![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/sinag-staff-byline-1-e1627911559213.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nDUTERTE ON<\/strong> AGRICULTURE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n “We worked for the passage of the rice tariffication law. This resulted in the stabilization of rice supply and food security,\u201d claimed Duterte, completely dismissive of the peasant situation in the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The rice tariffication law is a death sentence to Filipino farmers. Despite being an agricultural country, with farmers making up most of the country\u2019s population, the Philippines has long been one of the top rice importers in the world. As a result, the price of domestic rice plummeted as Filipino farmers were made to compete with imports, devoid of any support from the government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The administration’s bid to crush the peasantry did not stop there. Duterte also employed another liberalization measure, Executive Order 128, which greatly reduced the tariff on pork imports at the expense of the local hog industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Halfway through his litany of lies, he also boasted about fulfilling his promise to coconut farmers through the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act. However, for coconut farmers, the law was nothing but a continuation of the president\u2019s swindling ways. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The exploited farmers were deprived of profit and benefits from the Trust Fund since 2015, and the act worsened the farmers\u2019 situation further by compromising financial recovery via privatization and burdening them with excessive management fees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Duterte appears to have a penchant for irony. In his regime, the food producers are made to starve, while the fascist pigs who slaughter them are fattened. Indeed, the budget that the agricultural sector needs is instead channelled to funding their brutal repression. Sama-samang Artista para sa Kilusang Agraryo (SAKA) reports the murderous Duterte regime has killed a total of 338 farmers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n DUTERTE ON THE ENVIRONMENT<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, the inutile president would not miss an opportunity to bring up his Imeldific Manila Bay destruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Far from restoring the glory of Manila Bay, the P654 million-funded dolomite beach is both mental health and nature-wrecking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Back in 2020, the UP Marine Science Institute already poured cold water on the notion that the dolomite sand grains will solve the bay\u2019s environmental problems. On the contrary, aside from easily eroding, the UP marine scientists cautioned its health risks and marine environment damages it might pose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These warnings no doubt reached the president, who even admitted that it will constantly be washed away. Nevertheless, it did not and will not stop him from resorting to superficial solutions, similar to his pandemic response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n DUTERTE ON ABS-CBN \/<\/strong> PRESS FREEDOM<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n While supposedly refraining from being vengeful, the vindictive president did not mince his rehashed tirades and false accusations against the ABS-CBN Corporation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Duterte recycled once again the false tax evasion accusations against the country\u2019s biggest media network. However, he went on to recount his vendetta against the said network for deliberately not airing his paid advertisements and indicting his family including his daughter on drug allegations\u2014accusations already disproven countless times in the hearings regarding the franchise issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The president, who has been unwilling to file his SALN since 2018, claimed that ABS-CBN cheated the government “by the billions in taxes” for failing to include in their tax return their alleged 40 hectares compound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aside from that, the network\u2019s compound is only 4.4 hectares. The trumped-up tax evasion charges were already belied by his own Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) since last year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In prioritizing an unfounded vindication against ABS-CBN amid a health crisis, the self-serving president let thousands go unemployed, enabled negative multiplier effects to the surrounding businesses and enterprises, and denied much-needed media coverage especially in far flung areas. Not to mention the chilling effect the shutdown made for other media networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n DUTERTE ON AN<\/strong> \u201cINDEPENDENT\u201d FOREIGN POLICY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In pivoting the discussion towards international relations, Duterte reminded the people of his weakness over the West Philippine Sea (WPS) incursion despite peddling an \u201cindependent\u201d foreign policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a stark contrast to his claims of asserting \u201cwhat is rightfully ours and fight for what is rightfully due for the Filipino people.\u201d Empty were words of hubris he relayed before the UN General Assembly and the ASEAN last year regarding preserving sovereignty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The inutile Duterte who knows this fact very well himself was surprised by the applause from the clown-filled Congress after claiming to have absolute sovereignty. \u201cSigurado kayo sa pinalakpakan niyo?\u201d probed Duterte.