MANILA -- Former Presidents Joseph Estrada and Fidel Ramos expressed satisfaction on the nearly 30-minuteState

of the Nation Address (Sona) of President Benigno Aquino III Monday.

Courtesy of Sun.Star Cebu

Updates on President Benigno Aquino III's presidency

"The fund will be allocated into something good, and the poor can benefit through different projects like water system.
All are okay except one -- the appointment of Truth Commission. You must appoint there a person without
questionable integrity," Estrada added.

Ramos, on the other hand, said that the country has yet to await the short-term and long-term effects of Aquino's
governance.

"After six years, ano maasahan natin (what do we expect) especially for ordinary Filipinos? This is just the State of the
Nation Address, it's only good for 40 minutes, we will see the short-term, medium-term, and long-term promises
coming up of the government," said Ramos.

Vice President Jejomar Binay also praised the first Sona of Aquino, saying the President gave the true state of the
nation.

"Our President gave the true state of the nation in a manner that is simple, direct and truthful," Binay said.

The Vice President also noted that Aquino needs the support of everyone in his campaign to reform the country and
get rid of corruption, adding that the road ahead is fraught with difficulties.

"There are difficulties and challenges ahead. President Aquino needs our wholehearted support for him to succeed in
facing these difficulties and challenges," he added.

Legislators' reaction

Senator Jinggoy Estrada said that those who did the country wrong and stole from the people should indeed be
prosecuted.

The speech of President Aquino "sparked a ray of hope" for the country as he outlined a broad map of what to expect
from his administration, Former House Speaker Prospero Nograles said.

Representative Benhur Salimbangon (fourth district, Cebu) appreciated that the speech was straight forward. He said
he is ready to rally behind the administration and support it in achieving its goals.

"He has given his concerns and I think, we, in Congress should respond to the call of cooperation," Salimbangon told
Sun.Star.

Liberal Party spokesperson and Representative Lorenzo Tanada III (fourth district, Quezon) was also satisfied with the
Sona and expressed optimism that the bills Aquino wanted to be enacted into a law will be doable in the 15th
Congress.

Representative Rachel Del Mar (north district, Cebu City) told Sun.Star that she is very hopeful after hearing the
speech of the President.

"I am very hopeful. It sets a new moral tone in our nation's governance," Del Mar said.

Representative Giorgidi Aggabao (fourth district, Isabela) said Aquino seemed to be in a hurry while delivering his
speech, but rated the substance as "excellent."

Representative Rufus Rodriguez (second district, Cagayan de Oro) said the speech was directly pointed on the
problems.

Representative Miro Quimbo (second district, Marikina) meanwhile appreciated the fact that Aquino delivered his
speech in Tagalog, which allowed more Filipinos to appreciate the Sona speech.
"Ito ay pagkilala ni P.Noy na ang masa talaga ang boss niya. I would have wanted him to cover other matters though,
like housing," Quimbo added.

But Representative Diosdado Ignacio M. Arroyo (second district, Camarines Sur) defended his mother, former
President and Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (second district, Pampanga), as Aquino lambasted the
wastage of the preceding administration.

He said the figures enumerated by Aquino were not true.

Leftists: Sona lacking

Meanwhile, former Gabriela representatives Liza Maza and Luzviminda Ilagan said Aquino's speech lacked discussion
on policies about raising wages of the poor, providing low-cost health services, education, and housing for the poor.

They added that the President failed to take a stand on the Reproductive Health bill and the Right of Reply bill that
were controversial in the past Congresses.

"Parang tinimbang ka ngunit kulang. From the perspective of the majority who are poor, there was no direct policy
statement on how he can turn the economy around that will directly benefit the workers, farmers and urban poor,"
Maza said.

Akbayan Representative Walden Bello said the Sona has strongly condemned corruption and revealed shocking cases
of graft in the previous administration but it lacked solutions.

"Well intentioned but we need teeth, and teeth were missing, hopefully, tougher policies will emerge in next few
weeks," he said.

On the other hand, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) said Aquino's presidency would pave way for more
difficulties and poverty, citing his pro-business agenda that include privatization.

"Dadalhin tayo ni Noynoy sa landas ng lalong pahirap (Aquino will bring us into a more difficult situation). More
privatization is not the cure. Noy's cure-all for the country's problems is privatization," said ACT national chairperson
Antonio Tinio.

"Our experience with the privatization of the energy and water has proven that this path mainly benefits the big foreign
and local corporations at the expense of the people," Tinio added.

He also called on Aquino to transform his promises and statements into concrete actions.

