CHIZ' SONA ATTENDANCE A REMINDER
TO GMA OF OPPOSITION'S VICTORY

Opposition Senator Chiz Escudero will attend tomorrow's State of the Nation Address if only to remind President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of the opposition's sweeping victory in the last polls. Escudero said his and other fellow opposition's presence at the SONA tomorrow will demonstrate how the opposition will closely watch the Arroyo administration from any abuses or corruption of the law that they will plan to do.

"We will be a constant reminder to President Arroyo about how pronounced the entire country's verdict was between us, the opposition and the administration from the last elections. We will not waiver from our commitment to consolidate our strength to keep watch on any and all abuses of this administration," Escudero said.

The young senator said GMA's statement tomorrow should truly reflect the state of the nation and not just piped dreams. The report, according to Escudero, should clearly outline how she delivered on her promises from previous SONAs like lack of jobs, spiraling prices and low income of the working populace.

"I hope this time around the entire Filipino people can hear from their president about what has been done about the mired condition in which the citizens have to live with under her governance."

Escudero added that the president should do away with echoed promises from the past and instead focus on how her administration's plans and programs have benefited the million Filipinos who have rightful claims to promises from the past SONAs.

GMA, according to Escudero, should also give out a clear and definite statement that she will end her term in 2010. "The president has yet to categorically say that she has totally abandoned the Charter Change initiative. She is still talking about how her administration will continue to pursue charter change as a platform commitment. And now, she is again hinting that she wants to stick around after 2010, that is a bold statement that she still wants to hold on to power."

Escudero said tomorrow the Arroyo administration's performance will be magnified as to how it did not deliver on its promises.