President Benigno Aquino III on Monday said in his last State of the Nation Address (Sona) that Interior Secretary Mar Roxas could be trusted–a remark that sounded like an endorsement of the latter.
In Monday’s Sona, his last in his six-year term, Aquino said Roxas as overseer of local government units and national police has never put him down.
“Mar, pinatutunayan mo: You can’t put a good man down,” Aquino said, amid applause from the audience.
Aquino also hit Roxas’ critics who always try to put latter down despite his achievements.
“Nasa loob o labas ka man ng gobyerno, hindi tumigil sa panlalait sa iyo ang mga kalaban ng daang matuwid. Dahil nga may bilang ka, dahil talagang may ibubuga ka, nagpupursigi silang ibagsak ka. Palibhasa hindi nila kayang iangat ang sarili, kaya pilit ka nilang ibinababa,” Aquino said.
“Sa patuloy nilang paninira, ang mga kritiko mo na rin ang nagpapatunay na takot sila sa angkin mong integridad, husay, at kahandaan sa trabaho,” he added.
He said the nation can be assured that Roxas would choose the nation over himself.
“Tulad ng pagtitiwala ng nanay at tatay ko, magtiwala kang alam ng taumbayan kung sino ang tunay na inuuna–ang bayan, bago ang sarili,” Aquino said.