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After indulging in his rehashed Balangiga bells tale, he rapidly backpedaled minutes later on his \u201cindependent\u201d foreign policy by calling what he just claimed an indelible arbitral ruling from international law as non-binding before proceeding to lawyer for China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Riding again on the tides of false dichotomy between war and protecting our sea, Duterte repeated his claim that there is nothing the nation can do against China. A claim numerous times disproven by international law experts with the likes of retired Senior Associate Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio and UP Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea Director Atty. Jay Batongbacal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, like a fish caught in his own dirty mouth, Duterte revealed that he only protects his \u201cfriend\u201d whom he said he first called during the first days of the pandemic to ask for medical and recently, vaccine supplies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He then proceeded to assert the paramount importance of \u201cutang na loob\u201d for him, so much so, more important than an \u201cindependent\u201d foreign policy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Indeed, Duterte is perhaps the fiercest lapdog China could ever fetch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n DUTERTE ON COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND PUBLIC HEALTH<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Among the last issues tackled and evidently the least prioritized, COVID-19 pandemic matters were only discussed two hours into his ramblings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not long after saying another stricter lockdown is unaffordable, Duterte did not lay any concrete measure aside from a probable heightened lockdown due to what he called the \u201cCOVID-D.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCOVID-D\u201d or the Delta variant is yet another addition to the growing collection of viruses the regime callously waited to enter before making any steps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Not learning from last year, unmentioned were the other necessary measures to keep off the virulent disease aside from vaccines which remain elusive. What he only vowed was to allocate more budget for more shots and build a \u201cCenter for Disease Prevention and Control and the Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines\u201d\u2014the same broken promises he gave last year\u2019s SONA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Duterte\u2019s SONA provides us a clear picture of Duterte\u2019s misplaced priorities\u2014clearly not the ongoing pandemic, and certainly not the welfare of the Filipino people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n WHERE ARE WE HEADED?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Who lies before the nation is evident, but what lies ahead us is still in the balance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Duterte\u2019s ouster is only a matter of time. If anything, the final SONA has only proven that we cannot afford to delay ousting Duterte another minute, much less another year. Every day that passes is a day the fascist strikes. The streets bore witness to the resounding call of the people to make Duterte pay for his unforgivable sins. It will also bear witness to the approaching day of reckoning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is hope in the unwavering Filipino spirit that the nation will rise as yet another tyrant falls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Featured image courtesy of Ted Aljibe; edited by Jewel Christopher Politico<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Duterte\u2019s ouster is only a matter of time. If anything, the final SONA has only proven that we cannot afford to delay ousting Duterte another minute, much less another year. Every day that passes is a day the fascist strikes. The streets bore witness to the resounding call of the people to make Duterte pay […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":1620,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[122],"class_list":["post-1614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","post_format-post-format-image"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/sinag-sona-2-1.png","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1143,"url":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/2021\/05\/12\/fight-and-make-duterte-pay-for-national-treachery-cpp\/","url_meta":{"origin":1614,"position":0},"title":"‘Fight and make Duterte pay for national treachery’ \u2014 CPP","author":"emdeborja","date":"12 May 2021","format":"image","excerpt":"The revolutionary movement led by the CPP insisted that \u201cDuterte\u2019s obsequiousness to China is unacceptable to the Filipino people.\" As President Duterte retreated from his challenge to debate with retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio on the West Philippine Sea (WPS) issue, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National News"","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/category\/news\/national-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/de-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/de-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/de-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/de-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/de-1.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/de-1.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4222,"url":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/2022\/03\/30\/makabayan-si-duterte-ang-number-1-human-rights-violator\/","url_meta":{"origin":1614,"position":1},"title":"Makabayan: Si Duterte ang Number 1 Human Rights Violator","author":"Staff","date":"30 March 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Makabayan Bloc gravely condemned President Duterte's pronouncements on the partylists' alleged connection with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) this afternoon, March 30.