By MARYA SALAMAT
Aquino’s 90-minute speech, said to be one of the longest SONAs in recent memory, highlighted achievements that progressive groups shot down either as just a deception, a half-truth at best, or simply meaningless.
Sidebar: Groups press for release of activist, condemn violent dispersal of anti-SONA protests
Sidebar: Anti-SONA 2012 protests in regions against privatization, rights violations
Sidebar: Southern Tagalog, Central Luzon march vs land grabbing, militarization
By Satur C. Ocampo At Ground Level | The Philippine Star “Where’s the vision?” “Where’s the road map?” These have been the common reactions to P-Noy’s second state of the nation address last Monday. The tones have ranged from disappointment on the part of those supportive of his government, to skepticism and cynicism on the…
By RONALYN V. OLEA
Theodore Te, lawyer and an advocate of freedom of information, noted that in the Aquino administration’s version of the Freedom of Information bill exceptions are longer than the list of information subject to mandatory disclosure.
Sidebar: Access to information more difficult under Aquino
PHOTO BY JO ABAYA-SANTOS
By Carol Pagaduan-Araullo Streetwise | BusinessWorld As the State-of-the-Nation Address of President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III aka “Pnoy” approaches, we are witness to frenzied attempts by his three-headed communications group to orchestrate the “messaging” emanating from Malacanang that will be capped by Monday’s SONA. Nothing exemplifies the hollowness of the group’s claims that under the…
By Satur C. Ocampo At Ground Level | The Philippine Star “In 2006 and 2007, when the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and several other major donors publicly raised their concerns over the politically motivated killings under then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the number of killings dropped drastically. Under President Aquino, though, it is…
By CHRISTIAN REY BUENDIA Bulatlat.com President Benigno Aquino III’s second State of the Nation Address (Sona) delivered last July 25 may have exceeded 6,000 words, yet his speech was “merely filled with convenient lies and half-truths, useless embellishments and hollow rhetoric,” Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Southern Tagalog (Bayan-ST) Secretary-General Leo XL Fuentes said. He added that Aquino’s…
ByBulatlat.com Main Story: Aquino’s Sona, all form, no substance – Bayan Sidebar: Aquino hit for embracing paramilitary group in Cordillera “Wang-wang Sona: too much noise, too little substance” – KMU MANILA – In just its second state of the nation address (Sona), the Aquino presidency has confirmed that it cannot be upfront about the real…
By Bulatlat.com Main Story: Aquino’s Sona, all form, no substance – Bayan Sidebar: Aquino hit for embracing paramilitary group in Cordillera Sona 2011 has little to report, less to look forward to – Ibon MANILA – “There’s one thing in common between this year’s Sona and wang-wang, its favorite object: they both send out too…
By MARYA SALAMAT
There were many important things to the Filipino people that were missing in Aquino’s Sona, most speakers in the Sona rally said.
Sidebar:
Aquino hit for embracing paramilitary group in Cordillera
“Wang-wang Sona: too much noise, too little substance” – KMU
Sona 2011 has little to report, less to look forward to – Ibon
By ARTHUR L. ALLAD-IW Northern Dispatch Main Story: Aquino’s Sona, all form, no substance – Bayan Sidebar: “Wang-wang Sona: too much noise, too little substance” – KMU Sona 2011 has little to report, less to look forward to – Ibon BAGUIO CITY – Aside from his total failure to uplift the situation of Cordillera indigenous…