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.”