MANILA – People want to hear many things from Rodrigo Duterte’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) Monday but Ilonggo senator Franklin Drilon wants the President to give particular attention to two.
“Una, ibig naming marinig iyong mga gagawin at panukalang batas para ma-address ang kahirapan, lalo na sa pagtaas ng presyo ng bilihin,” the Senate minority leader said Sunday.
Inflation has reached 5.3 percent in June this year, he noted.
“Pangalawa, iyong patuloy na breakdown ng law and order,” said Drilon. “Maraming officials ang target at patuloy rin ang extrajudicial killings. Mukhang may culture of impunity.”
He reiterated: “Iyong mga measures na tutugon sa kahirapan at iyong peace and order situation. Iyong culture of impunity na parang tuluy-tuloy na lang at walang natatakot sa batas. I-address iyang dalawang bagay na iyan sa SONA.”
In addition, Drilon encouraged Duterte to ask Congress to convene to deliberate on measures that will reduce inflation.
“At the very least, tawagin ang Kongreso para maupo at tingnan kung saan nagkamali para ma-address itong pagtaas ng pangunahing bilihin dahil sa tumaas ng inflation. I-convene ang Kongreso at komite para pag-aralan kung ano ang dapat gawin,” he said.
The higher inflation may be attributed to the reported shortage of National Food Authority (NFA) rice supply, said Drilon.
“Iyan ay kapalpakan ng NFA,” he pointed out. The agency “could not influence the price of rice kasi walang bigas ang NFA, kaya iyong mga traders, unscrupulous as they are, took advantage.”
For her part Sen. Nancy Binay said Duterte’s third SONA should focus on “gut issues,” including “managing inflation, creating and lowering the prices of commodities.”
“More jobs, less jabs,” Binay stressed.
She also hopes Duterte would call for the suspension of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law and the end to contractualization./PN