For its part, the Kabataan Party-list urged Aquino to stop the killings of members of militant groups and instead re-
channel counter-insurgency funds to education.

"Aquino can hit two birds with one stone by allotting funds for the intensification of the government's counter-
insurgency campaign to the education sector instead," said Kabataan Representative Raymond Palatino.

Kabataan also said that the funds for counter-insurgency could be used to build additional classrooms and chairs,
textbooks, and laboratory facilities, among others.

The Labor groups Federation of Free Workers (FFW), meanwhile, expressed disappointment on President Aquino's
lack of definite programs for the labor sector.

According to the FFW, Aquino's address centers on corruption and neglected the workers sector.

"He practically announced no program for employment promotion. It would be a pity if job creation were dependent on
public-private partnership alone," Julius Cainglet of FFW said.

Cainglet added that the labor sector is waiting for the concrete programs for the more than 34 million workers in the
country; for the jobless Filipinos as well as those underemployed.

"(What) he gave are clearer picture of how corruption is integrated in the institutions that guard our basic needs such
as water, power, food and transportation," the labor leader said. (Kathrina Alvarez/JMR/AH/Sunnex)
Senators commend PNoy for his first SONA
July 27, 2010, 11:01am
MANILA (PNA) — Senators have commended former colleague and now President Benigno Aquino III for what they described as well-
delivered first State of the Nation Address (SONA) during Monday's joint session that formally opens the 15th Congress at the Batasang
Complex in Quezon City.

Newly-elected Senate Majority Floor Leader Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III assured the President the full cooperation of the Senate in passing
priority measures which aimed at eliminating graft and corruption in the government.

”I fully support all the proposed measures that he is advocating. The senate will definitely closely cooperate with the executive department,”
said Sotto who has been chosen as new Senate majority leader early on Monday.

In his first SONA, President Aquino asked his former colleagues both in the House of Representatives and the Senate to pass his priority
measures that include: Fiscal Responsibility Bill, Procurement Law, Anti-Trust Law, National Land Use Bill, National Defense Act and
Whistleblowers’ Bill.

President Aquino said he will convene in the soonest possible time the Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) to discuss
important bills that he mentioned to achieve his goal of a transparent governance.

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, who will head a small group of minority in the Senate, also expressed support to his former colleague in the
Senate, saying President Aquino’s victory is the victory of the opposition against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

”The objective of the President is also our objective and that is clean and honest government and no abuses. I believe that we will do a
different fiscalizing if we have the same destination and goal,” Cayetano said.

Cayetano specficially praised the President’s statement on creative ways of raising revenues by opening the business door to the foreign
investors.

”In the end, when you asked foreigners to come in, you are helping the Filipino but it should be for as long as our system is protected like
the procurement and public bidding,” Cayetano said.

Senator Lito Lapid said it was a good message “which I really understand because it said it in our own language.”

Senator Serge Osmena III described the content of the President’s SONA as ‘doable and not exaggerated”, giving the Chief Executive an A
plus grade.

”I can see that his approach is very intelligent. It’s a good message although I don’t know long it will take to tackle all the problems he
mentioned. You cannot do the time line to accomplish them but it’s really doable,” Osmena said.

Neophyte senator Teofisto Guingona Jr. promised also to address all the important measures that the President identified to address the
anti-graft and corruption programs of the government.

”Let’s see how he will do his promises but actually everything is on the right track,” Guingona said.

Senator Loren Legarda called the President’s speech as ‘straight forward and no frills”, appealing to everybody to give President Aquino a
chance.

”It is good to hear the transparency and procurement. I happy with the mentioned bills and I hope these will be certified as urgent,” Legarda
said.

However, the lady lawmaker said the President should have mentioned what his agenda and program on the climate change.

Veteran senator Edgardo Angara said the message of the President has been focused on the very basic needs such taxes, education,
health, food, post harvest, infrastructures and expediting the conduct of business in the country.

”I think he cannot cover all, but I think he covered the most primary needs and it is easy to do. It does not need money,” Angara said.

Former Senate majority floor leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said the President failed to mention about the farmers and the workers like the
minimum wage but overall, he praised the SONA.

”Overall, it was a good message because he mentioned about stopping the graft and corruption in our country because if he can do it, there
will be more funds to finance his plans and programs,” Zubiri said.

Both Angara and Zubiri are hoping that the President would say more about the farmers and workers as well as the health programs when
the LEDAC convene for its first meeting .The two lawmakers also believed that there is no reason for them to block the approval of the
appointments of President’s cabinet members, provided they are all qualified to their respective positions.