Vol. VIII, No. 14 - July 31, 2026
As expected, Marcos Jr.’s 86-minute State of the Nation Address (SONA) downplayed the harsh reality facing ordinary citizens. Masked by populist rhetoric, the speech ultimately pushed for policies deeply harmful to the Filipino people.
Marcos Jr. boasted of his administration's crackdown on flood control corruption, but glossing over the selective and shallow nature of his anti-corruption drive. The primary figure, former Congressman Zaldy Co—who could shed light on a systemic web implicating parliamentarians, executive officials, and the President himself—remains free while seeking political asylum in France. Meanwhile, the regime’s prosecutors have charged and detained politicians aligned with the Duterte faction, Senators Bong Revilla Jr., Jinggoy Estrada, and Rodante Marcoleta. Not a single ally of the Marcos dynasty faces prison. Aside from five DPWH officials and two contractors, those closest to the President implicated in the scandal—such as former Executive Secretary Bersamin and Budget Secretary Pangandaman—were merely allowed to resign without being investigated.
Turning to the broader economic crisis, Marcos Jr bragged about how his administration adapted to the fallout triggered by the U.S. unprovoked war against Iran. Yet he ignored the root of the problem: the Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act. By leaving oil cartels free to profit without restriction, this law leaves the national economy exposed to foreign conflicts—forcing Filipinos to endure unbearably high fuel prices and soaring costs for basic goods.
In addition, Marcos Jr. magnified his policy of "eliminating system loss costs" from electric bills while glossing over the urgent need to repeal the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA). It is EPIRA that drives high energy costs in the first place, guaranteeing massive profits for private power monopolies at the expense of consumers.
Marcos presented the Pax Silica as a project to modernize the nation, boost the economy and create jobs. In reality, Pax Silica is a project of US Imperialism to ensure its war supply of rare-earth elements and other minerals, microchip technology and AI facilities. US and its allies, notably Israel, will exploit cheap, skilled Filipino labor, extract vital raw materials and poison the environment.
To mask this subservience to U.S. imperialist interests, Marcos Jr. has fixated on Chinese violations in the West Philippine Sea, exploiting maritime disputes to whip up anti-China sentiment. Meanwhile, he deliberately conceals the grave dangers of the establishment of nine U.S. EDCA sites, accommodated advanced U.S. missile systems aimed at China, and the year-round troop presence through rotational units like the Marine Rotational Force–Southeast Asia (MRF-SEA) and the U.S. Army Rotational Force–Philippines. Coupled with the annual "Balikatan" exercises involving tens of thousands of troops, naval ships, and aircraft, this is not strategic deterrence—it is provoking China into a kinetic war.
By positioning the Philippines on the front lines of the U.S. "First Island Chain" containment strategy, the administration makes the country a primary target in the event of armed conflict. Marcos Jr. packages this subservience as patriotism, diverting vital public funds into an arms buildup rather than funding essential social services or pursuing genuine diplomatic resolution over Philippine sovereign rights.
Ultimately, Marcos Jr. continues to mask the true state of the nation. He remains blind to the deep frustration and anger of a people struggling against foreign imposition, bureaucrat capitalism, and feudal exploitation. Yet across both city streets and the countryside, popular resistance is rising. From organized mass protests to persistent armed struggle in strategic regions, the Filipino people are mounting a growing challenge against the intensified repression and economic plunder under the U.S.-Marcos regime.