Akbayan Party-list Representative Perci Cendaña criticized President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA), arguing that many of the administration's announced initiatives were introduced too late in the president's term.
Speaking after the SONA, Cendaña said the president's promises may sound encouraging but questioned whether they could still be implemented effectively with just over a year remaining in the Marcos administration.
According to the lawmaker, the government had ample time to address pressing issues such as low wages, soaring electricity rates, and the prosecution of officials allegedly involved in corruption.
"They had the whole year to prepare, pero they failed on that assignment," Cendaña said, describing the administration's recent actions as "beating the deadline" rather than demonstrating sustained political will.
He also dismissed what he described as the administration's "paandar at pasabog," saying the announcements lacked substance despite their impact.
"Kung kailan malapit na ang SONA, noon pa lang fina-line ang kaso. They had the whole year to prepare, pero they failed on that assignment," he said.
Cendaña also expressed skepticism over the president's proposal to amend the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), noting that the measure would still undergo lengthy deliberations in Congress and may not immediately result in lower electricity rates for consumers.
While he welcomed the president's recognition of the burden caused by high power costs, Cendaña said the administration should have acted much earlier.
He maintained that addressing the country's most pressing economic concerns requires timely and decisive action rather than last-minute announcements, stressing that Filipinos need concrete results before the end of the President's term.
