successor.”
For members of the Liberal Party, that leader is nobody else but DILG Secretary Mar Roxas, LP president on leave and the President’s running mate in 2010 who slid down in favor of Aquino.
But Castelo said the President should not name his successor because the SONA is not an occasion for political power play.
Text: RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News
This article has been re-published with permission from ABS-CBNnews.com.
