The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) blasted yesterday the first State of the Nation Address (SONA) of Ferdinand Marcos Jr held last July 25. The CPP called the speech a “fairy tale” completely disconnected from the reality of the toiling masses’ pressing socioeconomic problems.

CPP Chief Information Officer Marco Valbuena noted that the Filipino people’s urgent concerns revolve around spiralling prices, low wages and massive unemployment and widespread landlessness and land grabbing, but was not addressed by Marcos in his speech.

“Marcos is wrong to think that his technical jargon and grandiose promises will succeed in mesmerizing the people,” Valbuena said in a “point by point criticism” containing 42 items.

Valbuena added that the speech was all but big words and mere promises of prosperity in some unknown future. “Akala niya ata mamamangha ang taumbayan sa mga salitang teknikal at engrande–pero hungkag–na mga pangako. Nakalutang siya sa alapaap,” Valbuena said.

“Marcos declares the Philippines will be an upper-middle-class income country by 2024 and will reduce poverty to 9%. This is pure fantasy when majority of Filipinos now could rarely afford three square meals a day,” Valbuena added.

Valbuena also noted that Marcos’ non-mention of human rights is telling of how his regime would treat the people’s basic freedoms. “Marcos did not touch on rampant rights violations by state forces, a virtual signal for the NTF-Elcac and the AFP/PNP to continue with the brutal drug war and costly counterinsurgency drive,” Valbuena noted.

Morevoer, Valbuena pointed out that the many times Marcos praised Duterte meant a definite assurance that he won’t allow the International Criminal Court to prosecute him for crimes against humanity.

Valbuena also chided Marcos’ plans to revive the mandatory military training which he said will give the AFP wider platform for red-tagging and fascist indoctrination. “What”love of country\” will human rights abusers and pro-US zealots teach the youth?\” he said. (CPP Information Bureau)