The well-delivered State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. would evoke concurrence on some major policy statements like the unequivocal upholding of Philippine sovereign rights over the resource-rich West Philippine Sea, albeit a repetition of previous declarations; review and amendment of the EPIRA (Electric Power Industry Reform Act); and the total ban on all POGO operations by the end of 2024.

What is lacking are the important details in the implementation of said policies.

Such agreement on some vital points in the SONA does not mean that a Counter-SONA is not necessary with respect to dissenting views based on established facts and validated data on the Philippine economy, poverty, agriculture and food security, education, employment, sustainable human development, and human rights – all of which will be discussed in the genuine opposition’s Counter-SONA.

EDCEL C. LAGMAN