MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte will be physically present at the Batasang Pambansa to deliver his 5th State of the Nation Address (SONA) amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, his spokesman Harry Roque announced Monday.
“I confirm for the first time that the President will be physically present in Batasan (Pambansa),” Roque said in a televised Palace briefing.
Rehearsals and other preparations for the 2020 SONA are ongoing, he added.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque. Screenshot from PCOO Facebook video
Duterte is set to deliver his penultimate SONA on Monday, July 27, 2020.
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.
Regarding the content of this year’s SONA Roque said the President will definitely discuss the COVID-19 pandemic, the government’s undertakings to mitigate its effects, and the recovery program.
He noted that only 50 members of Congress would be allowed to attend the SONA at Batasang Pambansa.
Meanwhile, protesters are urged to stage their demonstrations online to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
“Para po sa ating mga sarili, para sa ating mga anak online protest po kung pupwede,” Roque said.
[For ourselves, for our children, just hold online protests if possible.