While more than 50 claps interrupted GMA's State of the Nation address (SONA), less than 500 people stood ground at the EDSA Shrine at the height of the mutiny. The fact that nary an ordinary person risked life and limb to defend the GMA regime illustrates the state of her administration.

As for the true state of the nation, it was not conveyed by GMA's speech today but by the videotaped message yesterday of the Magdalo officers who spoke of gross corruption and high treason at the top levels of government.

As for the real state of the people, it was not expressed at the august halls of Congress by GMA's parade of statistics but by the street protests along Commonwealth Avenue by workers, farmers and the poor who complained of globalization blighting their factories and farms, ruining their lives and livelihood. ###

July 28, 2003
Patricio Ramirez
Spokesperson
Partido ng Manggagawang Pilipino