Drugs, crime ignored DUTERTE GIVES PNOY A 7 IN A SCALE OF TEN

By Edith Caduaya

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and his vice mayor son were disappointed on Monday, July 27, watching President Benigno Aquino III deliver his last State of the Nation Address (SONA) and still blame his predecessor for the government’s problems.

Watching the President’s SONA at the People’s Park with a crowd, Mayor Duterte also gave the President a 7 on a scale of 1 to 10, saying the grade could have been higher had the President spoken on solving criminality.

“I supposed he was not given the information about the drug problem. It was only a month ago that the Manila Police revealed that 9 out of 10 youth are influenced by drugs. That is dangerous, it already involves national security.”

The Davao mayor, known for his no-nonsense approach to combatting crime, found it in bad taste that Aquino was still criticizing President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in his 6th SONA.

“Arroyo is now in jail. Past is past. It would have been good if he mentioned what he will do from this day toward the last day of his term, rather than keep on blaming and accusing the previous administration. What for?” Duterte said.

His son, Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, shared the sentiment. “We have heard the last SONA of the President. After 5 long years, the blame is still on the previous administration. I am disappointed and frustrated. You don’t run your politics like that. You take the cudgels from where the previous administration ended, and from there do everything to make things happen for the country.”

The vice mayor stressed: “If you continue to blame… the previous administration for their mistakes, it is like saying you did not do anything about the problem. If the problem is recurring, it Gloria’s fault or yours?”

Vice Mayor Duterte said: “The next president must have a clear policy on issues that truly matter to us, such as the our economy, corruption in government, peace in Mindanao, unemployment rate, and peace and order throughout the country – a president whose term is not defined by the weakness of others but by his own strength and capacity.”

Mayor Duterte, however, said Aquino is a “clean man, but I cannot comment about other people around him.” – Rappler.com

(Photo caption: GRADING AQUINO. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte – who watches the telecast of President Benigno Aquino III’s speech at the Davao People’s Park on July 27, 2015 – gives the State of the Nation Address a 7 on a scale of 1-10. Photo by Editha Caduaya/Rappler Editha Caduaya)