By Deighton Acuin

PHOTO: Ping Lacson

The next President of the Republic of the Philippines will surely have to prepare for the problems that will encounter once he or she assumes the position in year 2022, Senator Panfilo Lacson said Tuesday.

Lacson, in a tweet, said the crucial concerns for the next President will be facing are country’s bad economy, mounting West Philippine Sea dispute, national debt, coronavirus outbreak response, drugs, peace and order, among others.

“The next President will deal with the following:

Bad economy

West Philippine Sea

Covid-19

P12T national debt

Corruption, drugs, peace and order

50% increase in IRA

17.7% unemployment rate

30.7% hunger rate

MUP (military and uniformed personnel) Pension (P9.6T seed fund)
Low tax revenue

“Apply now, suffer later,” Lacson tweeted.

The lawmaker’s tweet came after President Rodrigo Duterte admitted the country’s economy is “really bad in shape” and “sinking deeper and deeper” amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In an address on Monday night, Duterte said the Philippines is not experiencing the situation alone, adding other countries are suffering economical downturns due to implementation of lockdowns in a bid to contain the spread of infectious disease.

“You know, the world and the economy is run by oil, gas. If we would not allow the cargo trucks to operate, the economy would stall,” Duterte said.

“So we are sinking deeper and deeper, but it’s not only us. All economies are down, but we are trying our very best to keep us afloat,” Duterte added.

The President’s remarks came after economic managers announced the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) decreased by 9.5 percent last year — the worst economic contraction since the Second World War.


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