‘Let Us Not Despair'

Rody admits ‘our actions have been far from perfect’

- Alexis Romero

Reassuring a nation in anguish amid a raging pandemic, President Duterte yesterday said, “Let us not despair,” as a vaccine for coronavirus disease 2019 is just “around the corner.”

In his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA), Duterte urged Filipinos not to lose hope as he expressed optimism that the country would be able to overcome COVID-19, which he declared would soon be “laid to rest.”

The SONA was held at the Batasang Pambansa building with only a limited number of lawmakers and officials in attendance.

In his speech, which lasted for one hour and 45 minutes, the Chief Executive admitted that Filipinos are living in a “troubled time” as the COVID-19 contagion, which has infected more than 82,000 people in the Philippines, suddenly snuffed out their dream of prosperity. Nearly 2,000 Filipinos have succumbed to the disease.

Duterte also appealed to lawmakers for the passage of key measures, including the restoration of the death penalty for drug offenses.

“No nation was spared. Neither rich nor poor were exempt from the onslaught of this deadly disease,” the President said.

“Sooner and not later, the virus that gobbled up thousands of lives will itself be laid to rest,” he said.

Duterte claimed the Philippines is in a better position to win its battle against the contagion. He noted that the Philippines got a BBB+ credit rating “despite a sea of credit rating downgrades and negative outlook revisions worldwide.”

The Japan Credit Rating Agency upgraded the Philippines from BBB+ to A minus last month while Moody’s has affirmed and maintained the country’s ratings at Baa2, he added.