PNoy urged to prosecute tax evaders, focus on roadmap until 2016 

by Rachelle M. Nessia

DUMAGUETE CITY, July 26 (PIA) --- As Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III's nearly one-hour State of the Nation Address (SONA) highlighted the gains of his two-year administration, local reactions stress heavily on the need to prosecute officials who wronged the country by abusing their authority. 

Former Finance Secretary and ex-Landbank President Gary Teves said that he was impressed by the economic status of the country under Pres. Aquino's administration but stressed the President must make an example out of the erring government officials. 

In an interview over a local cable TV station, Teves, a Negrense, said: “The President has to take advantage of the support of the Filipinos in his call for the matuwid na daan. Prosecute those who have been filed tax evasion cases.” 

Dumaguete Press Club President and broadcaster Indira Requiron echoed Teves' call, saying that this is one way for the country to move on. 

Sky Cable reporter Choy Gallarde said he would like to see corrupt officials put behind bars. “I want to see results from Pres. Aquino's campaign to clean up the government of corruption as he stated in his SONA,” he said. 

Silliman University Office of Information and Publications Director Mark Raygan Garcia said he was satisfied with the gains reported by Pres. Aquino in his SONA but added that he wished there were lesser “mudslinging” on the anomalies of the previous administration. 

But putting the guilty behind bars takes time, according to Dumaguete City Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria. “We live in a democratic country where everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty,” he told the Philippine Information Agency in an interview. 

The mayor, who described PNoy's report to the nation as wonderfully delivered, lauded the President's acknowledgement of state workers. “It showed his respect for government workers and teachers and that is wonderful,” said Sagarbarria. 

However, he said he wanted to see the President talk about development programs in the agriculture, food security and agrarian reform sectors and his roadmap from here until 2016. 

“He could have focused on the development side of the country. Like how are we going to feed the nearly 100 million Filipinos in the next 15 years? And what we government officials should do in terms of development based on his plan? ” he stressed. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)