With just days to go before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), the House of Representatives on Monday announced it is “90 to 95 percent ready” to host the event at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City.
House spokesperson Atty. Princess Abante made the statement at a press briefing following the final interagency coordination meeting to finalize preparations. She said most of the arrangements have been completed, with only minor adjustments remaining.
“The interagency delegation will have a walkthrough in the House of Representatives. But other than that, we are all set,” Abante said, adding that contingency plans are in place in case of severe weather. Despite recent rain, preparations have not been delayed.
She noted that security measures have already been finalized, with arrangements similar to last year’s, subject to minimal adjustments depending on situational concerns. No specific threats have been reported, although law enforcement remains on alert.
Abante also expects guest attendance to match last year’s high turnout of over 1,500 attendees.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III meanwhile said Monday that approximately 12,000 police personnel will be deployed for the SONA.
“Around 12,000 personnel are being deployed, along with other law enforcement agencies and civilian support units, for this activity in the House of Representatives,” Torre said during a press briefing at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
He noted that the PNP will dispatch an advance team on July 26, with full deployment scheduled for July 27 until the early hours of July 28.
Torre also clarified that no specific security threats have been detected so far.
