MANILA, Philippines — Broadcast journalist Karen Davila on Monday slammed President Rodrigo Duterte’s mention of opposition Sen. Franklin Drilon and shuttered media giant ABS-CBN as his opening salvo during his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA).
On Twitter, Davila said the President’s SONA, while traditionally centered on “the state of the country, where we are, where we are going,” became a venue for “personal vendettas or feelings.”
“No senator or private company deserves to be mentioned at the opening of the President’s Sona,” Davila said.
No senator or private company deserves to be mentioned at the opening of the President’s SONA. This is about the state of the country, where we are, where we are going, not about personal vendettas or feelings. People are hungry and jobless. People are looking for inspiration
— Karen Davila (@iamkarendavila) July 27, 2020
“People are hungry and jobless. People are looking for inspiration,” she added.
During his address to the nation, Duterte mentioned that Drilon for allegedly “arrogantly” making a remark about oligarchs, correlating it political dynasties, while the topic was supposedly about the president’s children who are in politics. Duterte also said Drilon defended the Lopezes, whose ABS-CBN network just lost its franchise bid last month.
Duterte then went on to say that he was a “casualty” of the media giant.
ABS-CBN has been off the air since May 5. The House Committee on Legislative Franchises junked its bid for a fresh franchise on July 10.