Press Release
July 23, 2012

Senator Cayetano's take on the State of the Nation Address

Reporter: Ano po ang masasabi niyo sa State of the Nation Address ni Pangulong Noynoy?

ASC: Magandang hapon po sa ating lahat. Tinake ng Presidente ang opportunity na mapakita niya kung ano yung mga bunga ng itinanim niya over the past two years. Yung mga victories at nagawa for our people and to encourage them na marami pa siyang magagawa para tumulong.

Ang akin lang masasabi na gusto ko sanang marinig ay yung mga problema at yung tinatawag na true state of the nation para mapagtulong-tulungan na ito. I think that he is so popular and that he can get people to move. But then, palaging mayroong deterrent or hindi ko alam kung bakit sa lahat ng naging pangulo ay may pagka-alangan sila na ipinapakita kung gaano kasama o gaano kalaki ang mga problema ng ating bansa.

Reporter: What's your say on the statistics presented?

ASC: I agree that he has to fight for it and I agree that it's such a complicated issue. But there are some facts that I have to verify. First of all, yung sinasabing bumaba yung crime incidence. Pwedeng bumaba yung reported crimes pero yung crime itself, kahit saan ka magpunta ay dumadami.

Then yung doon sa PhilHealth, yung 85% ang covered. I don't know kung sa amin lang ang napakaraming walang PhilHealth. But I doubt if 8.5 out of 10 Filipinos all over the country are already covered by PhilHealth. I'm hoping that's true.

I'll give the benefit of the doubt today. But I'll be giving the Kontra-SONA on Monday to verify.

Reporter: Any other topics that you hoped would be included in the SONA? ASC: Madami because ang SONA is always about opportunities. As I said before, positive muna. People need something to build on. The President has to show that he's anti-corruption, that he's accountable and transparent and that his tuwid na daan can bear fruit. So he had to do part of what he showed here today so that he can show the people that the good guy can finish first.

Having said that, to be able to solve problems the first part is admitting that there are problems. So kung baga sa adik, kailangan umamin ka muna para masolusyunan ang problema. For the last 15 years, from the SONAs I've been able to watch and hear, the presidents have always seemed to be reluctant to show the true state of the nation.

Halibawa, pinili niyang sabihin na by 2013, wala nang shortage ng classrooms without saying kung ilan ba talaga ang classroom shortage. Then pag nasolusyunan mo ang classroom shortage, short ka na rin sa teachers.

Remember, halos wala tayong schools or konti lang ang schools na may computers na. So I would have preferred that you state the whole problem.

As far as the statistics and reports are concerned, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. But I have to look into it.

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