Business as usual in Duterte's upcoming SONA 'impossible' amid COVID-19, says Zubiri

President Rodrigo Duterte's State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July will be vastly different from the usual in light of the COVID-19 health crisis, according to Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri on Monday.

In an interview via teleconference, Zubiri said the SONA would most likely be held in a different manner as strict containment measures are seen to remain in the coming months.

"I do not see the possibility of business as usual sa State of the Nation Address. Impossible... I don't see GCQ (general community quarantine) coming down early August. Probably naka-GCQ pa rin tayo ng June and July," he said, noting two possibilities.

"I can see the extreme scenario na hindi na matutuloy 'yung State of the Nation Address at magbibigay na lang siya ng televised address to the people of the Philippines, sa Malacanang, in the safety of his home in Malacanang," Zubiri said.

"Another scenario is posibleng wala nang bisita. Congressmen, congresswomen at senador lang um-attend at wala na pong bisita so we can practice social distancing," he added.

Zubiri said would be too risky to hold such a big gathering as the risks of COVID-19 transmission could be very high.

The SONA is a constitutional obligation, required by Article VII, Section 23 of the 1987 Constitution. The President of the Philippines delivers the annual SONA at the Session Hall of the House of Representatives in Batasang Pambansa Complex, Quezon City to report on the status of the country and unveil the government’s agenda.

In some instances like in 1950, former President Elpidio Quirino delivered the SONA via radio broadcast from Baltimore, Maryland. Former President Ferdinand Marcos also held it in Malacanang twice in 1973 and 1974.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government on Sunday hinted that the National Capital Region may be placed under GCQ after May 15. --KBK, GMA News