"Let them wail over smoke and ashes!"
(Or "all after the State of the Nation Address
and the people's disgust towards the president's continuity
of past policies)
As any other event that's full of promises and half-truths, the State of the Nation Address of president Rodrigo Duterte is one of the most awaited annual events of the nation. Being the formal opening of the Philippine congress, it is also the time when the head of state apprises the nation of its current situation, his past accomplishments, and the challenges that the nation lies ahead.
However, as stated earlier, Duterte's SoNA 2019 turns out to be marred with promises and half-truths. Not to mention that there are adlibs people would find it humorous or irrelevant. Fanatics would claim the successes of his infrastructure building campaigns no matter reality goes something like carryovers from past administrations, but as far as this person concerned that his contributions fail to outweigh the controversies that surround his leadership, be it the war on drugs, his attempts to silence opposition, a vassal-like stance in Filipino-Chinese relations, or even his continuity of connivance with the present order regardless of his "threats" towards them.
Admittingly speaking, there are some achievements to praise with, especially when it comes to infrastructure building or even his desire to ensure the welfare of his constituents; but again this doesn't escape the fact that since he simply does realising carryover from past regimes comes the interest seekers benefiting from it. That men like Ayala, et al. did benefit from Duterte no matter they themselves as "oligarchs" and meant to be attacked by his fanatics, so are the Chinese whose one-sided agreements luring the Filipino towards the debt trap.
But again, it doesn't matter for the fanatics the moral flaws surrounding the leader and his administration. The recent surveys would say that many people support Duterte right or wrong so long as it benefits the country; what more that their apathy if not justification towards extrajudicial killings, supported by disdain for human rights would make a concerned worry as these also as signs for a dictatorial approach to governance be it through charter change or through their brand of "revolutionary government".
From this wouldn't be surprised that alongside the president's adlib-peppered speech is an effigy-burning protest. Can't explain further but in listening to the president's speech would say that despite the fact that he expressed concern, does it brought justice? For last year's promise for using the Coconut Levy Fund for empowering the coco farmers end marred by the President himself for vetoing it; that the cabinet increasingly becoming militarised as if these soldiers meant efficiency regardless of some official's notoriety; the issue on contractualisation remains debated as the president himself vetoed; or how the Lumad schools end closed on the view that it spew rebels than well-learned farmers. These examples and more would think if not say that underneath the veneer of reform it didn't create change, least there is consolidation, a continuity of carryovers particularly debt driven programs and its alleged growth.
Perhaps despite all the hecklings the festivities continue with all the music and the effigy burning as its centrepiece. That forty thousand people in that avenue witnessed every feat, clamour, and enjoyment no matter how critics two and fro would cry over garbage in the streets, wail over smoke and ashes all because of the effigy burning, or even treason and sedition towards participants simply because of being against the system and by not submitting to the will of their dear leader whom they present as their vanguard- and all in their posts in social media sites and commentaries some of which rather cringy and meant not to read; after all, it doesn't matter for them to get aware especially if their dear leader Duterte being involved.