Aquino arrives in Congress to deliver his Sona

Screengrab from RTVMPNoy youtube account.

MANILA, Philippines–President Benigno Aquino has arrived at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City for his fifth State of the Nation Address (Sona).

The President arrived at House of Representatives past 3 p.m. Monday.

Aquino, wearing his signature barong with a yellow ribbon pin, was received by House officers before being escorted by Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Gregorio Pio Catapang through the Honor Guards formation.

He was later welcomed by Senate President Franklin Drilon and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and the rest of the senators and congressmen.

A holding room was set up at the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office where Aquino stayed before heading to the session hall.

The President is set to deliver his penultimate Sona amid controversies faced by his administration, the most serious of which is the administration-conceived Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), which was declared partly unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

Unlike in previous years, this year’s Sona will be delivered by an embattled Aquino, whose satisfaction and performance ratings are also at an all-time low and who faces three impeachment complaints related to DAP and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, which gives US soldiers access to Philippine military bases.

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