Reaction on Noynoy Aquinos 5

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State of the Nation Address
Justin Angelo J. Manrique
1POL1
SAME OLD, SAME OLD
It was on February 22, 1986 when Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile announced his breakaway
from the government of then-President Ferdinand E. Marcos, igniting a military coup detat that
eventually was supported by around 3 million people from Manila. Jaime Cardinal Sin was the one who
called on the masses to surround Camp Aguinaldo to keep the soldiers loyal to President Marcos from
arresting Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and Lt. General Fidel V. Ramos. Enriles actions led to the
ouster of President Marcos three days later and eventually installed Corazon Aquino as President, the
mother of current President Benigno Aquino III. Right now, Senator Juan Ponce Enrile is being
persecuted by the government of the son of the very woman he put into power.
During his fifth State of the Nation Address on July 28, 2014, Aquino boasted his current
administrations achievements, one of which was the indictment of Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy
Estrada and Ramon Revilla, Jr. for their alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam which is said to have
been orchestrated by businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles. The president should note that Sen. Juan Ponce
Enrile is the reason why he is even in power right now. Had Enrile not bolted from the Marcos
government, Cory Aquino would never have become president of the Philippines. And in turn, Noynoy
Aquino would never have had the hype back in the 2010 election.
When Aquino applauded Justice Secretary Leila De Lima for her wonderful job handling the
pork barrel scam case, he also threw mud on the legacy of Sen. Enrile, who was prosecuted by De Limas
Department of Justice. Marcos loyalists would say that Enriles current situation is karma after he turned
his back on the late President but, the bottom line is that Aquinos words showed a lack of debt of
gratitude towards the embattled Senator or as Filipinos would call it utang na loob.
Then again, this is no surprise coming from an Aquino. The current presidents mother fired
Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile back in November 1986, just nine months after he helped put her
into power. President Cory Aquino and President Noynoy himself keep on hitting the late President
Ferdinand Marcos, even though it was Marcos who allowed Noynoys father (the late Senator Benigno
Aquino, Jr.) to get medical treatment in the US despite being convicted on charges of murder and
subversion. Indeed, being an ingrate runs in the veins of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III.
Also in Noynoys SONA was the emotional part when he almost echoed his father by saying that
the Filipino is worth fighting for. It is true that the Filipino is worth fighting for, but for Noynoy to be the
one saying so is totally absurd. Noynoy never fought for the Filipino people. He only fought against his
political opponents, as seen when the only ones who would be run over by his anti-corruption drive are
those in the opposing side of the political fence. Selective justice is injustice. And Noynoys selective
justice is more of a fight against the Filipinos than one for them.