Let’s expect a low-key SONA from Duterte

For my special presentation on my talkshow Straight from the Sky, we bring you a heart-to-heart talk with Land Transportation Office Regional Director Victor Caindec who has literally become a thorn in the side of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña as they exchange brickbats in the social media networks especially about our traffic problems. Why has Mayor Osmeña set his sights on the LTO-7 Director? Caindec explains this during this no-holds-barred show.

While Caindec was CITOM chief for six months under former mayor Michael Rama, he did things in those months that earned him a no-nonsense reputation. He was frank and honest enough to bring forth what he believes are the reasons why Osmeña suddenly made him his showpiece at least for July.

So watch this very interesting discussion with the LTO-7 Director on SkyCable’s channel 53 at 8 p.m. with replays on Wednesday and Saturday same time and channel. We also have replays on MyTV’s channel 30 at 9 p.m. Monday and at 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday.

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President Rodrigo Duterte will deliver his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) today and we expect the usual street protests which usually accompany SONAs because most of the protesters have close links with the CPP-NPA-NDF that failed to come up with a successful peace talks with the Duterte government. As you know too well, for as long as the CPP-NPA-NDF do not control the government, they still control the protesters, especially their well-paid leaders who are always at the forefront of these protest regardless of their political color.

We learned from Malacañang that the speech of President Duterte this year will only last for 35 minutes since he promised to read from prepared remarks. Although Presidential Communications Secretary Ana Marie Banaag hinted last week that the president’s speech may last longer, given that Congress is expected to ratify the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law in the morning of July 23.

We also learned that the president will not tout his administration’s accomplishments in his upcoming SONA but would instead speak as the nation’s father. As Secretary Banaag pointed out, “It’s not more of what he claims he has accomplished, [what] this administration claims to have accomplished but it’s more of the father who cares about the Filipino people.” Frankly speaking, if we put on print what this president has accomplished in his three years in office, we’d really run out of space.

Of course, everyone wants to know what is really the score in Duterte’s anti-drug campaign. Here’s what Malacañang had to say: From July 2016 to March 20, 2018, a total of 91,704 anti-drug operations were conducted, resulting in the arrest of 123,648 drug suspects, according to data from the Philippine National Police. A total of 189 drug dens and clandestine drug laboratories were dismantled. Government forces also seized P13.46 billion worth of shabu and P19.67 billion worth of drugs, controlled precursors, and essential chemicals, and laboratory equipment.

As promised, President Duterte may sign the Bangsamoro organic law before he delivers his third SONA today. These are just some of the highlights that we shall be hearing today. Let’s hope that President Duterte would simply read his SONA so he is over and done in 35 minutes.

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Twenty-one years ago the greatest tragedy that can befall a family happened; the Chiong sisters were abducted, raped and murdered. Only the body of Marijoy was recovered after it was dumped over a cliff in Carcar. Last week, the movie “Jacqueline Comes Home” which is about that tragedy has triggered demands for the reopening of this case. Mind you, a documentary of that incident entitled “Give Up Tomorrow” produced in 2011 by a Larrañaga relative has also been shown and not everyone was satisfied that justice was served.

But in my book, there is no point in reopening this case simply because 21 years have already been passed and the reality is, not everyone was satisfied with the conviction of the accused. For the sake of argument, if this case is reinvestigated and the decision overturned, you can bet that the same number of people would still be not satisfied with the results. So let’s leave it at that!

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