POLL RESULTS: Aquino failed to fulfill most of past Sona promises

INQUIRER.net’s audience has spoken: President Aquino has failed to fulfill most of his key promises to his “bosses” five years into the presidency.

Since July 24, INQUIRER.net has asked its readers to grade the President on 30 of his many promises made during his State of the Nation Addresses (Sonas) from 2010 to 2014. The 30 key promises covered a variety of key sectors and industries, from agriculture and agrarian reform to infrastructure and public transportation.

The poll results are in, and of the 30 promises Aquino made in his past four Sonas, netizens said the President fulfilled only 11 of them two hours before he delivers his sixth and final Sona before the 16th Congress and the public.

Majority of respondents said Aquino clearly failed to deliver on three promises: Give justice to victims of extrajudicial killings, pass–and implement–the Bangsamoro Basic Law, and move toward rice self-sufficiency.

The President first swore to focus on extrajudicial killings in his first Sona in 2010. He had said: “We will not stop in the pursuit of the remaining half of these killings (extrajudicial killings) until justice is achieved. We will hold murderers accountable.”

READ: Extrajudicial killings: Culture of impunity remains

The other two promises were made in 2014 and 2015, respectively.

One promise, however, earned a seal of approval from majority of netizens: Bring the case on the West Philippine Sea dispute before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.

Aquino had said in 2011: “We do not wish to increase tensions with anyone, but we must let the world know that we are ready to protect what is ours. We are also studying the possibility of elevating the case on the West Philippine Sea to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, to make certain that all involved nations approach the dispute with calm and forbearance.”

The Philippines’ plea is currently being heard at The Hague, Netherlands.

BACKSTORY: PH makes ‘impassioned plea’ vs China before UN tribunal

A distant second was Aquino’s promise to sustain the country’s economic growth.

Netizens were most divided on Aquino’s promise to improve the Philippines’ disaster preparedness and resilience to natural calamities. His promises to successfully partner with private organizations on infrastructure projects and improve the country’s tourism sector were also met with neutrality.

The Inquirer has since released its own report card in a series of articles published from July 23 to 27.

READ: Inquirer Report Card

The INQUIRER.net poll, found below, is set to close at 4 PM. SP