Filipino President pledges to fix economic ills in national address

Hanoi (VNA) - Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte delivered his first national address on July 25 in front of the Congress, committing to carrying out big reforms to fix the country’s chronic economic problems.

In the 90-minute-long national address, Duterte also warned Filipinos to keep away from drug and pledged zero tolerance in the fight against drug.

He declared not to stop the campaign until the last drug dealer surrenders or is punished by law. He called on the police and local authorities to make more effort in the battle.

On the economy, Duterte pledged to push several reforms to support the economy. He emphasised the government will work towards a simple, fair and effective tax system to attract investment and create jobs.

He also pledged to deal with economic issues which are affecting local and foreign investors, upgrade transport infrastructure and apply new IT to increase the use of the Internet.

He also declared a unilateral ceasefire with gunmen of the New People Army and urged them to end decades of violence and work to resume peaceful dialogues. He said he wants long-term peace before the end of his six-year tenure.

Concerning the East Sea, Duterte welcomed the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s ruling on July 12 and emphasised that international law needs to be respected and solutions should be sought to manage and resolve disputes peacefully.

He said the government will also prioritise the fight against climate change without disrupting the country’s industrialisation.-VNA