Roundup: Aquino's last State of Nation Address slammed for not telling truth

Despite Philippine President Benigno Aquino III's efforts to showcase his five-year achievements in his final State of the Nation Address (SONA), administration critics in the country have accused him of being destructive, lame and dishonest.

Bayan Muna party-list Representative Neri Colmenares slammed Aquino for not telling the truth about the real state of the country and the Filipinos.

"There are still problems that need to be resolved and it's not true that our life is better now," he said, adding "I think we're telling the truth and the President was not telling the truth."

Colmenares was one of the seven members of the militant Makabayan bloc in the Lower House that unfurled white streamers containing their criticisms against the administration during the president's SONA.

Aquino, in his speech, cited the growing economy, which has averaged to 6.2 percent under his administration as he hoped to further increase this next year and to maintain the expanding economy by his predecessor.

He also cited the improving labor condition in the country, which was immediately debunked by the labor group, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU).

KMU chairperson Elmer Labog said that union-busting and contractualization continue to flourish in the country.

The drop of unemployment rate to 6.8 percent is a flawed measure of the employment situation, he said.

"It does not include discouraged job-seekers or those who do not have work but are not actively looking for work. It has excluded unemployment in the calamity-stricken Eastern Visayas region," said Labog.

He added that a huge part of employment is comprised of part- time and low-income jobs in the informal sector.

Some lawmakers, including Senator Grace Poe, a leading contender in the presidential polls according to surveys, expressed dismay for not including the Freedom on Information Bill in the priority measures that Aquino wants to be passed under the present 16th Congress.

Poe also expressed dismay over the president's failure to recognize the misery of the MRT riders.

"It would be nice to at least acknowledge the hardships of our riding public and then say, 'we're not perfect but are trying to do certain things to correct it," said Poe.

The security preparation for SONA this year was tighter than ever before.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) earmarked at least 2, 500 soldiers to help the police secure the SONA. In addition, five military helicopters were put on standby at the AFP grandstand in Camp Aguinaldo for "contingencies."

Some reports say the total number of security personnel reached 10,000 while around 10,000 people went on streets to march against Aquino's "lies."

"The people are well aware of how his administration took the nation to the path of disaster, corruption and the deep quagmire of poverty," said Kabataan party-list Representative Terry Ridon.

On Tuesday, the newspaper Daily Tribune published an editorial titled "Lame, isolated Noynoy," saying the tight security preparation was "an indication of a president that has become not only disconnected with the populace but also frightened by their demand for accountability."

Meanwhile, netizens in the country also voiced their dismay towards the president's speech.

Many criticized Aquino's words that the country has become Asia 's rising star and that Filipinos' life has been improved.

"Enough with flashbacks. Enough with sugar coating," wrote a netizen with screen name "Julian Trono."

"There is no one from the ranks of the working poor, middle class, and entrepreneurs who could honestly and credibly say that their lives have profoundly improved from 2010 to 2015," Tonyo Cruz wrote on his blog.

He added that for the majority of them, there were only unremitting sacrifices, high taxes, low wages and stagnant salaries, regulations that restrict entrepreneurship, and the breakdown of essential services.

"The situation for farmers and workers is much worse. They wonder each time the Aquino government announces glowing economic breakthroughs whether they are living in the same country or the government is high on some awesome kind of weed," Cruz wrote. Endi