President Rodrigo Duterte is set to physically deliver his 5th State of the Nation Address on July 27 at the Batasang Pambansa amid the threat of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
In adherence to quarantine protocols, only a limited number of guests are allowed to grace the event. This is in contrast with the usual crowd that fills the Session Hall of the House of Representatives in previous SONAs.
Even Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque is not sure if he will be part of the small group who will accompany Duterte.
So far, Roque said Duterte’s in-house guests will be composed of 15 Cabinet members, 25 members of the House of Representatives, and all sitting senators.
The attendance of the first family is also uncertain.
For the president’s safety, members of the Presidential Security Group will also be included in the attendees.
Media personnel are also prohibited from entering Batasan premises on Monday. Only the state-run Radio Television Malacañang is allowed to set up a broadcast feed from which all other media outlets will tap into.
Authorities previously considered keeping Duterte within Palace grounds for the SONA, which he will deliver via livestream from the Malago Clubhouse to Congress.
