Former President Rodrigo Duterte will attend the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on July 24.
House Secretary General Reginald Velasco confirmed this Wednesday, adding Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte will also attend the event.
“He has confirmed attendance, as well as his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte,” Velasco said.
But Velasco has yet to disclose what would be the sitting arrangement for the past Presidents and incumbent officials such as the Vice President.
“We would need clearance from the two. If you noticed, we clear the seat plan with the VIP, ask them if they are comfortable sitting beside each other. Sometimes, we have to adjust,” Velasco explained.
“For some reason, they want to sit beside their wife or husband, or they want a caregiver nearby. We have accommodated these types of requests. [We consider] the sentiments of all types of guests,” he added.
Velasco cited former President and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who has expressed preference to sit in the VIP section of the House gallery during Mr. Marcos’ SONA.
He said Arroyo may sit in the plenary as an incumbent House member “but we were told that she preferred to be seated at the center.”
Arroyo is also a deputy speaker of the House.
Asked if she would indeed sit in the VIP section, Arroyo said, “Yes, as I do every SONA.”
Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority has released its traffic management plan to be enforced during the July 24 SONA.
The agency urged motorists to take alternate routes to avoid the expected traffic jam on Commonwealth Avenue and in the vicinity of the Batasang Pambansa Complex during the event.
The alternate routes are as follows:
Northbound (Quezon Memorial Circle to Fairview)
– Vehicles from Elliptical Road should take North Avenue, right turn at Mindanao Avenue, then right turn to Sauyo Road or take Quirino Highway to reach the point of destination.
Southbound (Fairview to Quezon Memorial Circle)
– Vehicles from Commonwealth Avenue should take Sauyo Road or Quirino Highway, turn left at Mindanao Avenue, then turn left at North Avenue to reach the point of destination.
Northbound (Quezon Memorial Circle to Fairview via Marikina)
– Light vehicles from C5 Road may turn left at Magiting St., turn right at Maginhawa St., turn left at Mayaman St. to Kalayaan Avenue to reach the point of destination.
For Trucks:
– All trucks coming from C-5 along Katipunan Avenue should take Luzon Flyover, then turn left at Congressional Avenue to reach the point of destination.
A zipper lane or counterflow on the southbound lane of Commonwealth Avenue will be implemented to give way to vehicles of government officials and guests going to the complex as needed.
MMDA chairman Don Artes ordered the deployment of 1,354 personnel tasked to manage both vehicular and pedestrian traffic, assist in emergency response, conduct road and sidewalk clearing operations, assist in crowd control, traffic monitoring, and support the operations of the Task Force SONA 2023.
“Preparations are in full swing for us to ensure that traffic will be orderly along Commonwealth Avenue, IBP Road, and all other thoroughfares surrounding the House of Representatives. SONA-related activities as well as transport strikes will be monitored at the newly inaugurated MMDA Communications and Command Center,” said Artes.
The MMDA also imposed a “no day off, no absent” policy for personnel assigned at SONA. Ambulances, tow trucks, mobile patrol units, motorcycle units, and flood mitigation equipment, among others, will also be dispatched at designated routes and staging areas.