PRRD to deliver SONA from chamber separate from guests

FILE: President Rodrigo Duterte in his 4th state of the nation address (SONA) at the Batasang Pambansa on Monday (July 22, 2019). (PNA photo by Oliver Marquez)

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte will not be anywhere near guests when he delivers his fifth state of the nation address (SONA) on Monday (July 27), a Palace official said Wednesday.

Secretary Karlo Nograles said Duterte will still go to the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City but will be delivering his SONA in a chamber separate from guests to mitigate the risk of exposure to coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

“He (Duterte) will be addressing the nation from the same podium, but for the safety of all the members of Congress and the employees of the House, he will deliver his SONA in a chamber that will not be filled by the legislators, officials, and dignitaries that usually attend this function,” he said during the last of pre-SONA forums.

Despite these changes, Nograles said the importance of the message will not be diminished.

“Such a report is more important now, more than ever, as government works to chart a safe course for our country as it navigates through unfamiliar and uncertain times, as it works to recoup the gains we have made in the President’s first three and a half years,” he said.

On Tuesday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte has opted to fulfill his constitutional mandate to deliver his SONA despite risks of contracting Covid-19.

He, however, admitted that Duterte’s physical presence at the Batasang Pambansa makes the Palace “worried.”

“He may be vulnerable pero patuloy pa rin ang kaniyang trabaho bilang isang president (but he has to fulfill his job as president). At nakasaad po sa Saligang Batas na sa takdang araw ng buwan ng Hulyo, siya ay magre-report sa Kongreso at gagawin po niya iyan (The Constitution states that in July, he has to make a report to Congress and he will do that),” Roque said.

According to Roque, there would only be a limited number of people who can attend this year’s SONA.

Traditionally, the presidential family, members of Congress and their spouses, former presidents, foreign diplomats, government officials and other dignitaries are invited to attend the annual SONA.

There is no certainty whether Duterte’s family would grace the event, he said.

Roque said only 15 seats will be reserved for Cabinet members, and 25 seats each for senators and congressmen. He was likewise unsure whether he can attend Duterte’s fifth SONA.

In an advisory sent to reporters, the House of Representatives said no members of the media will be allowed inside the premises of Batasang Pambansa during the President’s SONA.

Only members of the Presidential Broadcast Staff-Radio Television Malacañang (PBS-RTVM) will be authorized inside the chamber’s premises to cover the SONA, the advisory read.

Presidential Security Group (PSG) commander Col. Jesus Durante, in a separate statement, assured that “heightened” security measures are in place to keep Duterte safe from Covid-19.

He said the PSG is working closely with concerned government agencies to “ensure a 360 degree shield for the President and the safety of the whole venue.”

“With the ongoing pandemic, PSG will enforce additional health security measures adopted from the implementing guidelines of the PSG Task Force Covid-19, Department of Health, and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, as expected,” he said.

Durante said inter-agency meetings with involved security firms have already been conducted.

He added that there are “continuous collaborations” to make sure that Duterte will remain Covid-19 free.

On Monday, Roque said Duterte’s fifth SONA will focus on the national government’s response to Covid-19 pandemic, as well as on the President’s priorities for his last two years in office.

Article 7, Section 23 of the 1987 Constitution mandates the President to “address the Congress at the opening of its regular session.”

The SONA is delivered by the President of the Philippines every year to report the state of the country, unveil the government’s agenda for the coming year, and may also propose to Congress certain legislative measures.