By Cong B. Corrales
Editor-in-Chief

A RIGHTS advocate, local pundits, and a sectoral leader gave President Rodrigo Duterte a “passing mark” for his 6th and last State of the Nation yesterday, but not for the same reasons most of his avid supporters have for the President.

“I am giving PRRD a passing mark. no other president has ignited the sense of patriotism among us, Filipinos, as he did,” rights advocate Beverly Selim-Musni said yesterday in a cyber interview.

Selim-Musni explained that the President has awakened the “Katipuneros” in the Pinoy.

“’Atin ang Pinas’ is now declared with fiery pride and honor just like the Katipuneros during the cry of Balintawak, tearing their cedulas to pieces,” she added.

As for columnist Netnet Camomot, she said she would rather grade the general public than the President.

“Instead of grading the President, I’d rather give the Pinoy a perfect 10 for continuing to pay taxes despite the pandemic and the lesser income caused by the quarantines, and for his patience in waiting for the ayuda that may not even arrive,” Camomot said.

Although another opinion maker BenCyrus Ellorin gave the President a failing mark he said he still respects the President’s mandate.

“(Fifty). And only out of respect to the democratic mandate given to him,” he said.

Maranao civil society leader Drieza Liningding said he wished President Duterte would make a public apology in his last Sona for the fate of thousands of Maranaos left homeless as a result of the 2017 Marawi siege.

“We’d like to hear the President apologize for failing to protect our city,” said Liningding, chairman of the Moro Consensus Group, as he pointed out the government has claimed to have had advanced intelligence reports about the supposed plan of the ISIS-inspired Maute Group to take control of Marawi City.

Liningding said the 2017 bombardment and destruction of Marawi should not have happened if the government was really aware of the supposed plan and quickly moved to prevent it from taking place.

“The President once promised during the aerial bombings of Marawi that itatayo niya ang mga bahay namin. I hope he will fulfill that by certifying as urgent the Marawi Compensation Bill! Lastly, we wish he would announce that after four years, he will allow the return of thousands of residents to Marawi’s main affected area without conditions,” he said. (With reports from Herbie Gomez)