A STAUNCH critic of President Benigno Aquino III said that his swan song to the country has been consistent with all of his previous speeches–as he took one last swipe at the administration of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
In his sixth and last State of the Nation Address (Sona), Aquino pinned the blame of the glitches of the overburdened Metro Rail Transit, which have been occurring almost daily, to the Arroyo administration.
Aquino cited a report from the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) saying that a general overhaul should have taken place in the MRT in 2008.
“Sa pagwawalang-bahalang ito, parang ginarantiyang masisira ang tren. Di po ba miski sinong kumpanya, dapat sinisigurong masusulit ang kanilang investment? Pero hinayaan lang nilang lumala nang lumala ang sitwasyon hanggang umabot sa puntong ipinasa na sa atin nang ora-orada ang pagsasaayos ng MRT,” Aquino said in his speech.
To this statement, militant group Bayan asked: is the Arroyo administration the standard in which Aquino should compare his achievements?
“Ang masagwa, lagi na lang tayong humahantong sa sitwasyon na kinukumpara niya ang sarili niya sa nakaraang administrasyon na parang yun na lang ang sukatan–na kahit ano na lang ang gawin mo, basta hindi kasimpangit ng nakaraang administrasyon,” Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. said in an INQUIRER.net interview.
(Aquino is always comparing himself to the previous administration and treating it like as the only standard. It seems that everything he does is okay, as long as it is not worse than what the previous administration did.)
However, Reyes said that Aquino should not be contented on lashing out against the previous administration for his shortcomings.
“The people now are demanding for your ‘Daang Matuwid.’ You promised the people that but it was never realized nor felt,” he added.
Militant groups estimate that around 20,000 people joined the protest action at Commonwealth Avenue. However, according to the Philippine National Police and figures from protesters, more than 35 people were injured.
The protesters burned an effigy of Aquino riding an MRT coach which supposedly symbolizes the dead end of the Aquino administration.