SONA PREPARATION. Communications Secretary Martin M. Andanar shares what to expect in President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s 4th SONA during the ABS-CBN News Channel’s (ANC) "Beyond Politics" with Lynda Jumilla on July 16, 2019. Andanar said Duterte’s speech is now 60 to 70 percent complete. (PCOO photo)
MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte’s prepared speech for his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) will likely be completed over the weekend, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar said.
In an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel on Tuesday evening (July 16), Andanar said the progress for Duterte’s SONA speech is about 60 to 70 percent complete.
“Well, we’ve sent messages from the Presidential Management Staff (PMS), they’re asking us to vet some information at least from the Presidential Communications Operations Office. Some messages were also sent to other departments to vet. This is what they want the President to at least read. Once everything’s vetted, it is when the speech writing begins,” Andanar said.
“Well, the speech writing will be...60 to 70 percent complete by the end of this week or during the weekend. We should have at least a briefing with the President on the speech and with the director, Joyce Bernal,” he added.
Andanar also bared some of the contents of President Duterte’s speech in the fourth SONA on Monday, July 22.
“It’s going to be about the Duterte legacy. Under the Duterte legacy would be what the President would be doing for the next three years. And that would be number one, you mentioned earlier, poverty alleviation. Bringing poverty right down from 21 to 14 (percent), and making the economy upper middle class by the end of his term,” he said.
“Second would be the infrastructure projects, ‘Build, Build, Build,’ kasi alam mo (because you know), Lynda (Jumilla), we really have to have hard infrastructure projects at the end of the day. And thirdly, there’s the peace and order highlighting the National Task Force to End Local Communists Armed Conflict. Because you can never have progress without peace and order—I think dyan tututok ang Presidente sa mensahe na yan (the President will focus on that message),” Andanar added.
Nevertheless, he said the Duterte administration’s achievements in the first half of its term are already covered in the three-part pre-SONA Forum conducted in Manila, Cebu, and Davao that began last July 1.
Furthermore, when asked whether it is possible that the President will discuss issues related to the West Philippine Sea, Andanar noted that the President may reiterate his independent foreign policy.
“It’s possible. But, what’s really important is how the President will be able to, also send the message again to the entire nation about our independent foreign policy--- being friends to all and enemies to none --- and it’s really worked on our side so far. We’ve received good trading deals with China and we’ve received more economic packages from Japan,” Andanar said.
“Our economy looks great, and people and different investors from different countries are investing in the Philippines. And I think, I believe that it is a result of that independent foreign policy --- we’re friends to all, enemies to none,” he added.
He noted that the President, being a lawyer, knows what he is doing when it comes to the Philippines’ bilateral relations with China.
“It is essentially the preservation of the life of the Filipino people that is most important as his constitutional duty. Sinasabi niya parati: Handa na ba tayong makipag giyera sa China? Hindi tayo handang makipag giyera sa China dahil kapag nakipag giyera tayo sa China, wala pang limang oras, pulbos na tayong lahat, mga Pilipino (He would always say: Are we ready to go to war with China? We are not ready to go to war with China, because when we go to war with China, in less than five hours, we are wiped out, us Filipinos)...His constitutional mandate is to protect the Filipino, life of every Filipino and that’s it, and he’s coming from that argument,” Andanar said.
Andanar also said while the public has been supportive of the President’s achievements for the past three years based on the recent Social Weather Survey on Duterte’s performance, the government would continue to push for change in the remaining half of its term.
“We have seen the approval rating, 80 percent Filipino adults are satisfied with the President's performance, and we want to-- the people would want to hear what are we going to expect the next three years. Matatapos ba 'yong underground, 'yong subway, matatapos ba 'tong proyekto na 'to, matatapos ba 'yong skyway? (will the underground subway be completed, will this project be completed, will this skyway be completed?) This is really the Duterte legacy that we are really looking at for the next three years,” Andanar said.
“So when you set forth a legacy, then whoever wants to be president in 2022 would really feel pressured. Kasi ang mga botante natin, sanay na sa mataas na standards na (our voters are used to the high standards of) accomplishments. So, therefore, this SONA is very symbolic and exciting, especially for those who want to be-- who are running for president in 2022,” he added. (PR)
