Former executive secretary Vic Rodriguez and resigned press secretary Trixie Angeles join the "People's SONA" ahead of President Bongbong Marcos's third State of the Nation Address.

TWO YEARS after quitting their posts, two former appointees of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. have taken a sharp turn against him by participating in a “People’s SONA” rally calling for his ouster.

On Saturday, two days before Marcos Jr.’s third State of the Nation Address (SONA), various political groups, led by the “Hakbang ng Maisug” coalition supporting Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, gathered at Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila to lash out at the president as he enters his third year in office.

Among the speakers were Trixie Angeles, a pro-Duterte vlogger who had been Marcos Jr.’s press secretary, and Vic Rodriguez, a former aide of the president who had served as his executive secretary.

Angeles criticized Marcos Jr. for his supposed silence on a number of issues, such as the controversial transfer of PhilHealth funds worth P90 billion to the national treasury to finance this year’s unprogrammed appropriations and the leaked Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency data supposedly implicating the president on illegal drug use. 

‘Yong mga issue na gusto nating marinig, hindi niya sinasagot,” she said. “Mr. President, pahalagahan niyo naman kami. Binigay namin ‘yung boto namin sa iyo. Magtrabaho ka naman.” 

Ang trabaho natin, ipakita natin sa kaniya na hindi siya magiging presidente kung wala tayo,” she added. “At hindi siya mananatiling president kung hindi niya aasikasuhin ang problema ng bayan–obligasyon niya ito.” 

Rodriguez accused Marcos of being out of touch with the struggles of Filipinos.

“The president we have now is so disconnected with what’s happening in the countryside, in the city,” he said in an interview with the Varsitarian after delivering his speech. “Bakit? Busy sa party e, busy sa biyahe, ‘yan ang masakit na katotohanan.”

Rodriguez said he joined the Duterte-backed rally as it revealed the “true state of the nation.” 

Mas mainam [ito] dahil naririnig mo ‘yong totoong estado ng ating bansa mula sa iba’t ibang sektor ng ating lipunan na hindi bahagi ng ating pamahalaan at tunay na nakararamdam ng hirap na nararanasan natin ngayon,” he said. 

Duterte-Carpio, the vice president and Marcos Jr.’s former “UniTeam” partner, will not attend Monday’s SONA.

Although her absence is “no big deal” according to Assoc. Prof. Dennis Coronacion of the UST Department of Political Science, it signifies Duterte-Carpio breaking away from her alliance with Marcos two years after their overwhelming electoral victory. 

“Assuming na seseryosohin natin ‘yung kaniyang statement…it’s her way of saying na ‘I’m not your ally anymore, so I’m not going to attend your SONA,’” Coronacion said. Fernando Pierre Marcel B. Dela Cruz and Kaela Patricia B. Gabriel with reports from Marco Luis D. Beech and Carlo Jose H. Ruga

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