Unlike his predecessor, who was passionate about fighting illegal drugs, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. made no mention in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) how his administration plans to address this particular problem.
Marcos' speech on Monday afternoon, July 25, ran for 73 minutes. He spoke in both English and Filipino. However, he did not mention anything about the drug war, unlike former President Rodrigo Duterte, who discussed the issue in almost every speech, not just the yearly SONA.
This, a month after International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan formally requested the judges of the court's pre-trial chamber to proceed with its investigation of the alleged irregularities in the campaign.
In September last year, a pre-trial chamber of the ICC green-lit the probe of President Duterte's drug war, citing a "reasonable basis" to believe that crimes against humanity had been committed in the course of the anti-illegal drugs campaign.
Two months later, the ICC suspended its probe after the Philippines filed a deferral request, saying the country was investigating the alleged abuses and killings.
President Marcos also did not discuss the country's drug problem in his inaugural speech on June 30. However, before he assumed the presidency, he said he intended to approach Duterte's drug war differently.
Marcos had offered Duterte to be his drug war czar, but the former chief executive declined. The latter, however, hoped that the next administration would sustain the gains of his anti-illegal drugs campaign.
Despite the lack of mention of the issue in Marcos' speeches, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos said the drug war under the present administration "will be as intensive as before on the basis of my oath as a public official in accordance with the Constitution."
Data from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) showed that as of May 31, 2022, the drug war of the Duterte administration resulted in the arrest of 345,126 individuals and the deaths of 6,252 during anti-drug operations.
Duterte's drug war cleared 25,361 of 42,046 barangays of illegal drugs and seized P89.79 billion worth of illegal drugs and laboratory equipment.
What did Marcos discuss in his first SONA?
Throughout his SONA, Marcos was applauded by his audience 90 times, based on an official transcript from Malacañang.
The President started his speech by discussing the economy and how his administration plans to aid its recovery after taking a blow from the Covid-19 pandemic. Marcos mentioned tax reforms, promoting productivity-enhancing investments, supporting ecozones, adjusting the tax system, promoting medium-term fiscal sustainability, and crafting the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.
In agriculture, Marcos mentioned increasing food production, addressing the food crisis, providing aid to farmers, building farm-to-market roads, and modernizing the agriculture sector. Marcos also serves as the secretary of the Department of Agriculture.
The President expressed his desire for a law to condone the existing agrarian reform loans to help around 654,000 beneficiaries.
For social welfare, Marcos said there would be a strategic distribution of relief goods under his administration. He added that the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) will continue and that the rights of solo parents will be strengthened.
In terms of health, President Marcos vowed affordable medicines for ordinary people and to build easy-to-reach hospitals and health centers for those living in far-flung areas.
Marcos said there would no longer be lockdowns as the country continues to address the threat of the Covid-19 pandemic. He also mentioned improving the healthcare system.
For education, Marcos reiterated his desire to develop and refine Filipino students' performance in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). He also said the country must continue capitalizing on its command of the English language.
He likewise said that he wanted to end the production and utilization of "poor quality" materials and that learners must only be provided with "the best."
The President reiterated his intention to push through with the resumption of face-to-face classes later this year.
For digitalization, President Marcos underscored the importance of bridging the digital divide in the country, prioritizing the distribution of national IDs, and connecting the country digitally.
Regarding infrastructure, Marcos vowed to continue Duterte's "Build, Build, Build" but will focus more on developing the country's railway system.
In his speech, the President also recognized the country's growing demand for energy despite the limited resources. He said the government would revisit building nuclear plants and use renewable energy to bring down power rates and mitigate the effects of climate change. Aside from this mention of climate change, Marcos did not mention anything about protecting the environment.
For the migrant workers, Marcos said his administration would prioritize the automation of the verification of contracts and issue secure Overseas Employment Certifications (OEC) that overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) can keep on their smartphones. He added that they would establish a command center to help Filipinos abroad in crisis.
The President did not forget to mention tourism, saying his administration will develop roads, airports, and tourist destinations to boost the tourism industry.
In terms of foreign policy, Marcos said while the Philippines would remain a friend to all and an enemy to none, he would not allow the country to lose even an inch of its territory to foreign powers. While it seemed to refer to the issue in the West Philippine Sea, Marcos did not mention it or anything related to it specifically.
The President capped his speech by enumerating his administration's 19 priority bills, including the mandatory Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) for senior high school students, bureaucracy rightsizing, and e-government.
The state of the nation is 'sound'
Despite the past two years being challenging for Filipinos, Marcos said that the state of the nation is "sound," as he had assembled the "best" Filipino minds to help navigate the pandemic.
"Bawat isa sa inyo ay ginagawa ang lahat ng inyong makakaya upang patuloy na harapin ang lahat ng pagsubok sa kasalukuyan (Each of you tried his best to continue facing the challenges). I do not intend to diminish the risks and the challenges that we face in this turbulent time in global history, and yet, I see sunlight filtering through these dark clouds," he said.
"We will endure. Let our Filipino spirit ever remain undimmed. I know this in my mind, I know it in my heart, I know it in my very soul. The state of the nation is sound," he concluded.