Senator Ping Lacson. INQUIRER file photo / EDWIN BACASMAS
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Panfilo Lacson noted how President Rodrigo Duterte admitted how his administration’s banner programs of anti-illegal drugs and fighting corruption, have “fallen short even of his expectations.”
The legislative measures that Congress passed, such as the Free Irrigation, Free Tertiary Education, Universal Health Care are regular legislations that would have been passed even without prodding by Malacañang or by the President, Lacson said.
The only part where he seemed to agree with the President is on how he described Senate President Vicente Sotto III as a “good Filipino” fit to become Vice President.”
Lacson picked Sotto as his running mate as they declared their intention to run for the country’s top elective positions in the May 2022 elections.
“I was about to say, that is the only part that I can completely agree with the President — that SP Sotto is a good person and can be a good vice president of this country,” Lacson said.
Sen. Grace Poe sounded disappointed with the President’s SONA, saying what Filipinos expected to hear was the government’s plan “to restore the dignity of our people and provide opportunities for their future.”
“What we need now is the assurance that there will be jobs in the near future and food on the table. Our people are tired and hungry,” she said.
According to Poe, citizens were looking forward to hearing whether or not the government will be able to afford another round of cash assistance, noting how the previous amelioration programs were meant to let citizens survive for two months only.
“If no new economic opportunities will present themselves, we need to know whether or not we’ll be able to provide a third round of cash assistance, and how we’ll go about sourcing the funds for our people,” she said.
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