Purpose and history of SoNA
Let us devote this column on the significance of the President Rodrigo Duterte’s State of the Nation Address (SoNA) on Monday, 27 July 2020. The upcoming SoNA shall be President Duterte’s 5th and the 82nd SoNA in the history of the Philippines. We have had memorable SoNA during this Administration.
We can recall the SoNA of 2016 where President Duterte ordered a more simple and modest gathering, not reminiscent of a red carpet awards show. The first two SoNA also had Director Briliante Mendoza at the helm. In 2018, the SoNA was marked with a coup d’etat launched against Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez that put former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as Speaker of the House. The lead up to the 2019 SoNA was boiled with political intrigue due to the race to Speakership eventually won by Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano.
This year’s SoNA comes at somber note. This will be the first SoNA to be conducted via videoconferencing. The plan is for the President to be physically present in the Session of the
House of Representatives, but Malacañang made it clear that it can decide that the President hold his SoNA in his residence, if need be. Arrangements for the holding of the Joint Session when the attendees are in different areas shall be made. We must be mindful of the Congressional Mace held by the Senate and the House. These can be brought to Malacañang if plans change last minute.
As for Constitutional basis, there have been some slight changes in our four Constitutions. The President addressing Congress is provided for in the 1935, 1943, 1973 and 1987 Constitutions. The term “state of the nation” was specifically provided for in the 1935 and 1943, not in the 1973 and 1987 Constitutions. The timing of the President’s address during the opening of the regular session of Congress was provided for in the 1973 and 1987, not in the 1935 and 1943 Constitutions. But even without the specific timing provision for the President to provide Congress with information on the state of the nation in the 1935 Constitution, it had been a tradition since 1935 for Presidents to deliver their SoNA during the opening of the regular sessions of Congress.
The 14 Philippine Presidents from President Quezon to President Duterte delivered their SoNA at the Session Halls of the “official homes” of the Philippine legislature, particularly of the House of Representatives during periods of bicameral Congress, the Legislative Building in Manila, the schoolhouse at Lepanto in Manila, and Batasang Pambansa, now House of Representatives, building in Quezon City.
The only exceptions were in 1950 when President Elpidio Quirino delivered his SoNA from his bed in John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland in the US via radio broadcast, and during the early years of martial law when President Marcos delivered his SoNA at Malacañang Palace, Quirino Grandstand, Luneta Park and the PICC. From among the 14 Presidents, President Ferdinand Marcos delivered the highest number of SoNA — 20. President Sergio Osmena, who assumed the presidency after the death of President Quezon in 1944 had the least with only one SoNA delivered.
In reporting the state of the nation, Presidents presented their respective programs and plans as well as their proposed measures that need legislative action. In the normal course of things, we could have expected President Duterte deliver his second to the last SoNA that can highlight achievements in the last four years and his remaining plans in his last year in the Presidency. As we all know, the last year will most likely be spent campaigning for 2022.
However, with COVID-19, this SoNA should focus on reopening the economy and building on what was lost. SoNA 2020 must bring hope and uplift the spirits of the Filipino people now that we far from defeating this invisible foe.
“SoNA 2020 must bring hope and uplif t the spirits of the Filipino people now that we far from defeating this invisible foe. “This
will be the first SoNA to be conducted via videoconferencing. The plan is for the President to be physically present in the Session of the House of Representatives, but Malacañang made it clear that it can decide that the President hold his SoNA in his residence, if need be.