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Cheers, jeers mark Aquino’s second Sona in social media

IT’S EXPECTED, President Benigno Aquino III earned praises and flak from different personalities and even ordinary people themselves, thanks to social media.
Even before the 4 p.m. State of the Nation Address (Sona), millions of Filipino users of micro-blogging site Twitter expressed their thoughts, making #sona2011 the second most trending topic in the Philippines at the height of the President’s address.
Even the word “wang-wang” (siren), which the President used as symbol of corrupt and abusive politicians, made it to the Top 10 list, placing fourth.
Pagcor (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.), currently embroiled in a controversy after reportedly spending P1 billion for coffee in a year, ranked fifth, while newly-minted Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales placed sixth.
Globally, PNoy copped the seventh spot.
President Aquino’s second Sona lasted for nearly an hour, reminiscent of his predecessor Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who ruled the nation for over nine years.
The bachelor leader, who arrived at the plenary at exactly 4 p.m., consumed 53 minutes in delivering his speech written in Filipino and was interrupted around 50 times, based on Sun.Star monitoring.
The President, who revealed a litany of corrupt practices under the past administration last year, pulled off his first Sona in 36 minutes, with 32 applauses from politicians, businessmen, and media that packed the plenary of the House of Representatives.
Earlier, Malacañang said President Aquino would like to make his second State address short but replete with details of his administration’s successes.
Meanwhile, actress and television host Bianca Gonzalez (@iamsuperbianca) commended his fellow Atenean for exuding “more confidence and authority when speaking publicly, compared to a year ago.”
University of the Philippines (UP) law professor Theodore Te echoed Gonzalez’s observation, saying: “The #sona2011 speechwriter/s earned their keep. Well-written, tightly-argued, good choice of words, even a bit of inspiration at the end.”
This, even as the President was unable to ward off a smoker’s cough in the first 17 minutes while expounding on the housing benefits to soldiers and policemen.
He also mispronounced the word “pagpasa” (to pass) when he commended Congress for passing the 2011 national budget on time since 1999.
Aquino’s Sona lacks substance
Militants though are looking for more substance.
Clad in modern Katipunero attire, Kabataan partylist Representative Raymond “Mong” Palatino said President Aquino delivered empty rhetoric.
“President Aquino appears stuck in his haciendero (landlord) paradigm that he cannot properly address the urgent needs of the people. Andres Bonifacio, if he were alive today, would no doubt protest against President Aquino’s rule,” he said in an email.
For its part, the Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) said the workers were “unsatisfied” with the Sona, chiding the President for lack of vision especially on labor issues.
“Labor calls for a new not just straight road. The old road of contractualization, privatization, liberalization, deregulation and globalization is at the root of the impoverishment, unemployment and hunger of Filipinos,” the group said.
This year, the President drew the loudest applause when he announced the appointment of Carpio-Morales, a retired Supreme Court justice, as the country’s fifth Ombudsman.
He also earned cheers from the gallery for reiterating the country’s sovereign claim over some islands in the oil-and-gas rich Spratlys, especially the Recto Bank.
Incidentally, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Liu Jianchao was present in the event, who just like other foreign dignitaries was clueless on the content of the President’s speech.
“Wouldn’t it be cool if one of the replays of the Sona were dubbed in
English? #whynot,” Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesperson James Jimenez (@jabjimenez) apparently said in reply. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)

Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/local-news/2011/07/25/cheers-jeers-mark-aquino-s-second-sona-social-media-168957

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