DAVAO CITY –— President Rodrigo Duterte lambasted Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon during the first few minutes of his 5th State of the Nation Address (SONA) Monday afternoon.
In his speech before the Congress and the Senate which was aired live, Duterte said “My countrymen, it is sad that while the government focuses its attention and resources to battle the coronavirus, there are those who take advantage of a pre-occupied government”.
“One of them is Senator Frank Drilon. In an interview, he arrogantly mentioned among others that oligarchs need not be rich. Then he linked the anti-dynasty system with oligarchy and the topic was my daughter and son. This happened after the Committee on Franchise voted 70-11 to deny the grant of a franchise to ABS-CBN. Obviously, he was defending the Lopezes that they are not oligarchs,” he emphasized.
Duterte further said “Great wealth enables economic elites and corporations to influence public policy to their advantage. Media is a powerful tool in the hands of oligarchs like the Lopezes who used their media outlets in their battles with political figures. I am a casualty of the Lopezes during the 2016 election”.
Duterte said “Drilon arrogantly said oligarchs need not be rich” since the real oligarch in the country is political who form political dynasties, which sidelight a comment on his children Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte and Congressman Paolo Duterte and his youngest son, Davao City Vice Mayor Sebastian Duterte.
On July 19, Drilon urged Duterte to ban political dynasties to finally put an end to the “real oligarchy” in the country.
Drilon claimed political dynasties are the real oligarchs that need to be dismantled “We must review the whole structure, because the structure may in fact, or make oligarchy easy to achieve . . . The lack of an anti-dynasty system or provision in our system allows oligarchy to continue”.
According to Drilon “[Political dynasties] wield power for their own benefit. It has gone so bad that these dynasties now hold simultaneous national and local positions”.
“You cannot equate rich and oligarch, meaning it does not mean that if you are rich, you are on oligarch. An oligarch is the one that influences the decision of the government or the one using their political power, their wealth in order that the policy they want, that protect their interest will be pursued,” Drilon stressed.
Drilon was referring to Duterte’s children who are into politics.
Duterte said the Lopezes used the media, a powerful tool, to protect their business interest.-Editha Z. Caduaya/Newsline.ph
