State Of the Nation Address (SONA)

The President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo delivered her State Of The Nation Address (SONA).

"I will defend democracy with arms when it is threatened by violence; with firmness when it is weakened by division; with law and order where it is subverted by anarchy; and always, I will try to sustain it by wise policies of economic progress, so that a democracy means not just an empty liberty but a full life for all….
I never expressed the desire to extend myself beyond my term. Many of those who accuse me of it tried to cling like nails to their posts….
I am accused of misgovernance. Many of those who accuse me of it left me the problem of their misgovernance to solve. And we did it….
I am falsely accused, without proof, of using my office for personal profit. Many of those who accuse me of it have lifestyles and spending habits that make them walking proofs of that crime….
We can read their frustrations. They had the chance to serve this good country and they blew it by serving themselves….
Those who live in glass houses should cast no stones. Those who should be in jail should not threaten it, especially if they have been there….
Our administration, with the highest average rate of growth, recording multiple increases in investments, with the largest job creation in history, and which gets a credit upgrade at the height of a world recession, must be doing something right, even if some of those cocooned in corporate privilege refuse to recognize it….
Governance, however, is not about looking back and getting even. It is about looking forward and giving more—to the people who gave us the greatest, hardest gift of all: the care of a country."

---some parts of the President's speech.
Inulan na naman kahapon ng batikos ng mga hindi kaalyado ng Pangulo ang SONA. Her detractors accussed her administration of massive corruption. Lack of transparency. Poor regulatory environment. Poor justice system. Cronyism. Hunger with power, the author to rewrite Constitution and shift to a Parliamentary System that will allow her to remain in power. If we took at the bright side, marami naman nagawa ang Pangulo na puwede pa nga niyang ipamana sa susunod na liderato. She is a working President. Sino ba namang lider ang ayaw magkaroon ng Strong Republic?
We need to elevate the standard of public service, this is possible if leader is honest and has integrity, who will set aside personal ambition for the good and welfare of the Filipino people. Good governance means good public service.