BAYAN reaction to Sona 2024

It may be raining hard in the streets but it was raining lies inside the Batasang Pambansa during the State of the Nation Address of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

After two years in power, he keeps on saying the lives of ordinary Filipinos have improved. He failed to mention his epic failure to bring down the prices of basic goods, particularly rice; and the refusal of his government to support a substantial wage hike for workers.

He mentions extending support to our people through crop insurance, medical assistance, and technology-driven education reforms which are at best palliative compared to what we have been demanding: genuine land reform and production subsidy for farmers, bona fide universal health care, and higher state subsidy for the education sector. He also would take away Philhealth funds for his administration’s pork barrel expenditures.

He claimed to be a “proactive advocate for heightened climate responsibility and justice” but contradicted himself by mentioning the Jalaur River Multipurpose Project, a large-scale construction that threatens to destroy the environment and displace Tumandok Indigenous Peoples.

He cited the “KALINISAN sa Bagong Pilipinas” and the “Bigyang Buhay Muli ang Ilog Pasig” yet his government has approved destructive projects like PAREX, reclamation, and mining. He also didn’t speak about the dirty impact of foreign military basing and frequent military exercises on our shores and inside our territories.

He was silent about several controversial initiatives like the Maharlika Investment Fund, expansion of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with the United States, intensified military exercises with foreign troops, the signing of the Reciprocal Access Agreement with Japan – all of which are costly programs that allow foreigners to undermine our sovereignty and exploit our resources.

He has the temerity to brag about the “bloodless war on dangerous drugs” even if a considerable number of drug-related killings have been documented over the past two years. He said that the 8 E’s of his government’s anti-drug campaign does not include “Extermination”. On the contrary, cases of Extrajudicial killings and Enforced Disappearances have continued to persist under his presidency.

His “peace program” has resulted in numerous violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. Red-tagging remains the de facto response of state forces to dissent and activism; trumped-up cases are filed against critics and human rights defenders; and militarization in rural communities involve the use of aerial bombs.

Marcos Jr. once again was ominously silent about peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines. He is clearly one with the militarist mindset that denies legitimate and deeply rooted reasons for armed conflict; considers the violations of human rights and IHL as acceptable “collateral damage” in its counterinsurgency program; and the bloated and graft-ridden NTF-ELCAC “baranggay development funds” as the answer to socioeconomic injustice. History has proven such all-out war policy is doomed to fail.

He bragged about new jobs created under his watch, but have hardly made a dent on chronic unemployment and underemployment. Not to mention are these decent, stable, and high quality jobs? He enumerated several infrastructure projects but are they accessible to the poor and the PWD? Have they made a difference to the harried commuter making do with a broken transportation system? Or are they similar to the PWD footbridge ramp of the MMDA that looks more like a slide in an amusement park? He talked about “railway renaissance” even if most of the projects are focused in Metro Manila and what’s more the prospect that these are tainted with corruption with only favored cronies benefitting from these investments.

He identified smugglers, hoarders, companies who overcharged consumers, and POGO operators yet he didn’t mention the actions taken by the government against these unscrupulous groups and their powerful benefactors in government. Despite the applause of his select audience at the Batasan, there is the question whether only certain POGOs will be shut down while those given a new name — internet gaming licensees — will continue.

Lastly, the hardline stance of the Marcos Jr government and its intolerance to dissent is proven once more in the announcement of the police to file charges against SONA protesters. We condemn the continued use of Martial Law tactics and ML laws like BP 880 in undermining the people’s freedom of expression and assembly. We will continue to defy unjust restrictions as we call on authorities to stop weaponizing the laws and judicial process to stifle legitimate criticism and dissent.

Marcos Jr’s SONA once again confirms our assertion that his regime is insincere and resorting to lies about bringing real change in Philippine society. He is obsessed with rebranding, self-assured in his empty rhetoric and treasonously embracing the agenda of foreign powers like the US. It is up to our people to continue the struggle for real freedom, justice, and democracy in our country.

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