WITH LESS than a month left before President Rodrigo Duterte delivers his last state of the nation address (SONA), his spokesperson on Wednesday listed some of the administration’s top achievements off the top of his head.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said top on the list of the Duterte administration’s achievements is the aggressive anti-illegal drugs campaign.
Duterte, in several speeches, mentioned that it was the duty of the state to protect the people from drug lords and coddlers whose illicit trade has caused dysfunctional families.
“Needless to say marami po tayong nakamit doon sa mga pinangako ni presidente lalung-lalo na dun sa laban sa pinagbabawal na droga (we have achieved a lot on the president’s promise especially against the illegal drug trade),” he said in a press conference in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
Citing Pulse Asia survey results, he said Duterte remains highly popular among Filipinos with a 91 percent approval rating.
“Merong pag-aaral ang Pulse Asia na nagsasabi na karamihan ng ating mga kababayan ay patuloy na nagtitiwala at patuloy pa ring satisfied sa performance ni presidente kasi pinanindigan niya 'yung pangako niya na laban sa droga (There is a study by Pulse Asia that says that many of our people continue to trust and continue to be satisfied with his performance because he kept his promise to fight the illegal drug trade),” he added.
Roque also mentioned the administration’s efforts to cut bureaucratic red-tape and corruption at both the national and regional levels.
“Nandiyan din po 'yung ating mga inroads sa laban sa korapsyan at laban sa red tape (Also among the achievements are inroads in corruption and red tape),” he added.
In October 2020, Duterte ordered the Department of Justice to probe corruption "in the entire government".
As part of efforts to ensure speedier transactions, the President also ordered all agencies and offices to finish transactions within hours.
Moreover, Roque said Duterte also signed milestone bills into laws including Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act and RA 11223 or the Universal Health Care Act to name a few.
“Huwag nating kalimutan na ang Presidente ang kaunaunahang presidente na pumirma ng libreng tuition sa state universities and colleges, libreng paggamot at libreng gamot, Universal Health Care, libreng patubig sa mga maliliit na mga magsasaka, libreng Wi-Fi na pinabibilis na po natin ngayon (Let us not forget that the President is the first president to sign laws on free tuition in state universities and colleges, free healthcare treatment and medicines, the Universal Health Care, free irrigation for farmers, free Wi-Fi among others),” he said.
He also cited Duterte’s signing of laws meant to combat Covid-19 and bankroll billion-peso emergency subsidy programs namely RA 11469 or Bayanihan to Heal as One Act (Bayanihan 1) and RA 11519 or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2).
“At siyempre po 'yung marami pang mga social pieces of legislation kasama na po dito sa kanyang giyera laban din sa Covid, na kasama po diyan 'yun mga libreng [polymerase chain reaction] test na dati rati hindi kabahagi ng programa ng PhilHealth at saka siyempre 'yung nakita natin ngayon, 'yung libreng bakuna na kabahagi din po ng Universal Health Care (Of course there are many social pieces of legislation in the fight against Covid including free PCR testing which was not initially part of the PhilHealth coverage and billions of vaccines under Universal Health Care),” he added.
However, Roque said he would leave it to Duterte to articulate the rest of his administration's achievements in his last SONA on July 26 at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City.
Last week, the Presidential Security Group (PSG) assured the “smooth and safe” conduct of Duterte’s final SONA.
“This will be the last SONA of the President, so we will ensure and assure the Filipino people that it will go smoothly and safely as with the past state of the nation addresses of the President,” PSG commander Brig. Gen. Jesus Durante III said in an interview with state-run PTV-4.
He said ocular and site inspections within Batasang Pambansa Complex have already been conducted. ( Azer Parrocha)
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