FORMER Bayan Muna Partylist Representative Carlos Isagani Zarate on Monday, July 28, vehemently criticized President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), lambasting it as a “glossy performance detached from the grim realities faced by the Filipino people.”
Zarate asserted that the President’s address “failed to accurately portray the country’s worsening economic and political situation and, more critically, offered no substantive solutions to alleviate the suffering of millions.”
He further condemned the administration’s “apparent reluctance to truly embark on an independent foreign policy,” accusing it of “kowtowing to the expansionist and imperialist interests, particularly of the United States.”
“The President’s SONA was a masterclass in deflection and denial. While Malacañang painted a rosy picture of progress, the truth on the ground is starkly different. Filipinos are grappling with soaring prices of basic commodities, stagnant wages, widespread unemployment, and a deepening crisis of governance that affects every aspect of their lives,” Zarate said.
Zarate highlighted several critical areas where he believed the SONA “fell woefully short:”
On the economy, he told the Inquirer, “The President spoke of economic growth, but for whom? Ordinary Filipinos are struggling to put food on the table. Rice prices remain prohibitive, fuel costs continue to surge, and the promised relief for farmers and workers remains elusive. The SONA completely ignored the alarming rates of hunger and poverty that plague our nation.”
He continued, “Beyond grand pronouncements, the SONA offered no genuine roadmap for recovery. Where are the concrete plans to boost local production, ensure food security, create decent jobs, or provide meaningful social protection? We heard no clear strategy to rein in inflation or to address the systemic issues that perpetuate economic inequality.”
Addressing the political landscape, Zarate contended it was “marked by continuing human rights violations, shrinking democratic space, and attacks on dissent,” which he said was “conveniently brushed aside” by the SONA.
He added that the address “failed to acknowledge the urgent need to uphold human rights, ensure accountability for abuses, and protect the fundamental freedoms of the people.”
Zarate called the administration’s “continued inability or unwillingness to pursue a truly independent foreign policy” perhaps “most alarming.”
He said the SONA “maintained a vague stance that obscures the reality of our nation being caught in the geopolitical crosshairs of competing superpowers.”
He demanded that President Marcos genuinely embark on an independent foreign policy that neither kowtows to the expansionist and imperialist interests of the US nor China.
Zarate described the President’s address as “utterly disconnected from the lived experiences of the majority of Filipinos.”
“Until the government genuinely addresses the root causes of our economic and political woes and truly asserts an independent foreign policy for the benefit of all Filipinos, the plight of our people will continue to worsen, regardless of how many celebratory speeches are delivered,” Zarate said.
