Privilege speech of Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada
Press Release
July 24, 2007

THE STATE OF THE NATION UNDRESSED

MR. PRESIDENT, DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS AND COLLEAGUES OF THIS AUGUST CHAMBER:

I RISE TODAY ON A MATTER OF PERSONAL AND COLLECTIVE PRIVILEGE TO EXPRESS MY SENTIMENTS ON THE STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS DELIVERED YESTERDAY BY MRS. GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO.

I ARTICULATE, MR. PRESIDENT, NOT ONLY MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS, BUT THE COMMENTS AND OBSERVATIONS RELAYED TO ME BY MANY OF OUR CONSTITUENCY. THEY CONVEYED TO ME THEIR COMBINED DISAPPOINTMENT AND APPREHENSION OVER MRS. ARROYO'S LOUD AND EXTRAVAGANT CLAIMS OF ACHIEVEMENTS.

WE LISTENED YESTERDAY TO ANOTHER ENUMERATION OF PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS THAT MRS. ARROYO CLAIMS SHE HAD ACCOMPLISHED OR PROPOSES TO FULFILL.

SIX YEARS AFTER MRS. ARROYO GRABBED POWER, AND SEVEN SONAS LATER, OUR PEOPLE REMAIN POOR, HELPLESS, DESPERATE, FRUSTRATED, AND ALIENATED. THEY ARE SIMPLY WORSE OFF THAN THEY WERE SIX YEARS AGO.

AND YET MRS. ARROYO BLITHELY TRIES TO MAKE US BELIEVE THAT WE NOW HAVE A ROBUST AND RESILIENT ECONOMY.

OUR PEOPLE WERE TREATED TO ANOTHER LITANY OF FANTASTIC INFRASTRUCTURE ACHIEVEMENTS AND FABULOUS INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS NOW SUPPOSEDLY IN THE PIPELINE.

IN HER SONA, MR. PRESIDENT, MRS. ARROYO SENT SHIVERS AND CHILLS AGAIN TO THE SPINE.

IF SHE IS SERIOUS AND ASSUMING THESE ARE NOT PIPE DREAMS EXCLUSIVELY SCRIPTED FOR HER SONA ALONE, ARE WE TO EXPECT ANOTHER ROUND OF NEW TAXES AND INCREASES IN CHARGES, LEVIES, RATES, DUTIES AND OTHER FEES OF GOVERNMENT SERVICES AND TRANSACTIONS?

OR ARE WE, MR. PRESIDENT, GOING TO BORROW AGAIN? NOWHERE, IF MY MEMORY SERVES ME RIGHT, DOES MRS. ARROYO TELL US HOW THESE PROJECTS ARE TO BE FUNDED. SHE HAS CHOSEN TO BE VAGUE ON THIS. AND AS WE CAN SEE, MR. PRESIDENT, THE BOTTOMLINE IN ALL THESE IS MONEY. THE REST ARE JUST PLAIN CONVERSATION.

KAYA KINAKABAHAN AKO AT ANG ATING MGA KABABAYAN KUNG MAY MGA HIGH TECH AT HIGH FALLUTING PROJECT SI MRS. ARROYO NA IPINAGYAYABANG DAHIL ANG KAPALIT NITO AY KARAGDAGANG BUWIS.

BUT EQUALLY DISTURBING AND INCREDIBLE IS THE CLAIM OF MRS. ARROYO OF A 77 PERCENT CONVICTION RATE BY THE OMBUDSMAN, AS IF TO TELL US THAT HER GOVERNMENT IS WINNING THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION.

UNFORTUNATELY, MR. PRESIDENT, MRS. ARROYO DOES NOT EXACTLY ENJOY A REPUTATION OF BEING HONEST AND TRUTHFUL. I WILL NOT BE SURPRISED HOWEVER IF THIS FIGURE IS TAKEN FROM SOME MANIPULATED DATA NOT VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE CERTIFICATES OF CANVASS OF VOTES THAT BROUGHT HER TO POWER IN 2004.

MR. PRESIDENT, MRS. ARROYO ALSO PROCLAIMS THAT OUR COUNTRY TODAY ENJOYS A ROBUST AND RESILIENT ECONOMY. SHE CLAIMS THAT 400,000 JOBS HAVE BEEN CREATED.

IF THIS IS SO, MR. PRESIDENT, WHY IS IT THAT OUR PEOPLE CONTINUE TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY IN DROVES EVERY DAY TO BECOME SUPERMAIDS, CAREGIVERS, BABYSITTERS, AND MANUAL LABORERS AND EVEN MANAGERIAL AND TECHNICAL WORKERS IN FOREIGN LANDS?

THEY LEAVE THE COUNTRY IN SEARCH OF EMPLOYMENT AND BETTER OPPORTUNITIES EVEN IF THEY KNOW THAT IN A FOREIGN LAND, THEY STAND TO BE ABUSED, MALTREATED, EXPLOITED AND OPPRESSED.

