Poe disappointed Aquino skipped FOI in Sona

Video By Cathy Miranda/INQUIRER.net

SENATOR Grace Poe found President Benigno Aquino III’s last state of the nation address (Sona)  lacking for his failure to mention the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill  and acknowledge the hardships of commuters of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT).

Poe said she was waiting for the President to talk about the FOI bill but she was dismayed that he did not even mention  it in his  two-hour report to the nation.

“Kasi sa tingin ko ang mga repormang  naumpisahan nya mas mapapangalagaan kung meron tayong FOI kaya nga parang sayang yung pagkakataon din bagamat  syempre nabanggit nya rin yung anti dynasty, may pagkakataon din naman doon, isang malaking bagay  na may ganung pagtulak ang ating Pangulo,”  she said.

(Because I think he can  protect the reforms  that he has started  if we have an FOI that’s why  it should have been a good opportunity to mention it, but of course he also mentioned the anti-dynasty, which is also  a good thing that the President is pushing for it.)

The FOI  bill  was one of the six priority  measures that Congress wants to pass before the end of the Aquino administration.

Poe also expressed  dismay over  the President ’s failure to recognize the  misery of the MRT riders as well as the  mistakes of the people, whom he appointed  supposedly to protect the welfare of the riding  public.

“Hindi ko pinagbibintangan ang Pangulo  pero sa tingin ko yung mga natalaga dun ay nagkulang. Kung sino man ang natalaga nya sa DOTC (Department of Transportation and Communication)  magmula umpisa hanggang  ngayon …” she said.

(I’m not accusing the  President  of anything    but I think the people he appointed there   have shortcomings. Those who were appointed  in the DOTC from the start until now.)

The DOTC is being headed by Secretary Joseph  Emilio Abaya. But  before Abaya,  the department  was being  headed by now Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas.

Asked if she was expecting the President to apologize  over the    MRT woes, Poe said: “It would be nice to at least acknowledge the hardships of our riding public  and then say, ‘we’re not perfect but  were trying to do certain things to correct it.”