Last Monday, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo delivered her State of the Nation Address (SONA). It's now Thursday and I still haven't decided what the speech was all about.
On the one hand, I felt it was another pre-emptive strike to keep her in power. By saying that she is pushing for a constitutional change, she is asking congress to debate on how it is to be done, then have congress cease function and to act as the constituent assembly, and then after the constitutional change, a referendum to accept the changes. That already takes more than a year, all in all. A year where she would still be in power. If Congress decides to push through with her impeachment, then she can also have her people hammer the opposition and stop it altogether. She is trying to get all the support she can get including a multi-awarded TV and movie director to direct her public appearances, and a political analyst from the academe who wrote portions of her SONA.
She's really working hard at keeping her Presidency.
And the speech itself. A whole lot of nothing. No real report on progress and economy. And no assault on the opposition. Just a promise for change and the same Ten-point Agenda she had last year.
--andoy
28 July 2005
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