Duterte delivers second Sona

AP PHOTO/Aaron Favila

President Rodrigo Duterte delivered his second State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday afternoon at the House of Representatives in Quezon City.

Earlier, Duterte drew cheers as he entered the plenary hall dominated by his political allies in Congress.

Communications Secretary Martin Andanar has said Duterte’s speech would be longer than his first Sona but more “meaningful.”

Unless Duterte issues adlib statements, Andanar said his “written speech” would last for 40 to 50 minutes.

In his Sona last year, the President went off script many times.

Former presidents Fidel Ramos, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and Joseph Estrada were present during the Sona. Former president Benigno Aquino III did not attend the event, saying he would prefer to watch it on television.

Duterte’s family, which includes partner Honeylet Avanceña, daughters Sara Duterte-Carpio and Veronica, and sons Paolo and Sebastian, were also present.

Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said the President’s Sona would be “realistic but hopeful.”

“The President’s State of the Nation Address will be rendered in broad strokes reviewing past achievements, stating the present situation and announcing future prospects,” Abella said in statement. “On the whole it will be frank, challenging, realistic but hopeful.”

He said the speech would be in English and would take approximately 50 minutes.

“Given there will be pauses for applause and off-the-cuff remarks, the speech may take about an hour and thirty minutes,” he said.

Duterte delivered his Sona amid a record-high net public satisfaction rating of +66 and a high support for his martial law declaration in Mindanao.

But his Sona was also met with protests as demonstrators outside the Batasang Pambansa complex expressed their increasing disappointment with the policies of the Duterte administration.