Filtered By: Topstories
News

Sotto: Proposal has Duterte delivering 5th SONA at Palace


Senate leaders on Thursday discussed possible scenarios for the upcoming State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Rodrigo Duterte in July amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the plenary session, Senate President Vicente Sotto III bared that the Presidential Security Group (PSG) and the Office of the President were in the initial stages of planning with the Senate Secretariat and the Secretary General of the House.

"There is a suggestion that the President will deliver his State of the Nation Address in Malacanang and it is up to the senators and the congressmen on where they would want to listen, but that is the initial reaction and initial proposal that they have," Sotto said.

"If all of you agree, we can all stay here. We need not go to the House of Representatives because the President will not be there, he is in Malacanang. We can monitor from here and the congressmen may monitor from their House," he added.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri also shared that based on the information he received from Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, the PSG is "frowning upon" the idea of gathering around 5,000 people inside the House of Representatives for the fifth SONA.

The topic on SONA was touched after Senator Francis Tolentino raised the question if the Senate will continue allowing hybrid sessions and hearings beyond June.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon agreed with Zubiri that the matter could be taken up on July 27 when Congress would convene.

"We re-examine it in July because this hybrid session indeed is dictated by necessity, we do not want to be exposed to the risk of COVID-19. That is why we have to decide before we come back," Drilon said, adding that they may hold a caucus first.

Sotto said the plan was feasible.

"When we do that, we should be physically present. We must have a quorum and physically present at the Senate. Then we can decide through the Senate President and the Majority Leader consulting all members of the Senate if we will continue allowing teleconference or not," Sotto said.

"That will be July 27, most probably, we will be under MGCQ or even better, God permitting," he added.

LOADING CONTENT