Task 8

Coronavirus pandemic – After the usual introductions of top officials, Duterte opens
his speech stressing the toll the pandemic has taken on the Philippines as the virus
“snuffed” out dreams of prosperity and had the world living in a “troubled time.” He
mentions hopes for a vaccine and thanks frontliners who risk their lives to respond to
those most affected by the disease.

ABS-CBN – Within 5 minutes, the pandemic is quickly sidelined and among the first
things Duterte does is criticize ABS-CBN and the owners of the media network, calling
them “oligarchs.” He claims being “victimized” by the Lopezes in the 2016 Presidential
election which he won by a landslide.

Senator Franklin Drilon – In lashing out at ABS-CBN, Duterte slams the opposition
senator for defending the media giant and saying political dynasties must be banned to
truly dismantle oligarchy. He again later places the spotlight on Drilon, accusing him of
being among the framers of the 1997 water concessionaires agreement with the
government – a claim Drilon already denied.

Senator Bong Go – On the other hand, Duterte’s longtime aide-turned-senator again

receives praise from the Chief Executive as his pet bills filed in the Senate, including the
Malasakit Act and postponement of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections
are hailed among the administration’s achievements.

Southeast Asian Games – It’s all praise for the 30th Southeast Asian Games as Duterte
declares, “Indeed, we won as one,” referring to the sporting event’s slogan. However, the
Philippines’ hosting of the regional sporting event was hounded by allegations of
corruption and poor planning.

Economy – Duterte highlights the country’s positive credit ratings and says with a
strong economic position, the Philippines is in a “better position to weather the crisis
caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic.”

Infrastructure – He says significant infrastructure projects under the Build Build Build
Program were completed and that a “comprehensive written report” detailing these will
be released. He also pushes for more infrastructure projects to uplift the livelihoods of
Filipinos. Drug war – As expected, Duterte dedicates time in his speech to his drug war.
It was among the first topics he mentioned as he proposed to fight the pandemic with
the “same fervor” seen in the government’s anti-illegal drug campaign.

Human rights – He took the language of human rights to justify his war on drugs and
abuses seen under his administration, falsely suggesting some rights should be upheld
at the expense of others. Duterte vowed to uphold human rights and later threatened to
kill drug users.
Overseas Filipino workers – Duterte orders various agencies to help OFWs who have
lost their jobs and returned home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He again calls for the
creation of a Department of Overseas Filipinos.

Lapses in pandemic response – The President admits the government saw “difficulties”
in ramping up testing capacity, a key area the country continues to catch up on over 6
months since the crisis started. He also says the distribution of emergency aid during
lockdown measures “was not perfect.” Duterte vows “we will not stop until we get
things right and better for you.”

Bayanihan 2 – He calls on Congress to swiftly pass the Bayanihan to Recover as One

Act intended to provide funds for low-interest loans to small businesses, more aid to
displaced workers and poor families, online learning, and COVID-19 testing.

Tax reform – Duterte asks lawmakers to pass the Create Act as part of the country’s
recovery from the pandemic. The measure seeks to lower corporate income tax and
rationalizes financial incentives for investors.

Small and medium businesses – He asks the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to allow loan
payment extensions for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) without
incurring penalties and charges.

Tourism – Duterte calls on Filipinos to travel locally in an effort to boost the economy
“once the necessary systems are in place.”

China – The President veers from his speech and says he pleaded with Chinese
President Xi Jinping to prioritize the Philippines in providing an effective vaccine should
a Chinese company produce one.

Education – He reiterates face-to-face classes will not be allowed until a COVID-19

vaccine becomes available. All public schools, he vows, will be equipped for online
learning before he steps down. Duterte also says TV frequencies reverted back to the
government will be used to deliver learning – a call ABS-CBN immediately accepted
after Congress shut down the network.

Government monopoly on utilities – Duterte says the government should be given

“first option” to utilize public utilities. In particular, he warns telecommunication giants
to improve their services by December or government will be forced to make “drastic
steps” and expropriate their businesses.

Shander Alzate Dimaculangan

G10-Acacia