Today’s CAROLINIAN
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Photograph by Angelo Nico Daroy
PRESIDENT DUTERTE DELIVERS FIRST SONA Laura Posadas
Rodrigo Roa Duterte, 16th president of the Republic of the Philippines, delivered his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 25, 2016, Monday at Batasang Pambansa. As a constitutional obligation, Duterte addressed issues regarding his all-out war on drugs and criminality, peace in Mindanao, economic development and government service improvement. He also outlined his plans and promises for his six-year administration.
fire with the CPP-NPA-NDF effective immediately.
Duterte’s first agenda on the SONA was his campaign against drugs. ”The fight against criminality and illegal drugs and corruption will be relentless and sustained.” He encouraged police and other officials to double and triple their efforts, but warned that if they abused their power, there would be hell to pay. He mentioned creating an Inter-Agency Committee on Illegal Drugs to give priority to rehabilitation for drug users and establishing residential treatment and rehabilitation facilities in all regions of the country.
On taxation, he stated that his administration will pursue tax reforms which include lowering personal and corporate income tax rates. Moreover, Duterte will prioritise traffic decongestion by pursuing rail projects in Metro Manila and major key points in the country. He will increase the capacity of the train systems in the capital, extend operating hours of the LRT, and make them run faster to accommodate more commuters.
On the issue of the West Philippine Sea dispute, Duterte strongly affirmed his respect for the outcome of the case before the Permanent Court of Arbitration. He accounts this as an important contribution to the ongoing efforts to pursue the peaceful resolution and management of the disputes. He also called for the country’s Muslim brothers, the Moro people, and members of the Communist Party of the Philippines, New People’s Army and National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) to immediately stop violence on their grounds. To address this, he declared a unilateral cease-
With regards to macroeconomic management, Duterte stated that there will be a continuation and maintenance of current macroeconomic policies. However, he vowed to do even better. Furthermore, he promised to develop labor-intensive industries such as manufacturing, agriculture and tourism.
Duterte pledged to improve basic government services like processing time in issuing permits and licenses which shall be reduced to the barest minimum. Also, the effectiveness of driver’s licenses will be extended from the current three-year period to five years. His other promises include the amendment of the 1996 Passport Law to lengthen the validity of the passports from the current five years to ten years, and wi-fi access to be provided at no charge in selected public places. TC