\u00a0Makabayan stressed Duterte's latest tactic as a desperate measure to hamper the strengthening opposition. Makabayan Bloc gravely condemned President Duterte's pronouncements on the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/screenshot_20220330-165758_facebook-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/screenshot_20220330-165758_facebook-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/screenshot_20220330-165758_facebook-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/screenshot_20220330-165758_facebook-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/screenshot_20220330-165758_facebook-1.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/screenshot_20220330-165758_facebook-1.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1131,"url":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/2021\/05\/12\/zambales-fisherman-calls-duterte-a-joke-of-a-president\/","url_meta":{"origin":1614,"position":2},"title":"Zambales fisherman calls Duterte a ‘joke of a President’","author":"emdeborja","date":"12 May 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"President Duterte's actions undermining of Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea also have ramifications for the livelihood of fishermen. Carlo Montehermozo, the fisherman who asked President Duterte about his plans on the Scarborough Shoal situation back in 2016, has called Duterte a \"joke\" of a president after Duterte said\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quick Pops"","block_context":{"text":"Quick Pops","link":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/category\/quick-pops\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/bnm-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/bnm-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/bnm-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/bnm-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/bnm-1.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4201,"url":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/2022\/03\/29\/reds-wish-dutertes-last-birthday-outside-prison-cell\/","url_meta":{"origin":1614,"position":3},"title":"Reds wish Duterte’s “last birthday outside prison cell”","author":"Staff","date":"29 March 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"President Rodrigo Duterte celebrated his 77th birthday yesterday with a message from the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP): to enjoy his birthday as this might be his last outside of a prison cell.\u00a0 CPP Chief Information Officer Marco Valbuena stated Duterte only has a few months left in his\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/sinag-web-banner-13-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/sinag-web-banner-13-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/sinag-web-banner-13-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/sinag-web-banner-13-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/sinag-web-banner-13-1.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/sinag-web-banner-13-1.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6148,"url":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/2023\/07\/18\/icc-junks-ph-appeal-to-halt-duterte-drug-war-probe\/","url_meta":{"origin":1614,"position":4},"title":"ICC junks PH appeal to halt Duterte drug war probe","author":"Staff","date":"18 July 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The International Criminal Court denied the Philippine government\u2019s appeal to suspend the investigation into the \u201ccrimes against humanity\u201d\u00a0 committed during former president Rodrigo Duterte\u2019s war on drugs. In a decision released today, July 18, the ICC denied the plea sent by the Marcos administration asking the court to reconsider authorizing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National News"","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/category\/news\/national-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/20220630-duterte-departure-honors-mnib-61-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/20220630-duterte-departure-honors-mnib-61-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/20220630-duterte-departure-honors-mnib-61-1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/20220630-duterte-departure-honors-mnib-61-1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2520,"url":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/2021\/09\/22\/the-oppositions-trip-to-jerusalem\/","url_meta":{"origin":1614,"position":5},"title":"The opposition’s trip to Jerusalem","author":"Staff","date":"22 September 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Instead of focusing on the fight against Duterte\u2019s faction, the candidates will tire themselves out as they woo anti-Duterte voters. Meanwhile, the administration only has to maintain the supporters it already has.\u00a0 It is not impossible to win in a situation like this \u2014 especially if Duterte\u2019s loyalist numbers fall\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Opinion"","block_context":{"text":"Opinion","link":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/category\/opinion\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/sinag-web-banner-3-2-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/sinag-web-banner-3-2-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/sinag-web-banner-3-2-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/sinag-web-banner-3-2-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/sinag-web-banner-3-2-1.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/sinag-web-banner-3-2-1.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"authors":[{"term_id":122,"user_id":9,"is_guest":0,"slug":"csspsinag","display_name":"Staff","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/194807626fee183640d3de57e788ba7c8c0d40bd86bfc1237bed56bcd3832c1b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1614","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1614"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1614\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1620"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1614"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=1614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/figure><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"