As expected, President Duterte digressed from the prepared speech he gave. As only he could, President Duterte made the speech his own with his brand of humor and his brand of speech. He seemed to have the people hanging to his every word.
In typical Duterte fashion, he let spew cusswords in his speech directed at the National Democratic Front whom he called enemies of the state. He also reiterated that rebellion is not contained just in Marawi City but has been going on in Mindanao for quite a long time.
He also turned the tables on the left-leaning groups whom he used to charm to come to his fold. Now, he publicly decried the ambushes against the uniformed personnel and the Presidential convoy. He reiterated that he will save money for the Armed Forces to better equip them against the forces of the left.
This is tantamount to a threat against the groups whom he so wanted to accommodate just a year ago. His seeming lack of patience for their demands is indicative that the country might be embroiled in another war. This is a war that could bring us back to our dark days.
He also touched on the subject of martial law as the answer to quell the rebellion happening in Marawi. He stressed that he alone should be blamed. But shifting the focus of the blame on him alone is not going to be the answer. While he may be at the top of the chain of command, the devastation amounting to millions upon millions of property should not be forgotten. The promise that the government would have to be at the forefront of the reconstruction of Marawi notwithstanding, the price we have to pay as a people to battle the raging ideology is quite great.
Below are links to reactions to 2nd State of the Nation Address highlighting specific topics. Hope this helps. Please LIKE and SHARE this post to compensate our hard work.
| Introduction | A View from Outside | War on Drugs and Criminality |
| Surprise Volleys | Digressions | Death Penalty and Moral Ascendancy |
| Government Shift | OFW Assistance | Final Say |
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