Robredo to attend SONA, ready for ‘insults’

By Charmaine A. Tadalan
VICE-PRESIDENT Maria Leonor G. Robredo on Friday said she will attend President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s third State of the Nation Address (SoNA) on Monday, July 23, adding that she is ready to face possible “insults” by Mr. Duterte.
“Sanay naman ako’ng iniinsulto. Tingin ko hindi naman ako mababawasan. Kapag ako ininsulto,…tingin ko hindi ko iyon kasalanan, ‘di ba?” the Vice-President told reporters in an interview, Friday. (I’m used to being insulted. I don’t see it as my loss. When someone insults me, I don’t think that’s my fault, right?)
“Maraming masasabi tungkol sa nang-insulto, pero ako mismo…handang harapin kahit ano (Those who insult say much about themselves, but for me, I’m ready to face anything),” she also said.
Ms. Robredo said she has been adviced by some against attending out of concern for her. “Mag-a-attend ako kahit iyong iba ayaw akong pa-attend-in. Iyong iba natatakot daw at baka insultuhin ako, baka hiyain ako. Iyong sa akin naman, una obligasyon ko na nandoon (ako),” she said. (I will attend even if some don’t want me to. They’re afraid I might be insulted or shamed. But for me, it’s my obligation to be there.)
The Vice-President also said she expects the President to “render (a) report” on his administration’s accomplishments, and is interested to hear what he has to say about inflation rate, unemployment rate, and the anti-drug campaign.
“Gusto nating pakinggan ano iyong balak ng pamahalaan para ma-arrest itong rising prices. Iyong latest survey, sinasabing iyong unemployment tumaas ng 2 percentage points. Interesado tayong malaman bakit (We would like to hear the government’s plan to arrest rising prices. Also, the latest survey showed unemployment rose by 2 percentage points. We’re interested to know why),” Ms. Robredo said.
Of the drug war, she said: “Iyong sa atin lang, kailan ba matatapos iyong ganito?…Ano ba iyong balak nating gawin? Saan patutungo ang kampanyang ito?” (For us, we’d like to know when will it end?…What should we do? Where will this campaign go?)