MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte may deliver his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Malacañang instead of the traditional venue in Batasang Pambansa, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said.
“As we speak, the Presidential Security Group and the Office of the President is already having talks with the Senate secretary and the secretary-general of the House. There is a suggestion that the President will deliver his SONA in Malacañang. It’s up to the senators and congressmen where they want to listen,” Sotto said during Thursday’s plenary session.
“That is the initial reaction and initial proposal that they have. We have not agreed yet but if we agree and all of you agree, we could stay here. We need not go to Congress or the House of Representatives because the President will not be there,” he added.
The President is mandated under the Constitution to deliver his SONA before a joint session of Congress every fourth Monday of July to report on the status of the country and the government’s agenda in the years to come.
Earlier, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said that “business as usual” for the President’s fifth SONA would be “impossible” amid the coronavirus pandemic.
He said the President could either deliver his SONA through a televised address from Malacañang or that the number of those who can physically attend would be limited only to members of Congress.
“Talagang malabo ang State of the Nation Address kung saan libo-libong tao ang nasa loob ng very cramped area of the Philippine Congress. I don’t see that happening,” he told reporters in an online interview last May 4.
(It would be highly unlikely for the State of the Nation Address to proceed with thousands of people inside the very cramped area of the Philippine Congress. I don’t see that happening).
“Kung gagawin nila ng katulad ng dati? Naku, lahat hawaan. Mahahawa lahat. And you have to remember, all heads of government offices will be there so kung lahat po yan nagka-COVID-19, paralyzed po ang gobyerno natin,” he added.
(If they would do it like how it was before, there would be the risk of transmission. And you have to remember, all heads of government offices will be there so if they get infected and contract COVID-19, the government will be paralyzed).