Lawyers group on Sona: ‘Make-believe

narration’ of true state of nation

By: Christia Marie Ramos - Reporter / @CMRamosINQ
INQUIRER.net / 10:09 AM July 23, 2019

President Rodrigo Duterte talks during his 4th State of the Nation Address at the House
of Representatives in Quezon City on Monday, July 22, 2019. (AP)

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte’s fourth State of the Nation

Address (Sona) consisted “mostly of make-believe narration” and “unfulfilled
promises,” the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) said on Tuesday.

“President Rodrigo Duterte delivered his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA)
consisting of 19 pages worth mostly of make-believe narration of the actual state of the
nation, reiterating his unfulfilled promises from three years ago,” NUPL said in a
statement on Tuesday.
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READ: Highlights of Duterte’s 4th State of the Nation Address

Three years after Duterte assumed office, the group said the President continues to “end
the lives” of drug suspects, adding that the justice system “remains elusive” for those
killed under the administration’s brutal crackdown on illegal drugs.
“The President is still waging his war against illegal drugs, which the entire world has
seen as nothing but a war against the poor. During his campaign, he promised to end the
drug war in three to six months, but three years after he was elected, all he did was to
end the lives of thousands of Filipinos the police officers conveniently tagged as either
‘nanlaban’ suspects or collaterals,” NUPL said.

“And worse, justice remains elusive for all of these victims as the State perpetrators
exploit and contort existing laws to suit their whims and ensure impunity,” it added.

The NUPL also pointed out that instead of welcoming the Iceland-led resolution that
would thoroughly review the human rights situation in the Philippines, including under
his war on drugs, Duterte opted to ask members of Congress to reinstate the death
penalty for drug suspects and plunderers.
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READ: Duterte renews push for death penalty on drug-related crimes

“Recently, the United Nations Human Rights Council voted to look into the killings in
the Philippines, which the administration shunned. Instead of welcoming the
independent examination, he called again for the Congress to reimpose the death
penalty for drug suspects and plunderers,” the NUPL said.

The group also took a swipe at several politicians “guilty of plunder” with some even
attending the President’s Sona donned in “extravagant” outfits.

“The courts have already found several politicians guilty of plunder, but we have yet to
see them behind bars, with some in their extravagant barongs and Filipinianas,
attending the SONA,” the NUPL said.
DepEd 'validated' after praises from Duterte
during Monday's SONA
ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jul 23 2019 06:52 PM

MANILA - The Department of Education (DepEd) feels "validated" after the praises they got from
President Rodrigo Duterte during his 4th State of the Nation Address yesterday.

“This affirms, ang binabanggit ng Department of Education, that we have made a lot of headway dun
sa access to basic education," DepEd spokesman Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan said
Tuesday in a statement.

“This is a morale boost for our secretary and we thank the President.. this is not just for the DepEd,
but most of all sa halos isang milyong empleyado ng DepEd," DepEd Undersecretary Annalyn
Sevilla added.

Duterte praised the education department during his SONA, saying more than 20 million students are
learning and studying because of DepEd.

"Through the exceptional leadership of [Education] Secretary Briones and the DepEd, I am proud to
say that this year more Filipino learners are receiving basic education, with over 27 million enrollees
from Kinder to Senior High School," Duterte said.

 FULL TEXT: Duterte's 4th SONA

For the remaining years of Duterte’s term, DepEd said it will shift its focus from basic education
access to education quality.

“Itong 27.2 million na mga estudyante, 'di lang dapat binibilang natin, kung hindi siguraduhin na
natututo ang ating K12 curriculum ngayon at magagamit nila ang kanilang natututunan," said Sevilla.

NATIONAL SPORTS ACADEMY - A WELCOME CONCEPT

The proposal to build a National Sports Academy is a “welcome concept” for DepEd, especially
since only a fraction of students in Senior High School take the sports track.

“Kailangan din nating iintroduce at bigyan ng magandang career ang isang bata na mahilig at may
talent sa sports," Sevilla said.

(We need to introduce and give good students a chance to have a career in sports.)

Sevilla said around 60 percent of students take the academic track since they plan to pursue a college
education, 38 percent take the technical vocation track, and the rest take the sports track.

"If we want this to happen and be implemented within this term, kailangan may maipasok tayo for
the 2020 budget (they need to set a budget)," she said.

