There is a possibility that President Rodrigo Duterte will deliver his second to the last State of the Nation Address at the Batasang Pambansa, as tradition provides, but with only 50 individuals physically present.
This was revealed by Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri last Thursday.
The number of attendees, tentatively 50 people, is not yet finalized but the president expressed his desire to give the annual speech traditionally.
“It will be a skeletal crew of senators and congressmen listening to the president… to protect the president and congressmen from the transmission of the virus,” Zubiri said.
The Senate and the House of Representatives were each given about 12 to 13 slots, while the remaining headcount would be reserved for Duterte’s delegation, security and technical staff, he said.
Only 8 senators and 5 members of the Senate Secretariat will be physically present in the Batasang Pambansa, while the rest of the Senate can watch the SONA either in the Senate session hall or via videoconference, the Majority Leader said.
