Presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte will skip the fourth State of the Nation Address of her father, President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, as she is on special medical leave for 60 days.
“I am on special medical leave for 60 days. It’s a gyne condition,” Mayor Duterte said in a text message to reporters.
Sara, along with presidential son and Davao solon Paolo Duterte, previously met the three House lawmakers vying for the speakership in the 18th Congress: Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano, Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco, and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez.
In one of those meetings, Sara Duterte said Cayetano made a “veiled threat” that the pro-Duterte coalition would unravel if she endorsed Velasco as Speaker.
She later endorsed Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab for Speaker to “unite” Congress, which was divided for months because of the speakership rivalry.
But the President stepped in to resolve the issue, saying that Cayetano and Velasco would share the three-year term for Speaker while Romualdez would become majority floor leader.
Cayetano said Ungab would lead the appropriations committee when Congress opens on July 22.
Davao City Vice Mayor Baste Duterte would also be absent for his father’s SONA because of a regular session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Davao.
“I’ll just stay here [in Davao City.] I’ll watch it on television,” he said in a press briefing on Wednesday.
Last year, members of the Duterte family were present during the SONA.
Parts of Commonwealth Avenue will be partially closed during the 4th State of the Nation Address, the Quezon City Police District said Thursday.
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QCPD Director, Brig. Gen. Joselito T Esquivel Jr. advised motorists to take alternate routes as heavy traffic is expected particularly on roads leading to and from the Batasang Pambansa area where the President is set to deliver his SONA 2019 on Monday.
By 12:01 a.m. of July 22, the entire stretch of Commonwealth Avenue (north and southbound) from Quezon Memorial Circle to Fairview Center Mal will be cleared and illegally parked vehicles will be towed.
Commonwealth Avenue northbound will be partially closed from Home Depot to Sandiganbayan U-turn slot. Southbound lanes of Commonwealth will remain open while the eastbound of IBP starting Filinvest 1 up to Sinagtala will be closed for traffic to give way for pro-administration groups and demonstrators.
At 6 a.m., motorists coming from QMC to Fairview will take a zipper lane at the island breaker in front of Home Depot U turn-slot and take inner lanes. The end and exit point of the zipper lane are at the island breaker of Sandiganbayan U-turn slot. Motorists coming from Fairview to QMC will traverse the usual southbound route.
At 2:30 p.m., light vehicles from QMC to Fairview may take North Avenue, turn right to Mindanao Avenue, turn right to Old Sauyo Road, turn left to Chestnut Street, turn right to Dahlia Street, turn left to Fairlane Street then exit to Commonwealth Avenue then proceed to their destination. Heavy vehicles should take Commonwealth Avenue.
All light vehicles from Fairview to QMC may turn right to Fairlane Street, turn right to Dahlia Street, turn left to Chestnut Street, turn right to Old Sauyo Road, turn right to Mindanao Avenue, take U-turn at corner Quirino Highway to Mindanao Avenue, left turn North Avenue to QMC and onto their destination. Heavy vehicles should take Commonwealth Avenue. With PNA
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