Hontiveros: Instead of denials and threats, 2020 SONA should present plan to stop COVID-19, solve economic crisis
Gov't should own up to past mistakes in handling pandemic, senator says

"Sa 2020 SONA, hindi pwedeng magpaligoy-ligoy ang gobyerno. Hindi na masisilaw ng gimik, teatro, o mga pagbabanta ang taumbayan. No theatrics, no threats. Kailangan ang pagpapakita ng tunay na malasakit sa pakikinig sa mga hinaing ng Pilipino at pagtugon sa pang-araw-araw nating pangangailangan."

This according to Senator Risa Hontiveros, who said that President Rodrigo Duterte's 2020 State of the Nation Address (SONA) should focus on presenting a comprehensive plan to defeat COVID-19 and save the livelihood of Filipinos, instead of featuring more denials, threats and downplaying of the pandemic.

Hontiveros said that the President's penultimate SONA should inform the public on how government intends to solve the most pressing problems faced by Filipinos today starting with the COVID-19 pandemic, as infections continue to rise and spread in many parts of the country. She said that the SONA should also show how government plans to restore the economy and help the millions of Filipinos who have lost their jobs and businesses during the pandemic.

"Sa ikalimang SONA ng administrasyong ito, karapatan nating lahat na marinig ang isang komprehensibong plano para masugpo ang COVID-19 at tugunan ang pagkalugi ng mga maliliit na negosyo, at ang kawalan ng trabaho ng maraming Pilipino. This plan is long-overdue," she said.

"Tandaan natin, malapit na umabot sa 80,000 cases ang kaso ng COVID-19 sa bansa. Magdadalawang-libo na rin ang tally ng mga namatay. Dumarami pa ang mahigit pitong milyong Pilipino na nawalan ng hanapbuhay," she added. "Hindi lang sila mga istatistika. Bawat isa sa kanila ay may kuwento, may pamilya, at may mga mahal sa buhay."

The senator also said that the SONA should no longer contain any denials, threats, or any downplaying of the country's situation amid the pandemic. Instead, she urged Malacañang to accept and apologize for its shortcomings in the last few months: "Karapatan ng taumbayan na marinig ang sinserong pag-ako at paghingi ng tawad ng pamahalaan - sa delayed response mula noong naitala ang pinaka-unang kaso ng COVID-19 sa bansa, sa kawalan ng preparasyon at plano, at sa kulang na suporta sa mga LGUs at frontliners."

She said that government should pledge to improve its service to the people, starting by increasing transparency and accountability for the billions of pesos in funds being used for the country's COVID-19 response. "Ngayong may mga alegasyon ng korapsyon at hindi sapat na ayuda para sa mga nangangailangan, dapat ay magpatupad ang pamahalaan ng independent audit para mapanatag tayo na bawat piso ay napupunta sa pagtulong sa taumbayan," she said.

Facebook video link: https://www.facebook.com/128801740656/posts/10164434046535657/