President Aquino Says 2016 Polls Would be Ultimate Referendum of ‘Daang Matuwid’

Manila (PNA) — President Benigno S. Aquino III on Monday said the upcoming 2016 national elections would be a gauge of his “Daang Matuwid” platform even as he urged Filipinos to make his reforms a “way of life” that will ultimately pave the way for the Philippines into becoming a first world country in the next generation.

“The next polls would be a referendum on ‘Daang Matuwid’. The people will decide if the reforms we instituted would become permanent or just see it as just a stroke of luck and a temporary recovery from a long history of failures,” Aquino said in his last State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA) to the Filipino people.

He stressed that the seeds to recovery have already been sown by his administration and it would be folly to cut the tree when the fruits are ready to be reaped.

“I enjoined all Filipinos to join me in making our anti-corruption efforts a way of life. If you say yes, I will always be there beside you up to my last breath,” the President said.

But despite the achievements in the past five years, President Aquino asked for the understanding of his “bosses” – the Filipino people – for the controversies that hounded his administration.

“Never once did I think of myself as ‘perfect.’ There were times when we were let down by those we trusted to perform well in their appointed jobs. For these, I ask for your understanding,” he said.

The President said that despite the perceived shortcomings, he never shirked from his responsibilities and acted on what he thinks was best for the situation depending on the given knowledge and know-how present at the time.

Quoting from the bible, President Aquino said: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

“I will leave it to history to judge me,” Aquino said.

The President said that the Philippines is in the dawn of better things to come that is borne out of the transformation brought by “Daang Matuwid.”

“We are just beginning to reap the fruits of our freedom from corruption. We are now challenged by history to sustain this transformation for the next generations,” he said.

“With God’s guidance and our continued pursuit of the “Daang Matuwid,” we would attain greater growth and accomplish loftier goals. My bosses, the direction that we want to take is now in your hands,” President Aquino said.

The President is expected to anoint his chosen successor in the coming days after his last SONA. (PNA) LAM/CMR