Guingona says Aquino’s SONA surpassed his expectations

Senator Teofisto Guingona III. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Senator Teofisto Guingona III on Monday said that President Benigno Aquino III’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) surpassed his expectations.

“I was surprised at the statistics. It was holistic and all-encompassing and I’m very, very impressed,” Said Guingona in an interview after he listened to Aquino deliver his third SONA at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City.

Guingona said he was hopeful for the next years as Aquino proved that he was able to improve the country and that his reforms bore fruit.

Guingona added that Aquino did well in pointing out the issues of education, health, environment and illegal logging in his speech.

“The strongest point in his speech is the message of confidence that we are doing what we said we would do and we are achieving it,” Guingona added.

Guingona, chairman of the Senate’s Blue Ribbon Committee, said that the government still had a long way to go in terms of addressing anomalies but that he believed that the third amendment to the Anti-Money Laundering Law would be passed.

“Yung pangatlong panukalang batas na napakaimportante ay isulong na natin dahil nabanggit niya na  ito ay importante na reporma,” Guingona said.

He said he also hoped that the Sin Tax Bill would be passed.

“Sa usapin ng Sin tax hindi lahat madali siguro mas maraming compromise ang mangyayari,” he said without elaborating.