President Rodrigo Duterte will deliver his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the Batasang Pambansa on July 27 but the Chief Executive has yet to decide if he will be physically present or not, Malacanang said Thursday.
Palace spokesman Harry Roque said there was nothing final yet although the other option was for the President to go to Batasang Pambansa with a limited number of lawmakers in attendance due to the pandemic.
Traditionally, government officials, lawmakers, and business leaders convene at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City for the President’s SONA.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III, for his part, said due to the pandemic, only a maximum of 50 persons would be allowed inside the venue to witness the President’s delivery of the SONA.
The 50 persons, he said, would be divided into delegations from the Executive department, the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Sotto said 25 would come from the Executive department while the remaining 25 would be from the legislative branch.
Of the 25 from the legislative department, Sotto said 13 would come from the House of Representatives while 12 would be from the Senate.
The number, Sotto clarified, would not be limited to House members and the senators, but would also include the sergeant at arms, secretary general and documentation staff.
Due to this, only 8 senators would be physically attending the SONA. Aside from Sotto, they are Senators Panfilo Lacson, Francis Tolentino, Bong Go, Pia Cayetano, Ronald dela Rosa, Win Gatchalian and Senate Majority Leader Migz Zubiri.
The attendees to the SONA should undergo the mandatory rapid test.
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