First SONA of Rodrigo Duterte, 16th President of the Philippines

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"And I was hopeful that the next six years will be different, but it seems a lot of people want to see the world as a grim place, maybe the world is a grim place, maybe the Philippines is a grim place, the more we see it that way, the more it becomes, it's the law of the Universe.

While I see, what you see, I am choosing to see my world and my country not as dark, not as grim, it is the story I want to tell myself in the next six years.

To quote Robert Redford, he said,

" But the story, I think, can be retold, and I really believe that you’re the ones to do it.”

I can't and won't tell anyone how to see their world, the only thing I ask, is for us to have a little more faith, in ourselves and in our country.

I believe what you don't strengthen, you weaken." - Napo Belran

The first State of the Nation Address (SONA) of the 16th President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Roa Duterte happens on July 25, 2016 at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City.

Around 3,000 guests have been invited, but hoping it won't be another fashion or modeling show for the politicians who will flaunt their outfits personally created for them by popular designers. I think the dress code for President Rodrigo Duterte’s first State of the Nation Address has just gotten more specific. Guests were asked not to wear long dresses.

All four living former presidents are invited to the very first SONA of the President, but it appears his immediate predecessor, former President Benigno Aquino III, has decided to skip the event.

My impression of Digong has evolved. He’s not as bad as I thought he would be. But is he? or is his people doing the "campaign" to make him look good eventhough he continues to be the dirty politician who would not hesitate to kill to cleanse society.

But are we indeed witnessing the elimination of the bad elements of society, or are all we seeing are just the small time crooks, and yet the real sources of these crimes are still safely enjoying their illegally accumulated riches.

When they announced that they finally killed a big time drug lord, I still had doubts he was just a pawn sacrificed to further deceive us. This is how doubtful many of us are since we could not really erase our previous impressions of Digong. He would remain the bad boy of Davao who won the Presidency because the rest of the presidential candidates were more of the traditional politician and he stood out as the only one annoyingly different among them.

"What I would do is urge Congress to restore the death penalty by hanging, especially if you use drugs," could really mean his sincerity towards the fight against drugs.

He said he was going to clean up the force by asking the guilty to voluntary resign, “I know you will lose your jobs, but please look for an honorable way out.”

He is equally warning corrupt journalists: "Just because you're a journalist you are not exempted from assassination, if you're a son of a b----,"

But what I liked about him is his plan to open up Malacanang for public visit. “I want the people, especially school children, to learn more about the presidency and the government,” said Duterte of his plan to open the palace to the public.

He also said that “During my time there will be no demolition pag walang relocation, ‘di ako papayag." However, this should not mean that informal settlers or squatters should use that as an excuse to build houses and claim properties not of their own. There are many who abuse and misuse, and then cry violation of human rights in defense.

Before he had no intended cabinet position for Vice President Leni Robredo, but it soon changed after they personally met at a certain event because soon thereafter he offered her the housing chief.

Last news I've heard about him was the signing of a sort of Freedom of Information (FOI) Executive Order (EO) but still with limitations especially when it pertains to national security. But with every existing limitation, the lawyers of every government agency would still find flaws especially when the people have no capacity to legally fight back.

There are many things to say about Digong, yet just as how there are many detractors (and supporters) of the previous presidents, we have never seen any President who is generally favored and seen without any flaws.

However, Digong is to be considered an enigma for he is the only one who was seen as obviously faulty in most of his ways yet he emerged as teh triumphant winner of the Philippine Presidency. 

We welcome his presidency, but we have to disagree with him on how he looks at human rights and how he addresses criminality.”

For us, the SONA is actually not necessary. The same information can be easily shared in several other mediums. It is merely a very expensive and grand propaganda only meant to further make him look good by uttering words only intended to please the masses and irk his political adversaries.

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