Duterte’s 3rd SONA not limited to accomplishments, Roque says

“I think they want it to be a message straight from the heart of the President not hindered by the need to report on the different achievements,” Roque said in a Palace briefing. (Photo: Presidential Communications (Government of the Philippines)/Facebook)

MANILA — President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s third State of the Nation Address (SONA) will not be limited to a report on the achievements done during his administration, his spokesperson said on Thursday.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque reiterated that Duterte’s next SONA scheduled on July 23 (Monday) will be delivered “straight from the heart.”

“I think they want it to be a message straight from the heart of the President not hindered by the need to report on the different achievements,” Roque said in a Palace briefing.

Roque said the public will get a preview of the policies, programs and projects implemented during Duterte’s second year in office through a series of pre-SONA forums.

“One difference is magkakaroon po ng (there will be) pre-SONA briefings iyong mga (in) economic clusters that will be held in PICC. That’s to give the President latitude to say whatever he wants during the SONA, because he has already laid out his achievements in the different clusters,” Roque said.

“The different achievements will be reported by the different clusters in the different pre-SONA briefings that will be conducted,” he added.

When asked if Duterte’s SONA will be extemporaneous, Roque noted that there is still a speech writer assigned to do the task.

“I know who’s writing the speech but I haven’t actually sat down with them. Obviously a major change is that there is now a pre-SONA briefing by the different clusters,” Roque said.

“So intrigue, naiiintriga tayong lahat kung anong sasabihin ng Pangulo (We will all be intrigued to know what the President will be saying),” he added.

Amid reports that film and TV director Joyce Bernal will be replacing Brilliante Mendoza as director of President’s SONA, Roque said he had yet to confirm if the report is true.

“I just requested if I could confirm and they said not yet; maybe because there’s no signed contract yet. And you know the policy of this office, I need the document but I heard the same,” Roque said.

Minutes after the Palace briefing, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar confirmed that Bernal will indeed be directing Duterte’s next SONA.