Media won’t be allowed inside Batasang Pambasa for Duterte’s SONA

The plenary hall of the House of Representatives. (Photo from the Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — Members of the media will not be allowed inside the premises of the House of Representatives when President Rodrigo Duterte delivers his penultimate State of the Nation Address (Sona) next week, according to an advisory from the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO).

“Please be advised that as per the recommendations of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), all media are not allowed inside the premises of the House of Representatives (HRep) in Batasan Hills, Quezon City during the State of the Nation Address on July 27, 2020,” PCOO said in an advisory sent to the media on Monday.

PCOO said that only the Presidential Broadcast Staff – Radio Television Malacañang (PBS-RTVM) will be allowed to cover the Sona inside the House of Representatives—also known as Batasang Pambansa—and that all broadcast-related requirements should be coursed through the RTVM.

“Media are advised to hook up to the live feed of PTV or the live stream of the Presidential Communications and RTVM Facebook pages and RTVM YouTube channel,” PCOO said.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque earlier announced that Duterte will be physically present at the Batasang Pambansa to deliver his 5th Sona amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Roque said rehearsals and other preparations for the 2020 Sona are still ongoing.

The presidential spokesperson disclosed that among the topics that Duterte will discuss in speech include the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the government’s efforts to mitigate its effects, and the government’s recovery program.

Only 50 members of Congress will also be allowed to attend so as to observe social distancing protocols, said Roque.

JPV