The National Sports Academy will not only focus on honing students’ athletic capabilities but will
offer degrees related to sports.

Duterte, in his SONA yesterday, said he is in favor of such an academy for high school students.

 Duterte backs sports academy for high school students

“Itong sports track 'di lang sa pagiging athletes. Meron din ditong physical education, certification,
physical fitness, coaching.. isa pang maitutulong ito.. posibleng tumawid di lang secondary education
but.. leading to a bachelor's degree," Malaluan said.

SALARY INCREASE
DepEd believes it did its part in enlightening their critics with the salary increase issue.

“Hindi DepEd ang magde-decide kung may increase, kung magkano mag increase at sino ang i-
increasan. It's not the mandate of DepEd to do that,” said Sevilla.

“Ang di palang definite ngayon ay kung magkano and for how many years will this be given,"
Malaluan added.

Several senators have filed bills seeking to raise the salaries of public school teachers, following the
pay hike of policemen last year.

 Senators file bills seeking pay hike for teachers

During his presidential campaign in 2016, Duterte promised to double the salary of public school
teachers.

Teachers have been clamoring for a significant increase in their salary following pay hikes for police
officers, soldiers, and other uniformed personnel in 2018
Manny Pacquiao defies
Father Time with another
signature victory

Manny Pacquiao with his belt after defeating Keith Thurman in their WBA super
welterweight world championship fight in the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday, July
20, 2019, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

It has a face, that part about the key to longevity being an ability to reinvent
yourself.

The reflection is that of Manny Pacquiao.

There is no such thing as a straight line for what Pacquiao has done, or is
amazingly doing, making a mockery of the idea that with age comes a natural
decline in the skill of a professional athlete.

It’s a hall of fame road of twists and turns and now yet another signature
victory.

He’s 40. It’s not all about hair loss and a snail’s metabolism for him.
Pacquiao on Saturday night was as relentless and quick as a decade
ago, handing Keith Thurman his first professional loss in split-decision fashion
before an announced sellout crowd of 14,356 at the MGM Grand Garden.

First things first. The fact that judge Glenn Feldman had the fight 114-113 for
Thurman is a mere sidebar to a ridiculously astounding main storyline of
Pacquiao’s brilliance, because the time has long passed when we should ever
blink with surprise at how those hired to score the action ultimately do.

Feldman saw things few others did. He’s just the latest.

That the other two judges — Dave Moretti and Tim Cheatham — had it 115-
112 for Pacquiao might have even been a tad close.

I had it 116-111. The winner was obvious, as Pacquiao knocked Thurman down
in the first round and off he went toward improving what is now a 62-7-2
record.

“I knew it was close,” said Thurman, who now is 29-1 and lost his WBA
welterweight belt in the process. “It was a beautiful night of boxing. He’s a
legend, a truly great champion. He got the victory.

“I wish that I had a little more because I thought he was getting tired. But he had
the experience and conditioning over me. I was just behind Manny Pacquiao. I
would love a rematch.

“This night was a blessing and a lesson.”

Look, 40 and elite in boxing is hardly an unreasonable combination. Archie

Moore. Bernard Hopkins. The guy who named all of his kids George.

Roberto Duran even won 18 fights after turning 40, even as a “dad bod”
comfortably possessed his frame. Larry Holmes kept his jab after 40.

But few in sports have reached such an age while navigating the sort of
reclamation journey of Pacquiao, or did you suddenly forget about that
disastrous loss to Jeff Horn about two years ago?
How the Pacquiao of that unanimous decision defeat — most then assumed he
would trade his gloves in for good and focus on his life as a senator in his native
Philippines — stood across from and dismantled Thurman on Saturday defies
logic.

But that’s the thing about Pacquiao. He has never seemed all that interested in
following any sort of typical timeline, the only eight-division champion of the
world who lost major sponsorships and many fans across the globe with anti-
gay statements rooted in his religious beliefs.

Twenty-five years later, he just keeps going. Even had he lost Saturday to a
fighter 10 years his younger, a champion in Thurman who is 2 inches taller and
has a longer reach, the odds would have still favored Pacquiao continuing to
seek out opponents and climb into rings.

“(Thurman) is a great competitor, boxer, fighter,” he said. “I did my best. I am

sure the fans are happy because they saw a good fight. He is not easy to fight. I
just think that I was the best.”