By JOSEPH HOLANDES UBALDE
Interaksyon.com
DESPITE predictions that President Benigno Aquino III’s sophomore State of the Nation Address (SONA) will be peppered with anti-Arroyo sentiments, the 47-minute speech of the president did not directly address his predecessor.
“We just proved our detractors wrong,” said Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda shortly after Aquino delivered his SONA Monday afternoon. “The expectation was that we were going to criticize (former President Gloria Macapagal) Arroyo…but we didn’t, and we did that on purpose.”
Lacierda added the President had more important things to report on other than what Aquino’s critics had been anticipating.
“We had to report the state of the nation to our people and that’s what we’ve done,” he said.
Arroyo, who is now Pampanga representative, was a no-show at Aquino’s second SONA despite attending the session early Monday. Arroyo, who is being accused of fraud and corruption, decided not to attend Aquino’s SONA on purpose.
“The President prepared the speech with total indifference if Arroyo will attend or not,” he said.
Meanwhile, Senator Miriam Defensor-Aquino, an Arroyo ally, said she was not surprised that the President made no mention of his predecessor.
“The President merely said that anti-corruption campaign is something personal to him,” Santiago said. “This is in fact, a motherhood statement.”
Aquino’s second SONA was received with 43 appluase breaks by legislators and guests at the House of Representatives.