SONA 2025: Progressives ask receipts from Marcos on his promises, vow to hold Duterte accountable
Metro Manila, Philippines - Progressive groups on Monday, July 28, held the two highest officials in the land accountable — to their promises and alleged abuse of power.
On Commonwealth Ave. in Quezon City on the day of the State of the Nation Address, they chanted: “Marcos Singilin, Duterte Panagutin.”
[Translation: Hold Marcos, Duterte accountable].
As a yearly practice, rallyists destroyed an effigy of President Bongbong Marcos dubbed “Bongbong Mambubudol” [Marcos con man] — while the chief executive delivered his report to the nation before a joint session of Congress at the Batasang Pambansa.
The effigy featured a twisted face of the president, with a magician’s hat in his right hand — which the creators said symbolized his unfulfilled promises over the last three years.
There was also a mural of US President Donald Trump watching over him — a shade on Marcos’ close ties with Washington.
Old struggles remain
For a teacher’s group, the Marcos administration has yet to fulfill its promise to address perennial problems in the education sector.
Ruby Bernardo, Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Metro Manila president, lamented decade-old problems on resource shortage and curriculum changes, which she said eventually fell on the teacher’s burden.
Despite the government’s move to add at least 20,000 teaching positions teaching positions for the school year, Bernardo said this was inadequate.
“‘Yung 140,000 na kakulangan, napakaliit ng dinagdag na items…Hindi pa rito kwinekwenta ang bilang ng estudyanteng tinuturuan, kung talagang global standard na meron kang 35-45 students, kulang pa rin talaga iyon,” she told NewsWatch Plus.
[Translation: The 140,000 shortfall is very small considering the additional items included… This doesn't even account for the number of students being taught — if we’re really following the global standard of having 35 to 45 students per class, it’s still not enough.]
Bernardo reiterated the call for higher salary, saying a Teacher 1 should at least earn P50,000 from the current P30,000.
She also lamented the lack of support for teachers in carrying out curriculum changes.
“Itong Matatag curriculum. May rollout iyan. Ginagawa iyan during the time na nagsisimula na ang klase, ilang piraso ang pag-attendin sa training then inaasahan silang magre-reecho sa mga teachers natin,” Bernardo said.
[Translation: This Matatag curriculum has a rollout. It’s being implemented at a time when classes have begun, with only a few participants attending the training, and then they’re expected to echo the training to our teachers.]
Farmers also voiced their struggles in a rally in front of the Department of Agrarian Reform in Quezon City.
Peasant groups from central Luzon pushed for genuine land reform, national industrialization, and a boost in local production instead of importation. In 2024, data showed imports rising by 1%, worth about over $127.4 billion
Danilo Ramos, president of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, demanded action from the government on the impact of successive calamities on farmers.
“Libu-libong palayan at pananim ang nakalubog sa gitnang Luzon at sa iba’t ibang panig ng bansa. Pero walang kompensasyon at walang tulong. Nasaan ang Pangulo sa panahon ng kalamidad? Nakikipag-usap sa kanyang amo sa halip na palakasin ang lokal na produksyon ng pagkain,” he said, slamming the president’s recent tariff negotiations with US President Donald Trump.
[Translation: Thousands of rice fields and crops are submerged in central Luzon and in various parts of the country. Yet there is no compensation and no aid. Where is the president during times of calamity? Talking to his boss instead of strengthening local food production.]
Luke Espiritu, a labor leader, also took a swipe at the president and lawmakers on the wage hike bill that failed to clear the 19th Congress.
In June, the Senate and the House of Representatives failed to reach an agreement, with the House advocating for a higher wage increase of P200. The Senate pushed for P100.
“Ngunit pagdating kay Bongbong Marcos, zero ang tinaas sa suweldo ng mga manggagawa,” Espiritu said in his speech.
[Translation; But under Bongbong Marcos, there was no increase in wages.]
Push for Duterte’s trial
Meanwhile, the groups also expressed dismay over the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte.
ACT’s Bernardo lamented the Supreme Court ruling that declared as unconstitutional the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte.
“Hindi kami papayag na hindi mapapanagot kung sino man ang may kasalanan lalo na sa usapin ng korapsyon. Dalawang taon na ang ating ahensya ay biktima talaga ng anomalya, laptop, confidential funds,” she said.
[Translation: We will not allow anyone to go unaccountable, especially when it comes to issues of corruption. For two years now, our agency - the Education Department - has truly been a victim of anomalies - laptops, confidential funds.]
The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) also slammed the decision, saying the Supreme Court “twisted laws and legal processes to get away with their high crimes and frustrate the people’s pursuit of truth, justice and accountability.”
“It is now almost impossible to hold corrupt and abusive impeachable officials such as the president, vice president and SC justices themselves accountable,” the group said in a statement.
Bayan is set to stage a rally in front of the Senate headquarters in Pasay City on Tuesday, July 29, to urge the body sitting as the Impeachment Court to immediately begin the trial of Duterte.