AND DESPITE ALL PRONOUNCEMENTS OF HAILING OUR OFWs AS NEW HEROES, NO CONCRETE PROGRAM FROM MRS. ARROYO WERE LAID OUT FOR THEM.

TO ME, AND TO MANY OF OUR POOR AND MARGINALIZED COUNTRYMEN WHO WAGE A DAILY WAR OF SURVIVAL, THE REALITY OF POVERTY AND DEPRIVATION ARE FOUND THERE IN THE STREETS, IN THE SLUMS, IN THEIR VERY HOMES.

FOR THEM, MR. PRESIDENT, MRS. ARROYO'S WORDS IN HER SONA ARE EMPTY ACHIVEMENTS AND PROMISES THAT ARE NOT EDIBLE.

BUT WHAT STRIKES US MR. PRESIDENT, IS THAT THE ENTIRE SONA OF MRS. ARROYO YESTERDAY DID NOT EVEN PAY ATTENTION, DID NOT EVEN MAKE MENTION OF AN IMPORTANT ISSUE THAT STRIKES DEEP AND HARD IN THE HEART OF THE BODY POLITIC. IT IS COMPELLING DILEMMA THAT IS BEGGING AND CRYING FOR RESOLUTION.

I REFER MR. PRESIDENT, TO THE EXTRA-JUDICIAL KILLINGS, TO THE NUMEROUS INCIDENCES OF AMBUSHES, ASSASINATIONS, AND ABDUCTIONS THAT HAVE NOW ATTRACTED INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION.

SA MAGAGANDANG PALABOK NG SONA, WALA TAYONG NARINIG GINOONG PANGULO TUNGKOL SA KUNG ANO ANG GINAGAWA O GAGAWIN NG GOBYERNO NI MRS. ARROYO SA MGA EXTRA-JUDICIAL KILLINGS. HINDI MAGTATAGAL, TAYO NA ANG MAGIGING EXTRA-JUDICIAL KILLING CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.

MRS. ARROYO GLOSSES OVER THIS IMPORTANT CONCERN AND CONVENIENTLY SWEEPS THEM UNDER THE RUG. SHE DOES NOT EVEN OFFER A TOKEN REPORT ON WHAT HER ADMINISTRATION HAS DONE, OR PLANS TO DO ON THE GROWING LIST OF CASES OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL KILLINGS.

INSTEAD, SHE PROPOSES FOR NEW LAWS WHICH PERHAPS IS WAY OF DIVERTING ATTENTION FROM A CRITICAL FAILURE OF HER ADMINISTRATION.

MR. PRESIDENT, MRS. ARROYO TALKS NOW OF HER LEGACY, EVEN CLAIMING THAT HER SUCCESSOR WILL BENEFIT FROM WHAT SHE HAS ACCOMPLISHED AND WILL ACCOMPLISH DURING THE NEXT THREE YEARS.

SHE EXTRAVAGANTLY CLAIMS THAT SHE DID NOT BENEFIT FROM HER PREDECESSOR BUT CONVENIENTLY AVOIDS THE FACT THAT MY FATHER LEFT IN THE PUBLIC COFFERS MORE THAN 70 BILLION PESOS WHEN HE WAS UNCEREMONIOUSLY AND UNCONSTITUTIONALLY REMOVED.

BUT IF MRS. ARROYO WANTS TO LEAVE A RESPECTABLE LEGACY, SHE MIGHT AS WELL ADDRESS TODAY THE MATTER OF THE EXTRA-JUDICIAL KILLINGS.

THESE ARE ISSUES THAT WE CANNOT IGNORE FOR THEY OFFEND OUR SENSIBILITIES, IN MUCH THE SAME MANNER THAT THE GARCI TAPES, THE PIDAL ACCOUNTS, FERTILIZER SCAMS, AND SO MANY OTHERS HAVE JOLTED US AND OFFENDED OUR SENSIBILITIES.

MR. PRESIDENT, OUR PEOPLE ARE WAITING FOR RESULTS THAT THEY COULD EXPERIENCE IN THEIR DAY TO DAY STRUGGLE.

OUR PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR RELIEF FROM POVERTY, FROM TAXES, FROM HIGH PRICES OF BASIC COMMODITIES, FROM CRIMINALITY IN THE STREETS, FROM MANY THINGS THAT GOVERNMENT HAS FAILED TO DELIVER.

AND THIS IS BECAUSE MRS. ARROYO IS SIMPLY BUSY FANTASIZING ABOUT HER ENCHANTED KINGDOM, SO DETACHED FROM HER PEOPLE, AND SO SECURE IN THE ELECTRIFIED FENCES OF MALACANANG.

MARAMING SALAMAT AT NAWA'Y MAGISING TAYONG LAHAT SA PANAGINIP NA ANG NANGINGIBABAW AY PAWANG MALAYO SA KATOTOHANAN.

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