Miriam wants end to SONA fashion parade

(Updated 5:24 p.m.) To end what she described as the "obsession [with] bling" of some politicians, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago on Tuesday said she will propose uniform attires during the annual State of the Nation Address (SONA) of the President.

In a statement, Santiago said she will file a resolution prescribing an official uniform for members of Congress attending the SONA.

“I watched TV and could not stand it. The SONA event should be a serious time for the Congress to pick up policy directions indicated by the President. It should not be treated as Oscar night in Hollywood, with a red carpet, where peacocks spread their tails and turn around and around, as coached by media in a feeding frenzy,” the senator said.

Santiago said a simple pencil skirt and a short-sleeved barong blouse would be enough for this occasion.

Santiago failed to attend the SONA for the past two years due to health reasons. In 2011, she wore a gold terno made by Filipino designer Inno Sotto to the event.

The senator admitted that she "was once a clueless participant in those mindless events."

“The highlight of the SONA is the President. It is not the flashy women. Now the flaky men are even getting into the act. They also parade, sometimes with photogenic arm candy, into the session hall and preen like their female counterparts. Enough!” Santiago said.

Santiago also reminded her fellow politicians that under the Civil Code, "thoughtless extravagance" may be stopped by courts "during a period of acute public want or emergency."

The senator also proposed that a "historian with a sense of duty," such as former beauty queen Gemma Cruz-Araneta, should act as a SONA fashion consultant.

Loren, Poe OK with uniform

Senator Grace Poe agreed with Santiago's proposal, saying it may actually spare female legislators like her from the hassle of choosing what to wear during this formal event.

"Sa totoo lang, nakakabawas talaga ng sakit ng ulo kapag alam mo na ang isusuot mo. Okay lang sa akin na mag-uniform. Kung realistic ba iyon, kung nakakabawas ng sakit ng ulo, bakit hindi?" she said.

She however added that she did not find the gowns worn by those who attended the SONA extravagant or distracting.

Senator Loren Legarda, for her part, said she wants to include the use of indigenous fabrics in Santiago's proposal.

"Gawin natin Philippine culture, Philippine-made, akma sa kultura ng ating mga katutubo which I have been doing all these years. It can be less expensive," Legarda said in a separate interview. — Andreo Calonzo/KBK/BM, GMA News