The fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Duterte on July 27 will be in accordance with the new normal safety protocols.
Compared to previous SONAs, guests will now be limited and will be required to undergo testing at the Batasang Pambansa.
“Maximum sa buong Batasan 50 persons only. Ginawa, hinati. 25 from Exec. kasama na ang security. So ‘di lahat ng gabinete ay pwede. May pinili lang na pwede. Wala na ring audience. 25 from legislative, sa 25 ang napag-usapan, 13 sa House, 12 sa Senate (A maximum of 50 persons will be allowed at the Batasang Pambansa. They will be divided, 25 from the Executive including security.So not all cabinet members will be there. There will be no audience. The other 25 will come from the Legislative, 13 from the House, 12 from the Senate),” Senate President Vicente Sotto III disclosed.
Eight senators will be physically present including Sotto, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Panfilo Lacson, Pia Cayetano, Sherwin Gatchalian, Ronald Dela Rosa, Francis Tolentino, and Christopher Go.
The Palace is yet to confirm if the President will be physically present with the lawmakers in the same venue. “Sa mula’t mula naman po, ang venue talaga ay sa Batasang Pambansa. Ang issue lang ay kung dadalo nang personal ang Presidente. Ilan nga po ang makaka-attend? O kung magvi-video telecast na lang po ang ating Presidente (The venue has always been at the Batasang Pambansa. The issue is if the President will personally attend. How many will attend? Or if he will do a video telecast),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque explained.
“Ang alam ko po, hindi pa po 100 percent sure kung physically ay mag-a-attend ang Presidente (I know that it is not 100 percent sure if the President will attend physically),” he added. The public will still be able to watch the SONA as it will be aired live. – Report from Eunice Samonte
